JPH083948B2 - Tape cassette and tape traveling mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tape cassette and a tape running mechanism, and more particularly to a tape cassette and a tape running mechanism used for a video tape recorder and other tape recorders.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in tape cassettes used in video tape recorders (VTRs) and audio tape radars, the frictional force generated by the contact between the sides supporting the reel of the cassette case and the side edges of the tape. In order to reduce as much as possible, a reel with a brim is used, or a reel without a brim has been used in which a material having a small coefficient of friction such as Teflon sheet is arranged along the above-mentioned both surfaces. It was

Also, in the head cylinder used for VTR etc., the part generally called the lower cylinder is used without being rotated while the main body itself is fixed to the support substrate, so that the frictional force with the tape is reduced. It has to be mitigated and various surfaces have been modified to maintain its smoothness.

Furthermore, in VTR devices, their tape cassettes, data recorders, and other film-using devices, the guide posts and their fixed heads used for the tape or film running mechanism are also generally fixed to a supporting substrate. When used in this state, surface treatment has been devised or the winding angle of the tape has been reduced so that the tape running direction and the guide post axial direction are arranged in directions orthogonal to each other. Some are supported in a rotatable state only for the purpose of reducing frictional force.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a tape cassette in which a conventional reel with a brim is used, where 1 is a reel with a brim and 2 is a reel.
Is a tape which is kept wound around a reel, and 3 is a cassette. However, in the case of such a reel 1 with a brim, both the reels 1 on the supply side and the take-up side both have a brim 1A having the same diameter so that the reel 1 can be held in a state in which the tape is maximally wound. As a result, the space 4 in which the tape is not wound is present between the reels, and the cassette 3 itself becomes large.

Therefore, in order to make the cassette 3 compact, either one of the reels has no brim or both of the reels have a brim so that the difference in the diameter of the tape in the wound state can be used. A reel with no brim is used. 9A and 9B show an example of such a conventional tape cassette, and in this example, both reels 11 have no brim. Then
In such a case, a Teflon sheet 12 having a small friction coefficient, for example, is provided at a portion where both side edges of the tape 2 are in sliding contact, and the tape 2 wound around the sheet 12 is held. In these figures, 13 is a guide post fixed to the cassette 3.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, since the tape cassette as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B described above can be made into a compact shape as shown in the figure, it is used for a general tape recorder or the like, but it is wound. It is difficult to keep the frictional force between the side edge of the tape that is held in a state and the sheet small enough, and the unstable winding of the tape makes it difficult for high-performance tape to run, and therefore VTR Etc. were not used much. Furthermore, since the guide post is also supported in a state of being fixed to the cassette, the frictional force when the tape is in sliding contact is also one of the problems as described above.

The object of the present invention is to focus on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and in order to solve them, the contact friction of the tape is suppressed to a minimum,
An object of the present invention is to provide a tape cassette suitable for a VTR or the like, which enables the use of a thin-shaped tape which enables stable running of the tape.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to prevent elongation and deformation of the tape by reducing the frictional force generated between the VTR cylinder and the guide post of the cassette tape, etc. between the tape and the tape. At the same time, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tape traveling mechanism capable of reducing the traveling driving force and contributing particularly to stable contact between the head and the tape in the cylinder portion of the VTR.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve such an object, a tape cassette according to the present invention is arranged along a side edge portion of a running tape in a tape cassette in which the tape is stored in a runnable state, and the tape side It is characterized in that the members whose edges are in sliding contact are ultrasonically vibrated.

The tape running mechanism according to the present invention is characterized in that it has a guide post for keeping contact with the running tape, and the guide post is composed of a plurality of oscillators having different ultrasonic vibration phases. .

[Action]

According to the tape cassette of the present invention, the side edge of the running tape is brought into sliding contact with the ultrasonically vibrating member, so that the running tape and the member are maintained in a state close to floating,
The frictional force during that time can be kept extremely small, and the tape running can be carried out in a stable state.

Further, according to the tape traveling mechanism of the present invention, in electronic devices such as VTRs and tape cassettes, a plurality of ultrasonic vibrations are generated in the guide posts and the like constituting the traveling mechanism to further enhance the frictional force reducing effect. To be

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically with reference to the drawings.

1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings, 21 and 22 are diaphragms provided along the inner surface of the cassette 3 so that both shaft ends of the two flangeless reels 11 are pivotally supported. 23B is provided. Thus, these electrodes 23A and 23B are exposed to the outside from the holes of the cassette 3 as shown in FIG. 1B, and these are connected to the external connection terminals 24A and 24B so that the diaphragms 21 and 22 can be energized. And

The vibrating plates 21 and 22 are made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic material or the like, and ultrasonic vibrations can be generated by energizing the vibrating plates 21 and 22, and the ultrasonic vibrations cause a partial levitation between the side edges of the tape 2. It is possible to keep the above state and significantly reduce the friction therebetween. 25 is cassette 3
It is a cushioning member formed of an elastic body or the like interposed between the diaphragm and the diaphragms 21 and 22.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention. This example is an example in which the ultrasonic vibrator, that is, the oscillator 31 is arranged outside the cassette 3. Therefore, in this example, the vibrating plates 21 and 22 are the oscillator 31.
The ultrasonic vibration of the
Any member that vibrates ultrasonically with 1, 32 may be used. One end of the vibration transmitting member 32 has a protruding portion protruding from the vibrating plates 21 and 22.
It holds 21A and 22A, respectively, and the other end is connected to the oscillator 31. 33A and 33B are lead wires, and the oscillator 31 is energized via these lead wires 33A and 33B, and ultrasonic vibration can be generated.

FIG. 3 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the whole tape cassette 3 is to be ultrasonically vibrated, in which 32 is an external gripping member for transmitting the ultrasonic vibration generated by the oscillator 31 to the cassette 3. It is a vibration transmitting member. The cassette may have a conventional structure as shown in FIG. 9A.

Next, an example in which the present invention is applied to a rotary magnetic head device will be described.

FIG. 4A shows an example thereof, and this example is an example in which an ultrasonic vibration member is incorporated in the lower cylinder of the VTR. I.e. 40
Is a cylinder, and in this example, a vibration member 41 formed of piezoelectric ceramic or the like having an arc shape as shown in the figure is fixed to the upper surface of the cylinder 40. Further, similarly, FIG. 4B shows a plurality of small arc-shaped vibrating members 42 arranged in the vertical direction on the upper surface of the cylinder 40, and FIG. 4C shows a plurality of strip-shaped long arc-shaped members. The vibrating members 43 are arranged in the circumferential direction and attached.
Although not shown in the figure, the cylinder 40 may be mounted on a vibrating table made of piezoelectric ceramic or the like, and ultrasonic vibration may be generated in the entire cylinder 40 by the vibrating table.

Next, the constitution according to the present invention of the vibrating member as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5D. 5A is a structural example of the vibrating member 41 shown in FIG. 4A, FIG. 5B and FIG.
4B is a structural example of the vibrating member 42 shown in FIG. 4B, and FIG. 5D is a structural example of the vibrating member 43 shown in FIG. 4C.
Is an electrode thereof, 52 is a connection terminal formed by bending the electrode 51, and 53 is an insertion pin for fixing. That is, by disposing the electrode 51 and its terminal 52 as described above,
Each vibrating member is ultrasonically vibrated, so that contact friction between the tape and the cylinder can be minimized.

6A and 6B show an example in which another embodiment of the present invention is applied to the guide post 13 of a VTR or tape cassette. No. 6A
In the figure, 61 is a central axis, and 62 is a collar member provided above and below the central axis 61. In this example, a cylindrical vibration member 64 is provided outside the central axis 61 via a cylindrical cushioning member 63. Are fitted together. 65 is a vibrating member 64 and upper and lower brim members 62.
It is an annular cushioning member interposed between and. Thus,
The cylindrical vibrating member 64 is formed of piezoelectric ceramic or the like, and
As shown in the figure, the vibrating member 64 can be ultrasonically vibrated by energizing the electrode 66 via the terminal 67.

Further, in the example of FIG. 6B, a plurality of cylindrical vibrating members 64 are arranged in a vertically divided form, and details of the vibrating members 64 may be the same as those shown in FIG. 6C. 68
Is a retainer interposed between the upper and lower vibrating members 64. In the case of this example, it is the plurality of cylindrical vibrating members 64 that generate ultrasonic vibrations, but the friction force is generated by vibrating the retainer 68 at a frequency different from that of the vibrating member 64 or at the same antiphase frequency. The mitigation effect can be further enhanced.

Further, as described above, when the cylindrical vibrating member 64 is fitted to the central shaft 61, a "clearance fit" having a minute gap therebetween is used so that a minute amplitude can be obtained without necessarily providing the buffer member 63. However, it is preferable to provide the cushioning members 63 and 65 made of plastic or rubber. Furthermore,
Although not shown, the entire guide post 13 may be arranged on the vibrating table, and the entire guide post may be ultrasonically vibrated via the vibrating table.

FIG. 7 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. This example shows an example applied to a fixed head, where 70 is a fixed head and 71 is a vibrating table for generating ultrasonic vibration. By disposing the fixed head 70 on the vibrating table 71 in this way, it is possible to generate ultrasonic vibrations in the fixed head 70 and reduce the frictional force between the fixed head 70 and the tape 2 that is in sliding contact therewith.

Although various embodiments of the two modes of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the frequency and amplitude of ultrasonic vibration are closely related to the shape and mass of the vibration member. Therefore, it goes without saying that it is not possible to set unique numerical values for each of these.

However, in the application example of the present invention, roughly speaking, it is desirable to select, for example, a peripheral edge number in the range of 40 KHz to 1 MHz and an amplitude in the range of about 0.1 μm to 3 μm. Further, in the tape running mechanism, the vibration is transmitted to the tape by the ultrasonic vibration of the above-mentioned members, so that recording /
In order to avoid modulating the playback signal, for example in the case of audio tape recorders, the audio frequency is
If it is R, it is necessary to select the frequency so that the audio and video frequencies are not affected, or even if they are affected.

Further, in the above description, piezoelectric ceramics are given as an example of a suitable material for the vibrating member, but the material is not limited to this, and any material that exhibits a piezoelectric phenomenon, such as piezoelectric plastic, and that is suitable for processing the above-described shape can be used. Needless to say, it may be of any type, and ultrasonic vibration may be generated by an electromagnet or a vibration generator having a mechanical structure and transmitted to these vibrating members.

Furthermore, the tape cassette according to the present invention is not limited to the two-axis type tape cassette as in the above-described example, but may be a one-axis type tape cassette for endless tape or one-axis type tape cassette.
It can also be applied to a shaft type tape cartridge.

Further, in the above description, the tape cassette having the brimless reel has been described. However, even if one of the reels has a brim, the diaphragm may be provided only on the other brimless side. Further, even in the case where both reels are flanged, by vibrating the entire tape cassette, the vibration effect can be exerted between the reel and the tape, and the frictional force between them can be reduced.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the tape cassette of the present invention, the member disposed along the side edge portion of the traveling tape and the side edge portion of the tape slidably contact is ultrasonically vibrated. By keeping the side edges of the tape to be in a state of being floated from the sliding contact member, it is possible to remarkably reduce the contact friction generated between the tape and the flange of the reel or the inner surface of the cassette. The supply and winding work was carried out smoothly, and it became possible to maintain stable running for a long time as a cassette of thin tape used for VTRs, tape recorders, data recorders, etc.

Further, according to the tape traveling mechanism of the present invention, since the guide post that keeps contact with the traveling tape is formed and the guide posts are composed of a plurality of oscillators having different ultrasonic vibration phases, The frictional force can be suppressed to a considerably low level, the tape is prevented from being stretched or deformed, and in particular, the cause of unstable contact of the tape with the head can be eliminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views and cross-sectional views showing an exploded configuration of a tape cassette according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are other embodiments of the tape cassette according to the present invention. Sectional view and perspective view shown, FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a VTR cylinder according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4B and 4C are other VTR cylinders according to another embodiment of the present invention. 5A to 5D are perspective views showing details of various vibrating members of the cylinder shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, 6A and 6B, respectively. FIG. 6C is a perspective view showing an example of a structure of a guide post according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6C is a perspective view of a vibrating member of the guide post, and FIG. 7 is a structure of a head according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example, and FIG. 8 shows the structure of a conventional tape cassette. Cross-sectional view illustrating an example of Fig. 9A and FIG. 9B is a perspective view and overall cross-sectional view showing another example of a conventional tape cassette in a cassette vent. 1 ... Reel with collar, 2 ... Tape, 3 ... Cassette, 11 ... Reel without collar, 13 ... Guide post, 21, 2
2 ... Vibration plate, 23A, 23B ... Electrode, 25 ... Buffer member, 31 ...
… Oscillator, 32 …… Vibration transmitting member, 40 …… Cylinder, 41,4
2,43 ... Vibration member, 51 ... Electrode, 52 ... Terminal, 53 ... Pin, 61 ... Center axis, 63,65 ... Cushioning member, 64 ... Vibration member, 68 ... Retainer, 70 ... … Fixed head, 71… Shaking table.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A tape cassette, in which a tape is stored in a state in which the tape can run, wherein a member disposed along a side edge of the running tape, the side edge of which is in sliding contact is ultrasonically vibrated. A tape cassette characterized in that 2. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein the member with which the side edge portion of the tape is in sliding contact is itself an oscillating body. 3. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein the member with which the side edge portion of the tape is in sliding contact is ultrasonically vibrated by an oscillator other than the member. . 4. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein a member with which the side edge portion of the tape is in sliding contact is ultrasonically vibrated together with the cassette by an oscillator other than the member. Tape cassette. 5. A tape cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tape is held in a state in which it can run between two reels, and at least the two reels. One of the tape cassettes is a reel without a brim. 6. A tape cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tape is an endless tape. 7. A tape running mechanism comprising a guide post for keeping contact with a running tape, the guide post being constituted by a plurality of oscillators having different ultrasonic vibration phases.