JP2005267782A - Magnetic tape cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic tape cartridge in which a single reel on which a magnetic tape is wound is housed rotatably in a cartridge case provided with an opening for drawing out tape at a side wall, and a slender leader pin fixed at the distal end of the magnetic tape is held freely attachably and detachably by an engaging spring in the vicinity of the opening part for drawing out the tape, wherein an increase in sliding resistance is prevented in the engaging part between the leader pin and the engaging spring for engaging leader pin. <P>SOLUTION: The surface hardness of an engaging plane of the leader pin 5 with respect to the engaging spring 9 is increased more than the surface hardness of the engaging plane of the engaging spring 9 for the leader pin 9 by ≥20%. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cartridge in which a single reel on which a magnetic tape is wound is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case, and a leader pin for drawing a tape is fixed to the leading end of the magnetic tape.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a magnetic tape cartridge used as a recording medium used in an external storage device such as a computer is of a type in which a single reel wound with a magnetic tape is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case. (See Patent Document 1). This magnetic tape is used for data storage in computers, etc., but since important information is stored, it is configured so that troubles such as tape jamming do not occur and the magnetic tape is not pulled out carelessly. Has been.

  Further, an elongated leader pin for drawing out the tape is fixed to the tip of the magnetic tape, and when the magnetic tape cartridge is mounted on the recording / reproducing apparatus, the pin catcher on the recording / reproducing apparatus side is engaged with the leader pin to magnetically The tape is pulled out from the cartridge case and loaded into the recording / reproducing apparatus. When unloading, the magnetic tape is wound around the reel, and the pin catcher returns the leader pin into the cartridge case. The cartridge case is formed by fastening an upper case and a lower case made of synthetic resin with a plurality of small screws, and the leader pin is located in the vicinity of the tape drawer opening provided in the cartridge case. The upper and lower ends are detachably locked by a locking spring.

  Incidentally, the leader pin and the locking spring that detachably locks the leader pin in the vicinity of the tape drawer opening of the cartridge case are generally formed of the same system metal material (for example, SUS material). The relative sliding operation is repeated each time the magnetic tape cartridge is loaded / unloaded with respect to the recording / reproducing apparatus, thereby causing a problem that the engagement surface is scraped and the sliding resistance increases.

  In this case, since the locking spring is fixed in the cartridge case, the engagement portion with respect to the leader pin is substantially constant, but the engagement of the leader pin with the locking spring that repeats the entering and exiting operation with respect to the opening for drawing the tape is performed. Since the portion is not constant, if a plurality of portions of the engagement surface are scraped, an edge is generated between the scraped surfaces, and the sliding resistance is further increased. As a result, the smooth insertion / extraction operation of the leader pin with respect to the opening for drawing out the tape is obstructed, and in the worst case, the extraction / extraction operation of the leader pin may be disabled.

In particular, when the locking spring is formed by a leaf spring having an engaging portion for the leader pin at the tip of the elastic arm, only the tip of the arm is cured by processing alteration due to press working, and the locking spring of the leader pin The engagement surface with respect to was more easily scraped.
JP 2002-304867 A

  The problem to be solved is to prevent an increase in sliding resistance at the engaging portion between the leader pin and the leader pin locking spring in the magnetic tape cartridge having the above-described configuration.

  The present invention includes a cartridge case having a tape drawer opening on a side wall, wherein a single reel wound with a magnetic tape is rotatably accommodated, and an elongated leader pin fixed to the tip of the magnetic tape includes: In a magnetic tape cartridge that is detachably locked by a locking spring in the vicinity of the opening for drawing out the tape, the surface hardness of the engaging surface of the leader pin with respect to the locking spring is such that the surface of the locking spring with respect to the leader pin is The surface hardness of the engagement surface is increased by 20% or more.

  In this case, the locking spring can be formed of a thin plate made of stainless steel, and the leader pin can be formed of stainless steel hardened by a quenching process. For example, the locking spring preferably has a surface hardness in the range of 300 to 400 mHV, and the leader pin preferably has a surface hardness in the range of 500 to 700 mHV.

  The effect of the present invention is that the surface hardness of the engaging surface of the leader pin with respect to the locking spring is increased by 20% or more than the surface hardness of the engaging surface of the locking spring with respect to the leader pin. There is no risk of the engagement surface being scraped, and the occurrence of an edge on the engagement surface of the leader pin is prevented, thereby preventing an increase in sliding resistance.

   Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a magnetic tape cartridge according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the vicinity of an opening with a sliding door open, and FIG. 3 is an upper case removing the vicinity of the opening of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the pin main body of the leader pin, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are an enlarged side view and an enlarged bottom view of the locking spring. Note that the front-rear direction in this specification corresponds to the loading direction of the magnetic tape cartridge with respect to the recording / reproducing apparatus (the oblique upper right direction in FIG. 1 and the right direction in FIG. 3).

  In FIG. 1, a magnetic tape cartridge 1 includes a single reel in which a magnetic tape 6 is wound in a cartridge case 4 in which an upper case 2 and a lower case 3 are fastened together by four small screws 30. 7 is rotatably accommodated, and a leader pin 5 is fixed to the tip of the magnetic tape 6. The upper and lower cases 2 and 3 are formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and side walls 2b and 3b are provided around the upper wall 2a of the upper case 2 and the lower wall 3a of the lower case 3, respectively. Are respectively provided with arc-shaped inner walls 3 c (not shown for the upper case 2) along the outer periphery of the reel 7. The lower case 3 has four boss portions 3d disposed between the side wall 3b and the inner wall 3c in contact with the boss portions 2d of the upper case 2, and four small bosses from the bottom surface side of the lower case 3. By tightening the screw 30, the screws 30 are fastened in an overlapping state.

  A center hole 3e for rotating the reel 7 by a drive shaft of the drive device is opened at the center of the lower case 3, and a write protector member 13 for preventing writing is provided at the rear end of the cartridge case 4. It is slidably arranged. A lock mechanism 15 for restricting the rotation of the reel 7 when not in use is provided at the center of the reel 7.

  Although not shown in the drawings, a reel plate that is magnetically attracted to the rotation driving means at the time of chucking with the rotation driving means is attached to the central portion of the bottom surface of the reel 7, A reel gear that meshes with the drive gear of the rotation driving means is engraved on the reel 7. In the state where the reel gear and the drive gear are engaged, the lock mechanism 15 is released and the reel 7 is rotatable.

  An opening 10 for pulling out the magnetic tape 6 is formed in one side wall 2b, 3b of the upper and lower cases 2, 3, and this opening 10 is opened and closed by a slide door 11 biased in a closing direction by a spring (not shown). A groove-like door rail 12 (see FIG. 3) on which the slide door 11 slides is formed in the vicinity of the opening 10.

  Further, the magnetic tape cartridge 1 is formed with a leader pin 5 (described later) near the opening 10 as shown in FIG. 3 in a state where the magnetic tape 6 is completely wound around the reel 7 when not in use. It is latched and held in the concave storage portion 20. An insertion guide portion 21 (guide surface) formed in a guide structure toward the opening portion 10 is connected to the storage portion 20 so as to guide the end portion of the leader pin 5 toward the back storage portion 20. It is configured.

  The leader pin 5 is held by a pin catcher provided in the drive mechanism so that the drive mechanism of the recording / reproducing apparatus using the magnetic tape cartridge 1 introduces the magnetic tape 6 into the tape running path in the apparatus. 10 is configured to be pulled out from 10.

  The leader pin 5 includes a metal pin main body 5A having a length of about 20 mm and a synthetic resin clamp member 5B. The pin main body 5A has a diameter 1 as a clamp portion of the magnetic tape 6 as shown in FIG. .. 5 mm thin core shaft portion 5a, thin flange portions 5b and 5b formed on the upper and lower ends of the core shaft portion 5a and defining both ends of the magnetic tape clamp portion, and engagement with the pin catcher The thin shaft portions 5c and 5c having a length of about 13 mm and a diameter of 1.6 mm respectively formed on the outside of each flange portion 5b as a portion, and the diameter of 3.2 mm and the thickness respectively formed on the outside of each thin shaft portion 5c. It is comprised from the flange parts 5d and 5d of about 1.5 mm. The clamp member 5B has a C-shaped cross-sectional shape and is dimensioned to be able to clamp the magnetic tape 6 by being elastically fitted from the side to the outer periphery of the core shaft portion 5a of the pin body 5A. ing. The upper and lower cases 2 and 3 are, for example, plates having a thickness of 0.25 mm as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B in order to detachably lock the leader pin 5 to the storage portion 20. A locking spring 9 made of a spring is mounted.

  This locking spring 9 has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped attachment portion 9a, and the upper and lower cases 2 and 3 are overlapped, so that the attachment portion 9a is connected to the case side walls 2b and 3b (front walls) as shown in FIG. ) Is engaged and held by a spring mounting portion 23 provided in the vicinity of the upper case 2 (the upper case 2 is not shown but is symmetrical to the lower case 3). A pair of elastic arm portions 9b and 9b having a width of about 1 mm extending from the mounting portion 9a toward the leader pin 5 are connected to the upper and lower ends of the edge of the mounting portion 9a on the leader pin 5 side. The tip of the portion 9b is bent to form a holding portion 9c for the leader pin 5. The holding portion 9c is formed in a mountain shape protruding to the leader pin 5 side, and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 5d, 5d at the outer end of the pin body 5A of the leader pin 5 inserted through the opening 10 on the inclined surface on the distal end side. Thus, the elastic arm portion 9b is bent and deformed, and the leader pin 5 is locked in the storage portion 20 on the inner slope. Engagement recesses 9d and 9d are provided at the upper and lower ends of the attachment portion 9a.

  The spring mounting portions 23 of the upper and lower cases 2 and 3 that hold the locking spring 9 include two ribs 23a and 23a formed on the inner surfaces of the side walls 2b and 3b (front walls) of the upper and lower cases 2 and 3, respectively. A projection 23b erected on the bottom surface, and the attachment portion 9a of the locking spring 9 is inserted between the ribs 23a, 23a and the projection 23b, and the engagement recess 9d is fitted to the projection 23c on the bottom surface. Then, the locking spring 9 is held. Further, at the end on the back side, there is provided a fall restricting portion 23d that holds the end of the mounting portion 9a of the locking spring 9 on the side opposite to the arm 9b, 9b side in an upright state.

  In the above configuration, the pin body 5A of the leader pin 5 is formed by quenching, for example, a stainless steel having a hardness of 300 to 400 mHV (for example, equivalent to SUS303) formed into a shape as shown in FIG. A 5d outer peripheral surface whose hardness is increased to about 600 mHV is used. Further, the locking spring 9 provided with the elastic arm portions 9b, 9b is integrally formed of a thin plate made of a SUS material (for example, SUS304), like the pin body 5A.

  As described above, the surface hardness of the flange portions 5d and 5d of the pin main body 5A with which the tip ends of the elastic arm portions 9b and 9b are slidably contacted with each other is compared with the surface hardness of the tip portions of the elastic arm portions 9b and 9b of the locking spring 9. Since the hardness is high, the outer peripheral surfaces of the flange portions 5d, 5d due to the sliding contact of the elastic arm portions 9b, 9b of the locking spring 9 are prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the surface hardness of the flange portions 5d and 5d of the pin body 5A is greater than the surface hardness of the elastic arm portions 9b and 9b of the locking spring 9 that engages the surfaces of the flange portions 5d and 5d. Although it is set as high as 50% or more, according to the result of the experiment, the surface hardness of the engaging surface of the pin body 5A with respect to the locking spring 9 is higher than the surface hardness of the engaging surface of the locking spring 9 with respect to the leader pin 5. Further, it has been proved that the wear of the outer peripheral surfaces of the flange portions 5d and 5d of the pin main body 5A can be prevented by increasing the height by 20% or more.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a magnetic tape cartridge according to the present invention. It is a front view of the opening part vicinity of the state where the sliding door opened. It is a top view which shows the opening part vicinity in one embodiment of this invention in the state which removed the upper case. It is an enlarged front view of the pin main body of a leader pin. FIG. 5A is an enlarged side view of the locking spring, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged bottom view of the locking spring.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Magnetic tape cartridge 2 Upper case 3 Lower case 4 Cartridge case 5 Leader pin 5A Pin main body 6 Magnetic tape 7 Reel 9 Locking spring 10 Opening part

Claims (3)

A single reel around which a magnetic tape is wound is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case having a tape drawer opening on the side wall, and an elongated leader pin fixed to the tip of the magnetic tape is used for the tape withdrawal. In a magnetic tape cartridge that is detachably locked by a locking spring in the vicinity of the opening,
The magnetic tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the surface hardness of the engagement surface of the leader pin with respect to the locking spring is higher by 20% or more than the surface hardness of the engagement surface of the locking spring with respect to the leader pin.   2. The magnetic tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the locking spring is formed of a thin plate made of stainless steel, and the leader pin is formed of stainless steel hardened by a quenching process.   3. The magnetic tape cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the locking spring has a surface hardness in the range of 300 to 400 mHV, and the leader pin has a surface hardness in the range of 500 to 700 mHV.

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