JP2002367333A - Casing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a casing composed of an upper half and a lower half made of hard plastic such as polycarbonate which does not cause difference in level resulting from positional deviation at the joint of the upper half and the lower half when self tapping screws are used to fix the case. SOLUTION: Both right-handed screws and left-handed screws are used as case fixing screws when assembling a casing composed of an upper half and a lower half with a plurality of case fixing screws. In the case of a magnetic tape cartridge, as a concrete form of usage, when the upper half and the lower half are assembled to constitute a casing to house a magnetic tape, both right- handed screws and left-handed screws are used as the plurality of case fixing screws. It is desirable to arrange the screws in such a way that the positional deviation of the casing is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a case housing, and more particularly to a case housing that can be suitably used for a magnetic tape cartridge or the like. The term "magnetic tape cartridge" used herein refers to a tape reel in which a magnetic recording tape (hereinafter, simply referred to as "magnetic tape") is wound in a case housing formed by combining an upper half and a lower half. This is typified by a magnetic tape cartridge freely housed. More specifically, the present invention does not cause a step between the upper and lower halves of this type of case housing (particularly, a magnetic tape cartridge or the like). To improve the technology.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described above, for example, a magnetic tape cartridge that stores a magnetic tape in a case housing composed of a combination of an upper half and a lower half and records data on the magnetic tape includes various types of magnetic tape cartridges. The form is known. In particular, as a large-capacity recording medium for data backup in an external storage device such as a computer, a single magnetic tape reel wound with a magnetic tape is rotatably housed in a case housing composed of an upper half and a lower half. Magnetic tape cartridges of the type are known.

[0003] In this magnetic tape cartridge, a variety of parts including a magnetic tape reel on which a magnetic tape is wound are all assembled in a lower half in a predetermined order, and then the upper half is placed and combined with the lower half. It is finally assembled by fixing the upper half and the lower half with a plurality of case fixing screws.

[0004]

At this time, in the prior art, all of the plurality of case fixing screws use right-hand screws. As described above, when all the case fixing screws are right-handed screws, the case fixing screw and the screw fastening device for screwing the case fixing screw are all common, and it is reasonable that they are mutually compatible. However, when assembling, when tightening the case fixing screw to fix the upper half and the lower half, if all of the plurality of case fixing screws are simultaneously tightened, the tightening speed is large, and the tightening torque is large. For this reason, a step may occur due to a positional shift at the joint between the upper half and the lower half.

[0005] This displacement is of a degree that does not cause a problem in a normal (amateur) magnetic tape cartridge, but in a magnetic tape cartridge of a large-capacity recording medium for data backup in an external storage device such as a computer. Due to the misalignment that occurs at the joint between the upper half and the lower half of the case case, a malfunction may occur when the magnetic tape cartridge is attached to or detached from the recording / reproducing apparatus. Have been.

[0006] The above-mentioned misalignment is caused by the fact that the upper half and the lower half are made of a hard plastic such as polycarbonate and the self-tapping screw is used for the case fixing screw, so that the torque for self-tapping becomes large. However, it is not desirable to manufacture the upper and lower halves with softer plastic in order to maintain the rigidity of the case housing, and it is costly to add a tapping step for the case fixing screws. Undesirable. The above-described problem is not limited to the magnetic tape cartridge illustrated here, but is a problem that occurs in the entire case housing in which the upper half and the lower half are assembled with a plurality of case fixing screws.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a case housing in which an upper half and a lower half are assembled by a plurality of case fixing screws. It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for improving the joint between the upper and lower halves so as not to generate a step. More specifically, in the present invention, even when the upper half and the lower half are made of a hard plastic such as polycarbonate and a self-tapping screw is used for the case fixing screw, the upper half and the lower half are combined. It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic tape cartridge in which a positional shift does not occur in an eye and a step due to the positional shift does not occur.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a case housing in which an upper half and a lower half are assembled by a plurality of case fixing screws. This is achieved by using a combination of a screw and a left-hand thread. The magnetic tape cartridge using the case housing according to the present invention stores a magnetic tape rotatably in a case housing configured by combining an upper half and a lower half, and records data on the magnetic tape. A magnetic tape cartridge, comprising: a magnetic tape reel that winds and holds the magnetic tape; the lower half that rotatably supports the magnetic tape reel; and the magnetic tape cartridge that stores the magnetic tape in combination with the lower half. A plurality of case fixing screws for assembling the upper half constituting the case housing and all the various components including the magnetic tape and finally fixing the upper half and the lower half as the case housing. And a right-handed screw and a left-handed screw are used in combination as the plurality of case fixing screws.

Here, it is preferable that the number of the right-hand screws and the number of the left-hand screws on the case housing are balanced by substantially half each. It is preferable to balance the entire arrangement of the right-handed screw and the left-handed screw by using a right-handed screw and the other as a left-handed screw. In particular, if the total number of case fixing screws is even, it is better to make the right and left screws completely half each.If the total number of case fixing screws is odd, the assembled case It is preferable that the arrangement is such that displacement of the housing is reduced.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking a magnetic tape cartridge as a specific example.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a magnetic tape cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the one-reel type magnetic tape cartridge according to the present embodiment is combined with an upper half 12 and a lower half 14 and fixed by four case fixing screws 16a and 16b arranged at four corners. A single magnetic tape reel 20 around which a magnetic tape 18 is wound is rotatably housed in the case housing 10.

Here, the case fixing screw 16a is a right-hand screw, the case fixing screw 16b is a left-hand screw, and one of the case fixing screws arranged at diagonal positions of the case housing 10 has a right-hand screw. And the other is a left-handed case fixing screw 16b.

The magnetic tape reel 20 is formed by connecting an upper flange 22 and a lower flange 24 formed in a disc shape via a winding shaft 26, and is provided integrally at the center of the lower flange 24. The magnetic tape 18
Is wound on the magnetic tape 18 for recording various analog or digital data.

The magnetic tape reel 20 prevents rattling when the magnetic tape cartridge is carried,
In order to stably mount the magnetic tape reel 20 on a drive shaft (not shown) of the recording / reproducing apparatus during recording and reproduction, a compression coil spring 30 for urging the reel is provided on the rotation support member 28 of the magnetic tape reel 20. By mounting the compression coil spring 30 on the inner surface of the upper half 12 and pressing it, the compression coil spring 30 is constantly urged downward toward the lower half 14.

A circular opening 32 is formed at the center of the bottom surface of the lower half 14 to rotatably support the magnetic tape reel 20 around which the magnetic tape 18 is wound, and to store the data on the magnetic tape 18. When a recording / reproducing device (not shown) is loaded for recording or reproducing, a drive shaft (not shown) is inserted from the recording / reproducing device into the opening 32, and a fitting hole opened in the lower flange 24. 3
4 and pushes up a lower end (not shown) of the lower flange 24 projecting downward, and moves the magnetic tape reel 20 of the magnetic tape 18 urged downward toward the lower half 14 to the case housing 10. At the center in the vertical direction.

The lower half 14 has a tape outlet 36 for pulling out the magnetic tape 18 from the case housing 10 when the magnetic tape 18 is loaded into a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording or reproducing data on the magnetic tape 18. And an opening / closing door (not shown) for closing the tape outlet 36 when the magnetic tape cartridge is taken out of the recording / reproducing apparatus. At the end of the magnetic tape 18, a leader pin 38 for pulling out the magnetic tape 18 from the magnetic tape cartridge when mounted on the recording / reproducing apparatus is mounted.

When the magnetic tape cartridge is taken out of the recording / reproducing apparatus and stored in a stacked state, a stacking recess 40 is provided on the upper surface of the upper half 12 of the case housing so that the magnetic tape cartridge does not slip and collapse. A magnetic tape cartridge is prevented from slipping and collapsing when the magnetic tape cartridges are stacked by being engaged with the stacking protrusions 42 provided on the lower surface of the lower half 14.

The above embodiment is an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that appropriate changes or improvements may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. . That is, in the description of the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the present invention is applied to a magnetic tape cartridge as one of the ones in which the effect is most remarkably exhibited. The present invention is widely applicable to various cases of a structure to be assembled, and includes such uses.

[0019]

As described above, according to the case housing assembling technique according to the present invention, it is possible to improve various case housings so that a step is not generated at the joint between the upper and lower halves. Further, in a magnetic tape cartridge as a more specific usage form of the present invention, of a plurality of case fixing screws that are fixed as a case housing by combining an upper half and a lower half, almost half of the case fixing screws are changed to the right. Screws and almost the other half of the case fixing screws are left-handed screws, so that the torque when tightening the case fixing screws to the case housing becomes clockwise rotation torque and left-hand rotation torque. Since the number of left-handed screws is almost the same, the right-handed torque and the left-handed torque can be almost balanced, preventing misalignment at the joint between the upper half and the lower half, and preventing a level difference. can do.

Further, by making the number of right-hand screws and left-hand screws of the case fixing screws on the case housing approximately the same, the distance of these screws from the center of the case housing becomes almost the same. The balance between the clockwise rotation torque and the counterclockwise rotation torque can be achieved, and it is possible to further prevent the occurrence of a step due to a displacement at the joint between the upper half and the lower half.

Therefore, when the present invention is applied to a magnetic tape cartridge, even when the upper half and the lower half are made of a hard plastic such as polycarbonate and the self-tapping screw is used as the case fixing screw, the upper half and the lower half are formed. It is possible to provide a magnetic tape cartridge which does not cause a step due to a positional shift at a joint with a half.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a magnetic tape cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Case housing 12 Upper half 14 Lower half 16a, 16b Fixing screw 18 Magnetic tape 20 Magnetic tape reel 22 Upper flange 24 Lower flange 26 Take-up shaft 28 Rotation support member 30 Compression coil spring 32 Opening 34 Fitting hole 36 Tape drawer Mouth 38 Leader pin 40 Stacking recess 42 Stacking projection

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A case housing constructed by assembling an upper half and a lower half with a plurality of case fixing screws, wherein a right screw and a left screw are used in combination as the plurality of case fixing screws. A special case housing.