Cassette eject mechanism

Claim 2

In a magnetic recording reproducing device comprising a pair of reel spindles for removably mounting thereon a magnetic tape cassette, drive means for rotating said spindles, magnetic head means for engaging a magnetic tape in said cassette, and a plurality of depressibly operated keys, including a playback key and an eject key, which are arranged in a row along one side of said device, the improvement comprising a cassette eject mechanism for disengaging said magnetic head means from said tape and simultaneously stopping said tape at one full depression of said eject key and for discharging said cassette from said device at a second full depression of said eject key, said one full depression and said second full depression being depressibly identical.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said eject mechanism comprises, in combination: A. a playback leg which is perpendicularly disposed to said row and is pivotably operated by said playback key in a pivoting direction, comprising: a side surface and, with respect to said pivoting direction, a fore edge, a rear edge, and a window having a rear window edge, said playback leg being resiliently movable in parallel to said row and said pivoting direction being perpendicular to said row; B. an eject which is perpendicularly disposed to said row and is pivotably operated by said eject key in said pivoting direction, comprising: a side, a surface, and with respect to said pivoting direction, a fore edge, a rear edge, and a window having a rear window edge, said eject key being resiliently movable in parallel to said row; and C. an elongated lock lever, disposed in parallel to said row and extending at least from said playback key to said eject key, which is adapted for longitudinal sliding in an engagement direction and in a disengagement direction, comprising:

Claim 4

an eject pawl, projecting in said pivoting direction from said one elongated side of said lock lever, and having a sloped edge which is adapted to engage said rear window edge of said eject leg, and

Claim 5

an eject pawl, projecting in said pivoting direction from said one elongated side of said lock lever, and having a sloped edge which is adapted to engage said rear window edge of said eject leg, and

Claim 6

an end portion extending sidewardly therefrom.

Claim 7

an end portion extending sidewardly therefrom.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 2, wherein said eject mechanism further comprises: A. a connector rod, which is disposed in parallel to said row, and an engaging member, which is perpendicularly and rigidly attached to said connector rod, extends therefrom in said pivoting direction, and has a sloped end portion which is adapted to engage said fore edge of said playback leg and to rest against said side surface of said playback leg when said play-back leg is fully depressed, said connector rod being pivotable perpendicularly to said pivoting direction, B. an elongated actuator member which is pivotably connected at one end to one end of said connector rod and is generally disposed perpendicularly thereto and extends in said pivoting direction, and comprises:

Claim 9

a resilient biasing means which tends to move said lock lever in said engagement direction.

Claim 10

a resilient biasing means which tends to move said lock lever in said engagement direction.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said eject mechanism further comprises a lock member which is pivotably and resiliently mounted, having a lower end portion engaged by said end portion of said actuator member and an upper end portion comprising a sloped edge and a locking cut-away which is adapted to hold a receptacle for said cassette.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said actuator member is pivotably mounted and biased to move said connector rod in said engagement direction, thereby enabling said ejecT key to be fully depressed for both stopping said tape and ejecting said cassette, as follows: A. when said playback key is depressed causing said playback leg to be pivoted, slideable contact of said rear window edge thereof slides said lock lever in said disengagement direction and locks said rear edge of said playback leg against said end of said retaining pawl, B. slideable contact of said fore edge thereof with said sloped edge of said retaining pawl moves said connector rod slideably and pivotably to remove said projection on said actuator member away from said eject leg, thereby enabling said eject leg to be fully pivoted, and C. when said eject key is depressed and said playback leg is pivoted, slideable contact of said rear window edge thereof with said sloped edge of said eject pawl further slides said lock lever in said disengagement direction and releases said playback leg, whereby said engaging member, said connector rod, and said actuator member move slideably and pivotably in said engagement direction and said projection is in the path of pivotable movement of said eject leg.