Abstract: Yieldable retainer assemblies are symmetrically positioned on a tape deck and include rounded contact surfaces for engaging the outer side of a tape cartridge and clamping it against a base plate. A pair of locating posts extend from the plate through locator holes in the bottom side of the cartridge to retain the cartridge in a predetermined playing position. A pair of driving hubs of a reel driver assembly have resiliently shiftable pins carried by the hubs for self-adjusting fitting into holes of driven hubs of the cartridge reels when slight misalignment occurs between the driving and reel hubs.

Abstract: An improved cartridge tape that is wound up upon a tape spool, and consisting of an endless tape located in a tape player cassette, the tape being able to be unwound from the center of the tape roll and wound up around the outer edge of the roll, so that either end of the roll can be fed for tape playing. The tape is enclosed in a housing having substantially identical opposite ends each of which is adapted to be received in a tape player. Means engaging the tape are interposed between the opposite ends of the housing for rotating the tape 180.degree. in a first direction and 180.degree. in the opposite direction whereby opposite sides of the tape are exposed at the opposite ends of the housing permitting intelligence to be recorded and "played back" on both surfaces of the tape.

Abstract: The record/play apparatus has a well for receiving a tape cassette or cartridge, means defining a card channel for a recording card, a switch array for controlling such functions as record, play and erase and a mode switch for selecting card or tape operation. The mode switch can operate to switch the erase and record/play circuits between cassette and card heads, or can operate in conjunction with a cam arrangement for providing selective drive for either the card or tape transports. The apparatus also has another mode of operation preferably selectable via the mode switch which permits interaction between the card and tape heads whereby a message can be transferred from the tape cassette to the card. In an alternate embodiment a separate card drive motor is provided for selective card drive.

Abstract: An endless tape cartridge, preferably for use with magnetic recording-reproducing apparatuses, comprises a plurality of loose rollers opposed to one end face of an endless tape coil in the cartridge and disposed radially of the tape coil. Within the cartridge, brake means having its end face for uniform resilient engagement with the end face of the tape coil is cockably or pivotally mounted. The brake means is arranged so that its resilient pressure force imparted to the coil end face may be released from outside the cartridge through openings formed in the cartridge wall.

Abstract: A device for introducing and ejecting a cassette in a cassette tape recorder, in which a cassette with its narrow side is pushed into a slot on the front of the cassette tape recorder, whereby a dead center spring is tensioned, which after passing the dead center causes the cassette to be pulled into a cassette lift, subsequently to which the cassette lift and the cassette are placed on the drive mechanism vertically with the slide-in motion by means of an operating element and that the cassette lift can be moved away from the drive mechanism by displacing the operating element in the opposite direction, said element being one and the same, and that connecting elements are provided between the operating element and the dead center spring, which displace the dead center of the spring in such a manner that the cassette is ejected. Thus the cassette lift merely requires one operating element for the introducing and ejecting of the cassette.

Abstract: When the ignition switch of the automobile is turned off, a solenoid in the tape player is de-energized and the release of its armature pulls a small resilient roller into contact with the tape drive capstan. The capstan forces the roller into a wedged position with a lever arm which in turn activates a cantilevered eject mechanism to eject a tape cartridge. As the cartridge is pushed away from the capstan, it removes power from the capstan. If an attempt is made to insert a cartridge while the key is still "off", the power to the capstan would be restored and, as before, cause ejection of the cartridge.

Abstract: A tape deck for cartridge-encased record tapes in which the cartridge is precisely secured in a predetermined position in the tape deck in relation to its transducer and to the tape drive. The tape drive is interposed in the path of insertion of the cartridge to engage the tape-actuating mechanism in the cartridge when the cartridge is positioned in the deck. A drive motor is remotely disposed with respect to the cartridge and is coupled to the cartridge drive through a belt mechanism which allows displacement of the drive wheel through the agency of a flexural hinge support.

Abstract: A miniature tape cartridge comprising a housing for carrying an endless recording tape therein. The housing has a front end with at least one opening for access to part of the recording tape entrained therein past the opening for engagement of the tape with an external drive source for displacing the tape at a predetermined speed and to permit an external detection means to contact and detect information signals recorded on the tape. Alignment means are also provided and associated with the front end of the cartridge for positioning the tape in a predetermined plane with respect to the external detection means. Also provided is a tape adaptor for receiving the cartridge therein and for positioning same in a continuous loop tape player whereby the tape can be engaged by a drive source and detection means.

Abstract: A cartridge containing a single tape reel is inserted into a rapid access tape storage device. The cartridge comprises a tapered-wall vacuum column and a friction surface disposed opposite the vacuum column. When the tape is acted upon by the restraining force of the frictional surface, said restraining force being transferred by an endless intermediate belt which loosely encircles the tape, the outer bale of tape is restrained. Reel rotation causes the reel layers to quickly transfer either away from the hub or toward the hub dependent on the direction of reel rotation. By applying a vacuum to the vacuum column, the tape is disengaged from the influence of the frictional surface and the separation widens adjacent to the vacuum column. A magnetic transducer is then inserted into the separation and data processing occurs with the transducer engaging the exposed magnetic layer of tape near the reel hub.

Abstract: A slot-in type cassette tape recorder/player unit of the type in which a tape cassette is laterally inserted into the recorder/player unit through an opening provided on the front panel thereof includes a movable cassette holder shifted between first and second vertical positions so that the tape cassette can be brought into and released from operable engagement with the tape transport mechanism and magnetic heads of the device. An indicator plate is carried by the cassette holder and is moved into position to cover the opening for the cassette insertion when the tape cassette is brought into the operable position.

Abstract: An ejecting device for a tape record cartridge capable of being incorporated in a combination set of radio comprising a push-button and a record player, comprises a detent roller device for detaining the tape cartridge, a solenoid device which actuates the detent roller device, and a switching device linked with the push-button system of the radio set.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for a record/reproduce control lever of a magnetic tape recorder/reproducer slidably mounted alongside the outside of the cartridge receiving chamber of the recorder/reproducer includes a movable lever pivotally mounted on the recorder/reproducer chassis and spring-biased to extend through an opening in the chassis side wall for engagement by a cartridge inserted into the cartridge receiving chamber. First and second holes are placed in the control lever and are aligned opposite an extension on the movable lever when the control lever is moved to its first and second positions, respectively. When a cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receiving chamber to deflect and rotate the movable lever away from the opening, the extension engages the hole in the control lever which is aligned with it. This causes the control lever to be locked into position and prevented from movement so long as the cartridge is in the chamber.

Abstract: A cassette tape recorder has function of eliminating the slack of magnetic tape between supply reel and take-up reel in advance before the magnetic tape is started to transfer in the required direction for recording or reproducing. When the tape cassette is placed in "play" position, supply reel is rotated first in backward direction to eliminate the slack of the magnetic tape. The tensioned magnetic tape, then, may cause the take-up reel to rotate in the rewind direction. A detection device is provided to discriminate the rotation of the take-up reel in the backward direction. The detection device causes a control device for drive motor to switch the rotating direction of the motor so as to reverse the rotating direction of the capstan and the take-up reel.

Abstract: In a tape cassette for use with a tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a rotatable reel drive device and which includes a cassette casing containing at least one rotatable tape-carrying reel provided with a hollow hub defining a socket having an opening at one end of the hub for receiving the reel drive device when the latter is inserted through an aperture in the casing registered with the socket; the socket is given a stepped configuration to have a reduced-diameter portion at the end remote from the socket opening and at least one axially elongated rib projects radially inward from the surface of the socket at a relatively larger-diameter portion of the socket, and the rotatable reel drive device is provided with an end portion closely engageable in the reduced-diameter portion of the socket for accurately locating the reel in respect to the axis of rotation of the reel drive device and with at least one projection extending radially beyond and spaced axially from such end portion of the reel

Abstract: A tape player system of the cartridge type wherein the cartridge is automatically opened and closed when inserted into and removed from the tape player, respectively, and wherein the casing of the cartridge embodies at least one retention element for retainingly engaging, in tangential relation to the hub of the tape reel, a roll of endless tape disposed in the casing.