Cassette ejection mechanism for a cassette tape recorder

Claim 1

A cassette ejection mechanism of a cassette tape recorder comprising a pair of guide plates facing each other, a cassette holder disposed between the guide plates to be movable between an up position and a down position and containing a tape cassette therein, and slide means disposed to be slidable substantially horizontally along the cassette holder and being slidable together with the tape cassette in the cassette holder, wherein the tape cassette inserted in the cassette holder, along with the cassette holder, is moved to its down position after the tape cassette slides in the cassette holder, and further comprising: an ejecting plate attached to one of the guide plates to be movable between a first position and a second position, whereby the cassette holder is pushed up from the down position to the up position thereof as the ejecting plate moves from the first position to the second position, and the tape cassette in the cassette holder slides to be ejected as the ejecting plate moves from the second position to the first position; a coupling plate rockably attached to said one guide plate, said coupling plate engaging the slide means, said coupling plate having an engaging portion, and said coupling plate being rockable in response to the slide motion of the slide means; a toggle spring having one end attached to said one guide plate and having another end attached to the coupling plate to apply an urging force to the coupling plate in rocking motion; and a swinging strip swingably attached to the ejecting plate, the swinging strip having a holding portion to engage the engaging portion of the coupling plate to cause the coupling plate to rock against the urging force of the toggle spring as the ejecting plate moves from the second position to the first position and to be disengaged from the engaging portion after the toggle spring passes its neutral point.