CA1061899A - Cassette and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information - Google Patents
Cassette and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing informationInfo
- Publication number
- CA1061899A CA1061899A CA319,421A CA319421A CA1061899A CA 1061899 A CA1061899 A CA 1061899A CA 319421 A CA319421 A CA 319421A CA 1061899 A CA1061899 A CA 1061899A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tape
- cassette
- recording
- spindles
- playback
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Landscapes
- Recording Or Reproducing By Magnetic Means (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A tape cassette and an apparatus for use with such a cassette.
The cassette housing has openings in two opposite side walls, and contains a tape which is suited for recording purposes at both sides, passed from one hub over guide elements along a side wall, then crossing over substan-tially diagonally to a tape guide element near the diagonally opposed cor-ner, passed along the opposite sidewall and finally over a subsequent guide element to the other, counter-rotating winding hub. The apparatus may be a tape recording or playback apparatus or be capable of both functions. It has two counter rotating winding spindles, on which the cassette may be positioned, and a capstan and a recording and/or playback head are disposed at one side of the spindles and another capstan and recording and/or play-back head disposed at the other side of the spindles so that each head can cooperate through the respective hole in the cassette with one side of the tape.
A tape cassette and an apparatus for use with such a cassette.
The cassette housing has openings in two opposite side walls, and contains a tape which is suited for recording purposes at both sides, passed from one hub over guide elements along a side wall, then crossing over substan-tially diagonally to a tape guide element near the diagonally opposed cor-ner, passed along the opposite sidewall and finally over a subsequent guide element to the other, counter-rotating winding hub. The apparatus may be a tape recording or playback apparatus or be capable of both functions. It has two counter rotating winding spindles, on which the cassette may be positioned, and a capstan and a recording and/or playback head are disposed at one side of the spindles and another capstan and recording and/or play-back head disposed at the other side of the spindles so that each head can cooperate through the respective hole in the cassette with one side of the tape.
Description
This application is a divisional of copending Canadian application Serial No. 226,593 filed May 9 1975 by Everardus Turk.
The invention relates to apparatus for recording and/or reproduc-ing information, such as music, speech, television pictures, digital pulses etcO The apparatus is intended for use with a cassette comprising a cassette housing, a record carrier in the form of a thin tape which is accommodated in the cassette housing, two winding hubs for the tape which are rotatable relative to the cassette housing about substantially parallel axes, openings in a side wall of the cassette housing, inter alia for an information-recor-ding and/or read head which cooperates with the tape, as well as a~,number of tape guide elements for guiding the tape, in planes parallel to the axes of the winding hubs, from a winding hub along one side of the cassette hous-ing to the other winding hub.
Cassettes of this type~ which are generally disignated by the type name two-hole cassette, because the cassette has two holes for driving the two winding hubs, are known in several types and embodiments. Two-hole cassettes are frequently employed for example for single-8 film and for mag-netic tape, for example the well-known compact cassette.
It is now proposed to provide a cassette of the type mentioned above which is suitable for use with tape that can be used at both sides for recording information, and this modified cassette is characterized in that the cassette housing has openings in two opposed side walls for an informa-tion-recording and/or read head which cooperates with the tape~ that at least near each of the four corners of the cassette housing a tape guide element is disposed, and that the tape, coming from a winding hub, is fed - - .:: . : -. .
- ,.,' '' : ~ :
. .
: : , .-- . :. - . . ~
:; ~ . '; - . . :' .
over guide elements along the side wall, then crosses over substantially diagonally to a tape guide element near the diagonally opposed corner, to be subsequently fed along the other side wall and finally towards the other winding hub.
Thus~ in this cassette the tape is fed past the openings in one side wall with its one side and subsequently past the openings in the other side wall with its other side, which consequently means that the two sides of the tape are accessible at opposite sides of the cassette.
A particular embodiment of the cassette is characterized in that the substantially diagonally crossing part of the tape is guided by the parts of the tape which are wound onto the winding coresO Said embodiment has the advantage that the cassette dimensions can be minimized. The guid-ance of the diagonally crossing part of the tape on the reels does not give rise to problems owing to differences ~n speed between the diagonally cross-ing part of the tape and the tape on the reels. Owing to the special lace-up according to the invention the diagonally extending part of the tape runs over the reels at that side wheré the circumferential velocity varies in the same direction. Furthermore, as the absolute magnitude of the tape speed is the same everywhere, there will be no relative movement betweon the tape on the reel and the crossing part at the locations where the diagonally cross-ing tape part engages the reels.
A further embodiment of the cassette is characterized in that the cassette housing is externally substantially rotation-symmetrical relative to an axis parallel to the axes of the winding hubs, which axis passes through the point of intersection of the diagonals of the cassette housing. In an : :
; - ` ::
apparatuswhich is equipped with a single recording and/or read head only, such a cassette may be fitted in any position to the apparatus, whilst said element can always cooperate with the tape through the opening provided for this purpose in the side wall of the cassette.
It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus adapted for use with the modified cassette having openings in two opposed side waIls.
Thus according to the present invention; there is provided a tape recording or playback apparatus having two counter-rotating winding spindles having p~rallel axes; means for positioning a tape cassette on said spindles said cassette having openings on two opposite side walls for receiving a recording or playback head for operative cooperation with the tape; and a plurality of capstans and recording or playback heads at least one each respectively disposed at opposite sides of the spindles for operative co-operation with opposite sides of the tape.
The present invention in addition to that of copending application serial No. 226,593 will now be described in more detail with reference to the acaompanying drawing in which: ~ -Figure 1 is a top view of a magnetic-tape cassette with a plastics cassette housing which consists of two substantially identi~al sections, Figure 2 shows the magnetic-tape cassette of Figure 1 the upper section of the cassette housing being removed~
Figure 3 is a side view of one of the long sides of the cassette of Figure 1~ and Figure 4 is a top view~ part sectional view, of a magnetic-tape recording/playback apparatus according to the invention with two identical :-` ' : : ': .
.- . ,. .- . : ~ ., : - - ~ . ' i3 recording/playback units which cooperate with opposite sides of the cassette.
The cassette 1 of Figure 1 comprises a cassette housing 2 in which a record carrier in the form of a thin magnetic tape 3 is accommodated. In the cassette housing two winding hubs 4 for the tape are disposed which are rotatable relative to the housing about substantially parallel axes. Said hubs are made of a plastic and are rotatably journalled relative to the cassette housing 2 with the aid of annular slightly raised parts of the housing 2, not shown, as usual in the well-known compact cassettesO In the side walls 6 of the cassette housing openings 7~ 8 and 9 are formed at equal distances from each other. The centre opening 8 is situated in the centre of the side wall 6 and serves for the passage into the housing of a record-ing/playback head of a magnetic-tape apparatus and the two other openings 7 and 9 serve for passage of an erase head and a pressure roller.
The cassette housing consists cf two substantially identical sec-tions 10 and 11. Near the four corners of the cassette housing tape guide elements 12, 13, 14 and 15 are disposed, which consists of four identical plastics rollers which are rotatable on pins 1~. They may be integral with the housing section 11 or may consist of metal pins mounted in said housing section.
In the situation shown in Figure 2 parts of the tape 3 wound to reels 17 and 18 are disposed on the winding hubs 4 and 5. The tape which comes from the winding hub 4 is passed over the roller 12 along a side wall of the cassette housing towards the roller 13, from where it then crosses over substantially diagonally to the roller 14 near the diagonally opposed corner, to be subsequently passed along the other side wall 6 and finally , -- ~ - - - ' '- ' : :' :-':: ~ ' :
lC)~
via the rollcr 15 to the reel 18 on the winding hub 50 The substantially diagonally crossing part 19 of the tape 3 is guided by the reels 17 and 18. At the locations where the tape part 19 makes contact with the reels 17 and 18 the tape part 19 moves in the same direction as the relevant reels 17 and 18 and, moreover, has the same speed.
Therefore, problems as a result of relative movements will not occur. The reels 17 and 18 thus have a guiding function for the crossing part of the tape, which, especially in the case of cassettes in which the winding hubs are provided with flanges, also ensures a correct guidance in the lateral`
direction.
The cassette shown in the Figures comprises a cassette housing 2 ~hich is externally substantially rotation-symmetrical relative to an axis which passes through the point of intersection of the diagonals of the said-housing and parallel to the axes of the winding hubs 4 and 5. In Figure 1 said axis is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, midway between the winding hubs 4 and 5. As a result of said symmetry, the cassette can be fitted on a suitable magnetic-tape apparatus in any desired position, the tape being always correctly presented to the magnetic heads. For the coop-eration with a magnetic-tape apparatus the cassette is furthermore provided with openings 20 and 21~ of which the first opening serves for the passage of a capstan and the last-mentioned opening for the passage of locating pins.
Although the invention has been described hereinbefore with refer-ence to an embodiment which bears a close resemblence to the known compact set for audio purposes, the scope of the invention is by no means limited to such an embodiment. The invention mightsuccessfully be used in cassettes .. : , - ; : ~ :
' ' ' :: ' , "~ ' .' ~, ~. . ' ` : . : .
:' '. :
~ ' ' ~' ' ,': ' ': ' .' . ~ ' . . ' . ' which contain a record carrier of a different type, such as for example a paper strip or a tape suitable for optical recordings, whilst the cassette may have an entirely different shape and for example need not be suitable for the insertion of a recording and/or read element. Neither iB it neces-sary that the tape is located completely inside the cassette; it is alter~
natively possible that the tape extends partly outside the cassette, as is for example the case with the known single-8 cassettes for cinematographic film and with video cassettes for a video recorder, in which a loop is pulled out of the cassette which is fed past the rotary magnetic heads.
Figure 4 shows an audio-cassette recording/playback apparatus 22, in which at either side of the imaginary plane which passes through the axes of the two winding spindles 23 and 24 at approximately equal distances there-from, two recording/playback heads 25 and 25', two capstans 26 and 26', two pressure rollers 27 and 27~, as well as two erase heads 28 and 28' are dis-posed. The heads 25 and 28 and the pressure rollers 27 can together be moved towards and away from the cassette in the manner usual with the known cassette recorders. The same applies to the heads 25~ and 28~ together with the pressure roller 27'.
The apparatus is provided with a number of buttons 29 for actu-ation. These enable either the assembly 25-27-28 or the assembly 25~-27t-28 to cooperate with the cassette 1. The capstans 26 and 26~ have the same direction of rotation, so that they drive the tape 3 in opposite directions The apparatus is suited for the continuous playback of the tape by making provisions which when the end of the tape is reached cause an automatic chan-ge-over of the assembly 25-27-28 to 25'-27~-28t and vice versa.
- , ~'' `' ' ~ `': ~.. ' ' :" ' ' '' : ' : - ` ~ ' ' . .
The invention relates to apparatus for recording and/or reproduc-ing information, such as music, speech, television pictures, digital pulses etcO The apparatus is intended for use with a cassette comprising a cassette housing, a record carrier in the form of a thin tape which is accommodated in the cassette housing, two winding hubs for the tape which are rotatable relative to the cassette housing about substantially parallel axes, openings in a side wall of the cassette housing, inter alia for an information-recor-ding and/or read head which cooperates with the tape, as well as a~,number of tape guide elements for guiding the tape, in planes parallel to the axes of the winding hubs, from a winding hub along one side of the cassette hous-ing to the other winding hub.
Cassettes of this type~ which are generally disignated by the type name two-hole cassette, because the cassette has two holes for driving the two winding hubs, are known in several types and embodiments. Two-hole cassettes are frequently employed for example for single-8 film and for mag-netic tape, for example the well-known compact cassette.
It is now proposed to provide a cassette of the type mentioned above which is suitable for use with tape that can be used at both sides for recording information, and this modified cassette is characterized in that the cassette housing has openings in two opposed side walls for an informa-tion-recording and/or read head which cooperates with the tape~ that at least near each of the four corners of the cassette housing a tape guide element is disposed, and that the tape, coming from a winding hub, is fed - - .:: . : -. .
- ,.,' '' : ~ :
. .
: : , .-- . :. - . . ~
:; ~ . '; - . . :' .
over guide elements along the side wall, then crosses over substantially diagonally to a tape guide element near the diagonally opposed corner, to be subsequently fed along the other side wall and finally towards the other winding hub.
Thus~ in this cassette the tape is fed past the openings in one side wall with its one side and subsequently past the openings in the other side wall with its other side, which consequently means that the two sides of the tape are accessible at opposite sides of the cassette.
A particular embodiment of the cassette is characterized in that the substantially diagonally crossing part of the tape is guided by the parts of the tape which are wound onto the winding coresO Said embodiment has the advantage that the cassette dimensions can be minimized. The guid-ance of the diagonally crossing part of the tape on the reels does not give rise to problems owing to differences ~n speed between the diagonally cross-ing part of the tape and the tape on the reels. Owing to the special lace-up according to the invention the diagonally extending part of the tape runs over the reels at that side wheré the circumferential velocity varies in the same direction. Furthermore, as the absolute magnitude of the tape speed is the same everywhere, there will be no relative movement betweon the tape on the reel and the crossing part at the locations where the diagonally cross-ing tape part engages the reels.
A further embodiment of the cassette is characterized in that the cassette housing is externally substantially rotation-symmetrical relative to an axis parallel to the axes of the winding hubs, which axis passes through the point of intersection of the diagonals of the cassette housing. In an : :
; - ` ::
apparatuswhich is equipped with a single recording and/or read head only, such a cassette may be fitted in any position to the apparatus, whilst said element can always cooperate with the tape through the opening provided for this purpose in the side wall of the cassette.
It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus adapted for use with the modified cassette having openings in two opposed side waIls.
Thus according to the present invention; there is provided a tape recording or playback apparatus having two counter-rotating winding spindles having p~rallel axes; means for positioning a tape cassette on said spindles said cassette having openings on two opposite side walls for receiving a recording or playback head for operative cooperation with the tape; and a plurality of capstans and recording or playback heads at least one each respectively disposed at opposite sides of the spindles for operative co-operation with opposite sides of the tape.
The present invention in addition to that of copending application serial No. 226,593 will now be described in more detail with reference to the acaompanying drawing in which: ~ -Figure 1 is a top view of a magnetic-tape cassette with a plastics cassette housing which consists of two substantially identi~al sections, Figure 2 shows the magnetic-tape cassette of Figure 1 the upper section of the cassette housing being removed~
Figure 3 is a side view of one of the long sides of the cassette of Figure 1~ and Figure 4 is a top view~ part sectional view, of a magnetic-tape recording/playback apparatus according to the invention with two identical :-` ' : : ': .
.- . ,. .- . : ~ ., : - - ~ . ' i3 recording/playback units which cooperate with opposite sides of the cassette.
The cassette 1 of Figure 1 comprises a cassette housing 2 in which a record carrier in the form of a thin magnetic tape 3 is accommodated. In the cassette housing two winding hubs 4 for the tape are disposed which are rotatable relative to the housing about substantially parallel axes. Said hubs are made of a plastic and are rotatably journalled relative to the cassette housing 2 with the aid of annular slightly raised parts of the housing 2, not shown, as usual in the well-known compact cassettesO In the side walls 6 of the cassette housing openings 7~ 8 and 9 are formed at equal distances from each other. The centre opening 8 is situated in the centre of the side wall 6 and serves for the passage into the housing of a record-ing/playback head of a magnetic-tape apparatus and the two other openings 7 and 9 serve for passage of an erase head and a pressure roller.
The cassette housing consists cf two substantially identical sec-tions 10 and 11. Near the four corners of the cassette housing tape guide elements 12, 13, 14 and 15 are disposed, which consists of four identical plastics rollers which are rotatable on pins 1~. They may be integral with the housing section 11 or may consist of metal pins mounted in said housing section.
In the situation shown in Figure 2 parts of the tape 3 wound to reels 17 and 18 are disposed on the winding hubs 4 and 5. The tape which comes from the winding hub 4 is passed over the roller 12 along a side wall of the cassette housing towards the roller 13, from where it then crosses over substantially diagonally to the roller 14 near the diagonally opposed corner, to be subsequently passed along the other side wall 6 and finally , -- ~ - - - ' '- ' : :' :-':: ~ ' :
lC)~
via the rollcr 15 to the reel 18 on the winding hub 50 The substantially diagonally crossing part 19 of the tape 3 is guided by the reels 17 and 18. At the locations where the tape part 19 makes contact with the reels 17 and 18 the tape part 19 moves in the same direction as the relevant reels 17 and 18 and, moreover, has the same speed.
Therefore, problems as a result of relative movements will not occur. The reels 17 and 18 thus have a guiding function for the crossing part of the tape, which, especially in the case of cassettes in which the winding hubs are provided with flanges, also ensures a correct guidance in the lateral`
direction.
The cassette shown in the Figures comprises a cassette housing 2 ~hich is externally substantially rotation-symmetrical relative to an axis which passes through the point of intersection of the diagonals of the said-housing and parallel to the axes of the winding hubs 4 and 5. In Figure 1 said axis is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, midway between the winding hubs 4 and 5. As a result of said symmetry, the cassette can be fitted on a suitable magnetic-tape apparatus in any desired position, the tape being always correctly presented to the magnetic heads. For the coop-eration with a magnetic-tape apparatus the cassette is furthermore provided with openings 20 and 21~ of which the first opening serves for the passage of a capstan and the last-mentioned opening for the passage of locating pins.
Although the invention has been described hereinbefore with refer-ence to an embodiment which bears a close resemblence to the known compact set for audio purposes, the scope of the invention is by no means limited to such an embodiment. The invention mightsuccessfully be used in cassettes .. : , - ; : ~ :
' ' ' :: ' , "~ ' .' ~, ~. . ' ` : . : .
:' '. :
~ ' ' ~' ' ,': ' ': ' .' . ~ ' . . ' . ' which contain a record carrier of a different type, such as for example a paper strip or a tape suitable for optical recordings, whilst the cassette may have an entirely different shape and for example need not be suitable for the insertion of a recording and/or read element. Neither iB it neces-sary that the tape is located completely inside the cassette; it is alter~
natively possible that the tape extends partly outside the cassette, as is for example the case with the known single-8 cassettes for cinematographic film and with video cassettes for a video recorder, in which a loop is pulled out of the cassette which is fed past the rotary magnetic heads.
Figure 4 shows an audio-cassette recording/playback apparatus 22, in which at either side of the imaginary plane which passes through the axes of the two winding spindles 23 and 24 at approximately equal distances there-from, two recording/playback heads 25 and 25', two capstans 26 and 26', two pressure rollers 27 and 27~, as well as two erase heads 28 and 28' are dis-posed. The heads 25 and 28 and the pressure rollers 27 can together be moved towards and away from the cassette in the manner usual with the known cassette recorders. The same applies to the heads 25~ and 28~ together with the pressure roller 27'.
The apparatus is provided with a number of buttons 29 for actu-ation. These enable either the assembly 25-27-28 or the assembly 25~-27t-28 to cooperate with the cassette 1. The capstans 26 and 26~ have the same direction of rotation, so that they drive the tape 3 in opposite directions The apparatus is suited for the continuous playback of the tape by making provisions which when the end of the tape is reached cause an automatic chan-ge-over of the assembly 25-27-28 to 25'-27~-28t and vice versa.
- , ~'' `' ' ~ `': ~.. ' ' :" ' ' '' : ' : - ` ~ ' ' . .
Claims (2)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A tape recording or playback apparatus having two counter-rotat-ing winding spindles having parallel axes; means for positioning a tape cas-sette on said spindles said cassette having openings on two opposite side walls for receiving a recording or playback head for operative cooperation with the tape; and a plurality of capstans and recording or playback heads at least one each respectively disposed at opposite sides of the spindles for operative cooperation with opposite sides of the tape.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said capstans and recording or playback heads are arranged approximately in rotation symmetri-cal relationship about an axis parallel to and midway between said winding spindles.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA319,421A CA1061899A (en) | 1974-05-13 | 1979-01-10 | Cassette and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL7406377A NL7406377A (en) | 1974-05-13 | 1974-05-13 | CASSETTE FOR A DEVICE FOR RECORDING AND / OR DISPLAY OF INFORMATION AND DEVICE FOR RECORDING AND / OR DISPLAYING INFORMATION USING SUCH CASSETTE. |
| CA226,593A CA1052467A (en) | 1974-05-13 | 1975-05-09 | Cassette and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information |
| CA319,421A CA1061899A (en) | 1974-05-13 | 1979-01-10 | Cassette and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1061899A true CA1061899A (en) | 1979-09-04 |
Family
ID=27163944
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA319,421A Expired CA1061899A (en) | 1974-05-13 | 1979-01-10 | Cassette and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1061899A (en) |
-
1979
- 1979-01-10 CA CA319,421A patent/CA1061899A/en not_active Expired
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