Mechanism for engaging a magnetic recording tape in a cassette and for withdrawing the tape from the cassette and placing the tape in engagement with the guide drum of a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape wound on reels contained in a cassette which has an opening for exposing the tape between the reels; comprising a chassis, a tape guide drum mounted on said chassis and having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for movement in a circular path corresponding to the surface of said drum, a holder on said chassis spaced from said drum for receiving and positioning a cassette with said opening thereof facing toward said drum, tape guiding means having at least one finger directed substantially parallel to the axes of said reels when said cassette is positioned by said holder, said finger being movable from within said opening of a cassette positioned by said holder in a substantially planar path having an arcuate section extending around at least a portion of the circumference of said guide drum for pulling out the tape from the cassette and for engaging the pulled-out tape with at least said portion of the circumference of said guide drum, and means for shifting said tape guiding means and said holder relative to each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said path of movement of the finger between a first relative position, in which said finger is spaced from a cassette received by said holder for avoiding interference by said finger with the reception and positioning of said cassette by said holder, and a second position, in which said finger projects into said opening of the cassette positioned by the holder for engagement with the tape between said reels.

Claim 2

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape wound on reels contained in a cassette which has an opening for exposing the tape between the reels; comprising a chassis, a tape guide drum mounted on said chassis and having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for movement in a circular path corresponding to the surface of said drum, a holder on said chassis spaced from said drum for receiving and positioning a cassette with said opening thereof facing toward said drum, tape guiding means having at least one finger directed substantially parallel to the axes of said reels when said cassette is positioned by said holder, said finger being movable from within said opening of a cassette positioned by said holder in a substantially planar path having an arcuate section extending around at least a portion of the circumference of said guide drum for pulling out the tape from the cassette and for engaging the pulled-out tape with at least said portion of the circumference of said guide drum, and means for shifting said tape guiding means and said holder relative to each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said path of movement of the finger between a first relative position, in which said finger is spaced from a cassette received by said holder for avoiding interference by said finger with the reception and positioning of said cassette by said holder, and a second position, in which said finger projects into said opening of the cassette positioned by the holder for engagement with the tape between said reels.

Claim 4

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape wound on reels contained in a cassette which has an opening for exposing the tape between the reels; comprising a chassis, a holder on said chassis for receiving and positioning a cassette, a tape guide drum spaced from said holder on said chassis and having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for movement in a circular path corresponding to the circumference of said drum, tape guiding means including a plurality of fingers extendable into said opening of a cassette recieved by said holder and being movable out of said cassette opening in a substantially planar path that is disposed above said guide drum and has an arcuate section extending around at least a portion of the circumference of said drum for pulling out the tape from said opening of the cassette received by said holder and for forming the pulled-out tape into a loop that is disposed above the guide drum and that encompasses and is spaced outwardly from said drum, means for releasing the tape loop from said tape guiding means so that the tape loop drops from said fingers around said drum and the surface of the tape at the inside of said loop is engageable with at least said portion of said circumference of the guide drum, and means for shifting said tape guiding means and said holder relative to each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said path of movement of the fingers between a first relative position, in which said fingers are disposed above a cassette received by said holder, and a second relative position, in which said fingers project from above into the cassette opening for engagement with the tape between the reels.

Claim 5

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape wound on reels contained in a cassette which has an opening for exposing the tape between the reels; comprising a chassis, a holder on said chassis for receiving and positioning a cassette, a tape guide drum spaced from said holder on said chassis and having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for movement in a circular path corresponding to the circumference of said drum, tape guiding means including a plurality of fingers extendable into said opening of a cassette recieved by said holder and being movable out of said cassette opening in a substantially planar path that is disposed above said guide drum and has an arcuate section extending around at least a portion of the circumference of said drum for pulling out the tape from said opening of the cassette received by said holder and for forming the pulled-out tape into a loop that is disposed above the guide drum and that encompasses and is spaced outwardly from said drum, means for releasing the tape loop from said tape guiding means so that the tape loop drops from said fingers around said drum and the surface of the tape at the inside of said loop is engageable with at least said portion of said circumference of the guide drum, and means for shifting said tape guiding means and said holder relative to each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said path of movement of the fingers between a first relative position, in which said fingers are disposed above a cassette received by said holder, and a second relative position, in which said fingers project from above into the cassette opening for engagement with the tape between the reels.

Claim 7

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape wound on reels contained in a cassette which has an opening for exposing the tape between the reels; comprising a chassis, a tape guide drum mounted on said chassis with its axis at a substantial angle from the horizontal and having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for movement in a circular path corresponding to the surface of said drum, a holder on said chassis spaced in the horizontal direction from said drum for receiving and positioning a cassette with said opening thereof facing toward said drum and with the axes of the reels extending substantially vertically, tape guiding means having at least one substantially vertical finger movable from within said opening of a cassette positioned by said holder in a substantially planar path having an arcuate section extending around at least a portion of the circumference of said guide drum for pulling out the tape from the cassette and for engaging the pulled-out tape with at least said portion of the circumference of said guide drum, and means for shifting said finger of the tape guiding means and said holder substantially vertically relative to each other between a first Relative position, in which said finger is spaced from a cassette received by said holder for avoiding interference by said finger with the reception and positioning of said cassette by said holder, and a second position, in which said finger projects into said opening of the cassette positioned by the holder for engagement with the tape between said reels.

Claim 8

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape wound on reels contained in a cassette which has an opening for exposing the tape between the reels; comprising a chassis, a tape guide drum mounted on said chassis with its axis at a substantial angle from the horizontal and having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for movement in a circular path corresponding to the surface of said drum, a holder on said chassis spaced in the horizontal direction from said drum for receiving and positioning a cassette with said opening thereof facing toward said drum and with the axes of the reels extending substantially vertically, tape guiding means having at least one substantially vertical finger movable from within said opening of a cassette positioned by said holder in a substantially planar path having an arcuate section extending around at least a portion of the circumference of said guide drum for pulling out the tape from the cassette and for engaging the pulled-out tape with at least said portion of the circumference of said guide drum, and means for shifting said finger of the tape guiding means and said holder substantially vertically relative to each other between a first Relative position, in which said finger is spaced from a cassette received by said holder for avoiding interference by said finger with the reception and positioning of said cassette by said holder, and a second position, in which said finger projects into said opening of the cassette positioned by the holder for engagement with the tape between said reels.