Loading mechanism for a video cassette

• US 6,021,018 A
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaneko, Shigeru, Hamahata, Hiroshi, Sawai, Kunio, Onishi, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/008,174
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 360/96.5, 360/96.6, 242/338.4, 242/339
• US Class Current: 360/96.51
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/67547 the two movements being made by the cassette holder

Abstract

A loading mechanism in a video cassette deck comprising a cassette moving mechanism 100 for moving a cassette receiving portion 200 between an initial location and a running location. The cassette moving mechanism 100 has a slide arm 120 horizontally slidably attached on one of a pair of wall portions 110 provided on both left and right sides of the cassette receiving portion 200, a driving portion for sliding the slide arm 120, a cassette driving gear 130 which is rotatably supported on the wall portion 110 to which the slide arm 120 is attached and which is connected to the cassette receiving portion 200 through a groove portion 112 formed in the wall portion 110, and a door arm 140 for transmitting the motion of the slide arm 120 to a door. The cassette loading mechanism is designed so that the door is opened before the cassette receiving portion 200 is moved when the cassette receiving portion 200 in the running location is moved into the initial location.

Claims

1. A loading mechanism for loading a video cassette into a play position in a video cassette deck comprising:

a door having an opening for receiving said video cassette;

a cassette holder, for holding said video cassette at an initial position, and for moving said video cassette between said initial position and a play position while holding said video cassette;

a slide arm capable of sliding in parallel to an insertion direction of said video cassette;

a holder drive gear for driving said cassette holder via a gear mechanism so said cassette holder is positioned in the initial position when said slide arm is positioned at a first position, and is positioned in said play position when said slide arm is positioned at a second position; and

a door arm for driving said door in accordance with movement of said slide arm, so that when said slide arm slides from said second position toward said first position, said door arm opens said door while said slide arm slides from the first position towards a third position which is arranged between said first and second positions, and said holder drive gear starts to drive said cassette holder from said play position towards said initial position after said slide arm passes said third position so that said door is opened befor said cassete holder is moved when said cassette holder is moved to said initial position.

2. The loading mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said slide arm includes a cam mechanism for driving said door arm between an open position at which said door is opened and a closed position at which said door is closed, and

said cam mechanism driving said door arm from said closed position toward said opened position while said slide arm slides from said second position toward said third position.

3. The loading mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gear mechanism includes a rack portion formed on said slide arm and a pinion portion formed on said holder drive gear to engage with said rack portion, and

said rack portion and said pinion portion being disengaged while said slide arm is positioned between said second and said third positions.

4. The loading mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein said gear mechanism includes a rack portion formed on said slide arm and a pinion portion formed on said holder drive gear to engage with said rack portion, and

said rack portion and said pinion portion are disengaged while said slide arm is positioned between said second and said third positions.