GB2154545A

GB2154545A - Magnetic tape cassette

Info

Publication number: GB2154545A
Application number: GB08504492A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hiroyuki Uchida; Shuichi Yamashina; Yuji Iwahashi
Original assignee: Sony Corp
Current assignee: Sony Corp
Priority date: 1984-02-22
Filing date: 1985-02-21
Publication date: 1985-09-11
Also published as: FR2559937A1; GB2154545B; GB8504492D0; AU3898385A; DE3505294A1; CA1248224A; NL8500468A; JPS60140272U

Abstract

A magnetic tape cassette casing 10 has recesses 38, 40 in a front face 30, which also defines a tape-access opening 24, so disposed and aligned as to accommodate passage of actuator pins serving to retract a pivotable lid 28 over the tape-access opening. The lid is designed to cover the opening when the cassette is not in use to protect the tape from contaminants. The actuator pin or pins are part of a tape record/play-back system and displace the lid away from the tape-access opening when the cassette is inserted into the tape system. The recesses are located opposite the actuator pins, which may be anywhere along the front face of the cassette casing outside of the working range of a tape read or record head. Thus the recesses allow the diameter of the actuator pins to be much larger than the thickness of the pivotable lid. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Magnetic tape cassette casing with closure lid for tape-access opening Background of the invention The present invention relates generally to a magnetic tape cassette, especially for recording pulsecode modulated (PCM) signals. More particularly, the invention relates to a tape cassette which is provided with a closure lid for protecting a magnetic tape enclosed therein when not in use, and which is automatically retracted to expose the tape when inserted into a recording and reproducing system for use.

In recent years, various recording and reproducing systems for converting analog signals, such as audio signals, into binary code or digital signals, such as PCM signals and recording the converted digital signals have been proposed. These recently developed digital recording and reproducing systems generally use magnetic tapes as a recording medium to record the digital signals converted from analog signals.

In such digital recording and reproducing systems, oily deposits, such as fingerprint or the like, and/or dust adhering to the tape surface may cause loss or distortion of reproduced signals.

This defect or difficulty in digital recording can be solved by providing an oil and dust deposition proofing lid for all tape cassette casings so as to close an opening through which the magnetic tape enclosed in the tape cassette casing may be accessed, and which opening will be referred to hereafter as "tape-access opening". The lid may be operable between a closed position sealing the tape-access opening so as to prevent deposition of oil and dust onto the tape surface when not in use, and an open position allowing a magnetic head of the digital recording and reproducing system to access the tape when in use.

In the prior art, a drawback has been encountered in that in order to permit pivotal movement of the lid between the closed position and the open position, it is necessary to provide a substantial clearance between the lid and the mating surface of the tape cassette casing in the closed position of the lid. This means that the space in the recording and reproducing system required to accommodate the magnetic tape cassette must be undesirably large. Furthermore, in the conventional cassette casing structure, the lid may be inadvertently pivoted from its closed position to its open position when the cassette is not in use.

In order to resolve these drawbacks, another ap proach has been proposed in the co-pending United States Patent Application Serial No.

679,240, filed on December 7, 1984, and assigned to the common assignee to the present invention.

In the disclosure of the foregoing prior invention, a magnetic tape cassette includes a casing with a substantially straight side along which a peripheral wall has an opening for access to the magnetic tape enclosed in the casing between its top and bottom walls which have edge portions projecting beyond the peripheral wall along the straight side, and a lid member having an elongated plate portion dimensioned to extend along the straight side of the casing and to fit closely between the projecting edge portions and ears projecting from opposite ends of the plate portion for disposition against respective end portions of the peripheral wall.Pivot pins are loosely received in respective, preferably triangular, apertures for connecting the ears of the lid member with the casing to permit pivoting of the lid member and its bodily displacement relative to the casing in directions at right angles to the pivoting axis. Thus, the lid member is movable, by a combination of the pivoting and bodily displacement thereof, between a closed position in which the plate portion is between the projecting edge portion at the straight side of the casing for closing and opening therein and an open position in which the plate portion of the lid is disposed at the outside of the top or bottom wall of the casing adjacent the respective edge portion.

Coil springs are connected between the casing and lid member for pivotally urging the latter to a neutral pivoted position in which the plate portion is centered between the projecting edge portions and bodily urging the lid member, in its neutral pivot position, toward the straight side of the peripheral wall of the casing.

For operating the lid member, the recording and/ or reproducing system has to be provided with an actuator pin for automatically operating the lid member into the open position when the tape cassette is inserted into the recording and/or reproducing system for use. In such cases, since the lid member, especially the plate portion thereof, is in the shape of a relatively this plate, positioning the tape cassette such thas the plate portion of the lim member exactly opposes the actuator pin is rather difficult. Unless the portion of the lid member to be mated with the actuator pin is exactly opposite the actuator pin, automatic lid opening can not be carried out.

Summary of the invention Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic tape cassette casing with a tape-access closure lid, which ensures automatic lid opening operation with only simple structural changes.

Another and more specific object of the invention to provide a tape cassette casing which allows use of a thicker actuator pin so as to ensure automatic lid opening without requiring a wider tape cassette opening of the recording and/or reproducing system.

In order to accomplish the aforementioned and other objects, a tape cassette casing, according to the present invention, is formed with a peripheral recess or cutout opposite an actuator pin of a recording and/or reproducing system used to move a tape-access opening closure lid provided for the cassette casing to its open position. The recess or cutout may extend across the entire length of a front vertical wall of the casing to allow the actua tor pin to pass therethrough.

According to one aspect of the invention, a tape cassette casing comprises a casing having an opening in a forst face through which a magnetic tape is accessible, a pair of tape reels, about which the magnetic tape is wound, disposed within the casing, a closure lid pivotably secured to the casing near the first face for covering and exposing the opening of the casing, an actuator rod disposed in a tape drive system for actuating the closure lid to the open position as the cassette is inserted into the tape drive system, and a depression formed in the first face of the casing, the depression accommodating the actuator rod as the cassette is inserted into the tape drive system to allow the actuation rod to pass therethrough while actuating the closure lid.

According to another aspect of the invention, a magnetic tape cassette comprises a casing having a front face with a front opening allowing access to a magnetic tape therethrough, a closure lid including an elongated plate portion dimensioned to cover the front face of the casing and ears projecting from opposite ends of the elongated plate portion essentially perpendicularly to the front face, cooperatively engageable means for connecting each of the ears with an opposing peripheral wall of the casing, each of the cooperatively engageable means including a pivot and an aperture in which the pin is loosely received to permit pivoting of the closure lid relative to the casing about an axis which is parallel to the front face and bodily displacement of the closure lid relative to the casing in a plane essentially perpendicular to the axis, the closure lid being movable, by combination of the pivoting and the bodily displacement, between a closed position in which the elongated plate portion covers the front opening and an open position in which the plate portion of the closure lid exposes the front opening to allow access to the magnetic tape, biasing means connected between the casing and the closure lid for pivotably biasing the latter toward a neutral pivot position in which the elongated plate portion is in its closed position and acting bodily on the closure lid in the neutral pivot position to bias the elongated plate portion toward the front opening, and actuation pin guide means provided on the front face of the casing allowing an actuation pin provided in a recording and reproducing device, which pin is operative to actuate the closure lid from the closed position to the open position when the cassette is inserted into the recording and reproducing device, to pass therethrough and come into contact with the opposing edge of the closure lid.

According to a further aspect of the invention, in a combination of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a magnetic tape and a tape cassette containing the tape therein, the tape cassette commprises a casing having an opening in a first face through which a magnetic tape is accessible, a pair of tape reels, about which the magnetic tape is wound, disposed within the casing, a closure lid pivotably secured to the casing near the first face for covering and exposing the opening of the casing, an actuator rod disposed in a tape drive system for actuating the closure lid to the open position as the cassette is inserted into the tape drive system, and a depression formed in the first face of the casing, the depression accommodating the actuator rod as the cassette is inserted into the tape drive system to allow the actuation rod to pass therethrough while actuating the closure lid.

According to a still further aspect of the invention, in a combination of a recording and reproducing apparatus for a magnetic tape and a tape cassette containing the tape therein, the tape cassette comprises a casing having a front face with a front opening allowing access to a magnetic tape therethrough, a closure lid including an elongated plate portion dimensioned to cover the front face of the casing and ears projecting from opposite ends of the elongated plate portion essentially perpendicularly to the front face, cooperatively engageable means for connecting each of the ears with an opposing peripheral wall of the casing, each of the cooperatively engageable means including a pivot and an aperture in which the pin is loosely received to permit pivoting of the closure lid relative to the casing about an axis which is parallel to the front face and bodily displacement of the closure lid relative to the casing in a plane essentially perpendicular to the axis, the closure lid being movable, by combination of the pivoting and the bodily displacement, between a closed position in which the elongated plate portion covers the front opening and an open position in which the plate portion of the closure lid exposes the front opening to allow access to the magnetic tape, biasing means connected between the casing and the closure lid for pivotably biasing the latter toward a neutral pivot position in which the elongated plate portion is in its closed position and acting bodily on the closure lid in the neutral pivot position to bias the elongated plate portion toward the front opening, and actuation pin guide means provided on the front face of the casing allowing an actuation pin provided in a recording and reproducing device, which pin is operative to actuate the closure lid from the closed position to the open position when the cassette is inserted into the recording and reproducing device, to pass therethrough and come into contact with the opposing edge of the closure lid.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given herebelow and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments but are for explanation and understanding only.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a magnetic tape cassette casing according to the present invention, which is illustrated as when not in use; Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but showing the cassette in use; Figure 3 is a exploded perspective view of the tape cassette casing of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an elevation in partial section showing a major part of the tape cassette casing in relation to an actuator pin provided in a recording and/ or reproducing system; Figure 5 is a plan view of the elements shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a fragmentary illustration of a recording and reproducing apparatus to which the preferred embodiment of the magnet taper cassette according to the invention can be applied; and Figure 7 is a plan view similar to Figure 5 but showing a modification to the preferred embodiment of Figure 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment The co-pending United States Patent Application Serial No. 679,240/60 discloses general concept of the magnetic tape cassette of the type to which the improvement of the present invention is to be applied. The contents of the above-identified United States Patent Application is hereby incorporated by reference for the sake of disclosure.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly to Figures 1 to 3, the tape cassette has a casing 10 made of a synthetic resin and generally made up of an upper section 12 and a lower section 14 molded to a desired shape and secured together by screws for rotatably enclosing therein rotatable reel hubs 16 and 18 on which a magnetic tape 20 is wound. As illustrated, the casing 10 is essentially in the shape of a rectangular prism defined by the upper and lower sections forming substantially rectangular top and bottom walls and having marginal flanges extending therefrom so as to abut each other and define a peripheral wall by which the top and bottom walls are maintained in spaced, parallel relationship.Along the essentially straight front edge of the casing 10, the peripheral wall is formed with an opening 22, as shown in Figure 2, allowing a magnetic head of a recording and/or reproducing system (not shown) access to a tape 24 retained in the casing. The magnetic tape cassette also has a lid member 26 formed with an elongated thin plate portion 28 dimensioned to extend along the straight front side of casing 10 with the opening therein, which side will be hereafter referred as "front side section 30", and ears 32 and 34 extending perpendicularly from opposite ends of the plate portion 28 so as to oppose opposite ends of the peripheral wall of the casing near the corresponding ends of the front side section 30.

The ears 32 and 34 are pivotably mounted on the adjacent end portions of the peripheral wall of the casing 10 so that the lid member 26 is capable of pivotal movement about a fixed axis between the closed position shown in Figure 1 sealing the tapeaccess opening 24 and the open position shown in Figure 2 in which the tape-access opening 24 is substantially unobstructed for ready access to the tape.

When the magnetic tape cassete is not in use, the lid member 26 should be disposed in its closed position (Figure 1) so that the fingers of a person handling the cassette will not come into contact with the tape 22 through the tape-access opening 24.

The elongated plate portion 28 of the lid member 26 is slightly wider than the opening 24. The width or height of plate portion 26 is approximately equal to the vertical spacing between the top and bottom walls, of the casing 10.

The ears 32 and 34 extend at right angles to the opposite ends of the elongated plate portion 28, and are substantially D-shaped with substantially rectangular forward portions slightly wider than the width of the plate portion 28 and semicircular rear portion. In the shown embodiment, each ear 32 and 34 has a pivot pin (visible only in Figure 3) projecting inwards from near the center of its semicircular portion, the two pivot pins being coaxial.

A bias spring, such as torsion coil spring, leaf spring or the like, cooperates with each poivot pin to restrict pivotal movement of the lid member 26.

In practice, a detent mechanism for the lid member holds the lid member 28 in its closed position (Figure 1), a first open position in which the plate portion 28 rests on the forward-most section of the top portion (Figure 2), or a second open position in which the lid member rests on the forward-most section of the bottom portion (invert Figure 2).

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, a pair of cutouts 38 and 40 are formed in the front side section 30 of the casing 10. The cutouts 38 and 40 extend across the entire height of the front side section 30 and are located near opposite ends of the front side section. The depth of the cutouts 38 and 40 is selected so as to allow the plate portion 28 of the lid member 26 to abut an actuator pin 42 near its center, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

As will be appreciated, the diameter of the actuator 42 pin can be increased sufficiently to ensure successful actuation of the lid member 28 from the closed position to an open position when the cassette is inserted into the recording andior reproducing system. The actuator pins 42 pass through the cutouts 38 and 40, thus allowing the mating edges of the lid member 26 to fall closer to the centers thereof. This ensures proper operation of the lid member 28 without additional structural components.

Figure 6 briefly shows the PCM recorder to which the foregoing preferred embodiment of the magnetic tape cassette according to the present invention can be applied. As will be appreciated from Figure 6, the actuator pin 42 is extended upwardly from the bottom of the recorder. The actuator pin 42 is located adjacent the front end of a cassette holder 44 which is pivotable about a pivot shaft 46. The cassette holder 44 is associated with an actuation mechanism including a driving motor (not shown) through a gear 48 and a gear lever 50 which is fixed to the bottom of the cassette holder.

The setting the tape to a position for recording or reproducing, and ejecting the cassette would be performed in the per se well known manner. Also, the actuation mechanism per se would have well known construction and does not require further description.

In the condition of Figure 6, the magnetic tape cassette is put into the cassette holder 44. Then, the actuation mechanism is operated by driving of the motor for shifting down the cassette holder for placing the front opening 22 of the tape cassette opposing to the magnetic head. During this downward movement of the cassette holder 44, the actuator pin 42 comes into contact with the lower edge of the lid member 8 through the cutout 38 and 40. By further downward movement of the cassette holder 44 with the inserted magnetic tape cassette, the lid member 26 is pushed to the open position for allowing the magnetic head to access the magnetic tape contained in the cassette.

As will be appreciated herefrom, since the cutouts 38 and 40 are formed on the front end of the cassette to allow the actuator pin 42 passing therethrough to contact with the lower edge of the lid member 26, automatic lid opening operation can be successfully and satisfactorily ensured.

Although the preferred embodiment has been disclosured in terms of the specific arrangement of the cutouts for the actuator pin hereabove, it may be modified in any way without departing from the principle of the invention.

Figure 7 shows a modification of the foregoing preferred embodiment of the tape cassette casing according to the present invention. In this modification, recesses 52 are formed precisely at opposite ends of the front side section. The recesses 44 replace the cutouts 38, 40 in the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 to 5. As in the foregoing embodiment, this cassette casing structure allows the actuator pin to be enlarged in order to ensure lid opening operation when the tape is inserted into the recording/reproducing system.

While the present invention has been disclosed in terms of the preferred embodiments, the invention should not be taken as being limited to the specified embodiments but should be considered to include all possible emboldiments and modifications which may be derived directly from the principle of the invention. For example, the positions of the cutouts or recess are not limited to the positions illustrated. Also, there need not necessarily be two cutouts; rather, this number may be adjusted to suit the application.

Claims

1. A magnetic tape cassette casing comprising: a casing having an opening in a first face through which a magnetic tape is accessible; a pair of tape reels, about which the magnetic tape is wound, disposed within said casing; a closure lid pivotably secured to said casing near said first face for covering and exposing said opening of said casing; an actuator rod disposed in a tape drive system for actuating said closure lid to said open position as the cassette is inserted into said tape drive system; and a depression formed in said first face of said casing, said depression accommodating said actuator rod as said cassette is inserted into the tape drive system to allow said actuation rod to pass therethrough while actuating said closure lid.

2. The magnetic tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, wherein said depression extends in the axial direction of said actuation rod.

3. The magnetic tape cassette as set forth in claim 2, wherein said depression is disposed between the opening and the peripheral edge of said front face.

4. The magnetic tape cassette as set forth in claim 2, wherein said depression is formed at an edge of said front face.

5. A magnetic tape cassette comprising: a casing having a front face with a front opening allowing access to a magnetic tape therethrough; a closure lid including an elongated plate portion dimensioned to cover said front face of said casing and ears projecting from opposite ends of said elongated plate portion essentially perpendicularly to the front face;; cooperatively engageable means for connecting each of said ears with an opposing peripheral wall of said casing, each of said cooperatively engageable means including a pivot and an aperture in which said pin is loosely received to permit pivoting of said closure lid relative to said casing about an axis which is parallel to said front face and bodily displacement of said closure lid relative to said casing in a plane essentially perpendicular to said axis, said closure lid being movable, by combination of said pivoting and said bodily displacement, between a closed position in which said elongated plate portion covers said front opening and an open position in which said plate portion of said closure lid exposes said front opening to allow access to said magnetic tape;; biasing means connected between said casing and said closure lid for pivotably biasing the latter toward a neutral pivot position in which said elongated plate portion is in its closed position and acting bodily on said closure lid in said neutral pivot position to bias said elongated plate portion toward said front opening; and actuation pin guide means provided on the front face of said casing allowing an actuation pin provided in a recording and reproducing device, which pin is operative to actuate said closure lid from said closed position to said open position when said cassette is inserted into said recording and reproducing device, to pass therethrough and come into contact with the opposing edge of said closure lid.

6. The magnetic tape cassette as set forth in claim 5, wherein said actuation pin guide means extends in the axial direction of said actuation rod.

7. The magnetic tape cassette as set forth in claim 6, wherein said actuation pin guide means is disposed between the opening and the peripheral edge of said front face.

8. The magnetic tape cassette as set forth in claim 6, wherein said actuation pin guide means is formed at an edge of said front face.

9. In a combination of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a magnetic tape and a tape cassette containing the tape therein, said tape cas sette comprising: a casing having an opening in a first face through which a magnetic tape is accessible; a pair of tape reels, about which the magnetic tape is wound, disposed within said casing; a closure lid pivotably secured to said casing near said first face for covering and exposing said opening of said casing; an actuator rod disposed in a tape drive system for actuating said closure lid to said open position as the cassette is inserted into the said tape drive system; and a depression formed in said first face of said casing, said depression accommodating said actuator rod as said cassette is inserted into the tape drive system to allow said actuation rod to pass therethrough while actuating said closure lid.

10. In a combination of a recording and reproducing apparatus for a magnetic tape and a tape cassette containing the tape therein, said tape cassette comprising: a casing having a front face with a front opening allowing access to a magnetic tape therethrough; a closure lid including an elongated plate portion dimensioned to cover said front face of said casing and ears projecting from opposite ends of said elongated plate portion essentially perpendicularly to the front face;; cooperatively engageable means for connecting each of said ears with an opposing peripheral wall of said casing, each of said cooperatively engageable means including a pivot and an aperture in which said pin is loosely received to permit pivoting of said closure lid relative to said casing about an axis which is parallel to said front face and bodily displacement of said closure lid relative to said casing in a plane essentially perpendicular to said axis, said closure lid being movable, by combination of said pivoting and said bodily displacement, between a closed position in which said elongated plate portion covers said front opening and an open position in which said plate portion of said closure lid exposes said front opening to allow access to said magnetic tape;; biasing means connected between said casing and said closure lid for pivotably biasing the latter toward a neutral pivot position in which said elongated plate portion is in its closed position and acting bodily on said closure lid in said neutral pivot position to bias said elongated plate portion toward said front opening; and actuation pin guide means provided on the front face of said casing allowing an actuation pin provided in a recording and reproducing device, which pin is operative to actuate said closure lid from said closed position to said open position when said cassette is inserted into said recording and reproducing device, to pass therethrough and come into contact with the opposing edge of said closure lid.

11. A magnetic tape cassette constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. The combination of a magnetic tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus and a magnetic tape cassette, such combination being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.