Combined portable tape recorder and stereophonic receiver system

Claim 1

Portable stereophonic apparatus, comprising: a portable tape recorder including a left channel and a right channel record head; and a first amplifier coupled in series with a microphone; an FM stereophonic radio including an FM stereophonic tuner and a stereo multiplexer electrically connected to said tuner for generating left and right channel signals, said stereophonic radio also including a left channel amplifier in series with a left channel speaker and a right channel amplifier in series with a right channel speaker; means for mechanically coupling and decoupling said portable tape recorder to said radio such that said tape recorder and radio may be decoupled to form two independent units or coupled to form a single integrated unit; first and second electrical connector means associated with said stereophonic radio; third and fourth electrical connector means associated with said portable tape recorder, said first and third electrical connector means adapted to be electrically connected and said second and fourth electrical connector means adapted to be electrically connected when said tape recorder and radio are mechanically coupled to form a single integrated unit; first switch means for connecting the outputs of both said left channel and said right channel record heads to said first amplifier when said tape recorder and radio are decoupled whereby said tape recorder operates as a monaural recorder, said first switch means also for connecting said left channel and said right channel record heads to said third and fourth electrical connector means, respectively, when said tape recorder and radio are mechanically coupled to form a single integrated unit; means for connecting said left and right channel signals to said left and right channel amplifiers, respectively, such that said tape recorder operates as a stereophonic tape recorder when said tape recorder and radio are mechanically coupled to form a single integrated unit.