Cassette tape recorder having impact absorbing mechanism for cover plate

Claim 2

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus comprising, in combination, a housing having an opening for accommodating a tape cassette therein, a cover plate for said opening pivotally supported to be manually rotatable from an open position to a closed position, means for pivotally supporting said cover plate for movement relative to said housing and opening, urging means for constantly urging the cover plate to rotate from said closed position constantly to said open position, locking means for releasably locking the cover plate in said closed position, means manually operable from outside of the housing for selectively releasing the locking means, and a shock absorber connected between the cover plate and the housing to absorb energy developed when said cover plate is rotated from said closed position to said open position by said urging means upon release of said locking means by manual operation of said releasing means.

Claim 3

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shock absorber comprises a pair of mutually telescoping elements relatively movable between an extended position and a retracted position, means for connecting one of said elements to the cover plate and means for connecting the other to the housing such that when the cover plate is in the closed position said telescoping elements are in said extended position, one of said elements having a bore to slidably receive the other element, one of said elements having a packing groove and a resilient elastic composition packing ring of normally circular cross section positioned in said groove in a resilient, slidable contact with the other element, one of said elements having an air vent passage communicating the interior of the bore with the atmosphere, the air vent passage being dimensioned such that the pressure within the bore sharply changes when said telescoping elements move relative to each other upon said locking means being released to thereby absorb the initial force of the urging means.

Claim 4

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the position of said packing groove in one of said telescoping elements in relation to the other element is such that said packing ring in said groove assumes a circular cross-sectional shape when said cover plate is in said closed position.

Claim 5

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner periphery of said packing ring is slightly smaller in circumference than the circumference of the bottom of said groove and the exterior periphery of the packing ring is greater in circumference than the circumference of the cross section of said bore, whereby said packing ring is in compression when said telescoping elements are in the retracted position.

Claim 6

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the position of said packing groove in one of said telescoping elements in relation to the other element is such that said packing ring in said groove assumes a normal circular cross section when said telescoping elements are in the extended position.

Claim 7

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said telescoping elements comprise a piston and a cylinder, said packing groove being provided in said piston and said cylinder having said bore, and wherein said bore has a gradually increasing cross section toward the piston to allow the packing ring in said groove to expand to the normal circular cross section when the piston and cylinder are in said extended position.

Claim 8

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means mounted on the rear side of the cover plate for holding the tape cassette therein.

Claim 9

The combination comprising, a housing having a compartment therein open at one side of the housing to receive an article therein, a cover plate pivotally supported by the housing between a first position in which said compartment is open to the atmosphere and a second position in which said compartment is closed thereby, means for urging the cover plate in a direction toward said first position, means for locking the cover plate in said second position, means for releasing the locking means, and a fluid pressure mechanism comprising: a pair of relatively movable telescoping members, one of said members being connected operatively to the cover plate and the other being operatively connected to the housing such that when the cover plate is in the second position said telescoping members are in an extended position, one of said members having a packing groove, and a resilient elastic composition packing ring of normally circular cross section positioned in said groove in a resilient, slidable contact with the other element, one of said members having a bore to receive the other member through an open end, one of said members having an air vent passage communicating the interior of said bore to the atmosphere, the inner periphery of said packing ring being slightly smaller in circumference than the circumference of the bottom of said groove and the exterior periphery of the packing ring being greater in circumference than the circumference of the cross section of said bore, whereby said packing ring in said groove is in compression when said telescoping members are in a retracted position, the cross-sectional dimension of said air vent passage being selected such that the pressure within the bore sharply increases when said telescoping members move toward each other upon said locking means being released to thereby absorb the initial force of the urging means.

Claim 10

The combination comprising, a housing having a compartment therein open at one side of the housing to receive an article therein, a cover plate pivotally supported by the housing between a first position in which said compartment is open to the atmosphere and a second position in which said compartment is closed thereby, means for urging the cover plate in a direction toward said first position, means for locking the cover plate in said second position, means for releasing the locking means, and a fluid pressure mechanism comprising: a pair of relatively movable telescoping members, one of said members being connected operatively to the cover plate and the other being operatively connected to the housing such that when the cover plate is in the second position said telescoping members are in an extended position, one of said members having a packing groove, and a resilient elastic composition packing ring of normally circular cross section positioned in said groove in a resilient, slidable contact with the other element, one of said members having a bore to receive the other member through an open end, one of said members having an air vent passage communicating the interior of said bore to the atmosphere, the inner periphery of said packing ring being slightly smaller in circumference than the circumference of the bottom of said groove and the exterior periphery of the packing ring being greater in circumference than the circumference of the cross section of said bore, whereby said packing ring in said groove is in compression when said telescoping members are in a retracted position, the cross-sectional dimension of said air vent passage being selected such that the pressure within the bore sharply increases when said telescoping members move toward each other upon said locking means being released to thereby absorb the initial force of the urging means.

Claim 11

The combination as claimed in claim 8, wherein the position of the packing groove in one of said telescoping members in relation to the other member is such that said packing ring in said groove takes the normal circular cross section when said telescoping elements are in the extended position.

Claim 12

The combination as claimed in claim 9, wherein said telescoping members comprise a piston and a cylinder, said packing groove being provided in said piston and said cylinder having said bore, and wherein said bore has a gradually increasing cross section toward the piston to allow said packing ring in said groove to expand to the normal circular cross section when the piston and cylinder are in said extended position.

Claim 13

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover plate is provided with a pair of parallel side plates substantially in a bell crank configuration each having an arm extending inwardly from said opening and connected to said urging means, whereby the cover plate is pivotally rotatable about the fulcrum point of each of said side plates, said fulcrum point being located such that when said locking means is released said cover plate is caused to rotate upwardly and a substantial part of the cover plate is concealed within said housing.

Claim 14

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said shock absorber comprises a pair of telescoping elements relatively movable between an extended position and a retracted position, means for connecting one of said elements to the cover plate and means for connecting the other being to the housing such that when the cover plate is in the closed position said telescoping elements are in said extended position, one of said elements having a bore to slidably receive the other element, one of said elements having a packing groove and a resilient elastic composition packing ring of normally circular cross section positioned in said groove in a resilient, slidable contact with the other element, one of said elements having an air vent passage communicating the interior of the bore with the atmosphere, said bore having a cross section smaller than the exterior periphery of the packing ring whereby said packing ring is in compression when said telescoping elements are in the retracted position, and said bore having a larger cross section than said first-mentioned cross section to allow said packing ring to expand to its normal dimension when said telescoping elements in the extended position.

Claim 15

A cassette-tape recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said locking means comprises a bell crank with its fulcrum point mounted on said housing and having a first arm engageable with one of said side plates and a second arm engageable with said releasing means to disengage said first arm from contact with said side plate, and means for biasing said bell crank in a direction to cause said first arm to engage said one of the side plates.