JP2004178700A - Magnetic tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the structure of a tape drawing outlet of a magnetic tape cassette, in which the number of parts can be reduced with simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: An opening and closing door 4 is provided at the tape drawing outlet 3 of a cassette case 2. The door 4 is freely turnably attached to the cassette case 2 by a hinge 5 provided at one side end. An insertion groove 7 to which an opening member 10 can be inserted is provided at the opening periphery of the tape drawing outlet 3 being adjacent to the hinge 5, and an engaging stage part 8 is provided in the interior. The door 4 is held at a closed position by being engaged with the engaging step part 8 when closing the door. Further, a flexible lock projection piece 9 is integrally provided, which is elastically deformed by being pushed by the opening member 10 and is separated from the engaging step part 8 to permit opening of the door 4, when the opening member 10 is inserted into the insertion groove 7. The flexible lock projection piece 9 is provided so that restoring force when it is elastically deformed and separated from the engaging step part 8 is acted in the direction that the door is opened. A guide plane 9A guiding insertion of the opening member 10 in the flexible lock projection piece 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tape outlet structure for a one-reel type magnetic tape cassette.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Among the types of magnetic tape cassettes used as recording media used in external storage devices such as computers, there is a type in which a magnetic tape is wound around a single reel. This magnetic tape cassette is used for data backup storage of a computer or the like. Generally, this type of tape cassette has a structure that prevents the magnetic tape from being inadvertently pulled out. Examples of prior art documents disclosing this type of magnetic tape cassette include the following.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-11-120732 (pages 2 to 4, FIGS. 1 and 2)
[0004]
In this type of magnetic tape cassette, a tape outlet for drawing out the magnetic tape is provided on the side wall portion of the cassette case, and a door that can be opened and closed is provided at the tape outlet. Conventionally, the door is biased to a closed position by a spring, and is locked by a lock member biased by a lock spring so as not to rotate when not in use.
[0005]
When using this magnetic tape cassette, the cassette is set in the recording / reproducing apparatus. Then, the rotation driving means on the device side is engaged with the locking teeth of the reel exposed at the central opening on the bottom surface of the case of the magnetic tape cassette, and the door of the tape drawing outlet is opened by the tape drawing mechanism on the device side, The leader tape at the tip of the magnetic tape is pulled out of the cassette and pulled to a predetermined position on the tape running path, so that data can be read from and written to the magnetic tape.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional magnetic tape cassette, since many parts, such as a lock spring and a lock member, are used for the locking structure of the door which opens and closes the tape outlet, the structure is complicated and the manufacturing cost increases. was there.
[0007]
In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a tape outlet structure for a magnetic tape cassette that can reduce the number of parts with a simple configuration.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The magnetic tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein a reel around which the magnetic tape is wound is rotatably accommodated inside the cassette case, and the magnetic tape is drawn out from a tape outlet provided on a side wall of the cassette case. A magnetic tape cassette for reading from and writing to the magnetic tape,
The tape outlet has a hinge rotatably attached to the cassette case, and is provided with a door that opens and closes the tape outlet through the hinge.
At the opening edge of the tape outlet, an insertion groove having an engaging step for holding the door in a closed position by engaging with the door is formed,
When the opening member is inserted into the insertion groove, the door is integrally provided with a flexible lock projecting piece that is elastically deformed by the opening member so as to be released from the engaging stepped portion and allow the door to be opened. ing.
[0009]
In this tape outlet structure, when the door is in the closed position, the flexible lock projecting piece is engaged with the engaging step portion, so that it is locked in the closed state, and the door does not open easily. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the cassette, and there is no possibility that the door will open unnecessarily and the magnetic tape inside will not come out. When the cassette is used, for example, an opening member provided on the drive device side is inserted into the insertion groove, so that the flexible lock projecting piece is elastically deformed and removed from the engagement step portion, and the locked state is released. The door can be opened. In this tape outlet structure, the door is locked in the closed position by a flexible locking protrusion provided integrally with the door, so that no extra parts are required and the configuration is simple and the cost is reduced. Can be planned.
[0010]
In the magnetic tape cassette, the flexible lock projecting piece is provided so that a restoring force acts in a direction to open the door when the flexible lock projecting piece is elastically deformed and removed from the engaging stepped portion. It has been.
[0011]
In this tape outlet structure, when the flexible lock projecting piece is released from the engaging step portion, the door is pushed in the opening direction by the elastic restoring force of the flexible lock projecting piece. Therefore, once the lock is released, the door can be easily opened with the assistance of the flexible lock protrusion.
[0012]
In the magnetic tape cassette, the flexible lock projecting piece is provided with a guide surface for guiding insertion of the opening member into the insertion groove.
[0013]
In this tape outlet structure, the engagement of the flexible lock projecting piece can be smoothly released by inserting the opening member along the guide surface of the flexible lock projecting piece.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the magnetic tape cassette of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tape outlet structure of the magnetic tape cassette as viewed from above.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic tape cassette 1 accommodates a reel (not shown) around which a magnetic tape is wound in a rectangular box-shaped resin cassette case 2 having a predetermined height. The magnetic tape is pulled out from the rectangular tape outlet 3 provided on the corner side wall of the cassette case 2 to read / write the magnetic tape. The cassette case 2 is configured by combining an upper case 2A and a lower case 2B, and the tape outlet 3 is formed by combining the rectangular cutouts of the upper case 2A and the lower case 2B. The reel (not shown) has a boss portion around which the magnetic tape is wound and flanges at both ends thereof, and the center portion of the bottom surface of the reel is exposed to the outside from the opening 2C in the center of the bottom wall of the lower case 2B. Engagement teeth that mesh with the drive shaft on the drive device side are formed on the exposed surface.
[0016]
A rectangular tape outlet 3 formed at a corner of the cassette case 2 is provided with a resin door 4 formed of a rectangular plate that opens and closes the tape outlet 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the door 4 is pivotable to the cassette case 2 by a hinge 5 provided at a position near the left edge when viewed from the front of the door 4. It is attached. The hinge 5 is configured by inserting pins 5A protruding from the upper and lower ends of the door 4 into small holes 5B on the cassette case 2 side. By attaching the door 4 with the hinge 5, the right end of the door 4 opens to the front with the hinge 5 as a fulcrum.
[0017]
The opening edge on the right end side of the tape outlet 3 is provided with a notch 6 for restricting the door 4 from turning further inside by fitting the right end edge of the door 4. An opening groove 7 on the left end side adjacent to the hinge 5 is provided with an insertion groove 7 into which a narrow opening member 10 can be inserted from the outside front. A part 8 is provided.
[0018]
On the other hand, on the back surface of the left end portion of the door 4, two flexible lock projecting pieces 9 are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. These flexible lock protrusions 9 are formed integrally with the door 4. When the door is closed, the door 4 is held in the closed position by engaging with the engagement step portion 8, and the opening member 10 is inserted into the insertion groove 7. When it is inserted into the door, it is pushed by the opening member 10 and elastically deformed, so that it is detached from the engaging step portion 8 to allow the door 4 to be opened. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, the flexible lock protrusion 9 provided on the back surface of the door 4 is engaged with the engagement step portion 8 when the door is closed, and the door 4 does not open as it is.
[0019]
The flexible lock projecting piece 9 is provided so as to protrude obliquely rearward with respect to the plate surface of the door 4, and is inserted into the insertion groove 7 from an oblique direction. When the door 4 is to be opened, the front end surface of the door 4 abuts against the engagement step 8 at the back of the insertion groove 7 so that the door 4 is locked at the closed position. The flexible lock projecting piece 9 is inserted into the insertion groove 7 from an oblique direction, and the outer surface thereof becomes an oblique guide surface 9 </ b> A for guiding the operation when the opening member 10 is inserted into the insertion groove 7. ing. Further, as will be described later, when the flexible lock projecting piece 9 is elastically deformed by being pushed by the opening member 10 and is released from the engagement step portion 8, its restoring force is in a direction to open the door 4. It is configured to work.
[0020]
Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this magnetic tape cassette 1, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), when the door 4 is in the closed position, the flexible locking projection piece 9 is engaged with the engagement step portion 8, so that it is locked in the closed state. The door 4 does not open easily. Therefore, foreign matter can be prevented from entering the cassette 1, and the door 4 is not opened unnecessarily and the magnetic tape inside does not come out.
[0021]
When the cassette 1 is used, as shown in FIG. 3B, for example, the opening member 10 provided on the drive device side is inserted into the insertion groove 7, so that the flexible lock projecting piece 9 is elastically deformed. Then, it is removed from the engaging step portion 8, the locked state is released, and the door 4 can be opened. Therefore, after that, the drive device opens the door 4 as shown in FIG. 4 and pulls out the leading end of the tape arranged in the vicinity of the inside of the tape outlet 3 to the outside of the cassette 1 and stops on the reel provided on the drive side. The data is read and written according to the rotation of the reel.
[0022]
Here, as shown in FIG. 3B, at the moment when the flexible lock projecting piece 9 is elastically deformed and disengages from the engaging step portion 8, the elastic restoring force of the flexible lock projecting piece 9 causes the door 4 to open. Will be pushed. Therefore, once the lock is released, the door 4 can be easily opened with the assistance of the flexible lock protrusion 9. Further, since the outer surface of the flexible lock projecting piece 9 is the guide surface 9A, the opening member 10 can be inserted into the insertion groove 7 while being guided by the guide surface 9A. Can be unlocked.
[0023]
Further, in this magnetic tape cassette 1, since the door 4 is locked at the closed position by the flexible lock protrusion 9 provided integrally with the door 4, no extra parts are required and the configuration is simple. Cost reduction can be achieved.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the flexible lock projecting piece is integrally provided on the door that opens and closes the tape outlet, and the flexible lock projecting piece is engaged with the engagement step portion provided in the inner part of the insertion groove of the opening member. By combining the doors, the door is locked in the closed position, so there is no need for extra parts for locking the door, for example, a lock member or a lock spring as a separate part from the door, and the configuration is It becomes easy and the cost can be reduced.
[0025]
Further, according to the present invention, the restoring force when the flexible lock projecting piece is elastically deformed and disengages from the engaging step portion acts in the direction of opening the door. As long as it is inserted and the lock (engagement of the flexible lock protrusion with respect to the engaging step) is released, the door is easily opened with the assistance of the flexible lock protrusion.
[0026]
Further, according to the present invention, since the guide surface for guiding the insertion of the opening member is provided on the flexible lock projecting piece, the opening can be smoothly inserted by inserting the opening member along the guide surface of the flexible lock projecting piece. It is possible to release the engagement of the flexible lock projecting piece.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a magnetic tape cassette including a tape outlet structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views as viewed from above the tape outlet structure, wherein FIG. 2A shows a state where the door is completely closed, and FIG. 2B shows that the door is locked when it is opened. It is.
3A and 3B are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the tape outlet structure, wherein FIG. 3A is a view showing a state where the door is closed and locked, and FIG. 3B is a view showing that the opening member can be inserted into the insertion groove. It is a figure which shows the state which is carrying out the elastic deformation of the flexible lock | rock protrusion piece.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the tape outlet structure, showing a state in which a door is opened.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Magnetic tape cassette 2 Cassette case 3 Tape outlet 4 Door 5 Hinge 7 Insertion groove 8 Engagement step 9 Flexible lock protrusion 9A Guide surface

Claims (1)

A magnetic tape cassette in which a reel around which a magnetic tape is wound is rotatably accommodated in a cassette case, and the magnetic tape is read out from a tape outlet provided on a side wall of the cassette case, thereby reading and writing the magnetic tape. Because
The tape outlet has a hinge rotatably attached to the cassette case, and is provided with a door that opens and closes the tape outlet through the hinge.
At the opening edge of the tape outlet, an insertion groove having an engaging step for holding the door in a closed position by engaging with the door is formed,
When the opening member is inserted into the insertion groove, the door is integrally provided with a flexible lock projecting piece that is elastically deformed by the opening member so as to be released from the engaging stepped portion and allow the door to be opened. A magnetic tape cassette characterized by that.

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