Patents Examined by Benjamin E. Urcia
  • Patent number: 4884158
    Abstract: A magnetic tape cassette, particularly a video tape cassette which is provided with a hinged front panel prestressed by a tension spring, the coil of which is positioned on an axle on the inside of the side wall of the front panel. The free end of the long spring leg grips beneath the front of an upper housing half of the cassette, which constrains the long spring leg. A lower housing half has a hinged locking plate on the inside, in the area of the front panel. The locking plate has a obliquely extending projection projecting over the plate, which projection being eccentric to the center of rotation of the plate has a surface off set from the axis of rotation of said hinged locking plate, and on the surface of oblique projection the long spring leg stressed between the upper housing half and the projection of the plate to produce a moment of force on the plate tending to swing the plate on the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Albert Pertzsch, Hubert Brunner, Ludwig Zeroni
  • Patent number: 4831476
    Abstract: A disc drive isolation system including a disc drive isolation module is disclosed. The isolation module is disposed in the enclosure and has an outer body and an inner body supported within the outer body with the disc drive mounted within the inner body. The mounting of the inner body within the outer body sequesters the disc drive against vibration and shock applied to the outer body. This arrangement enables almost any disc drive to be operated in an industrial environment independent of the shock and vibration characteristics of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Branc, Thomas J. Merchant, William L. Miller, Philip J. Pisczak
  • Patent number: 4805044
    Abstract: A cassette type tape recorder comprises a magnetic head for recording on and reproducing from a magnetic tape in a tape cassette, a drive gear, a head displacing cam mechanism for changing-over the position of the magnetic head between its play and non-play positions, an idler for driving the head displacing cam mechanism by drive power transmitted from the drive gear, a cut-off gear movable and engageable with the drive gear and the idler, the cut-off gear being arranged to cut off the drive power transmission from the drive gear to the idler when the cut-off gear is in a cut-off position, and a cut-off gear displacing cam mechanism for displacing the cut-off gear to said the cut-off position when the magnetic head is brought into its play position by the head displacing cam mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Akira Otsuki
  • Patent number: 4802048
    Abstract: An assembly added to a conventional VHS cassette provides a wheel for counting the number of plays, or replays of segments of more than a predetermined length, and preventing further replay after the last authorized play by either releasing a spring biased arm to carry an erase head against the tape, or locking the cassette brakes in the engaged position once the cassette is removed form the tape deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignees: David H. Rubenstein, Rodger D. Nicholson
    Inventors: Leland M. Perkins, Ralph L. Dodds, David H. Rubenstein, Roger D. Nicholson
  • Patent number: 4797765
    Abstract: A thin film magnetic head comprising a thin film magnetic head structure and a protective plate thereon such as glass or the like has an improved bonding interlayer between them. The interlayer is formed by fusing together registered solder areas which have been preformed respectively on the mirror image positions of the upper surface of the head structure and the lower surface of the protective plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Joichiro Ezaki, Hiroshi Kanai
  • Patent number: 4796115
    Abstract: In a cassette type recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as an 8-mm VTR with a built-in camera, in which a tape cassette is so installed on a chassis as to have a pair of tape reels therein engaged with a pair of reel disks and then, a tape is drawn from the tape cassette by a tape loading means so as to be wound around a rotary head drum, the tape cassette is moved together with the reel disks toward the rotary head drum, after placed on the chassis on which the reel disks are provided, so that it becomes easy to make the cassette type recording and/or reproducing apparatus compact, while maintaining high tape-running stability and high recording and reproducing precisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Ohshima, Takao Kumagai, Hiromitsu Baba
  • Patent number: 4796118
    Abstract: There is disclosed a magnetic head assembly for use in a disk drive that can store and retrieve data from a magnetic disk. The assembly has a carriage and an arm on which a lower magnetic head and an upper magnetic head are carried, respectively. A hinged leaf spring is located on the carriage remotely from the heads. The arm can swing about the spring which is welded to the spring mount portion of the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Ohkita, Kazuo Kobayashi, Kunihiko Gunji, Tadami Sugawara, Osamu Shigenai, Takamichi Fuke
  • Patent number: 4796137
    Abstract: In a protective jacket for disk-shaped recording media, for example magnetic films, fixed magnetic disks, grammophone disks or video disks, the fleece covering in the jacket is fastened close to the outer edges of the jacket and close to the contour lines of the openings by means of heat welded points a short distance apart and in the region inbetween at a distance apart which is several times as large. As a result of the cushions thus formed, a more advantageous cleaning effect is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dietrich Gruehn, Joachim Hack, Hubert Fehrenbach, Peter Rudolf, Norbert Holl
  • Patent number: 4794482
    Abstract: A magnetic head device comprises a first sheet retainer member which is adapted to be brought into contact with a magnetic recording sheet at a first position on one side of the magnetic recording sheet, a second sheet retainer member having a contact surface which is adapted to be brought into contact with the magnetic recording sheet at a second position near the first position on the other side of the magnetic recording sheet, and a magnetic head accommodated in an opening formed in the contact surface of the second sheet retainer member to be brought into contact with the magnetic recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohiko Horio, Naoki Kobayashi, Hideo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 4794480
    Abstract: A magnetic storage device comprising a rigid apertured cartridge containing a flexible magnetic disk and a Bernoulli surface is disclosed. The cartridge contains a reference surface which is integral with the Bernoulli surface and serves to align and flatten the Bernoulli surface when the cartridge is inserted into a disk drive. The cartridge is configured such that the flexible magnetic disk is maintained in operative association with the Bernoulli surface. The aperture of the cartridge serves as an entry point for the motor spindle and transducer of the disk drive. The cartridge is partially enclosed by a slidable shutter which protects the Bernoulli surface and flexible disk when the cartridge is not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Iomega Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Jones, Randall C. Bauck, Robert D Freeman
  • Patent number: 4791504
    Abstract: A tape cassette has a cassette casing in which reels and a tape wound thereon are accommodated, a lid for closing a front opening of the casing, a lid-locking member pivoted on a mounting pin which projects from a pedestal on the bottom of the cassette casing, and detecting holes in the casing bottom with respective obstruction or indicating members for providing information as to the cassette, with one of the detecting holes being arranged substantially under the pedestal in alignment with the mounting pin without interfering with the mounting pin, so that the full area of the bottom of the casing is effectively utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadao Igarashi, Takashi Oogi
  • Patent number: 4787003
    Abstract: A magnetic head integrally assembled with a step-up transformer. The magnetic head portion is formed on a lower substrate by a thin film technology and the number of turns of the signal winding is 1 or a value near 1. The transformer portion mainly comprises a transformer magnetic circuit which is formed by the lower substrate and upper substrate. A one-turn primary coil of a thin film formed over the lower substrate and a secondary coil by a bulk wire are arranged so as to couple inductively with each other through the transformer magnetic circuit. The signal winding and the primary coil winding are formed by the same thin film process. The head portion and the transformer portion thus are arranged very closely and hence coupled with very little transfer loss of signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Nakamura, Ken Takahashi
  • Patent number: 4785363
    Abstract: A magnetic tape drive in which a tape cartridge is endwise loaded and thereafter minutely moved into a precision alignment position with respect to a read/write head. The drive has a support frame with a front panel and an elongate tray dimensioned to have the cartridge inserted endwise thereon. The tray is supported by the frame for longitudinal sliding movement from a retracted position in which the tray is contained within the frame to an extended position in which a portion of the tray extends through a slot in the front panel. A mechanism is provided for opening the access door of the cartridge while the cartridge is supported on the tray and the tray is being moved from its extended position to it retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Cipher Data Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Lynn C. Jacobs, Ronald D. Irvin, Karl B. Offerman
  • Patent number: 4780783
    Abstract: A locking device for a cover of a magnetic tape cartridge for locking a pivotable cover for covering magnetic tape inlet and outlet ports of the magnetic tape cartridge, including a projection formed on an arm for pivotally supporting the pivotable cover which is engageable with an engaging claw section of a locking member which further includes an operation section and a resilient section. The locking member is pivotally supported on a magnetic tape cartridge case and urged by the biasing force of the resilient section to bring the engaging claw section into engagement with the projection. The operation section of the locking member is located in a position in which it is capable of cooperating with an unlocking pin moved from three directions, to thereby give latitude to the process for loading a magnetic tape cartridge on a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuo Osawa, Kenji Ogiro, Nobuyuki Kaku, Shinichi Goto
  • Patent number: 4777549
    Abstract: A filtering means is provided in a data recording disk file for filtering air flowing from the region of the spindle bearings into the head/disk area of the disk file. The filtering means is mounted to the disk file frame adjacent the rotary shaft of the spindle and together with the shaft defines a narrow annular gap for the flow of a very small portion of the total air flow from the region surrounding the spindle bearings. The filtering means includes first and second ring members which have axially-directed openings and which together support filter material located between the ring members. The primary portion of the air flow from the spindle bearings passes through the axially-directed openings of the ring members and the filter material and is thus filtered before entering the head/disk area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sherman Z. Dushkes, Dennis K. Lieu
  • Patent number: 4775906
    Abstract: A magnetic disk drive apparatus has a spindle holding mechanism for a spindle that supports a plurality of magnetic disks. The spindle is rotatably supported on a base by two bearings. Each bearing is pressed by a compressive coil spring to the base in the direction parallel with the plane of the magnetic disks and perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle. Additionally, one of the bearings is affected with a pressing force in the axial direction of the spindle by another compressive coil spring. Therefore, even if the bearings have a thermal expansion coefficient different from that of the base, the thermal expansion can be absorbed by the compressive coil springs thereby preventing a generation of thermal stress between the parts. Consequently, deflection in relative position between the two bearings is prevented, and an inclination of the spindle is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Suzuki, Hiroshi Nishida, Tsuyoshi Takahashi, Mikio Higashi
  • Patent number: 4775910
    Abstract: For cleaning a magnetic head in a magnetic tape recorder, the cassette is provided with a cleaning device and is inserted in the magnetic tape recorder instead of a magnetic tape cassette. The cleaning device contains a cleaning element located at a carrier, the cleaning element pressing against the front side of the magnetic head instead of the magnetic tape and converting a rotary motion of a drive arrangement which normally drives the magnetic tape into a reciprocating motion and, under given conditions, simultaneously converting the rotary motion into a pivoting or rotational motion of the cleaning element relative to the magnetic head. The tape drive capstan of the magnetic tape recorder preferably serves a drive arrangement and the carrier is driven via an eccentric shaft which may be inclined relative to its rotational axis and via a worm gearing driven by the tape drive capstan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Tandberg Data A/S
    Inventor: Guttorm Rudi
  • Patent number: 4774613
    Abstract: A photosensor block for use with a zero track sensor of a disk drive unit or the like wherein adjustment of the position of a photosensor can be effected simply with accuracy. In the photosensor block, a photosensor forms a side of a deformable parallelepiped and is mounted on a mounting member having a pair of parallel elastic members which form a pair of opposing sides of the parallelepiped. An interconnecting portion of the mounting member between the elastic members is secured either to the photosensor or to a base member which is mounted on a stationary section of the unit and forms the remaining side of the parallelepiped. Opposite ends of the elastic members are removably connected to the other of the photosensor and the base member. An adjusting member is adjustably mounted on the base member for pressing against a side face of one of the elastic members for fine adjustment of the position of the photosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Okita, Tadami Sugawara, Hiroshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 4771354
    Abstract: A write-protect clip can be permanently installed on a floppy disc and thereafter can be moved to an opened position which exposes the write-protect notch of the floppy disc or to a closed position which covers the notch. The clip, which is a unitary element made from a sheet of metal, includes first and second walls which slidably engage the outer surface of the envelope of the floppy disc, a back wall which connects the first and second walls, and a serpentine spring tongue which extends between the first and second walls and which is joined to one of the walls at a sharply bent region. When the clip is installed on a floppy disc, the tongue enters the envelope via the notch to prevent the clip from being inadvertently detached from the floppy disc and to enhance frictional engagement between the clip and the envelope, thereby helping to retain the clip in either the opened or the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Lotus Development Corporation
    Inventor: Leo F. Zschau
  • Patent number: 4771351
    Abstract: A tape cassette has a case with upper and lower halves and an open space at the front thereof. A magnetic tape housed in the case is wound around a pair of reels. A brake is slidably mounted on the inner surface of the lower half of the case to prevent the reels from being rotated. Part of a spring is attached to the brake. The spring has free ends and urges the brake in a direction. A device for positioning the spring includes a partition wall on the inner surface of the lower half of the case which partitions the open space from the inside of the case. An independent abutment member on the partition wall abuts the free ends of the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kimio Tanaka, Takateru Satoh, Haruo Shiba