Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing apparatus of a disc-shaped recording medium includes a main body portion, a shutter mechanism, a drive mechanism, an elevation mechanism and an eject mechanism. The main body portion has an opening portion through which a disc-shaped recording medium is inserted or ejected. The shutter mechanism opens and closes the opening portion. The shutter mechanism is provided on the main body portion to be freely movable and closes the opening portion under a state that the disc-shaped recording medium is completely inserted into the main body portion. The drive mechanism rotatably drivers the disc-shaped recording medium. The elevator mechanism is moved up and down in an interlocking manner with a movement of the shutter mechanism.

Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a recording medium, such as a magnetic tape, includes a recording and/or reproducing unit, a main body portion, a signal line and a take-up mechanism. The main body portion houses the recording and/or reproducing unit. The external equipment includes an input unit for entering a signal for setting the operating mode of the recording and/or reproducing unit and an electro-acoustic transducer for converting signals from the recording and/or reproducing unit into audible sound. The external equipment may be attached to and detached from the main body portion and exchanges signals with the recording and/or reproducing unit. The signal line interconnects the external equipment and the recording and/or reproducing unit. The signal line has its one end connected to the external equipment and its other end connected to a circuit board housed within the main body portion for exchanging information signals with the recording and/or reproducing unit.

Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as a tape recorder, includes a recording and/or reproducing unit housed within a main body portion, an electro-acoustic transducing section, an actuating input unit, first and second connection cord assemblies and first and second cord take-up units. The recording and/or reproducing unit records and/or reproduces the information on or from a recording medium, such as a magnetic tape. An electro-magnetic transducer is fed with information signals reproduced by the recording and/or reproducing unit. An actuating input unit, removably mounted on the main body portion, sets or switches the recording or reproducing state of the recording and/or reproducing unit. The first connection cord assembly interconnects the actuating input unit and the recording and/or reproducing unit for exchanging information signals, and the second connection cord assembly interconnects the electro-acoustic transducing unit and the actuating input unit.

Abstract: A motor includes a bearing portion, a chassis, a thrust pad and a plurality of supporting members. The bearing portion is formed of a sintered oilless bearing or the like and supports a rotary shaft of the bearing portion. The chassis has a stator attached thereto and has a cylindrical holding portion for retaining therein the bearing portion integrally formed therewith. The thrust pad is disposed within the holding portion and pivotally supports the rotary shaft in the thrust direction. The supporting members are disposed on the bottom surface portion of the holding portion and support the thrust pad.

Abstract: A slip casting device has a molding station for molding a casting with a mold, and a releasing station separate from the molding station, for separating the casting from mold members of the mold which carry the casting. The device may include a pair of vertically spaced molds and a common clamping cylinder interposed between the pair of molds.

Abstract: A cassette tape player utilizes a tape cassette having apertures formed through one side wall of its casing to accept a magnetic head and a pinch roller. The cassette tape player has a body assembly on which the tape cassette is freely loaded or unloaded and a lid supported by the body assembly so as to be freely rotatable for closing and opening the cassette tape player. The tape cassette is inserted into a loading region of the body assembly by closing the lid. A head assembly chassis is supported by one side end portion of the cassette loading portion so that its moves together with the lid. The head assembly also supports a magnetic head holder and the pinch roller. The tape cassette is supported by securing the upper surface wall of the cassette casing by inserting cassette holding members into the pinch roller insertion openings of the tape cassette.

Abstract: A normal/reverse mode changing mechanism for a tape transport apparatus comprises a mode selecting lever, cam arrangement, and an electromagnet, and one of two tape running modes is selectively obtained due to changing the number of current pulses supplies to the electromagnet. The mode selecting lever has such a function as to move a plurality of controlling members, such as a drive gear engaged selectively with one of the reel base gears, and a lever, which can selectively press one of the two pinch rollers against the corresponding one of two capstans for controlling the direction in which the tape is running. The cam arrangement has such a function as to hold the mode selecting lever selectively in one of two positions: a first position for obtaining the first tape running mode by a combination of a first pinch roller and a first capstan, and a second position for obtaining the second tape running mode by another combination of a second pinch roller and a second capstan.

Abstract: A translation cam arrangement comprises a translation cam and an accentric gear rotatably secured to the translation cam, and as the eccentric gear is rotated by a driving gear meshed therewith, the translation cam reciprocates in correspondence with various distances between centers of both the gears. Thus, there is no need of another cam arrangement for moving the translation cam.

Abstract: A cassette type recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a chassis in which a cassette is mounted on an upper surface thereof. An upper surface of the chassis is formed with a recess in whcih a pair of reels and a gear machanism including a plurality of gears to actuate the pair of reels to rotate are mounted from an above direction, thus reducing a height dimension of the entire apparatus and achieving an easy assembly operation with fewer parts and less labor time for the assembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: In an auto-reverse type tape recorder also capable of repeatedly playing a tape in both directions, the tape travel is not shut off when the mode of operation is manually changed over from the normal run mode to the reverse run mode, or vice-versa, and after a changeover to the record mode, manual changeover operation is locked-out or made impossible in order to prevent the travel of the tape from being inadvertently changed over and, further, the travel of the tape is stopped without fail at the end of either the normal run mode or the reverse run mode.

Abstract: A cassette tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus has a head base assembly comprised of a first arm mounted, at one end, on the chassis for swinging about a first axis perpendicular to a plane on which a cassette is located on the chassis, a second arm connected in end-to-end relation to the other end of the first arm by a joint structure permitting relative angular displacements about a second axis parallel to the first axis, and a fixed guide post extending parallel to the plane of the chassis and passing slidably through a slot in the second arm for stabilizing the position of a magnetic head on the second arm in respect to a cassette on the chassis. The joint structure includes a screw defining the second axis and being turnable to relatively displace the connected ends of the arms along that second axis for rocking the second arm about the fixed guide post and thereby varying the aximuth angle of the head.

Abstract: The invention relates to a friction drive apparatus of a tape recorder which has a capstan and a friction wheel which is brought into slidable contact with a flywheel on which the capstan is mounted, the friction wheel serving to transmit a rotational force to the flywheel, the apparatus being constructed such that there are provided a support mechanism for pivotally supporting the friction wheel about a pivotal point which is eccentric with respect to a rotating shaft of the friction wheel, and biasing means for pivotally biasing the friction wheel about the pivotal point in a contact surface direction of the flywheel, the biasing means being arrranged to apply a predetermined initial contact pressure between the friction wheel and the flywheel, and a rotational direction of the friction wheel being determined such that a reaction force at the contact surface upon rotation of the friction wheel acts in a direction to cause pivotal movement of the friction wheel in the same direction as a direction toward whi

Abstract: A cassette tape player is provided with a casing defining a compartment for receiving a cassette and including a hollow, box-like structure extending only partly across the casing to confront a corresponding portion of a long side of the cassette housing in the compartment, a battery receptacle extending longitudinally from the hollow, box-like structure across substantially the remainder of the casing for receiving at least one elongated cylindrical battery with the longitudinal axis of the latter extending parallel with the long side of the cassette housing in the compartment, and a closure engageable with the battery receptacle for retaining and locating said at least one battery in the receptacle and being configured to define, with the receptacle, a box-like extension of the hollow box-like structure which cooperates with the latter to define a substantially continuous surface for locating the cassette housing in the compartment.

Abstract: A compact cassette tape player has a motor drive system which enables a high-fidelity tape player to be made only slightly larger than the cassette being played. The tape player includes a motor which has a flat stator mounted to the player chassis, a motor shaft and a flat motor which is mounted to the motor shaft for rotation relative to the stator. The recorder includes reel pawl hubs or spindles for engaging the tape reels in the cassette. The motor shaft extends into one of the pawl hubs and is mounted in bearings at the ends of the shaft. One of the bearings is located inside the pawl hub so that the bearing mountings for the motor shaft can be spaced as far apart as possible, thus reducing the amount of wow and flutter even though the player is extremely compact. The pawl hub mounting the motor shaft is driven independently of the motor by a drive gear which engages the periphery of a gear wheel secured to the pawl hub.

Abstract: In a cassette tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a tape drive with a rotatable idler which is bodily shiftable for changing the operating mode, a mode changing mechanism has first and second mode selecting slide members mounted on a chassis for independent movements along parallel paths between operative and inoperative positions, a pivot arm carrying the idler and being swingable in opposite directions, for example, for establishing fast-forward and rewind modes, respectively, a coupling member straddling the slide members and being engageable with the pivot arm and with actuating members which are provided on the slide members, respectively, and which engage the coupling member at respective locations thereon spaced apart in a direction transverse to the paths of movement of the slide members, and a spring acting on the coupling member along a line of force which is intermediate the locations where the actuating members engage the coupling member and in a direction for causing the coupling m

Abstract: A mechanism for use in a cassette tape recorder automatically changes the mode of the recorder when the end of the tape is reached by sensing the cessation of rotation of the pinch roller. A mode change lever having an elongated hole with converging sides that receives a cylindrical portion of the pinch roller is biased by a spring so that the cylindrical portion engages the converging sides and the mode-change lever tends to rotate in a first direction. Once the pinch roller ceases to rotate, the mode-change lever is moved in a direction opposite the first direction and so that it cooperates with a mode-change drive assembly rotated by the capstan. The mode-change lever is then displaced and releases a mode key, so that the mode of the recorder is changed and is typically shut off.

Abstract: A mode changing mechanism for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as, a cassette tape player, includes a gear driven by a motor and having a driving lug projecting from the gear for movement in a circular path therewith, a mode changing element which is movable from a first position corresponding to one mode of the player, for example, its stop mode, through second and third positions, in turn, to a fourth position corresponding to another mode of the player, for example, the reproducing mode thereof, a manually actuable mode selecting button movable from an inoperative position to an operative position for displacing the mode changing element from its first position to the second position where a pawl on the mode changing element is engageable by the driving lug for using the power of the motor in driving the mode changing element to its third position, and a spring effective when the mode changing element attains its third position to bias the mode changing element to its fourth position in which

Abstract: A cassette tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus has a rectangular chassis on which a cassette holder is pivotally mounted for angular movement relative to the chassis about an axis extending along one long side of the chassis between an inclined cassette receiving position and an operative position in which a cassette in the holder is loaded flat against the chassis, a pivot on the cassette holder defines a pivot axis which is adjacent, and at right angles to the axis of movement of the holder, and a head base is mounted on the pivot for movement relative to the cassette holder between a rest position, in which a magnetic head mounted on the base extends a relatively small distance into a cassette inserted in the holder, and an active position, in which the head is further projected into a cassette in the operatively positioned holder.

Abstract: A cassette tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus has a substantially rectangular chassis with a perimeter approximately coextensive with a tape cassette to be operatively positioned in a cassette holder at one side of the chassis, a tape transport mechanism including reel shafts extending through the chassis for engaging respective reels in a tape cassette operatively positioned against the chassis, and a gear transmission for selectively driving the reel shafts in accordance with a plurality of operating modes, such gear transmission consisting of a plurality of gears disposed at the other side of the chassis for rotation about axes normal to the chassis, with certain of the gears being axially displaceable for the changing from one to another of the operating modes, and push-buttons all disposed at the other side of the chassis and being selectively manually actuable normal to the chassis from extended to depressed positions for displacing respective axially movable gears for correspondingly changing

Abstract: A tape transport mechanism for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as, a cassette tape player, has supply and take-up reel shaft gears, a reverse gear mounted for axial movement parallel to the reel shafts between first and second positions in which the reverse gear meshes continuously with the supply reel shaft gear, a driving gear mounted for axial movement parallel to the reel shafts between first, second and third successively arranged positions, a rewind mode selecting device actuable to move the driving gear to its second position for meshing engagement with the reverse gear in its first position, whereby to drive the supply reel shaft through the reverse gear and the supply reel shaft gear, and a fast-forward mode selecting device actuable to move the driving gear to its third position while moving the reverse gear to the second position of the latter for disengaging the reverse gear from the driving gear and for engaging the driving gear with the take-up reel shaft gear.