Cassette loading apparatus having a cassette insertion detecting switch mounted on a stationary section of the apparatus

Claim 1

A cassette loading apparatus for a video tape recorder comprising: a cassette holder for moving a cassette between a cassette receiving position at which a cassette is inserted into or removed from said cassette holder and a cassette playing position at which the cassette is recorded or reproduced; a cassette insertion detecting switch mounted on a stationary section of said cassette loading apparatus for detecting insertion of a cassette into said cassette holder; a parallel quadrilateral link mechanism including first, second, third and fourth links connected for pivotal motion relative to each other by first, second, third and fourth connecting pins so as to form a parallelogram in which said first and second links extend in parallel to each other while said third and fourth links extend in parallel to each other, said first connecting pin being mounted on said stationary section, said first link being connected to said first connecting pin, said first and second links having first and second elongated holes formed along the length thereof, respectively; a switch operating element provided on said third link connected to said first connecting pin for operating said cassette insertion detecting switch between on- and off-states upon pivotal motion of said third link around said first connecting pin; and an actuating lever having first and second fitting pins secured thereto and loosely fitted in said first and second elongated holes of said first and second links, respectively, in such a manner as to extend in parallel to said third link, said actuating lever being mounted for pivotal motion on said cassette holder by means of said first fitting pin, said actuating lever being positioned so as to be operated by a cassette inserted into said cassette holder to move between a cassette non-insertion detecting position at which said cassette insertion detecting switch assumes an off-state and a cassette insertion detecting position at which said cassette insertion detecting switch assumes an on-state.