Title of Invention

"ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CASSETTE PLAYER"

Abstract

Audio and video cassette players/recorders are extensively used by people throughout the world. In a typical small audio cassette player (like a WalkMan) more than 85% of the battery power is consumed by the DC motor which provides tape movement across the recording/playing head of the cassette player. Only 15% (or less) power is used up by the electronic subsystem of the cassette player/recorder for amplification and reproduction of the audio signal. Because of large consumption of battery power by the motor, the DC batteries used in the conventional tape recorders/players seem to be a menace due to their high consumption and consequent high costs. There is, thus, a huge scope to save an enormous battery power in audio cassette players/recorders. This Electro-mechanical Cassette Player utilizes mechanical energy stored by winding spiral spring made of a tensile metal strip, similar to that used in mechanical domestic wall clocks. The stored mechanical energy is subsequently released to provide the tape movement, while playing the 'electro-mechanical cassette player'. A significantly small battery power is needed to for the electronic sub-system of the electromechanical cassette player, which will be provided by a conventional battery. Alternatively, the mechanical energy stored by winding the spring is slowly released to activate an AC dynamo which generates alternating current. This current is next rectified and used to charge a re-chargeable battery for supplying the electric power required for all the subsystems, including the DC motor, of the electromechanical cassette player.

Full Text

3. Description of the Invention: Title: ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CASSETTE PLAYER I. INTRODUCTION Audio and video cassette players are extensively used by people throughout the world. In India audio cassette player industry is one of the major industries penetrating at domestic level, given the appetite of people for music. With a growing increase in the consumption of electrical power in the country, the concept of non-formal energy sources has got an impetus, where alternative sources of energy replacing conventional electrical energy requirement are encouraged. Audio cassette players, the measure entertainment gadget during picnics, tours and travels, are generally costly to play at such occasions due to their extra-ordinary consumption of DC batteries and unavailability of mains power supply. In a typical small audio cassette player (like a WalkMan) more than 85% of the battery power is consumed by the DC motor which provides tape movement across the recording/playing head of the cassette player. Only 15% (or less) power is used up by the electronic subsystem of the cassette player for amplification and reproduction of the audio signal. This is quite evident from the fact that a cassette player providing certain wattage of sound consumes roughly 70 times more battery power than that of an equivalent radio receiver operating under similar conditions. There is, thus, a huge scope to save an enormous battery power in audio cassette players, if the tape-movement is made battery independent. Alternatively, mechanical energy, stored in a metal spring can be converted into electrical energy and subsequently used to charge DC batteries for playing the cassette player during picnics, tours and travels, where usual mains electrical supply is unavailable for charging the batteries. Toward this end a new electro-mechanical cassette player based upon two techniques, has been invented and presented by the author. The main component of both the techniques is the utilization of mechanical energy or configurational potential energy stored by winding a spring made of a tensile metal strip of proper dimensions to substantiate the energy requirement of the cassette player/recorder. The resultant device has been named as Electro-mechanical Cassette Player, since it uses the mechanical energy stored in the spring to substantiate for the electrical energy used to operate the cassette player/recorder. II. CONSTRUCTRUCTIONAL DETAILS METHOD-1 In this case, the mechanical energy stored by winding a tensile metal spring is directly used to provide tape movement, whereas conventional DC battery is used to provide electrical energy for the electronic subsystem of the cassette player. Fig.l shows the block diagram of the electro-mechanical cassette player in this case. In addition to usual components of a conventional cassette player, it mainly consists of a Spring (S); Proportionality Box (PB), mechanically coupled with the Tape Mover (TM); Electronic Subsystem (ES), excited by the Battery (B); and Player Button (P), as shown in the Figure. Each of these components is briefly discussed below: (i) Spring, S: The spring consists of a spiral tensile metal strip of uniform dimensions, as used in domestic mechanical wall clocks. Mechanical energy is stored by winding the spring, using a key. This energy is later on released, slowly and steadily, for a considerable time to provide tape movement. (ii) Proportionality Box, PB: It consists of a system of gears which converts the unregulated mechanical energy supplied by the spring, into a regulated form. Here a circular wheel of proper dimensions is made to rotate, at a certain fixed number of rotations per minute (rpm), by the mechanical energy released by the spring. (iii) Tape Mover, TM: The proportionality box is mechanically coupled with the flywheel of the cassette player which provides the constant tape movement, across the Record/Play Head. The proportionality box, PB, mechanically coupled with the Tape Mover, TM, is so designed (in case of audio caste players) that the tape moves at the required linear speed (of say, 7.5 in/sec for a Head gap of 6.3 (am) as required for magnetic audio tape recording/playing. (iv) Electronic sub-system, ES. Battery. B and Speaker, SP: The electronic sub-system of the electromechanical cassette player is similar to that of the conventional cassette player. It is mainly responsible for the amplification of the week signals obtained from the tape play-head assembly, during play-back, or that obtained from the microphone during recording. The amplified signal is converted into audio signal in the speaker. The electronic subsystem, ES, is biased by the DC battery B. However, a significantly low battery power will be used by the cassette player in this case, as compared to that used by a conventional cassette player/recorder. (v) Play Button: After winding the spring and storing the mechanical energy for its subsequent use, the cassette player is ready for its operation. The Play/Record button of the electromechanical cassette player must be able to, simultaneously, release the mechanical energy, from the spring/proportionality box, for the tape movement as well as the battery power for the electronic subsystem. METHOD-2 In this case, the mechanical energy stored by winding the tensile metal spring is slowly released to excite a dynamo or turbine, which generates electric current to charge a rechargeable DC battery for the cassette player/recorder. Fig. 2 outlines the constructional details of the electromechanical cassette player using Method-2. As shown in the figure, the mechanical cassette player, in this case, consists of a spring (S), proportionality Box (PB), an AC-Dynamo (DY), rectifier & recharger (R), and Battery compartment & power Distributor (PD). Mechanical energy is stored by winding a tensile spring, using a key. This energy is later on released, and regulated by the proportionality box, which consists of a suitable gear system. The mechanical energy released from the spring and regulated by the proportionality box is made to rotate the AC dynamo for a considerable time (depending upon the energy storage capacity of the spring). During this time, the AC dynamo, in turn, generates alternating current which is rectified and used to charge a rechargeable battery. The resultant battery power is subsequently used for operating all the components of the cassette player/recorder. III. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES AS COMPARED WITH PRIOR ART As has been mentioned in Section-I of the complete specification, the conventional cassette players energized by DC batteries consume roughly 85% of the battery power for the tape movement only. Further, these gadgets can be played for only 4 to 6 hours with conventional fresh DC batteries available in the market. There is no cassette player available in the Indian market, known to the author, till the date of filing of the patent application, which marginally addresses this problem, on a similar pattern as proposed by the author. Philips India has recently marketed a citizens band radio receiver (Model-RL117) where small sized (AAA) rechargeable battery, which provides electrical power for the gadget, is charged by manually rotating an AC dynamo. The dynamo generates electrical power only for the time its shaft is manually rotated by hand. This method is greatly inefficient for sufficient charging time of batteries, say for a charging time of one hour, as required for a cassette player. In the proposed Electromechanical Cassette Player, mechanical energy is stored in a tensile metal spring by winding it for a short period of time (say 1 minute) which is subsequently released slowly for a longer time (say 1 hour) to either provide the tape movement for the cassette player or generate electrical power by rotating a dynamo and charge a DC battery for the cassette player. 1 Claim. (1) An electromechanical cassette player comprising: a spring (S); a proportionality box (PB) comprising of gear train to regulate mechanical energy supplied by said spring; a tape mover (TM) mechanically coupled to said proportionality box (PB); a battery system (B): an electronic subsystem (ES) being activated by battery system (B) characterized in that the mechanical energy is released by unwinding of the spring (S) to provide tape movement by running gear system in proportionality box (PB) & mechanically coupling tape mover (TM) to said proportionality box (PB). (2) An electro mechanical cassette player comprising: a spring (S); a proportionality box(PB) comprising of gear train to regulate mechanical energy supplied by said spring; an a,c, dynamo (DY) being mechanically coupled to said proportionality box (PB); the current generated by said a.c. dynamo (DY) is rectified by rectifier (R) and is used to recharge battery (PD) & is supplied to DC motor (M) & electronic sub system (ES). (3) An electromechanical cassette player substantially as herein described w.r.t. accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1078-del-2003-abstract.pdf

1078-del-2003-claims.pdf

1078-del-2003-complete specification (granted).pdf

1078-del-2003-correspondence-others.pdf

1078-del-2003-correspondence-po.pdf

1078-del-2003-description (complete).pdf

1078-del-2003-drawings.pdf

1078-del-2003-form-1.pdf

1078-del-2003-form-19.pdf

1078-del-2003-form-2.pdf

1078-del-2003-form-3.pdf