CA1310750C - Cassette type cleaning device for the cleaning of playing/recording head, erasing head, and capstan/pinch roller - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A cassette type cleaning device serves for a multi-purpose of the cleaning of the playing/recording head, Erasing head, cpastan and pinch roller comprise a universally applica-ble cotton tipped cleaning stick held in a tubular retainer which is placed in varioous types of socket cylinder to meet the corresponding requirement of cleaning, namely a first type duo tip retaining socket for the cleaning of capstan and pinch roller, an oscillatable second type socket driven through gear train enpowered from the player/recorders driving spindles for the cleaning of playing/recording heads, and a third type socket moves with second type one through link connection for the cleaning of the erasing head.

Description

13~5Q

TITLE : CASSETTE TYPE CLEANING DEVICE FOR THE CLEANING
OF PLAYING/RECORDING HEAD, ERASING HEAD, AND
CAPSTAN/PINCH ROLLER

BACKGROU_D OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates generally to cassette type cleaners adapted for the cleaning of player and/or recording units, and more particularly to a cleaner capable of cleaning the playing/recording head, the erasing head as well as the capstan and pinch roller with one feature in common that individual cleaning element is composed of a cleaning head retainer having a replacable cotton-tip stick inserted therein, the said cleaning element can be placed and locked to various types of socket to meet the purpose called for.

The present invention aims at three purposes, namely, the cleaning of (a) the playing/recording head/
(b) the capstan and pinch roller and (c) the erasing head, therefore, the prior arts are hereby reviewed in the three corresponding respects.

In the very beginning, so called "cassette cleaning tape" is employed for the cleaning of all magnetic heads. Wherein a tape of frictional nature is used in lieu of the ordinary magnetic tape in the cassette, to let it run through in contact with the surfaces to be cleaned, the job was done frictionally with poor effect.
Later on, pads of felt material are provided for the cleaning purpose, however, the poor ability of solvent absorption denies its usage.

I ~ 1 0750 Now tha-t the cassette type cleaner of the current style comes to the scene. So far as the material is concerned, the present invention prefers cotton for its excellet absorbfacient.

Firstly, to clea the playing/reco~^ding head of a playig/recordig unit, the prior art discloses devices which employ a cssette-like housig having wiper arm pivotally mounted therein for reciprocating motion.
At one end of the wiper arm, there is a cleaning pad which wipes back and forth against the head of the unit.
It is desirable that the cleaning pad be held securrely to the wiper arm, and yet it is desirable that the cleaning pad be replaced periodically after it has performed a number of cleaning operations. Some of the prior arts may have already disclosed devices of the abovesaid features, however, the cleaning pad can hardly be held securely enough to the wiper arm, and the close contact of the pad against the surface of components to be cleaned ~0 can hardly be ensured.

Secondly, in the prior arts, for the cleaning of the capstan and pinch roller of the recording/playing unit, usually there are a pair of cleaning pads to engage ~5 the capstan and pinch roller respectively. These pads may be mounted in a suitable mounting structure. However, similar drawbacks of loose contact and lack of replacea-bility also exist.

Thirdly, the cleaning device may have been provided for those "Auto reverse" playing/recording units with separate erasing head, the cleaning device shall have to face two capstan and two pinch rollers. Pads of the device further possess the shortcoming of imperfact contact, insecure holding and failing to be replaced as desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a multipurpose cleaning head assembly which can be applied for the cleaning of the playing/recording head, the capstan and pinch roller as well as the erasing head and comprises a match-like stick with cotton pad surely adhered thereon, the said stick is removably yet tightly inserted in a tubular retainer having tapered inside wall to assure the tightness of insertion of the stick. One side of the outer wall of the tubular retianer is provided with a lock means such as punched to form a resilient tongue with a lock member protruded thereon. At the opposite side of the ~0 outside wall, one each upper and lower cut are formed thereon. Purposes of which are to be detailed later.
No matter to what purpose the cleaning assembly may serve, the tubular tip retainer is a basic construction which may be universally used in the cleaning of playing/
recording head, capstan and pinch roller, and erasing head.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a first type of tip retianer sockets which are built-in side by side in pair and stepwisely disposed at a position right under the location of capstan and pinch roller for the purpose of cleaning the same. Which sockets are formed into two longitudinally sliced semi-cylinders, con~ugated in a pair of blocks within the cleaning cassette halves. Each socket bottom is provide with a com-pression spring to bias against the lower end of the inserted5 retainer so as to cause the cotton tip to press tightly a-gainst the surface to be cleaned.

A sti~ another object of the present invention is to provide into one semi-cylinder pair a lateral slot to with hold a spri.ng biased wing shaped lock (or a spring biased connected lock rod) which is served to selectively catch said upper or lower cut on the tip retainer's wall to assure a prepared position and to release the lock when the pinch roller to be cleaned is pressed on the cleaning tip, so that during cleaning period, both capstan and pinch roller can be tightly engaged toward the tips which are now being capable of moving freely up and down. In the meantime, to provide into another semi-cylinder pair, one each longitu-dinal slot to facilitate the push-in from outside of the socket wall, a pencil tip through the slot to release the protruded lock formed on the resillient togune of the retainer wall from caught-up by the upper edge of said longitudinal slot, so that the tip retainer may pop up from the socket under the compression force of the bias spring there-under for replacement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a second type of tip-retainer socket block having cylinderical inside space with lonitudinal slot as aboveside for the retalning of a tip retainer assembly with the pro-truded lock on retainer tongue caught by upper edge of said slot and being releasable with the pushing of a pencil tip through the slot, this s~ructure is almost the same as that of the first type socket, excep-t that the lower stem of the block is extended to form a wiper arm which is pivotally mounted to rocker reciprocatly to clean the playing/recording head. The lower end of the wiper arm is served as a follower diriven by a pair of complementary eccentric wheels each formed integrally with one of a pair of follower gears meshed with a main pair of driving gears en-powered from the driving spindles of the player/recorder.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a third type of tip-retainer socket which ac-tually is a brief form of the second type and aimed for the cleaning of an erasing head. The portion below the pivot of the wiper arm of the second type is eliminated, since the arm here is not driven directly through gear trains.
However, a connecting means such as a connecting rod is provided between the second type arm and the third type arm, with the aid of a pair of lug ears disposed at the side of ~0 each arm. thereby a parallelogram of linkage is formed to cause the short arm of the third type socket to be able to move in unison with the rockering of wiper arm of the second type to effect the cleaning of the erasing head.

~5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS :
Fig. 1 is a top elevational view of a cassette type cleaner adapted to utilize the cleaning tip assembly of the present invention for the cleaning of the playing/
recording head of a cassette tape recorder of the "auto reverse" type, as well as the cleaning of the capstan and pinch roller thereof. The driving mechanism is simultane-ously shown;

1 3 1 ~7~0 Fig. 2A is a partial top elevational view of the cleaning device shown in fig. 1, depicting the cleaning tips are in close engagement to the surfaces of the capstan, pinch roller and the playing/recording head, driving means not shown;
Fig. 2B is a front view of the same;
Fig. 3A is a partial top elevational view of a cassette cleaner adapted for the cleaning of both playing/
recordin~ head as well as the erasing head. The tape recorder here is of the "general type" having separate playing/
recording head and erasing head. Cleaning tips are in close contact with surfaces to be cleaned and with the connecting links for drive shown;
Fig. 3B is a front view of Fig. 3A;
Fig. 4A is an exploded view showing the main parts of the cleaning tip assembly including the match stick-like tip and the retainer in front view;
Fig. 4B is a side view of an cleaning tip assembly, ~hown Cllts and lock tongue;

2~ Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing part of the cassette cleaner wherein the relative position of a pair o~ conjugated sem-cylinder or cylinder-halves served as retaining sockets for the cleaning tip assembly;
Fig. 5A is another embodiment perspective view o~ the connected lock rod of the cassette cleaner.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the pivotally mounted wiping arm of the playing/recording head cleaner ~uided by a pair of complementary eccentric drivers;
Fig. 6A is a modification of the wiping arm in perspective;
fig. 6B shows a plane view of a ratchet wheel means there related;

~1 13~150 Fig. 7 is a plane view showing a modification of the driving gear to ensure a better transmission;
Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the gears in Fig.
7 to show the clearence provided to absorb possible vibration of the driving spindle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now referring to Fig. 1, a cassette type cleaner 10 adapted to use the cleaning tip assembly 20 of the present invention is shown wi-th dual purpose of cleaning the capstan 32 pinch roller 31 and the playing/recording head 33. However, the cleaning device serves still another purpose ~or the ~ i~
cleaning device serves still another purpos ~ for the cleaning of an erasing head 34 as shown separately in Figs. 3A and 3B.

The playing/recording head, the erasing head, the capstan and the pinch roller are all parts of a con-ventional "general type" player and/or recording unit,only a portion of which is shown at 30 for ease of illus-tration. A glance from the Figs 2A-2B, it can easilv be seen that individual cleaning tip assembly appears under a corresponding position where accessible openings are provided, namely: cleaning tip assembly 22P-22C in positions 101-102 for pinch roller 31 and capstan 32, tip assembly 22H in position 103 for playing/recording head 33; also refer to Figs. 3A-3B, tip assembly 22E in position 104 for erasing head 34.

The cassette cleaner comprises a cassette like housing 10 having the general configuration as a conventional cassette housing of a tape cassette. For the purpose of illustration the top cover of the housing 10 is not shown in fig. 1. this housing 10 has a forward end 35, a rear end 38 and left and right sides 36 and 37 respectively.

No matter for what purpose does the cleaner serve, the same construction of the cleaning tip assembly 20 such as shown in Fig. 4B constitutes the main part of the present invention. Also refer to Fig. 4A for an exploded view of the tip assembly 20, which comprises a tubular retainer ?11 and a tip stick 22 composed of a cotton tip 221 rolled tightly on a match like stick 222 suitable adhesives may be applied to ensure the secureness. The tubular retainer 21 having its inner wall 211 tapered down-ward to assure a tight grip when the cotton tipped stick is inserted.

At the bottom of retainer 21, a small hole 212 is provided to facilitate a poking rod to be inserted thereunder to push out the tip stick 22 for replacement. Refer to Fig.
~B for another view of the tubular retainear 21, at one ~0 side wall, a lock means is provided, such as the U shape tongue punched out therefrom and protruded lock 214 is formed on the tongue 213. At the opposite side wall, one each upper and lower cut 215, 216 are formed thereon, of which the use shall be detailed later.

The basic part of the present invention, the cleaning tip assembly 20 is universally applicable for what-ever purpose aforementioned, except that it changes the seat or socket form time to time depending upon its mission performed. Of course the cross section of the tubular retainer may very to become triangular, square, diamond etc. other than circular shape here, the socket for the 1 3~ n750 receiving said retainer shall have a match inner space in turn.

A first type of seat or socket 40 is to be detailed here by referring to Fig. 1, 2 or 5. In Fig. 5, the cassette housing 10 is opened to show its bottom 11 and cover 12 respectively. The seat or socket 40 is divided into two halves 401 and 402, each comprises a pair of stepwisely disposed socket members 403, 404 and 403', 404', when the cassette housing 10 with the bottom 11 and cover 12 closed.
The semi-cylinders 403-403', 404-404' become gathered to form cylindrical sockets to retain one each cleaning tip assembly 20. It shall be reminded here that into whatever type of seat or socket the tip assembly may be inserted, a compression spring 23 should always be inserted thereunder so that the tip assembly can be biased resiliently against the surface to be cleaned.

In the 401 half of the socket 40, there is a round aperture 407 opened at the boundary of the wall joining the ~emi-cylinder 403, 404, laterally extended into the curvature of the semi-cylindrical wall, a pair of spreaded-wing like grooves 408 are formed to receive and retain a spreaded-wing shaped lock member 410 which has a center 1 recess to 2~ contain a compression spring 409 to give resiliency to the membe 410 so as to be able to have its straight edged wings 411, 412 engaged selectively into the upper or lower cuts 215, 216, or let the tip assembly 20s to slip over along the rounded inclined edges 413, 414 formed on the wing members 411 and 412.

As shown in Fig. 1 and 5A, it is another embodiment ~3~G750 to substitute the spreaded-wing shaped lock member 410.
The connec~ed lock rod 410', with two convexities 411'; 412' on one side, is long and flat. the said connected lock rod is mounted in the grooves 408' of semi-cylinder 403, 404.
The fixed seat 415' is provided outside seml-cylinder 403, 404, which can just receive two convexities 411', 412' of the connected lock rod 410'. As a fulcrum, two convexities will make the said connected lcok rod, like the spreaded-wing shaped lock, engage with two cleaning tip assembly 20s by means of a compression spring 409.

In the 402 half of the socket 40, each upper part of longitudinal slot 421, 422 is cut all the way through the wall of cover 12, so that when the cassette halves 11 and 12 are closed, cylindrical sockets formed by semi-cylindrical halves 403-403', 404-404' are to take one each tip assembly 20. Respective proturded lock 214 on togue 213 of eaeh tip assembly 20 is to catch the upper edge 423, 424 of the slot 421, 422. The said lock 214 may be released by inserting pencil tip through said slot from outside the cover wall 12 to push the resilient tongue 213 inwardl.y.
Before the cassette housing halves 11-12 is closed, a fi.rst tip assembly 20C(22C) is inserted into the cylinder 404.
The assembly 20C is pushed all the way down until its upper 25 eut 215 is caught by the wing 412 of the lock 410. Another tip assembly 20P(22P) is then inserted into the cylinder 403 till its lower cut 216 is caught by the wlng 411 of the lock 410. When the cleaning cassette is placed in the cassette recess, the tip 22C is right under the capstan 32, while the press over of the pinch roller 31, forced the tip 22P
further down so that the retainer 20P with its lower cut slip out of cateh from the lock wing 411 and foree the lock ~31~7~0 410 to retreat into the aperture 407 and the upper cut 215 of the retainer 22C is also released. By then both tips ~2P and 22C are free from being caught and in a free to move up andd down, a neutral situation. With the help of sprin~s 23 retained in the bottoms of cylinder 405, 406, the tips 22P and 22C are thereby biased against the pinch roller 31 and capstan 32 tightly to ensure a thorough cleaning.

Now refering to Figs. 1 and 6 for a detailed ln description of a second type retaining socket 56 for tip 22H serving for the cleaning of the playing~recording head 33. The second type socket 56 is also in a block shape and having cylindrical inner space for the receiving and retaining of a tip 22H. Along-side block 56, a longitudinal slot 561 is provided for inserting a pencil tip to release the tongue loc~ on the retainer wall. The block 56 extends to the other ~nd to form a rocker arm 50 which is pivotally mount at the center portion of the housing 10 by a pin 57. The lower ~nd 58 of the arm 50 is cut to half of its thickness to be ~uided by a pair of complementary eccentric 54E-54EI which ar~ ~ormed integrally with apair of driven gears 54-54' meshed b~hind the lower end 58. Gears 54-54' are in turn driven by a main pair of driving gears 53-53' enpowered from the ~riving spindle pairs 51-51' of the player/recorder. The ~5 oscillation of the arm 50 caused by the revolving of the complementary pair of eccentrics 54E-54E'. Swings recip-rocatingly the cleaning tip 22H under the playing/recording head 33. the desposition of the eccentric pairs are com-plement to each other, so that they can yuide the arm 50 3~ in a push-pull manner.

A modification of a second type retaining socket 1 3t 0750 56 is shown in fig. 6B as 56', instead if a block, this is made in a cylindrical form. Cylinder 56' with a stem shaft 562 extends all the way down and being rotatably retained in a bearing seat 501. fixed on the shaft 562 and being rotatable therewith is a ratchet wheel 59 which is retained in a recess 50~ formed in the arm member 50. The lower end of the arm 50 extends to form a follower 58 with half thickness to be driven by a pair of complementary eccentrics 54 E to 54 E' the same as in Fig. 6.

Refering to Fig. 6B, a ratchet catcher/activator 59a in the form of a leaf spring is disposed on the floor of cassette housing member 11, so that when the follower 58 swings about pivot 57 and with the ratchet wheel inter-15mittently in touch with leaf spring 59a, the shaft 562 with socket 56' would rotate a corresponding angle from time to time, and a detent claw 59b would prevent the ratchet wheel to vevolve in converse direction. therefore, the cleaning tip changes direction of contact with the surface to be cleaned and ensures a perfect use of the cleaning tip.

This modificatioon may exclusively be used in the"Auto reverse" type of recorder/player.

~5A third type of tip-retainer socket 66 as shown in figs. 3A, 3B is actually a brief form of the second type one 56. A pivot pin 67 is provided for rockerably mounting of the socket 66, and aimed for the cleaning of an erasing head 34. The portion below the pivot 57 of the wiper arm of the second type is eliminated, since the arm here is not driven directly through gear trains, however, a connecting means such as a connecting rod 560 is provided between the second type socket arm 56 and the third type socket arm 66, with the aid of a pair of lugears 562-662 disposed at side of each arm in a face to face manner. thereby a parallelogram of linkage is formed with arm 56, lug 562-connecting rod 560-lug 662, arm 66, and pivots 57-67. The short arm 66 is caused to oscillate in unison with the rockering of wiper arm 50 to effect the cleaning of the erasing head 34. The connecting rod 560 may comprise at each end a clip means to join the respective lug ear as shown.

In case the erasing head 34 is not separately provided such as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B are in case the player/recorder is of double cpstan/pinch roller construction, in other words, the recorder unit is of the "Auto reverse"
type, another pair of cleaning tips 22C'-22P' may be provided in position 101'-102' (Fig. 2B).

Fig. 7 showing a modification of the driving gear 53 which is breaking into : a gear ring 53a for engaging ~n with the driven gear 54 to which the eccentric guide 54E
is integrally formed; an additional cross-gear 531 having crossly arranged teeth 534 to engage with the inner cross r~cess 533 of the gear 53a, the cross gear 531 is in turn driven by the driving spindles of the player/recorder. This modification in the driving means would give a betterment in the transmission, where possible vibration through improper or loosely meshed gearing may be eliminated to give a much smooth performance.

3n The thickness t of the cross gear 531 is made about one third of the thickness T of the gear 53a having the inner cross recess 533. The radius of the inner cross recess of the gear 53a is designated as R, while the outside radius of the cross gear 531 is r, where R r and R-r=C, C is defined as a clearance between gears 531 and 53a. Such an arrangement enhances the vibration absorbing capacity of gear 531 due to the buffering function of the clearance C, then the gear 53a can rotate properly and to mesh steadily on ~he follower gears to be driven. This relationship can be clearly seen through the illustration of Fig. 8.

3~

Claims (12)

1. A cassette type cleaning device serving a multiple purpose for the cleaning of playing/recording head, erasing head, capstan/pinch roller, comprising and characterised in:
a cleaning tip assembly including (a) a cotton tipped match-like stick, and (b) a tubular retainer holding said stick;
a selective socket for receiving and retaining the cleaning tip assembly; and biassing, locking, oscillating means for helping the secure engagement of the cleaning tip toward the surface to be cleaned and/or for wiping reciprocatingly thereon to assure a perfect cleaning.

2. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning tip assembly with cotton wrapped stick is securely inserted into the inner space of said tubular retainer; the inner wall of the retainer is downwardly tapered so as to tightly hold the stick therein, and a hole is provided at the bottom of the retainer to facilitate push out from under the retainer the stick tip for replacement; at one side of the outside wall of the retainer, a resilient lock is punched to facilitate the lock up in an inner upper edge of any selected type of socket, and at the outside wall opposite to the lock, one each upper and lower cuts are provided to be engaged to a lock means of a first type socket or seat to assume temporarily a position before performing cleaning of capstan and pinch roller.

3. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the resilient lock comprises a U-shaped tongue with protruded tongue thereon.

4. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein said selective socket blocks have in common a cylindrical inner space for the receiving and retaining of the cleaning tip assembly, and a longitudinal cut-through-the-wall slot having upper edge to be engaged by the tongue-lock at the retainer out wall, said slots functions as access of a pencil tip or the like to push the tongue-lock to release, through the up thrust force of a compression spring placed in the bottom of the socket, the cleaning tip assembly is popped out for replacement.

5. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 1 or 4, wherein a first type socket is composed of a pair of stepwisely disposed conjugated cylinders which are sliced longitudinal into two semi-cylindrical halves to be disposed on the bottom and cover part of the cleaning cassette and matchable when the cassette is closed up to form a pair of cylindrical seats or sockets for receiving and retaining of a pair of tip assemblies for the cleaning of capstan and pinch roller.

6. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 5, wherein one pair of the semi-cylindrical halves having lateral slot with a central aperture to retain a spring biased spread-wing type lock means which is to catch respective tip assembly on the upper or lower cut outside the tubular retainer wall to assume a position so that the cleaning tips may press tightly toward the surface of capstan and pinch roller upon releasing of the winglock as tip assemblies are being inserted into the socket.

7. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein the pair of semi-cylindrical halves having lateral slots retain a spring-biased connected lock rod in the central aperture.

8. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 1 or 4, wherein a second type of socket is pivotally mounted at the center of the cassette with its lower end extended to form an oscillating arm to be guided by a pair of eccentrics arranged in a push-pull relation and formed integrally with a pair of driven gears which are in turn driven by a pair of main driving gears empowered by the driving spindles of the player/recorder unit, this mechanism serves for the cleaning of the playing/recording head.

9. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein a cylindrical socket with a stem shaft is retained in a bearing seat formed in the oscillating arm, said shaft having a ratchet wheel fixed thereon which is to be caught/pushed by a leaf-spring like catcher/activator disposed on the bottom of the cassette housing floor, so that when the arm swings, the ratchet wheel touches the leaf spring intermittently said shaft with the socket rotates an angle from time to time to ensure a perfect use of the cleaning tip.

10. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein the said main driving gear further breaks into a cross-gear and an inner cross-teethed gear and wherein a clearance is provided between the cross-teeth meshing to enhance the absorption of possible vibration from the driving spindle and to assure a more proper and loose-free transmission.

11. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the said main driving gear further breaks into a cross-gear and an inner cross-teethed gear and wherein a clearance is provided between the cross-teeth meshing to enhance the absorption of possible vibration from the driving spindle and to assure a more proper and loose-free transmission.

12. A cassette cleaning device according to claim 1 or 4, wherein a third type of socket is similar to the second type except that the arm extended below the pivot point is eliminated and a pair of lug ears is provided face to face at the side of each socket of the second and third type with a connecting rod connected between the ears, the third type socket becomes a follower to the rocker armed socket of the second type through the parallelogram of linked forces, and oscillates in unison with the second one to perform the cleaning of the erasing head.