Patented Technology? Wireless RF Link

by marky on January 26, 2010

It’s amazing what crafty wonders are hidden and dormant within now-obsolete 1999 technology. Inside the head assembly of an old JVC VCR deck, was this beautiful coil-to-coil signal connection that enabled a signal to pass inductively from the spinning tape heads to the not-spinning chassis (pictured) as magnetic tape was read by sliding diagonally across the two rotating heads (mounted 180º apart).
Sony built the tape-head assembly, but it appears that the patent is owned (or was owned) by a U.S. company (does it still have a value?). Inside was also a 3-phase motor and a surface mounted optical sensor that counted single revolutions. I took it apart to cannibalize a few components (then got a little distracted with the possibilities of this thing).