Abstract: In a recording/reproducing apparatus, a first support frame (22) supports a tape cassette (1), a second support frame (23) supports a tape guide drum (9) and loading rings (29), (30), (16), (17), and a third support frame (24) slidably supports the first support frame (22) and the second support frame (23). In a cassette loading operation, when the first support means (22) approaches the second support means (23) for a predetermined interval, a predetermined tape path is established by various loading posts, the tape guide drum (9) and the like. Then, the first support means (22) and the second support means (23) are slid together on the third support means (24) to be received compactly in the apparatus.

Abstract: An optical head which includes a movable bobbin having an objective lens and tracking coils for tracking operation, a carriage guided in such a manner to be able to move in the tracking direction and a state transformation mechanism for transforming the state of the bobbin and carriage between a first state, in which the objective lens can move in the tracking direction but the carriage does not move in the tracking direction, and a second state, in which the movable bobbin and the carriage moves in the tracking direction as one body. When effecting a tracking operation, the state transformation mechanism transforms the state of the bobbin and the carriage into the first state, in which the objective lens can move in the tracking direction but the carriage does not move in the tracking direction, and a tracking drive current is then made to flow through the tracking coils to perform the tracking operation.

Abstract: The invention provides an information recording/reproducing apparatus having a device for loading a cartridge internally holding an information recording medium, an opposing member directly facing the information recording medium at least in a recording mode, and a device for transferring the opposing member. When inserting the cartridge into the information recording/reproducing apparatus, the cartridge loading device transfers the cartridge at least in the direction of the thickness of the cartridge, and then the transfer device transfers the opposing member positioned outside an extended space in the direction of the thickness of the cartridge to a position at which the opposing member directly faces the information recording medium inside the extended space in the direction of the thickness of the cartridge.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tape cassette for short-time recording having an interchangeability with a long-playing standard tape cassette. The short-time cassette has the external size and functions substantially the same as that of the standard tape cassette. The casing of the short-time tape cassette is provided with a large aperture the area of which is made larger than that of an aperture formed in the bottom of the standard tape cassette, owing to the reduction in the diameters of the reel flanges. With this arrangement, it is possible to accommodate the mechanism including the tape path within the outside dimensions of the tape cassette, thus allowing miniaturization of the mechanism of the apparatus which handles the tape. At the same time, a perfect interchangeability between the short-time tape cassette and the standard tape cassette is obtained, so that users can operate both types of the tape cassette on an identical player such as a VTR.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus comprising a tape winding device rotationally moving around a tape guide drum for pulling out a tape from a tape cassette and for wrapping the pulled-out tape on the tape guide drum. The tape guide drum advances into an opening portion of the tape cassette on tape loading, resulting in producing a moving space of the tape winding device, and the tape winding device is rotationally moved around the tape guide drum in the produced space between the tape guide drum and the casing section in response to the advancing movement of the tape guide drum. A casing section of the recording/reproducing apparatus and a member operatively associated with the casing section may either enter into the locus of the rotational movement of the tape winding device after the tape winding device is rotationally moved by a predetermined angle.

Abstract: A tape loading device having a tape loading mechanism including a guide drum and other associated parts, the mechanism being movable with respect to the tape driving device on which the tape cassette is mounted. The guide drum is movable into the tape cassette beyond the opening formed in the tape cassette, so that the tape loading mechanism including the guide drum is housed within the outside dimension of the tape cassette, thus attaining a ultra-miniaturized mechanism.

Abstract: A tape cassette includes reel hubs rotatably received in the housing of the cassette, each reel hub being formed with a recess. The recess includes an opening at its lower end and reel pawls therein are adapted to engage with pawls of a reel drive on a reel base. The recess further includes a cylindrical-shaped portion disposed below the reel pawls and a conical-shaped portion disposed below the cylindrical-shaped portion, one of which portions is caused to engage with an engaging surface of the reel base of the reel drive on the reel base, thus enabling the centers of the reel hub and the reel base to correspond with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tape cassette having a front cover urged in the direction for covering, by pivoting, a tape stretched along the front surface of a cassette case, and a cover-locking piece adapted to pivot within a plane thicknesswise of the tape cassette while being urged in the direction for holding the pivoting of the front cover when it is not in use. The tape cassette is further provided with an optical path aperture formed in a side surface portion thereof in order to form an optical path through the tape stretched inside the tape cassette when it is in use. The tape cassette is improved in its assembling efficiency while preventing disengagement of urging springs thereof in assembly. Moreover, it is possible to obtain satisfactory functions of the front cover and the cover-locking piece while preventing foreign matter such as dust from entering the inside of the tape cassette by covering the optical path aperture when the tape cassette is not in use.

Abstract: In the magnetic recording and playback apparatus of the invention, a cassette is mounted in parallel with a base plate. The apparatus has a tape path which is optimized for stable tape running and tape protection and having three inclined planes of different inclination directions and angles with respect to the plane of the base plate. A cylinder is arranged perpendicularly to the first inclined plane, while a first guide post and an eraser head are arranged perpendicularly to the third inclined plane. A capstan, sound/control head and a second guide post are arranged perpendicularly to the second inclined plane.

Abstract: A magnetic recording/playback device in which a tape mounting device for mounting a magnetic tape in a cassette on a magnetic head drum or demounting the tape from the magnetic head drum into the cassette and a mode switching driving device adapted for effecting a switching of operation mode such as recording, playback, rewinding and forwarding are driven by a single driving power source, in good sequence through a change of the load imposed by the tape mounting device and the mode switching driving device, to permit a reduction in size and weight of the recording/playback device.

Abstract: A tape cassette having a swingable cover adapted to cover and protect a tape stretched along the front side of the tape cassette, a cover locking member adapted to prevent swinging of the swingable cover by rotating in the thicknesswise direction of the tape cassette within a groove which is defined between the inner surface of one side wall of the swingable cover and the side wall of the box-like structure of the tape cassette and also between two side walls of the box-like structure which are on the extensions of the one side wall of the swingable cover and the above-mentioned side wall of the box-like structure. The groove serves also as a mis-insertion preventing groove for preventing the tape cassette from being inserted into the cassette holder in a wrong posture. According to this arrangement, it is possible to realize a compact construction while fulfilling all of the requisites for the tape cassettes.

Abstract: Two auxiliary heads are provided in addition to the two main heads for a helical scan video signal tape recorder. The vertical and horizontal positions of the auxiliary heads are determined so as to effectively reproduce a slow-motion picture from a magnetic tape on which the signals are recorded using the so called "azimuth" recording method. The output of each head is selectively supplied to a video signal demodulating circuit via a switching circuit.

Abstract: A method for positioning a composite head comprising a control head and an audio head in a rotary head type magnetic video recording and reproducing apparatus at a precise spacing relative to a mounting position of the rotary head is disclosed. A video signal is recorded intermittently for each group of a predetermined number of video tracks on a reference tape and an audio signal is also recorded intermittently in association with the intermittently recorded video signal. The composite head is adjusted and positioned such that the intermittent relationship existing between a reproduced video signal and a reproduced audio signal is the same as the intermittent relationship existing between the video signal and audio signal during recording.