Patents by Inventor Koichi Sota
Koichi Sota has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 5413290Abstract: A tape winding apparatus in which a leader tape is pulled out of a cassette supplied to a tape winding station and cut. The cut end of the leader tape is plied to the leading end of a working tape, and the working tape is wound into the cassette by rotating a hub in the cassette. The tape winding apparatus has a plurality of tape winding stations on the same plane and a moving apparatus to move the leading end of the working tape to a position adjacent to the cut end of the leader tape of a cassette selected from a plurality of cassette supplied to the plurality of tape winding stations.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1993Date of Patent: May 9, 1995Assignee: Otari Inc.Inventor: Koichi Sota
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Patent number: 5332167Abstract: A clamping mechanism clamps the free end of a leader tape onto a hub, a moving mechanism moves the hub together with the clamped leader tape end to a winding position, a cutting device cuts the leader tape a predetermined distance from the hub clamped onto the free end of the leader tape, a splicing mechanism splices the cut end of the leader tape to a free end of a magnetic tape, and a revolving mechanism then winds the spliced together leader tape and magnetic tape onto the hub. When the winding of the spliced together leader tape and magnetic tape is completed, the cutting device cuts the magnetic tape, and the splicing mechanism splices the cut end of the magnetic tape with the cut end of a leader tape. The clamping mechanism then cuts the leader tape having the magnetic tape spliced therewith, and clamps another hub to the free end of the leader tape.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1991Date of Patent: July 26, 1994Assignee: Otari Inc.Inventor: Koichi Sota
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Patent number: 5330117Abstract: A tape cassette winding apparatus that can accept either an audio compact cassette (ACC) or a digital compact cassette (DCC) that has a revolving drive arrangement for rotating the hub or reel of the cassette to load tape into the cassette. The winding apparatus has first and second winding shafts constructed to fit into an ACC hub or DCC hub. A moving assembly selectively moves the correct winding shaft into position to engage either an ACC hub or DCC hub. The revolving drive rotates the cassette hub to load tape into the cassette when the correct winding shaft has been selected and engaged in the cassette hub. A lid opening assembly is provided to open and close the hub protective lid on DCC's.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 1992Date of Patent: July 19, 1994Assignee: Otari, Inc.Inventors: Jun Taniguchi, Koichi Sota
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Patent number: 5305964Abstract: A magnetic tape cassette loading and winding apparatus having a pivotable adhesive tape applicator for splicing the end of a leader tape to the end of a magnetic tape and winding into the cassette. The loading and winding apparatus has three tape holders. Two of the holders are pivotally mounted so they can be moved to sequentially change position to first hold the leader tape while it is cut, hold one cut end of the leader on a free end of the magnetic tape while it is spliced with an adhesive tape, and then hold the other cut end of the leader tape and a second cut end of the magnetic tape while it is spliced. The pivotable tape holders can thus perform several functions. A movable adhesive tape is also provided to move from one position to another to apply pieces of adhesive tape to the cut ends of leader tape.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1992Date of Patent: April 26, 1994Assignee: Otari Inc.Inventor: Koichi Sota
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Patent number: 5241432Abstract: A tape conveying device has a loop bin which accomodates a meandering endless tape. The tape loop bin comprises a tape drive means, a tape running speed detecting means for detecting the running speed of the endless tape from the operating condition of said tape drive means, a tape conveying means for conveying the endless tape to meanderingly run in said loop bin to an exit from said loop bin, and a tape conveying control means complying with a running speed signal of the endless tape received from the tape running speed detecting means. Endless tape fed into the loop bin by a tape driving means travels toward an outlet from the loop bin. The tape conveying means is controlled to comply with a tape running speed signal sent from the tape running speed detecting means so that the operation of the tape conveying means is stopped before movement of the endless tape is stopped.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 1991Date of Patent: August 31, 1993Assignee: Otari Inc.Inventors: Koichi Sota, Toshiaki Shima
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Patent number: 5160571Abstract: A cassette tape loading device comprised of a cassette holding means for holding a cassette case, a tape supplying means for supplying a magnetic tape, a first splicing block means for releasably holding a leading end of the magnetic tape, a leader tape drawing means for drawing out leader tape from the cassette case, a second splicing block means for releaseably holding the leader tape, a third splicing block means for releaseably holding a cut end of said leader tape or a cut end of said magnetic tape, a first cutting means for cutting the leader tape held by the second and third splicing block means between the second and third splicing block means when the third splicing block means combines with the second splicing block means, a second cutting means for cutting a magnetic tape held by the first and third splicing block means between the first and third splicing block means when the third splicing block means combines with the first splicing block means, splice means for splicing both the cut end of saidType: GrantFiled: January 22, 1991Date of Patent: November 3, 1992Assignee: Otari, Inc.Inventors: Haruo Nakano, Koichi Sota
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Patent number: 4901167Abstract: A loop bin for an endless tape having long length contained in a zigzag fashion comprising a tape inlet from which the endless tape can be put in, a tape outlet from which the endless tape can be drawn out, and at least one tape transport mechanism provided substantially horizontal so as to divide an inside of the loop bin into cascading levels and for continuously feeding the zigzag endless tape on each level from the tape inlet to the tape outlet.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1988Date of Patent: February 13, 1990Assignee: Otari Electric Company, Ltd.Inventors: John E. Gantzhorn, Jr., Toshiaki Shima, Koichi Sota, Kwai-Yung B. Su
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Patent number: 4860126Abstract: In a tape transporting device of the present invention, a long and winding endless loop master tape is partially stored in a loop bin, and a copy tape which has been obtained from a feeding reel is transported and wound by a winding reel. Moreover, a rail along which the master tape is transported and an air outlet which is established at one end of the rail are established in the vicinity of the outlet of the loop bin used for storing the master tape. A tension application roller, which is used for impressing tension on the master tape, is established behind the air outlet. The aforementioned air outlet ejects air toward the master tape, and the master tape is forced toward the rail by the pressure of the ejected air. Accordingly, when the master tape is retrieved from the outlet of the loop bin, the master tape is pressed toward the rail, and as a result, tension is produced.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 1987Date of Patent: August 22, 1989Assignee: Otari Electric Company, Ltd.Inventor: Koichi Sota
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Patent number: 4843487Abstract: The present invention concerns a tape transporting device wherein mechanisms which can partially switch the master tape traveling direction have been established, and wherein a loop bin used for storing a master tape is established on a horizontal plane. As a result, the master tape exhibits no deformation attributable to gravity within said loop bin, and a since the copy tape can have a constant perpendicular or other angular orientation with respect to the master tape in the loop bin, the floor space needed for the tape transporting device can be minimized.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1987Date of Patent: June 27, 1989Assignee: Otari Electric Company, LtdInventors: John E. Gantzhorn, Jr., Koichi Sota
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Patent number: 4814899Abstract: A tape transport for driving a continuous master tape and a copy tape through a tape contact printing station at a very high speed. The master tape has a prerecorded signal the reverse image of which is transferred onto the copy tape by the tape contact printing station. The tape transport enables the master and copy tapes to maintain contact and registration with the required degree of accuracy to produce an acceptable signal transfer which generates a high quality video signal for use in home video cassette recorders and viewing equipment.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1987Date of Patent: March 21, 1989Assignee: Otari Electric Company, Ltd.Inventors: John E. Gantzhorn, Jr., John W. McCloud, II, Koichi Sota, Jun Taniguchi