JP2010198683A - Tape cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tape cartridge which prevents worn particles from adhering to a recording tape. <P>SOLUTION: The tape cartridge is provided with a tape reel 30, having a hub 8a in a cylindrical shape with bottom and a pair of flanges 7, 8 in a disk shape; a reel lock 4 locking a tape reel 30 so as not to rotate by being pushed to a bottom side of the hub 8a by a reel spring 3 during non-use; and a release pad 6 releasing lock for the tape reel 30 by moving the reel lock 4 to a opening side of the hub 8a during use. A pivot part 4 is provided on the reel lock; a sliding plane 6a is provided on the release pad 6; and the pivot part 4a and the sliding plane 6a slide with respect to each other during use. Furthermore, the rib 4b of the cylindrical type rib 4b is provided on the reel lock 4 so that a space surrounding the sliding part of the pivot part 4a and the sliding plane 6a is formed, and a circular groove in which the rib 4b of the cylindrical shape is inserted is provided on the release pad 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tape cartridge that rotatably accommodates a tape reel on which a recording tape is wound.

  As an external recording medium for backing up data such as a computer, a tape cartridge compliant with the LTO (Linear-Tape-Open) standard is known (for example, Patent Document 1). An example of a conventional tape cartridge will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tape cartridge.

  The tape cartridge shown in FIG. 6 accommodates the tape reel 110 in the case 100 in a rotatable manner. The case 100 is a box-shaped body composed of an upper case 101 and a lower case 102. The tape reel 110 has a bottomed cylindrical hub 112a around which a recording tape is wound, lock teeth 112b provided on the inner side surface (main surface on the upper case 101 side) of the hub 112a, and both ends of the hub 112a. A pair of disk-shaped upper and lower flanges 111 and 112 projecting radially from each of the portions. The hub 112a and the lock teeth 112b are integrally formed with the lower flange 112. A reel gear 107 is formed on the outer side surface (main surface on the lower case 102 side) of the bottom portion of the hub 112a. A reel spring 103, a reel lock 104, and a release pad 106 are accommodated in a hollow portion inside the hub 112a. The reel lock 104 and the release pad 106 are movable in the central axis direction of the tape reel 110. On the outer surface of the bottom of the reel lock 104 (the main surface on the lower case 102 side), a spherical pivot portion 104a is formed at the center, and lock teeth 104b are formed at the outer periphery. A convex sliding contact surface 106 a that contacts the pivot portion 104 a of the reel lock 104 is formed on the surface of the release pad 106 that faces the reel lock 104.

  When the tape cartridge having the above configuration is not used, the reel lock 104 is pressed against the bottom side (lower case 102 side) of the hub 112a by the reel spring 103, as shown in FIG. Press toward the lower case 102. At this time, since the lock teeth 104b of the reel lock 104 and the lock teeth 112b of the lower flange 112 are engaged, the tape reel 110 is locked so as not to rotate.

  On the other hand, in use, when the drive gear (not shown) of the drive device is engaged with the reel gear 107 and the reel gear 107 is pushed up to the opening side (upper case 101 side) of the hub 112a in a state of being engaged with the drive gear, When the release pad 106 and the reel lock 104 are moved to the opening side of the hub 112a and the tape reel 110 is pushed up to the upper case 101 side, and the reel gear 107 is pushed up to the opening side of the hub 112a, the reel lock 104 is locked. The teeth 104b are separated from the lock teeth 112b of the lower flange 112, and the tape reel 110 is unlocked. When the drive gear (not shown) of the drive device is rotated with the reel gear 107 engaged, the tape reel 110 rotates with the release pad 106. At this time, the sliding contact surface 106a of the release pad 106 is in sliding contact with the pivot portion 104a of the reel lock 104. Therefore, when the tape cartridge is used for a long period of time, the pivot contact portion 104a of the reel lock 104 and the release pad 106 are contacted. The sliding contact part with wears out.

  Therefore, as a measure for reducing wear and friction, a method of attaching a metal plate to the sliding contact surface 106a of the release pad 106 (Patent Document 2) and a method of applying a lubricant such as grease to the sliding contact surface 106a have been proposed. Yes.

JP 2000-339911 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-273307

  The method proposed as a measure for reducing the wear and friction prevents the reel lock and the release pad from becoming unstable due to friction and wear, and prevents the reel lock from tilting, thereby stabilizing the reel running performance. However, the generation of wear powder itself cannot be eliminated. When the generated wear powder adheres to the surface of the magnetic tape, there are problems such as an effect on quality such as an increase in dropout and damage to the head on the drive side. Therefore, measures to prevent the wear powder from scattering are necessary.

  The present invention provides a tape cartridge that can reduce adhesion of the above-mentioned wear powder to the magnetic tape.

  The tape cartridge of the present invention includes a bottomed cylindrical hub around which a recording tape is wound, and a pair of disk-shaped flanges projecting radially from both ends of the hub, A tape reel that is rotatably accommodated, and is disposed in the inner space of the hub so as to be movable in the central axis direction of the tape reel, and is pressed to the bottom side of the hub by an elastic member when not in use. A reel lock that locks the tape reel so as not to rotate, and is disposed between the reel lock and the bottom of the hub so as to be movable in the direction of the central axis of the tape reel. A release pad that is moved to the opening side to release the lock of the tape reel, and of the opposing surfaces of the reel lock and the release pad, A pivot cartridge is provided on one of the opposing surfaces, and a sliding contact surface is provided on the other opposing surface, and the pivot portion and the sliding contact surface are in sliding contact when in use, wherein the pivot portion And the other surface of either one of the reel lock and the release pad so as to form a space surrounding the slidable contact portion with the slidable contact surface. Is provided with a cylindrical rib having a length that does not penetrate the other member, and a circular groove into which the cylindrical rib is inserted is provided on a surface of the other member facing the one member. It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, since the space surrounding the sliding contact portion between the pivot portion of the reel lock and the sliding contact surface of the release pad is formed, it is possible to suppress the abrasion powder generated during use from being scattered outside the space. It is possible to reduce the adhesion of the wear powder to the recording tape.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an example of the tape cartridge of this invention. It is an external view of the case of the tape cartridge of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the tape cartridge shown in FIG. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the sliding contact state of a reel lock and a release pad. It is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the relationship between the cylindrical rib of a reel lock | rock, and the groove | channel of a release pad. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional tape cartridge.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, common parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the tape cartridge of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external view of the case of the tape cartridge shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tape cartridge of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a sliding contact state between the reel lock and the release pad. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing the relationship between the cylindrical rib of the reel lock and the groove of the release pad.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the tape cartridge of this embodiment includes an upper case 1, a leaf spring 2, a reel spring 3 as an elastic member, a reel lock 4, a release pad 6, a tape reel 30, an insert fitting 9, a door spring 10, and a light. A protect 11, a door 12, a lower case 13, a cartridge memory 14, a screw 15, a leaf spring 16, a clamp 17, and a leader pin 18 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the upper case 1 and the lower case 13 are formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having one main surface opened. When the upper case 1 and the lower case 13 having such a shape are brought into contact with each other at their peripheral wall portions and joined together with screws 15, a box-shaped case 20 as shown in FIG. 2 is formed. In FIG. 2, an arrow 21 indicates the cartridge insertion direction. A tape reel 30 shown in FIG. 1 is rotatably accommodated in a space formed inside the case 20. As shown in FIG. 3, a cross-shaped protrusion 1 a is integrally formed at the center of the surface facing the lower case 13 of the upper case 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the tape reel 30 has a bottomed cylindrical hub 8a around which a recording tape is wound, and lock teeth formed on the inner side surface (main surface on the upper case 1 side) of the bottom of the hub 8a. 8b and a pair of disk-shaped upper and lower flanges 7 and 8 projecting radially from both ends of the hub 8a. The hub 8a and the lock teeth 8b are integrally formed with the lower flange 8. As shown in FIG. 3, a reel gear 19 that can mesh with a drive gear (not shown) of the drive device is formed on the outer side surface (main surface on the lower case 13 side) of the bottom portion of the hub 8a. The reel gear 19 is exposed to the outside of the case 20 through an opening 13a (see FIG. 1) provided at the center of the lower case 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the reel spring 3, the reel lock 4, and the release pad 6 are accommodated in the hollow portion inside the hub 8a.

  The reel lock 4 is disposed in the inner space of the hub 8a so as to be movable in the direction of the central axis of the tape reel 30. The reel lock 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom as shown in FIG. 1, and a locking groove 5 into which the protrusion 1a of the upper case 1 is inserted is provided in an inner cavity portion. As shown in FIG. 3, by inserting the protrusion 1 a of the upper case 1 into the locking groove 5, the reel lock 4 is installed so that it cannot rotate and can move only in the central axis direction of the tape reel 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pivot portion 4 a, a cylindrical rib 4 b, and lock teeth 4 c are provided on the outer side surface (the surface facing the release pad 6) of the bottom portion of the reel lock 4. The pivot portion 4a, the cylindrical rib 4b, and the lock teeth 4c are integrally formed with the reel lock 4. The pivot portion 4 a has a spherical shape and is formed at the center of the outer surface of the bottom portion of the reel lock 4. The cylindrical rib 4b is substantially cylindrical and is formed around the pivot portion 4a. The height of the cylindrical rib 4b is set longer than the distance between the surface of the reel lock 4 facing the release pad 6 and the surface of the release pad 6 facing the reel lock 4 and does not penetrate the release pad 6. Just do it. Here, the tip shape of the cylindrical rib 4b is hemispherical. The lock teeth 4 c are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the outer surface of the bottom portion of the reel lock 4. When the lock teeth 4c are engaged with the lock teeth 8b of the lower flange 8, the rotation of the tape reel 30 can be locked.

  The release pad 6 is disposed between the reel lock 4 and the bottom of the hub 8a so as to be movable in the central axis direction of the tape reel 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the release pad 6 is formed by integrally forming a disk-shaped plate and three arms 6d protruding radially from the disk-shaped plate at equal intervals. The front end of the base plate is bent downward (on the lower case 13 side). In FIG. 1, the groove 6b and the cylindrical rib 6c shown in FIG. 4 are not shown. A convex sliding contact surface 6a is formed at the center of the upper surface (upper case 1 side) of the disc-shaped plate of the release pad 6, as shown in FIGS. The slidable contact surface 6 a is a portion that contacts the pivot portion 4 a of the reel lock 4. As shown in FIG. 4, a circular groove 6b into which the cylindrical rib portion 4b of the reel lock 4 is inserted is provided around the sliding contact surface 6a. The shape of the groove 6b was the same as the tip of the cylindrical rib 4b (here, hemispherical). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, cylindrical ribs 6 c are provided on the outer peripheral side of the groove 6 b and adjacent to the groove 6 b. The outer periphery of the groove 6b and the inner periphery of the cylindrical rib 6c are continuous. The height of the cylindrical rib 6 c is set so as not to reach the surface of the reel lock 4 facing the release pad 6. At this time, due to the use of the tape cartridge for a long time, the sliding contact portion between the reel lock 4 and the release pad 6 is worn, and the surface of the reel lock 4 facing the release pad 6 and the reel lock 4 of the release pad 6 are worn. Even when the distance from the facing surface is reduced, the clearance is set so that the tip of the cylindrical rib 6c does not come into contact with the reel lock 4. This is because abrasion powder is generated upon contact.

  The cylindrical rib 4b and the groove 6b may be disposed on the inner side of the lock teeth 4c of the reel lock 4 and on the outer side of the sliding contact surface 6a of the release pad 6. The width of the cylindrical rib 4b can be set up to the maximum width L shown in FIG. 4, and the width of the slidable contact surface 6a can be set within a range where it does not contact the cylindrical rib 4b.

  Next, operations of the reel lock and release pad of the tape cartridge will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When the tape cartridge is not used, as shown in FIG. 3, the reel lock 4 presses the reel lock 4 to the bottom side (lower case 13 side) of the hub 8a, and the reel lock 4 presses the tape reel 30 to the lower case 13 side. To do. At this time, since the lock teeth 4c of the reel lock 4 and the lock teeth 8b of the lower flange 8 are engaged, the tape reel 30 is locked so as not to rotate.

  When the tape cartridge is used, a drive gear (not shown) of the drive device is inserted into the case 20 through an opening 13a (see FIG. 1) provided at the center of the lower case 13, and the drive gear (see FIG. (Not shown) and the reel gear 19 are engaged with each other, and when the reel gear 19 is pushed up to the opening side (upper case 1 side) of the hub 8a with the drive gear 19 engaged, first, the release pad 6 and the reel lock 4 are moved to the hub 8a. When the reel gear 19 is further pushed up toward the opening side of the hub 8a, the lock tooth 4c of the reel lock 4 and the locking tooth 8b of the lower flange 8 are moved. And the tape reel 30 is unlocked. Then, when the drive gear (not shown) of the drive device is rotated with the reel gear 19 engaged, the tape reel 30 rotates with the release pad 6, and the recording tape is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the hub 8a. Alternatively, the recording tape wound around the outer peripheral surface of the hub 8a is rewound.

  By the way, when the tape cartridge is used, the sliding contact portion between the reel lock 4 and the release pad 6 is worn by the rotation of the tape reel 30, and wear powder is generated. However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reel lock 4 and the release pad 6 are inserted by inserting the tip end portion of the cylindrical rib 4 b of the reel lock 4 into the circular groove 6 b of the release pad 6. A space surrounding the sliding contact portion is formed, and the generated wear powder can be prevented from scattering outside the space. Further, since the tip end portion of the cylindrical shape 4b is inserted into the groove 6b, the position of the release pad 6 can be prevented from being displaced during use, and the reel running performance can be stabilized. In the present embodiment, a clearance (gap) is provided between the tip of the cylindrical rib 4b and the groove 6b of the release pad 6, as shown in FIG. Apply a lubricant such as Thereby, since the space is sealed, it is possible to prevent the abrasion powder generated by the sliding contact between the pivot portion 4a of the reel lock 4 and the sliding contact surface 6a of the release pad 6 from being scattered outside the space, Generation of wear powder due to contact between the cylindrical rib 4b of the reel lock 4 and the groove 6b of the release pad 6 can be prevented. The clearance can be set to be larger than 0 mm and within 1 mm. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the cylindrical rib 6c is provided on the outer peripheral side of the groove 6b of the release pad 6 and at a position adjacent to the groove 6b. Therefore, the cylindrical rib of the reel lock 4 can be used by using the tape cartridge for a long time. Even if a gap is generated between 4b and the groove 6b of the release pad 6, the cylindrical rib 6c becomes a wall, and the above-described wear powder can be prevented from scattering to the outside of the cylindrical rib 6c.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the cylindrical rib 4b is formed in the reel lock 4 and the groove 6b is formed in the release pad 6 has been described, but the cylindrical rib 4b is in the release pad 6 and the groove 6b is in the reel lock. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as long as the shape surrounds the sliding contact portion between the reel lock 4 and the release pad 6.

  In the above embodiment, the pivot portion 4a is formed on the reel lock 4 and the sliding contact surface 6a is formed on the release pad 6. However, the pivot portion 4a is formed on the release pad 6 and the sliding contact surface is formed. 6 a may be formed on the reel lock 4.

  In the above embodiment, the tip of the cylindrical rib 4b is hemispherical and the shape of the groove 6b is the same as the tip of the rib 4b. However, the cylindrical rib 4b and the groove 6b can be fitted together. For example, it is not limited to this.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the single reel type tape cartridge that stores a single tape reel 30 in the case 20 is used. However, the present invention can also be applied to a multiple reel type tape cartridge that stores a plurality of tape reels. It is.

  The tape cartridge of the present invention can be used in, for example, a recording / reproducing apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Upper case 1a Protrusion 2 Leaf spring 3 Reel spring 4 Reel lock 4a Pivot part 4b Cylindrical rib 4c Lock tooth 5 Locking groove 6 Release pad 6a Sliding surface 6b Groove 6c Cylindrical rib 6d Arm 7 Upper flange 8 Lower flange 8a Hub 8b Lock tooth 9 Insert metal fitting 10 Door spring 11 Write protect 12 Door 13 Lower case 13a Opening 14 Cartridge memory 15 Screw 16 Plate spring 17 Clamp 18 Leader pin 19 Reel gear 20 Case 21 Cartridge insertion direction 30 Tape reel 100 Case 101 Upper case 102 Lower case 103 Reel spring 104 Reel lock 104a Pivot part 104b Lock tooth 106 Release pad 106a Sliding contact surface 107 Reel gear 110 Tape reel 111 Upper flange 112 Lower flange Lunge 112a hub 112b lock teeth

Claims (3)

A tape including a bottomed cylindrical hub around which a recording tape is wound, and a pair of disk-shaped flanges projecting radially from both ends of the hub, and is rotatably accommodated in a case With reel,
A reel that is arranged in the inner space of the hub so as to be movable in the direction of the central axis of the tape reel, and locks the tape reel so as not to rotate by being pressed toward the bottom of the hub by an elastic member when not in use. Lock and
It is arranged between the reel lock and the bottom of the hub so that it can move in the direction of the central axis of the tape reel. When in use, the reel lock is moved to the opening side of the hub to unlock the tape reel. Including a release pad,
A pivot portion is provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the reel lock and the release pad, and a slidable contact surface is provided on the other opposed surface. A tape cartridge in sliding contact with the surface,
The other surface of the reel lock and the release pad is opposed to the other member so that a space surrounding the sliding portion between the pivot portion and the sliding surface is formed. A cylindrical rib having a length that reaches the member but does not penetrate the other member is provided, and a circular groove into which the cylindrical rib is inserted is provided on a surface of the other member facing the one member. A tape cartridge provided.   The second cylindrical rib having a length that does not reach a member facing the member on which the groove is formed is provided on the outer peripheral side of the circular groove and adjacent to the groove. The tape cartridge as described.   The tape cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a clearance is provided between the cylindrical rib and the circular groove.

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