Cassette tape player

Claim 1

A cassette tape player comprising a chassis having upper and bottom surfaces, a capstan extending downward from the upper surface of the chassis, a box-like receptacle for receiving a cassette therein, movably mounted in the chassis at an oblique position with respect to the chassis bottom, the trailing edge of said receptacle being more remote from the chassis bottom than the leading edge, and guide means for first translating the receptacle in the oblique position, and then turning the receptacle approximately about its trailing edge to place the receptacle in a position parallel to the chassis bottom, said guide means including, at least one pair of guide grooves each formed in the chassis and consisting of a first portion extending parallel to the chassis bottom and a second portion following the first portion and forming an angle slightly larger than 90° with the first portion, and at least one pair of guide members mounted on either side of said cassette receptacle and mated with said pair of guide grooves, wherein when said guide member reaches the intersection between the first and second portions of said guide grooves, the cassette in the receptacle is positioned with its capstan receiving opening aligned with the capstan, and when said guide member is advanced along the second portion to pivot the cassette receptacle from the oblique position to the parallel position, the capstan receiving opening of the cassette is maintained in alignment with said capstan, said guide means being such that the capstan receiving opening in the cassette in said receptacle is maintained in constant alignment with said capstan during turning of the receptacle from the oblique position to the parallel position.