JP2007095194A - Single reel type tape cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the reliability of a tape cartridge by substantially suppressing the engaging error of gear teeth with each other when the tape cartridge is loaded on a tape drive and smoothing the loading of the tape cartridge by an automatic loading device. <P>SOLUTION: Inside a main body case 1, a magnetic tape 2 and a tape reel 3 for winding and housing the magnetic tape 2 are provided. On the bottom wall of the tape reel 3, a passive gear 12 for receiving the rotation power of a drive shaft 11 is provided. The passive gear 12 is formed in an intermittent ring shape by alternately arranging two or more sets of rows 30 of gear teeth in a partially circular arcuate shape and a plurality of notched parts 31 for permitting the advance of the drive gear 11, and the engaging error of the drive gear 15 of the drive shaft 11 and the passive gear 12 is dissolved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a single reel type tape cartridge.

  In a single reel type tape cartridge, a face gear-like drive gear provided on a drive shaft of a tape drive is meshed with a ring-like passive gear provided on the bottom wall of the tape reel to rotationally drive the tape reel ( Patent Document 1). Actually, by moving the tape cartridge closer to the drive shaft by the tape drive loading mechanism, the gear teeth of the passive gear of the tape reel and the gear teeth of the drive gear of the drive shaft waiting in the stopped state Meshing.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-273014 (paragraph number 0036, FIG. 3)

  As described above, in the reel drive structure that meshes and connects the gears formed in the face gear shape, the tooth tip surfaces of the gear teeth come into contact with each other and the gear teeth may not be meshed properly (hereinafter, referred to as the gear teeth). This is called a meshing error). In particular, in a tape drive in which the tooth tip surface of the gear teeth on the drive shaft side is formed flat, the ratio of the tooth tip surface width to the tooth gap width is large, so that a misengagement is likely to occur, and the occurrence rate exceeds 30%. . When a meshing error is recognized, the tape cartridge that has been transported to the drive position is once returned to the eject position side, and then retransferred to the drive position to mesh the gear teeth. If the gear teeth cannot be meshed even if the meshing operation is repeated, it is regarded as a load error and the tape cartridge is forcibly ejected.

  In most cases, this type of tape cartridge is removed from a predetermined storage position by an automatic loading device and loaded into a tape drive. For this reason, if frequent meshing errors and load errors occur as described above, the reliability of the tape cartridge is impaired. Even with a tape cartridge that is regarded as a load error, the gear teeth can be properly meshed and connected by repeatedly performing the loading operation, but it takes extra time to smoothly read and rewrite the information recorded on the magnetic tape. I can not do it.

  Such a meshing error can be suppressed by rounding the tip surface of the gear teeth of the drive shaft. However, since a large number of tape drives are already in widespread use, for example, if it is attempted to eliminate the meshing error by exchanging the drive shaft of the existing tape drive, enormous labor and cost are required. Furthermore, it is not possible to prevent a meshing error in an existing tape drive. Accordingly, the present inventors have considered to suppress the meshing error by improving the structure on the tape cartridge side, and have studied from various aspects and repeated trial and error. As a result, the present inventors have proposed the present invention.

  It is an object of the present invention to greatly prevent misengagement between gear teeth when a tape cartridge is loaded into a tape drive, and facilitate the loading of the tape cartridge by the automatic loading device, thereby increasing the reliability of the tape cartridge. It is to improve. An object of the present invention is to improve the structure of a passive gear provided on a tape reel, thereby greatly preventing misengagement, and even when a tape cartridge is applied to an existing tape drive, a single reel type that can be smoothly and automatically loaded. It is to provide a tape cartridge.

  In the tape cartridge of the present invention, a magnetic tape 2 and a tape reel 3 that encloses and stores the magnetic tape 2 are arranged inside the main body case 1. The bottom wall of the tape reel 3 is provided with a passive gear 12 that meshes with a ring-shaped drive gear 15 provided on the drive shaft 11 of the tape drive and inherits the rotational power of the drive shaft 11. Thus, the passive gear 12 is formed in an intermittent ring shape by alternately arranging a plurality of sets of gear teeth rows 30 having a partial arc shape and a plurality of missing tooth portions 31 allowing the drive gear 11 to enter. It is characterized by.

  Specifically, the passive gear 12 is configured by arranging an odd number of gear teeth rows 30 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  When the gear component ratio of the passive gear formed in a ring shape is 100%, the total gear component ratio of the gear tooth row 30 in the passive gear 12 can be set within a range of 60 to 30%.

  An escape groove 35 that allows the drive gear 15 to enter is formed on the radially inner side of the passive gear 12 configured in an intermittent ring shape.

  Inside the drive gear 15 of the drive shaft 11, a magnet 16 that attracts the tape reel 3 and a release pin 17 that unlocks the reel lock mechanism disposed in the main body case 1 are provided. A suction plate 13 that is attracted and fixed by a magnet 16 is disposed inside the passive gear 12, and a pin hole 14 that allows the release pin 17 to enter is formed at the center thereof. A nonmagnetic material is provided around the pin hole 14. A magnetic dead zone 36 is formed.

  In the present invention, the passive gear 12 provided on the bottom wall of the tape reel 3 is formed in an intermittent ring shape with a plurality of sets of gear teeth rows 30 and a plurality of missing teeth portions 31 arranged alternately in partial arcs. In this way, according to the passive gear 12 constituted by a plurality of sets of gear tooth rows 30, the portion that contacts when the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 start to mesh is limited to the portion where the gear tooth row 30 is formed. Can do. This is because there is no restriction on the movement of the tape reel 3 in the toothless portion 31 facing the drive gear 15, and the tape reel 3 is in the radial direction or circumferential direction in the portion where the toothless portion 31 is formed. This means that there is room for slight shaking.

  In addition, when the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 mesh with each other, the reel lock mechanism is unlocked, so that the tape reel 3 is in an unstable state in which it can move freely in any direction. Furthermore, since it is affected by variations in the dimensions and positions of the tape reel 3 and the drive shaft 11 and slight rattling of these members, the tooth tip surface 18a of the gear tooth 18 of the drive gear 15 and the passive gear 12 are affected. When the tooth teeth 28a of the gear teeth 28 come into contact with each other, not all the gear teeth 30 are in contact with the drive gear 15 and all of the gear teeth 28 constituting the gear teeth 30 are driven. It does not contact the gear 15 evenly. Therefore, the tape reel 3 receives a contact impact between the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 and easily swings slightly in the radial direction or the circumferential direction. As a result, the gear teeth 18 and 28 facing each other can be engaged with each other. Alternatively, when the loading operation is performed again, the opposing gear teeth 18 and 28 can be engaged with each other.

  According to such a tape cartridge of the present invention, a mistake in meshing between the gear teeth 18 and 28 of the drive gear 15 and the passive gear 12 when loaded in the tape drive is greatly suppressed, and the tape cartridge of the automatic loading device is The loading can be facilitated, and the reliability of the loading operation is improved as compared with the conventional tape cartridge. Further, since the meshing error is suppressed by improving the structure of the passive gear 12 provided on the tape reel 3, it is advantageous in that the meshing error can be reliably suppressed even in an existing tape drive.

  According to the passive gear 12 configured by arranging the odd number of gear tooth rows 30 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, the gear tooth row 30 and the toothless portion 31 face each other in the radial direction. Compared with the case where the rows 30 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, the room for the tape reel 3 to swing in the radial direction or the circumferential direction when the passive gear 12 and the driving gear 15 come into contact with each other can be expanded, and driving is performed accordingly. It is possible to further suppress the meshing error between the gear 15 and the passive gear 12 and further improve the reliability of the tape cartridge.

  When the gear component ratio of the passive gear formed in a ring shape is 100%, the gear gear train 30 is set so that the total gear component ratio of the gear tooth train 30 in the passive gear 12 is in the range of 60 to 30%. This is because if the total gear composition ratio exceeds 60%, meshing errors increase. Further, if the total gear composition ratio of the gear tooth rows 30 is less than 30%, there is no problem with a misengagement, but the number of gear teeth 28 constituting each gear tooth row 30 is reduced. This is because there is anxiety about the durability of the teeth 28.

  If a clearance groove 35 that allows the drive gear 15 to enter is formed on the radially inner side of the passive gear 12, the gear teeth of the drive gear 15 are shifted when the center positions of the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 are shifted. 18 can be meshed with the passive gear 12 with a part of the gear 18 protruding into the escape groove 35. Therefore, even when the center positions of the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 are shifted, the gears 12 and 15 are meshed. By doing so, it is possible to suppress meshing mistakes.

  In the tape cartridge in which the suction plate 13 is disposed inside the passive gear 12 and the pin passage 14 for the release pin 17 is formed in the center thereof, a magnetic dead zone 36 made of a nonmagnetic material is formed around the pin passage 14. In this case, the suction plate 13 and the magnetized release pin 17 can be separated from each other by the magnetic dead zone 36. Therefore, when the tape cartridge is loaded into the tape drive, the suction plate 13 is forced by the magnetized release pin 17. By being attracted, it is possible to reliably prevent the center of the tape reel 3 from deviating from the center of the drive shaft 11 and to prevent a mistake in engagement.

Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 to 6 show Embodiment 1 of a single reel type tape cartridge according to the present invention. In FIG. 2, the tape cartridge is configured such that the magnetic tape-2 is housed in a state where the magnetic tape-2 is wound around one tape reel 3 inside a rectangular box-shaped main body case 1. Block 4 is connected.

  The leader block 4 is fixed and held facing a tape outlet 5 opened at one corner of the front surface of the main body case 1, and the magnetic tape 2 is captured by the loading pin of the tape drive to capture the magnetic tape 2. It can be pulled out and passed to a take-up reel after passing through a predetermined tape path. The main body case 1 is formed by joining an upper case 1a and a lower case 1b, which are divided and formed, in a lid-like manner.

  The tape reel 3 includes a pair of upper and lower flanges 7 and 8 and a bottomed cylindrical reel boss 9 formed integrally with the lower flange 8, and the magnetic tape 2 is wound around the reel boss 9. A passive gear 12 that inherits the rotational power of the drive shaft 11 of the tape drive is formed on the lower surface side of the bottom wall of the reel boss 9, and a suction plate 13 made of an iron plate is fixed inside thereof. In the center of the suction plate 13, a pin passage 14 for a release pin 17 described later is formed.

  At the shaft end of the drive shaft 11, there are provided a face gear-like drive gear 15 that meshes with the passive gear 12, a magnet 16 that attracts the suction plate 13, and a release pin 17 for unlocking. As shown in FIG. 6, the gear teeth 18 constituting the drive gear 15 are formed in a trapezoidal cross section, and the tooth tip surface 18a is formed flat. Reference numeral 19 denotes a tooth gap.

  In an unused tape cartridge, a reel lock mechanism is disposed between the bottom wall of the reel boss 9 and the upper case 1a in order to prevent the tape reel 3 from floating in the main body case 1 and the magnetic tape 2 from sagging. It is.

  In FIG. 3, the reel lock mechanism includes a first lock tooth 21 formed in a ring shape on the inner surface of the bottom wall of the reel boss 9, and a disk-like shape that meshes with the first lock tooth 21 and engages and holds the tape reel 3 in a non-rotatable manner. A lock body 22 and a compression coil spring 23 that presses and urges the lock body 22 toward the first lock teeth 21 are formed.

  A ring-shaped second lock tooth 24 that meshes with the first lock tooth 21 and a receiving shaft 25 that is pushed up by the release pin 17 are formed integrally with the lower surface periphery of the lock body 22. A slide boss 24 having a long cylindrical cross section is formed at the center of the upper surface of the lock body 22. By guiding the slide boss 26 with a guide projection 27 provided on the inner surface of the upper case 1a, the lock body 22 is supported so that it can slide up and down but cannot rotate. When the lock body 22 is not in use, the lock body 22 is pushed down by the spring 23, and the second lock teeth 24 mesh with the first lock teeth 21, so that the rotation of the tape reel 3 can be restricted (see FIG. 3).

  In the tape cartridge having the above-described configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, in order to prevent an engagement error between the drive shaft 11 and the tape reel 3 when the tape cartridge is loaded into the tape drive by the automatic loading device, The passive gear 12 was constituted by a set of gear tooth rows 30.

  That is, the conventional passive gear is configured in an endless ring shape with 60 gear teeth and tooth grooves, but in this embodiment, three sets of partial arc-shaped gears having six gear teeth 28 are provided. The tooth row 30 is arranged at equal intervals, and the gear tooth row 30 and the missing tooth portion 31 are alternately provided to form an intermittent ring-shaped passive gear 12. The gear teeth 28 and the tooth grooves 29 constituting the gear tooth row 30 are each formed in a triangular shape in cross section, and each of the tooth tip surface 28a and the tooth groove bottom is rounded (see FIG. 6).

  When the tape cartridge is loaded in the tape drive and loaded, the receiving shaft 25 of the lock body 22 comes into contact with the release pin 17 and the tape cartridge is resisted against the urging force of the spring 23 as shown in FIG. The drive shaft 11 is operated to approach, and the engagement between the second lock teeth 24 and the first lock teeth 21 of the lock body 22 is released.

  The tape reel 3 in the unlocked state is released from the restriction by the lock body 22 and is in a state where it can rotate and move in the radial direction. When the tape cartridge is further moved closer to the drive shaft 11 in this state, the drive gear 15 and the passive gear 12 come into contact with each other, and the tooth tip surfaces 18a and 28a come into contact with each other at the gear tooth row 30, or Either of the gear teeth 18 and 28 of both the gears 12 and 15 is engaged with the tooth grooves 19 and 29 of the mating gear.

  At this time, the passive gears 12 of the three sets of gear teeth 30 do not come into contact with the drive gear 15 at the same time because of the slight dimensional variation and rattling of the tape reel 3 and the drive shaft 11. Since one or some of the gear teeth row 30 of the gear teeth 30 and the passive gear 12 abut against the drive gear 15 ahead of the others, the tape reel 3 tilts. That is, it is considered that the tape reel 3 is relatively pushed up by the release pin 17 in a very unstable posture, and slightly swings in the radial direction or the circumferential direction.

  As a result, the passive gear 12 can be engaged and connected to the drive gear 15 to significantly prevent the occurrence of meshing errors. Regarding the unstable movement of the tape reel 3, if the passive gear 12 is constituted by three sets (odd number) of each gear tooth row 30, each gear tooth row 30 and the missing tooth portion 31 are opposed to each other in the diametrical direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the swinging motion from being restricted by the drive gear 15 that has entered the toothless portion 31, and this is also presumed to be useful for eliminating the meshing error.

  The inventors have tested a tape cartridge with an improved passive gear 12 and confirmed the frequency of occurrence of the meshing error. Specifically, the tape cartridge provided with the three sets of gear teeth 30 described in the embodiment and the conventional tape cartridge are manually loaded into the tape drive, and the number of times that a meshing error occurs when loading is completed is counted. (Test 1). The total number of loadings of the tape cartridge to the tape drive was 100.

  Table 1 shows the results. It should be noted that the climbing of the error state means that the tooth tip surface 28a of the passive gear 12 is in contact with the tooth tip surface 18a of the drive gear 15, and the term "defective" means that the gear teeth cannot be meshed even if the meshing operation is repeated. , Means a state considered a load error.

  As can be understood from Table 1, according to the tape cartridge of the present invention, compared with the conventional tape cartridge, each of the number of times of boarding and the number of defects can be greatly reduced.

  The present inventors changed the structure of the gear tooth row 30 that constitutes the passive gear 12 and confirmed the limit of preventing the meshing error by a test. When the gear composition ratio of the conventional passive gear formed in an endless ring shape (the number of gear teeth is 60) is 100%, the total gear composition ratio of the gear tooth row 30 in the passive gear 12 (the total gear teeth 28). The ratio between the maximum and minimum values of the total gear composition ratio was confirmed by changing the number ratio). Each of the passive gears 12 is composed of three sets of gear tooth rows 30, and the number of the gear teeth 28 in each gear tooth row 30 is constant, and is arranged at equal intervals.

  Gear tooth row 30 (object 1) having two gear teeth 28, gear tooth row 30 (object 2) having four gear teeth 28, gear tooth row 30 having six gear teeth 28 (object 2) Object 3), gear tooth array 30 with 8 gear teeth 28 (object 4), gear tooth array 30 with 10 gear teeth 28 (object 5), gear with 12 gear teeth 28 A tooth row 30 (target 6) and a gear tooth row 30 (target 7) having 16 gear teeth 28 were prepared, and the number of occurrences of meshing errors at the end of loading was counted in the same manner as in test 1 (test 2). ). The total number of loadings of the tape cartridge to the tape drive was 100.

  Table 2 shows the results.

  As can be understood from Table 2, in the tape reels 3 of the objects 3 to 6, it is understood that each of the number of boarding times and the number of defectives can be reduced and the meshing error can be suppressed as compared with the conventional tape cartridge.

  The tape reels 3 of the objects 1 and 2 have no problem with respect to running, but each gear tooth row 30 is composed of two or four gear teeth 28, so that the durability of the gear teeth 28 during long-term use is improved. I have anxiety. It can also be seen that the incidence of defects increases. In addition, the tape reel 3 of the target 7 has a low effect of preventing the occurrence of riding.

  When these are comprehensively determined, the total gear component ratio of the gear tooth row 30 in the passive gear 12 is set within a range of 60 to 30% when the gear component ratio of the conventional passive gear formed in a ring shape is 100%. It is preferable to do. More preferably, it is 50 to 40%.

Example 2 FIGS. 7 and 8 show Example 2 of the tape reel 3 according to the present invention. In the first embodiment, the phase position shift between the gear teeth 28 of the passive gear 12 and the gear teeth 18 of the drive gear 15 during loading has been a problem. However, in the second embodiment, the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 are used. The meshing error based on the shift of the center position can be solved together.

  Therefore, when the clearance groove 35 that allows the drive gear 15 to enter is formed on the radially inner side of the passive gear 12 configured in an intermittent ring shape, the center positions of the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 are shifted. Furthermore, by allowing a part of the gear teeth 18 of the drive gear 15 to protrude into the escape groove 35, the occurrence of a meshing error is eliminated.

  Incidentally, the tooth gap width of the gear teeth 28 of the conventional passive gear 12 becomes narrower as it approaches the inner diameter end. For this reason, when the center positions of the passive gear 12 and the drive gear 15 are shifted, the gear teeth 18 of the drive gear 15 cannot enter the tooth groove 29 of the passive gear 12 and gear engagement is impossible. However, if the relief groove 35 is formed as described above, the narrow portion of the tooth groove 29 is omitted, so that even if the center position is shifted, the gear can be engaged and a meshing error can be avoided. . The deviation of the center positions of both gears 12 and 15 is automatically centered when the drive shaft 11 is driven to rotate.

(Example 3) FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show Example 3 of the tape reel 3 according to the present invention. In Example 3, the tape reel 3 provided with the relief groove 35 was further improved. Specifically, it is possible to prevent the center of the passive gear 12 from being displaced from the center position of the drive gear 15 by the pin opening 14 of the suction plate 13 being attracted by the magnetized release pin 17 during loading. It was made possible to prevent mis-engagement.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in order to prevent the pin hole 14 from being attracted to the magnetized release pin 17, a magnetic dead ring (magnetic dead band) 36 made of a nonmagnetic material is provided around the pin hole 14. It was. The magnetic dead ring 36 is formed of a donut-shaped plastic molded product including the pin opening 14, and is fixed to the suction plate 13 by adhesion or welding. If the magnetic dead ring 36 is integrally formed when the reel boss 9 is formed, it is not necessary to bond or weld.

  In the above embodiment, the entire gear tooth 28 is omitted in the missing tooth portion 31, but it is not necessary and the tooth tip surface 28 a side of the gear tooth 28 can be omitted to make the missing tooth portion 31. The gear teeth row 30 is preferably arranged intermittently at equal intervals, but this is not necessary. Of course, the passive gear 12 can be configured by an even number of gear teeth 30. Further, the number of gear teeth 28 constituting each gear tooth row 30 may be different.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the drive structure of a tape reel. It is an internal top view which shows schematic structure of a tape cartridge. It is sectional drawing which shows a reel lock mechanism. It is sectional drawing of the state in which the reel lock mechanism was unlocked. It is a bottom view which shows the structure of a passive gear. It is sectional drawing which shows the gear tooth profile of a passive gear and a drive gear. It is sectional drawing which shows Example 2 of a tape reel. It is a bottom view which shows the structure of the passive gear of Example 2. It is sectional drawing which shows Example 3 of a tape reel. It is a bottom view which shows the structure of the passive gear of Example 3.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 2 Magnetic tape 3 Tape reel 11 Drive shaft 12 Passive gear 15 Drive gear 30 Gear tooth row 31 Missing tooth part

Claims (5)

Inside the main body case, a magnetic tape and a tape reel that encloses and stores the magnetic tape are arranged,
A passive gear is provided on the bottom wall of the tape reel so as to mesh with the ring-shaped drive gear provided on the drive shaft of the tape drive and inherit the rotational power of the drive shaft.
The passive gear is formed in an intermittent ring shape by alternately arranging a plurality of sets of gear teeth in a partial arc shape and a plurality of missing teeth allowing the drive gear to enter. Single reel tape cartridge.   2. The single reel type tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an odd number of sets of gear teeth are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.   The total gear component ratio of the gear tooth row in the passive gear is set within a range of 60 to 30% when a gear component ratio of the passive gear formed in a ring shape is 100%. Or the single reel type tape cartridge of 2.   The single reel type tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an escape groove that allows the drive gear to enter is formed on a radially inner side of the passive gear configured in an intermittent ring shape. Inside the drive gear of the drive shaft, a magnet for attracting the tape reel, and a release pin for unlocking a reel lock mechanism arranged in the main body case are provided,
Inside the passive gear, an adsorption plate that is adsorbed and fixed by the magnet is disposed, and a pin opening that allows the release pin to enter is formed at the center of the adsorption plate,
The single reel type tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a magnetic dead zone made of a nonmagnetic material is formed around the pin opening.

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