GB2229160A

GB2229160A - Tape cassette

Info

Publication number: GB2229160A
Application number: GB8927545A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Moo Yeol Ryu; Dae Ki Ryu; Duk Kyun Yun; Jae Kyu An; Sun Kuk Hong; Chang Euy Hong; Su Sun Ryu
Original assignee: SKC Co Ltd
Current assignee: SKC Co Ltd
Priority date: 1988-12-06
Filing date: 1989-12-06
Publication date: 1990-09-19
Also published as: KR930000846Y1; KR900013181U; GB8927545D0; JPH0376276U

Abstract

A tape cassette has a cover with a front part 2 and a rear part 3 which in the closed condition shield the tape in a space 5 between them. The front part 2 is pivotally mounted on the main body part of the cassette, and the rear part is pivotally mounted to the front part and also has pins 4 moveable in guide slots such that upon pivoting of the front part 2 towards an open condition the rear part 3 moves away from the front part. The parts 2, 3 have upper portions which are substantially flush with adjacent edges in the closed condition. The edge 2' of the upper portion of the front part 2 has a recess extending the full width of the upper portion of the rear part 3, which rear part extends into the recess. Upon opening, the recess in edge 2' does not abut part 3' of rear part 3 so early, and thus allows wider opening. <IMAGE>

Description

TAPE CASSETTE The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cassette for use in e.g. video tape recorders, digital audio tape recorders and so forth. More particularly the invention relates to a cassette with a pivotally mounted cover for protecting the tape, which is automatically opened when the cassette is subjected to a loading operation.

In one conventional magnetic video tape cassette, e.g. of a type used in the video 8" format, a two part cover is opened upon release of a lock when the cassette is inserted into a video tape recorder or camera, and is closed again when the cassette is removed. In this way the magnetic tape contained in the cassette is projected from any external source of damage. The cover comprises a front part pivotally mounted to the main body of the cassette. To this is pivotally mounted a rear part which is also provided with pins at either end movable in guide slots. As the cover is opened the front and rear parts move apart. In the closed condition the tape is protected in a space between the front and rear parts.The rear part has an upper portion which lies flush with the top of the main body of the cassette in the closed condition and which moves upwardly away from the top of the main body, and pivots backwardly, when the cover is opened. This backwards pivotal movement is limited by the upper portion of the rear part of the cover engaging the surface of the top of the main body of the cassette.

In this known cassette, the extent to which the front and rear parts can move apart when the cover is opened, is limited due to the extent of relative pivotal movement between the parts being limited. This is caused by the rear edge of the top region of the front cover part, engaging a portion of the rear cover part.

Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show this known cassette 10, and are respectively a top plan view and a sectional view. This cassette is provided with a cover consisting of a front part 20 and a rear part 30. The front part is provided with arms at either end which are pivotally mounted on the main body of the cassette 10, and one of which is provided with a lock.

The rear part 30 is pivotally mounted to a pair of downwardly extending arms integral with the front part 20. The rear part also has a pair of pins on arms at either end, which engage in contoured guide slots. In the closed condition the top portion of the rear part 30 is flush with the top 40 of the main body of the cassette. The tape is safely enclosed in the space 50 between the front part 20 and the lower section of the rear part 30. When the cover is unlocked, the front part 20 can be pivoted open and the rear part will move as described above. The relative pivotal movement of the two parts is limited by rear edge 20' of the front part engaging portion 30' of the rear part.

With such an arrangement, the limitation on the width of the opening that can be provided when the cover is opened, i.e. the space between the front and rear parts, is undesirable. When the cover is closed, the tape can be easily damaged. This can occur when the cover is closed upon removal of the cassette from a recorder.

An object of the invention is to provide a tape cassette with an improved cover, in which the opening width can be increased.

According to the invention there is provided a tape cassette having a cover with a front part and a rear part which in the closed condition shield the tape in a space between them, the front part being pivotally mounted on the main body of the cassette, the rear part being pivotally mounted to the front part, and the arangement being such that upon pivoting of the front part towards an open condition the rear part moves away from the front part, and wherein the front and rear parts have upper portions with adjacent edges in the closed condition, characterised in that the edge of the upper portion of the front part has a recess extending the full width of the upper portion of the rear part, which extends into this recess.

In this manner a greater opening width can be obtained.

An embodiment of the-invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to Figures 3,4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, which are respectively a top plan view and sectional view of the cassette, and a sectional view with the cover in the opened condition.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4 the cassette 1 is of similar construction in many respects to the conventional cassette 10 described earlier. Thus the cover has a front part 2 and a rear part 3, and the tape is enclosed in the space 5 between these two parts. The rear part is pivotally connected to the front part as before, and is provided with pins 4 guided in slots to control the movement of the rear part.

In the closed condition, the top portions of the front and rear parts are generally flush with adjacent edges.

However, as can be shown in Figure 1, the rear edge 2' of the upper portion of the front cover part 2 is recessed for the full width of the upper portion of the rear cover part 3.#This cover part extends into the recess. A conventional locking mechanism is provided, which is unlocked when the cassette is inserted into a video tape recorder and loaded onto take-up and supply spindles to engage the reels of tape in the casette.

The cover is then opened to the condition in Figure 5, with the front part 2 pivoting by means of the arms at either end which are pivotally mounted to the main body of the casette, and the rear part 3 pivoting relative to the front part and having its movement controlled by the pins moving in the guide slots, the rear part pivoting arount the axis of these pins.

However, in contrast to the prior art arrangement, the presence of the recess in the rear edge 2' of front part 2 enables opening to a greater extent. If the recessed part of the rear edge 2' of the front part engages portion 3' of the rear part, to limit opening, then it will do it at a greater opening than in the case of rear edge 20' engaging portion 30' in the prior art arrangement described above. Indeed, the construction might be such that opening is only restricted by the end parts of the rear edge 2' of the front part, engaging the top of the main body of the cassette.

Thus, when the tape casette is ejected from a recorder, the cover is gradually closed. The opening width is maintained until the rear part 3 is flush with the top of the cassette and abuts against the rear edge 2' of the front part, extending into the recess therein.

The opening width is as large as the size of the recess and thus the tape is easily shielded. Since the cover smoothly shields the tape, even if loose, during the closing operation, and since the opening width is larger than in a conventional cassette, wear and tear on the tape, due to contact between the tape and the cover, are reduced. The cover is gradually closed to expand the opening width and thus the tape is protected.

The present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described but extends to modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A tape cassette having a cover with a front part and a rear part which in the closed condition shield the tape in a space between them, the front part being pivotally mounted on the main body of the cassette, the rear part being pivotally mounted to the front part, and the arangement being such that upon pivoting of the front part towards an open condition the rear part moves away from the front part, and wherein the front and rear parts have upper portions with adjacent edges in the closed condition, characterised in that the edge of the upper portion of the front part has a recess extending the full width of the upper portion of the rear part, which extends into this recess.

2. A tape cassette substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3,4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

3. A lid covering device for a video tape cassette for use in a video tape recorder, comprising a lid cover having a groove at the lower portion of said lid cover which is installed at the front of said video cassette, and an auxiliary lid portion adjacent to the groove, characterised in that said lid cover smoothly shields the tape when the lid cover is closed.

4. A lid cover device for a video tape cassette having an auxiliary lid portion and a lid cover wherein the lid cover is provided with an opening means to extend a swivel width of the lid cover per se, and the end of the lid cover contacts the auxiliary lid portion to stop an opening operation when the lid cover provided with the opening means is opened to the maximum.