Automatic music selecting device for tape recorder

Claim 2

An automatic music selecting device for a power assist type tape recorder comprising: a drive gear rotatable together with a flywheel; a reduction gear having a cutaway portion, said reduction gear being engageable with said drive gear; an eccentric cam mounted on said reduction gear for moving a head base between a stop position and a play position; said head base having a reproducing head mounted thereon for detecting a recorded signal on a tape as well as a pinch roller selectively engageable with a capstan, said eccentric cam abutting a rear side of said head base; a rotatation control mechanism for controlling a rotational position of said reduction gear; and a music selection position stopping mechanism for moving said head base to a music selection position at which said reproducing head is in contact with said tape and said pinch roller is disengaged from said capstan, said music selection position stopping mechanism comprising a music selecting plunger and a stop lever coupled to said plunger, said head base being stopped at said music selecting position by said stop lever.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said stop lever is pivotally mounted at the center position thereof with a first end of said stop lever coupled to said music selecting plunger and a free second end of said stop lever being positioned to abut said rear side of said head base.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein said music selecting position stopping mechanism further comprises a first spring for biasing said stop lever so that said free end of said stop lever is urged to move in a direction toward said rear side of said head base.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a capstan coaxially coupled to said drive gear and a pinch roller rotatably mounted on said head base for engaging with said capstan in a play mode and being disengaged from said capstan in said stop position of said mechanism.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 wherein said rotation control mechanism comprises a play plunger and a second stop lever, said second stop lever being rotatably mounted at a center position thereof and having a first end coupled to said play plunger and a bifurcated second end, said second end having first and second stop arms, and further comprising a first pin rigidly coupled to said reduction gear, wherein an inside portion of said first stop arm is in abutment with said first pin in said stop position.

Claim 7

The device of claim 5 further comprising second and third pins, said second pin being fixedly mounted at a position wherein an outer side of said second stop arm is in an abutment with said second pin when said first stop arm is in an abutment with said first pin and said third pin being rigidly mounted at a position wherein an outside portion of said first stop arm is in an abutment therewith in a play mode.

Claim 8

The device of claim 2 further comprising a spring for biasing said head base rearward, said spring biasing force rotating said eccentric cam after said rotation control mechanism is activated to prevent rotation of said reduction gear, said spring biasing force further urging said head base toward said free second end of said stop lever after said music selection position stopping mechanism is activated.

Claim 9

The device as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a stop for limiting movement of said free second end of said stop lever, said stop being positioned so that said spring moves said head base a small distance rearwardly from said play position.

Claim 10

The device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said small distance is between 1 mm and 1.5 mm.

Claim 11

An automatic music selecting device for a power assist type tape recorder comprising: a flywheel; a drive gear coaxially and rigidly mounted to said flywheel; a reduction gear having a cutaway portion therein with teeth of said reduction gear being engageable with teeth of said drive gear; a capstan coaxially and rigidly mounted on said drive gear; an eccentric cam rigidly mounted on said reduction gear; a play plunger; a first stop lever rotatably mounted at a center portion thereof having a first end coupled to said play plunger and having a bifurcated second end having first and second stop arms; a first pin rigidly coupled to said reduction gear, an inside portion of said stop arm abutting said first pin in a stop position; a second pin rigidly mounted at a position wherein an outside portion of said stop arm is in an abutment therewith in said stop position; a third pin rigidly mounted at a position wherein an outside portion of said first stop arm is in an abutment therewith in a play position; a head base linearaly slidably mounted to move toward and away from said capstan; an erase head and a reproducing head mounted on said head base; a pinch roller resiliently mounted on said head base at least partially within a cutaway portion therein, said eccentric cam abutting a rear side said head base at a position substantially to the rear of said pinch roller; a music selecting plunger; a second stop lever rotatably mounted at a center portion thereof having a first end coupled to said music selecting plunger and a free second end positioned to abut said rear side of said head base when said music selecting plunger is activated; a fourth pin rigidly mounted at a position to stop said free second end of said second stop lever at an engaging position at said rear of said head base; a first spring for urging said play plunger outwardly; a second spring for urging said music selecting plunger outwardly; and a third spring for urging said head base rearwardly.

Claim 12

An automatic music selecting device for a power assist type tape recorder comprising: a flywheel; a drive gear coaxially and rigidly mounted to said flywheel; a reduction gear having a cutaway portion therein with teeth of said reduction gear being engageable with teeth of said drive gear; a capstan coaxially and rigidly mounted on said drive gear; an eccentric cam rigidly mounted on said reduction gear; a play plunger; a first stop lever rotatably mounted at a center portion thereof having a first end coupled to said play plunger and having a bifurcated second end having first and second stop arms; a first pin rigidly coupled to said reduction gear, an inside portion of said stop arm abutting said first pin in a stop position; a second pin rigidly mounted at a position wherein an outside portion of said stop arm is in an abutment therewith in said stop position; a third pin rigidly mounted at a position wherein an outside portion of said first stop arm is in an abutment therewith in a play position; a head base linearaly slidably mounted to move toward and away from said capstan; an erase head and a reproducing head mounted on said head base; a pinch roller resiliently mounted on said head base at least partially within a cutaway portion therein, said eccentric cam abutting a rear side said head base at a position substantially to the rear of said pinch roller; a music selecting plunger; a second stop lever rotatably mounted at a center portion thereof having a first end coupled to said music selecting plunger and a free second end positioned to abut said rear side of said head base when said music selecting plunger is activated; a fourth pin rigidly mounted at a position to stop said free second end of said second stop lever at an engaging position at said rear of said head base; a first spring for urging said play plunger outwardly; a second spring for urging said music selecting plunger outwardly; and a third spring for urging said head base rearwardly.