Rotary head block with rotary transformer having separate channels for power signal and playback signal

• US 6,175,461 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masahiro, Okazaki, Masanori, Fukuda, Shinichi, Kawakubo, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): FABER, ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/090,806
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 360/66, 360/64, 360/108, 360/272, 360/281, 360/46, 360/67
• US Class Current: 360/64
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/24 for reducing noise control of amplification in general, e.g. dependent upon noise level H03G
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/121 the apparatus comprising a single recording/reproducing device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/122 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/0086 using cyclically driven heads providing segmented tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/53 Disposition or mounting of heads on rotating support

Abstract

A reproduction initial stage amplifier at the rotary side of a rotary head apparatus, prevents an adverse affect of a power transmission signal to a reproduction channel, operates such that a signal from a reproduction head 11 of a rotary head 10 is supplied via a reproduction initial stage amplifier 12 and via windings 22b and 22a of a rotary transformer 20 to a reproduction system 41 of the fixed side. A power signal from a power supply circuit 30 is supplied via windings 21a and 21b of the rotary transformer 20 to a rectifier circuit 15. A rectified output from the rectifier circuit 15 is supplied via a capacitor 16 for power accumulation to a regulator 17, so as to be subjected to voltage stabilization for supply to the reproduction initial stage amplifier 12. During a reproduction operation of the reproduction head 11, a control circuit 42 halts power supply from the power supply circuit 30 and a power accumulated in the capacitor 16 is supplied to the reproduction initial stage amplifier 12.

Claims

1. A signal reproduction apparatus comprising:

a rotary head block including a reproduction head along which a tape-shaped recording medium is applied, so that at least a reproduction operation is carried out intermittently according to rotation of said rotary head block, a reproduction initial stage amplifier connected to said reproduction head, a rectifier circuit for supplying electric power to said reproduction initial stage amplifier, and power accumulation means for accumulating electric power supplied from said rectifier circuit and for supplying an accumulated power to said reproduction initial stage amplifier when no power is supplied from said rectifier circuit;

a rotary transformer for transmitting an output signal of said reproduction initial stage amplifier from said rotary head block and a power signal to said rectifier circuit; and

a power supply circuit for supplying said power signal to said rotary transformer and for stopping a supply of said power signal during a reproduction operation of said reproduction head of said rotary head block, wherein

said rotary transformer includes a power signal channel formed of a first pair of windings for transmitting the power signal and a reproduction signal channel formed of a second pair of windings for transmitting the output signal of said reproduction initial stage amplifier.

2. The signal reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a recording head mounted on said rotary head block;

and

a recording signal channel formed of a third pair of windings for transmitting an input signal to said recording head, wherein

a recording operation by said recording head and a reproduction operation by said reproduction head are carried out without any temporal overlap.

3. The signal reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rotary transformer further includes a recording signal channel formed of a fourth pair of windings, and said channels are arranged in an order of the power signal channel, the reproduction signal channel, and the recording signal channel radially outwardly from an inner circumference of said rotary transformer.

4. The signal reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rectifier circuit comprises a voltage doubler rectifier circuit for multiplying an input voltage and outputting a multiplied voltage.

5. A signal reproduction method for reproducing a signal recorded on a tape-shaped recording medium by a reproduction head of a rotary head block and taking out a reproduction signal from said reproduction head via a rotary transformer, in which

said rotary head block includes a reproduction initial stage amplifier for amplifying a signal from said reproduction head, a rectifier circuit, and power accumulation means, and

said rotary transformer includes a power signal channel for transmitting a power signal and a reproduction signal channel for transmitting an output signal of said reproduction initial stage amplifier,

the method comprising the steps of:

during a nonreproduction operation period of said reproduction head, supplying a power signal via said rotary transformer to said rectifier circuit and supplying a rectified output power from said rectifier circuit to said reproduction initial stage amplifier and accumulating said power signal in said power accumulation means, and

during a reproduction operation of said reproduction head, supplying the reproduction signal via said reproduction signal channel from the reproduction initial stage amplifier, and using an accumulated power from said power accumulation means to drive said reproduction initial stage amplifier.

6. A signal reproduction apparatus comprising:

a rotary head block including a reproduction head along which a tape-shaped recording medium is applied, so that a reproduction operation is carried out intermittently according to the rotation of said rotary head block, a reproduction initial stage amplifier connected to said reproduction head, a rectifier circuit for supplying electric power to said reproduction initial stage amplifier, and power accumulation means for accumulating electric power supplied from said rectifier circuit to said reproduction initial stage amplifier and for supplying an accumulated power to said reproduction initial stage amplifier when no power is supplied from said rectifier circuit;

a rotary transformer for transmitting an output signal of said reproduction initial stage amplifier from said rotary head block and a power signal to said rectifier circuit; and

a power supply circuit for supplying said electric signal to said rotary transformer and stopping the supply of said power signal during a reproduction operation of said reproduction head of said rotary head block;

wherein said rectifier circuit is a voltage doubler rectifier circuit for multiplying an input voltage and outputting a multiplied voltage.