Magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels contained in a cassette casing having an opening for exposing the tape between the reels, with a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for receiving and supporting said cassette casing with the supply and take-up reels therein, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is wholly contained in said cassette casing and removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, said tape guide means including tape loading means movable from an inactive position, at which the tape exposed at said opening is engageable by said tape loading means, to an operative position for withdrawing a loop of the tape from the cassette into said second path, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween, one of said light detecting and light directing means extending into said opening of the cassete positioned by said support means and the other of said light detecting and light directing means being spaced from said support means to extend said light path across both of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means; and in which said tape loading means includes a rotatable ring extending around said guide drum, a plurality of guides mounted on said rotatable ring and being spaced from said periphery of the drum to move with said support about said drum, and a tape engaging member also mounted on said rotatable ring and extending from the latter to engage the tape between said reels exposed at said cassette opening in said inactive position and being movable with said ring so that, during movement to said operative position, said tape engaging member withdraws said tape loop from said reels and wraps one side of the loop about said portion of the drum periphery while the other side of said loop is engaged with said guides, and further in which said other oF the light detecting and light directing means is disposed within said ring with said light path being intercepted by said one side of the tape loop between said guide drum and said cassette.

Claim 2

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels contained in a cassette casing having an opening for exposing the tape between the reels, with a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for receiving and supporting said cassette casing with the supply and take-up reels therein, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is wholly contained in said cassette casing and removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, said tape guide means including tape loading means movable from an inactive position, at which the tape exposed at said opening is engageable by said tape loading means, to an operative position for withdrawing a loop of the tape from the cassette into said second path, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween, one of said light detecting and light directing means extending into said opening of the cassete positioned by said support means and the other of said light detecting and light directing means being spaced from said support means to extend said light path across both of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means; and in which said tape loading means includes a rotatable ring extending around said guide drum, a plurality of guides mounted on said rotatable ring and being spaced from said periphery of the drum to move with said support about said drum, and a tape engaging member also mounted on said rotatable ring and extending from the latter to engage the tape between said reels exposed at said cassette opening in said inactive position and being movable with said ring so that, during movement to said operative position, said tape engaging member withdraws said tape loop from said reels and wraps one side of the loop about said portion of the drum periphery while the other side of said loop is engaged with said guides, and further in which said other oF the light detecting and light directing means is disposed within said ring with said light path being intercepted by said one side of the tape loop between said guide drum and said cassette.

Claim 3

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means including means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means and means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the inoperativeness of said light directing means.

Claim 4

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means including means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means and means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the inoperativeness of said light directing means.

Claim 5

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means, and signal means operative by said control means to indicate the halting of said drive means by said control means.

Claim 6

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means, and signal means operative by said control means to indicate the halting of said drive means by said control means.

Claim 7

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spAced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means; and in which said drive means includes selectively operable means to drive said take-up reel at a normal speed and at a high speed for recording and reproducing operations and for fast-forward operation, respectively, of the apparatus, and means to drive said supply reel at a high speed for rewind operation of the apparatus, and further in which said control means includes means permitting said high speed driving of the take-up and supply reels only when the tape is in said first path removed from said guide drum.

Claim 8

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spAced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means; and in which said drive means includes selectively operable means to drive said take-up reel at a normal speed and at a high speed for recording and reproducing operations and for fast-forward operation, respectively, of the apparatus, and means to drive said supply reel at a high speed for rewind operation of the apparatus, and further in which said control means includes means permitting said high speed driving of the take-up and supply reels only when the tape is in said first path removed from said guide drum.

Claim 10

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means; and in which said light detecting means is constituted by a photo-transistor which is rendered conductive by light impinging thereon from said light directing means, and said control means includes electro-magnetically operated switch means permitting operation of said drive means only when said switch means is energized, a first transistor through which said switch means is energized when said first transistor is turned on, a second transistor connected with said photo-transistor and being turned on when the latter is rendered conductive, and means connecting said first and second transistors to turn off said first transistor in response to said second transistor being turned on.

Claim 11

An apparatus for magnetically recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape which extends between, and is wound on supply and take-up reels, and which has a transparent leader at least at one end of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising support means for supporting said supply and take-up reels, a tape guide drum having at least one rotary magnetic head associated therewith for scanning the tape when the latter is engaged about at least a portion of the periphery of said drum, tape guide means for selectively leading said tape between the reels in a first path in which the tape is removed from said guide drum and in a second path which includes a section extending about said portion of the guide drum periphery, drive means operative to selectively drive the tape in each of said first and second paths from one of said reels onto the other of said reels, sensing means including cooperative spaced apart light directing and light detecting means defining a light path therebetween which is intercepted by each of said first and second tape paths so that said light detecting means detects light in said light path only when the latter is intercepted by said transparent leader, and control means for halting the operation of said drive means in response to the detection of light by said light detecting means; and in which said light detecting means is constituted by a photo-transistor which is rendered conductive by light impinging thereon from said light directing means, and said control means includes electro-magnetically operated switch means permitting operation of said drive means only when said switch means is energized, a first transistor through which said switch means is energized when said first transistor is turned on, a second transistor connected with said photo-transistor and being turned on when the latter is rendered conductive, and means connecting said first and second transistors to turn off said first transistor in response to said second transistor being turned on.