Recording medium cassette and a recording/reproducing apparatus
A recording medium cassette being easily miniaturized if necessary, and a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as a VTR, adapted to use the same recording medium cassette. The recording medium cassette includes a printed wiring board having a plurality of information indicating contacts and which is fixed to the bottom wall of a case of the recording medium cassette so that the information indicating contacts are accessible from outside through slots formed in the bottom wall. The recording and/or reproducing apparatus is provided with a plurality of information detecting contacts respectively corresponding to the information indicating contacts of the recording medium cassette. The information detecting contacts may respectively contact the information indicating contacts upon insertion of the recording medium cassette into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus so as to enable information to be transferred therebetween. The VTR is adapted to use both a small-sized tape cassette and a large-sized tape cassette.
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Claims
1. A recording medium cassette having a case containing a recording medium and a plurality of information indicating contacts, said case having at least one slot and a recess formed in a wall of said case, said information indicating contacts are formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in said recess such that said information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of said wall of said case and are accessible through said at least one slot from outside said recording medium cassette.
2. A recording medium cassette according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium is a magnetic tape, and the magnetic tape is held on tape reels rotatably supported in the case.
3. A recording medium cassette according to claim 1, wherein one specified information indicating contact among the information indicating contacts is connected to some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
4. A recording medium cassette according to claim 1, wherein one specified information indicating contact among the information indicating contacts is isolated from at least some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
5. A recording medium cassette to be used on a recording and/or reproducing apparatus designed to use both the recording medium cassette and a small-sized recording medium cassette smaller in size than the former, provided with a mouth across which a portion of a recording medium held in a case thereof is extended, and information indicating means which is the same in size and construction as that included in the small-sized recording medium cassette, characterized in that the recording medium cassette is capable of being inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and of being positioned in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus with the mouth thereof positioned at a position where the mouth of the small-sized recording medium cassette is to be positioned when the small-sized recording medium cassette is inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and positioned in the same, and with the information indicating means thereof positioned at a position where the information indicating means of the small-sized recording medium cassette is to be positioned when the small-sized recording medium cassette is inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and positioned in the same, said information indicating means having a plurality of information indicating contacts formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in a recess of a wall of the case such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of the wall of the case and are accessible from the outside through at least one slot in the case.
6. A recording medium cassette according to claim 5, wherein said recording medium is a magnetic tape, and the magnetic tape is held on tape reels rotatably supported in the case of the recording medium cassette.
7. A recording medium cassette according to claim 6, wherein one specified information indicating contact among the plurality of information indicating contacts formed on the printed wiring board is connected to some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
8. A recording medium cassette according to claim 6, wherein one specified information indicating contact among the plurality of information indicating contacts formed on the printed wiring board is isolated from at least some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
9. A recording and/or reproducing apparatus designed to use at least a small-sized recording medium cassette having a case provided with information indicating means and a large-sized recording medium cassette having a case provided with the same information indicating means as that of the small-sized recording medium cassette, and capable of positioning the small-sized recording medium cassette and the large-sized recording medium cassette therein with respective mouths of the small-sized recording medium cassette and the large-sized recording medium cassette positioned at a fixed position; characterized by fixed information detecting means capable of detecting information indicated by the information indicating means of the small-sized recording medium cassette and the large-sized recording medium cassette, and said information indicating means having a plurality of information indicating contacts formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in a recess of a wall of the respective case such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of the wall and are accessible from the outside through at least one slot in the respective case.
10. A recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said fixed information detecting means comprises a plurality of information detecting contacts respectively corresponding to the information indicating contacts of each of the small-sized recording medium cassette and the large-sized recording medium cassette.
11. A recording medium cassette having a case containing tape reels rotatably supported in the case and a magnetic tape held on the tape reels; said case further containing a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside, said information indicating contacts are formed on a printed wiring board which is fitted in a recess formed in a wall of the case such that the information indicating contacts are accessible through slots formed in the case from outside, in which a specified information indicating contact from the information indicating contacts is connected through resistors to some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
12. A recording medium cassette having a case containing tape reels rotatably supported in the case and a magnetic tape held on the tape reels; said case further containing a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside, said information indicating contacts are formed on a printed wiring board which is fitted in a recess formed in a wall of the case such that the information indicating contacts are accessible through slots formed in the case from outside, in which a specified information indicating contact from the information indicating contacts is separated from some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
13. A tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus capable of recording information on a magnetic tape contained in a case of a recording medium cassette and/or of reproducing information recorded on the magnetic tape, said tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a plurality of information detecting contacts arranged so as to be in contact with a plurality of information indicating contacts formed on the recording medium cassette so as to be accessible from outside, when the recording medium cassette is inserted therein, each of said plurality of information detecting contacts is a torsion coil spring having an upper arm bent in the shape of an inverted letter V and having a contact portion, and a power supply having an output terminal connected to one of the plurality of information detecting contacts.
14. A recording medium cassette to be used on a recording and/or reproducing apparatus designed to use both the recording medium cassette and a small-sized recording medium cassette smaller in size than the former, provided with a mouth across which a portion of a magnetic tape held on tape reels rotating supported in the case thereof is extended, and information indicating means which is the same in size and construction as that included in the small-sized recording medium cassette, characterized in that the recording medium cassette is capable of being inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and of being positioned in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus with the mouth thereof positioned at a position where the mouth of the small-sized recording medium cassette is to be positioned when the small-sized recording medium cassette is inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and positioned in the same, and with the information indicating means thereof positioned at a position where the information indicating means of the small-sized recording medium cassette is to be positioned when the small-sized recording medium cassette is inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and positioned in the same, said information indicating means comprises a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside which are formed on a printed wiring board, the printed wiring board is fitted in a recess formed in one of the walls of the case of the recording medium cassette so that the plurality of information indicating contacts are accessible from outside through slots formed in the case of the recording medium cassette, in which one specified information indicating contact among the plurality of information indicating contacts formed on the printed wiring board is connected through resistors to some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
15. A recording medium cassette to be used on a recording and/or reproducing apparatus designed to use both the recording medium cassette and a small-sized recording medium cassette smaller in size than the former, provided with a mouth across which a portion of a magnetic tape held on tape reels rotating supported in the case thereof is extended, and information indicating means which is the same in size and construction as that included in the small-sized recording medium cassette, characterized in that the recording medium cassette is capable of being inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and of being positioned in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus with the mouth thereof positioned at a position where the mouth of the small-sized recording medium cassette is to be positioned when the small-sized recording medium cassette is inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and positioned in the same, and with the information indicating means thereof positioned at a position where the information indicating means of the small-sized recording medium cassette is to be positioned when the small-sized recording medium cassette is inserted in the recording and/or reproducing apparatus and positioned in the same, said information indicating means comprises a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside which are formed on a printed wiring board, the printed wiring board is fitted in a recess formed in one of the walls of the case of the recording medium cassette so that the plurality of information indicating contacts are accessible from outside through slots formed in the case of the recording medium cassette, in which one specified information indicating contact among the plurality of information indicating contacts formed on the printed wiring board is isolated from some of the rest of the information indicating contacts.
16. A tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus capable of recording information on a magnetic tape contained in a case of a recording medium cassette and/or of reproducing information recorded on the magnetic tape, said tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a plurality of information detecting contacts arranged so as to be in contact with a plurality of information indicating contacts formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in a recess of a wall of the case of the recording medium cassette such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of the wall of the case and are accessible from outside through at least one slot in the case, when the recording medium cassette is inserted therein, and a power supply having an output terminal connected to one of the plurality of information detecting contacts..Iadd.
17. A tape cassette including a tape, a case having at least one slot, a plurality of information indicating contacts formed on a printed wiring board, and means for mounting said printed wiring board at an inner surface of a wall of said case such that said information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of said wall of said case and are accessible through said at least one slot from outside said tape cassette..Iaddend..Iadd.18. A tape cassette having a case containing tape reels rotatably supported in the case and a tape held on the tape reels; said case further containing a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside, said information indicating contacts are formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in the case such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of a wall of said case and are accessible through slots formed in the case from outside, in which a specified information indicating contact from the information indicating contacts is connected through resistors to some of the rest of the information indicating contacts..Iaddend..Iadd.19. A tape cassette having a case containing tape reels rotatably supported in the case and a tape held on the tape reels; said case further containing a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside, said information indicating contacts are formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in the case such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of a wall of said case and are accessible through slots formed in the case from outside, in which a specified information indicating contact from the information indicating contacts is separated from some of the rest of the information indicating contacts..Iaddend..Iadd.20. A tape cassette having a case containing tape reels rotatably supported in the case and a tape held on the tape reels; said case further containing a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside, said information indicating contacts are formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in the case such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of a wall of said case and are accessible through slots formed in the case from outside, in which a specified information indicating contact from the information indicating contacts is connected to some of the rest of the information indicating contacts..Iaddend..Iadd.21. A tape cassette having a case containing tape reels rotatably supported in the case and a tape held on the tape reels; said case further containing a plurality of information indicating contacts accessible from outside and having a connecting pattern associated therewith, said information indicating contacts are formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in the case such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of a wall of said case and are accessible through slots formed in the case from outside, wherein the connecting pattern relates to information pertaining to the tape cassette, said connecting pattern including at least one of a direct connection to a specified information indicating contact of the information indicating contacts, isolation from the specified information indicating contact, and connection to the specified information indicating contact by way of a resistor..Iaddend..Iadd.22. A tape cassette according to claim 21, wherein the specified information indicating contact is connected to ground..Iaddend..Iadd.23. A recording and/or reproducing apparatus capable of recording information on a tape contained in a case of a tape cassette and/or reproducing information recorded on the tape, said recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising:
- power supply means for supplying electrical voltage to at least one of a plurality of information indicating contacts formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in the case of said tape cassette such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of a wall of said case; and
- voltage detector means for detecting voltage of at least one of said plurality of information indicating contacts of said tape cassette..Iaddend..Iadd.24. A tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus capable of recording information on a tape contained in a case of a tape cassette and/or of reproducing information recorded on the tape, said tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a plurality of information detecting contacts arranged so as to be in contact with a plurality of information indicating contacts formed on a printed wiring board which is arranged in a wall of the case of the tape cassette such that the information indicating contacts are positioned so as not to extend beyond an outer surface of the wall of the case and are accessible from outside through at least one slot in the case, when the tape cassette is inserted therein, and a power supply having an output terminal connected to one of the plurality of information detecting contacts..Iaddend.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 18, 1996
Date of Patent: Nov 10, 1998
Assignee: Sony Corporation (Tokyo)
Inventors: Takashi Sawada (Kanagawa), Yoichirou Senshu (Kanagawa), Akihiro Uetake (Tokyo), Chiaki Sugai (Kanagawa), Shuichi Ota (Kanagawa), Hiroshi Fujii (Tokyo), Shinichi Hasegawa (Chiba), Kazuyoshi Suzuki (Tokyo), Tetsuro Morii (Chiba)
Primary Examiner: John P. Darling
Attorney: Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP
Application Number: 8/618,423
