JP2011003271A - Reel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording tape cartridge of low capacity type in which other parts can be shared by only exchanging a reel and an arrangement angle of a leader member also is not changed.SOLUTION: In a recording tape cartridge 10 in which a hub small reel 40 is rotatably housed in a case 12 and a recording tape cartridge 11 in which a hub large reel 41 is rotatably housed in the case 12, there is provided a cylindrical wall 49 having same inside diameter as a hub 42 of the hub small reel 40 at the hub large reel 41 by unifying outside diameters of an upper flange 44 and a lower flange 46 of the hub small reel 40 and outside diameters of an upper flange 45 and a lower flange 47 of the hub large reel 41.

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording tape cartridge in which a single reel around which a recording tape such as a magnetic tape used mainly as a recording / reproducing medium of a computer or the like is wound is accommodated in a case.

  Conventionally, a recording tape such as a magnetic tape used as a data recording / reproducing medium of a computer or the like is wound around a single reel, and the reel is rotatably accommodated in a synthetic resin case. One reel type recording tape cartridges are known. Moreover, a recording tape such as a magnetic tape is wound around one reel as a data recording / reproducing medium for video and the like, and the end of the recording tape is fixed to the other reel so that it can be rotatably accommodated in a synthetic resin case. A so-called two-reel type recording tape cassette is also conventionally known.

  Conventionally, there is a low capacity type of the two reel type recording tape cassette. That is, in this two-reel type recording tape cassette, the recording tape is regulated by the tape guide provided in the case and is slidably contacted with the recording / reproducing head on the drive device side, so that the amount of winding of the recording tape is reduced. Alternatively, a low-capacity type can be easily manufactured simply by exchanging with a reel in which the diameter of the hub around which the recording tape is wound is increased (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  However, a low-capacity type recording tape cartridge has never existed in the past. This is because, in a one-reel type recording tape cartridge, there are many parts that engage with the accommodated reel, and when the diameter of the hub is increased, the design of the parts that engage with the hub must be changed. When the leader member attached to the end of the recording tape is, for example, a leader tape, simply reducing the winding amount of the recording tape wound around the hub causes the arrangement angle of the leader tape to fluctuate, and the drawing device on the drive device side However, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to engage with the leader tape (the path angle when it is pulled out).

Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-68036 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-158589

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-capacity type recording tape cartridge for a user who desires a low-capacity type in one reel type. Specifically, other parts can be used by simply replacing a normal reel with a low-capacity type reel, and the arrangement angle of the leader member does not change even if the low-capacity type reel is accommodated. An object is to obtain a recording tape cartridge.

  In order to achieve the above object, a recording tape cartridge according to claim 1 of the present invention is provided with a hub on which the recording tape is wound, and upper and lower end surfaces of the hub, and the width direction end of the recording tape is provided. A hub large reel and a hub small reel having an upper flange and a lower flange for restricting the portion, the hub diameters being different in diameter, and the hub large reel or the hub small reel can be rotated in a single manner And a leader member attached to an end of the recording tape, the large hub reel being accommodated in the case or the small hub reel being accommodated in the case A recording tape cartridge that can be recorded / reproduced by the same drive device, and the leader member is held in the case, and the recording is pulled out from the hub large reel when not in use. Even-loop, also the recording tape pulled out from the hub small reel, and characterized in that it is disposed along substantially the side walls of the case.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the recording tape cartridge is not used, the recording tape pulled out from the large hub reel, which is a low capacity type, and the recording tape pulled out from the normal small hub reel are used in the case. It arrange | positions so that a side wall may be followed. That is, even if reels having different hub diameters are accommodated in the case, the outermost peripheral position of the recording tape wound around the hub is the same. Therefore, there is no problem that the arrangement angle of the leader member varies.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording tape cartridge according to the present invention, comprising: a hub around which the recording tape is wound; an upper flange provided on the upper and lower end surfaces of the hub; A hub large reel and a hub small reel that have different diameters of the hub, and a case that rotatably accommodates the hub large reel or the hub small reel. A leader member attached to the end of the recording tape, and the same drive device can be used for recording and recording even if the hub large reel is accommodated in the case or the hub small reel is accommodated in the case. A reproducible recording tape cartridge, wherein the outer diameter of the upper flange and the lower flange of the large reel of the hub and the outer diameter of the upper flange and the lower flange of the small hub reel are the same It is.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the outer diameter of the upper and lower flanges of the large hub reel, which is a low capacity type, is the same as the outer diameter of the upper and lower flanges of the normal small hub reel. When accommodated, the outermost positions of the recording tape are both the same. Therefore, there is no problem that the arrangement angle of the leader member varies.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the recording tape cartridge according to the first or second aspect, wherein the angle of attack of the opposing surfaces of the upper flange and the lower flange of the large hub reel is smaller than the small hub. The angle of attack of the opposing surfaces of the upper flange and the lower flange of the reel is the same, and the distance between the upper flange and the lower flange on the outer peripheral surface of the hub of the hub large reel is the upper of the outer peripheral surface of the hub of the hub small reel. It is characterized by being larger than the distance between the flange and the lower flange.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the edge of the recording tape wound around the hub is suitably regulated by the upper and lower flanges (the recording tape is stably wound), and the vibration of the upper and lower flanges during rotation is Reduced.

  The recording tape cartridge according to claim 4 is the recording tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hub large reel has the same inner diameter as the hub of the hub small reel. A brake member provided with a cylindrical wall having a height and accommodated in a hub of the hub small reel when the leader member is held in the case and preventing rotation of the hub small reel, It is characterized in that it is housed in the cylindrical wall and can be used as a brake member for preventing the rotation of the large hub reel.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since each component other than the reel can be shared by the large hub reel and the small hub reel, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases except for the large hub reel. I don't get up.

  Further, the recording tape cartridge according to claim 5 is the recording tape cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the top plate of the case regulates the movement in the height direction of the large hub reel and the small hub reel. When the leader member is held in the case, the lock member is engaged with the cylindrical wall in the case of the hub large reel, and in the case of the hub small reel. It is characterized in that it is configured to be engaged with the hub.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, even if a hub large reel and a hub small reel having different hub diameters can be used for each component other than the reel, the manufacturing cost increases except for the hub large reel. Such a problem does not occur.

  The recording tape cartridge according to claim 6 is the recording tape cartridge according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the hub and the cylindrical wall are connected by an annular connecting portion in the hub large reel. The portion where the annular connecting portion is connected to the hub is characterized in that it is half the distance between the upper flange and the lower flange on the outer peripheral surface of the hub or on the lower flange side.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, the strength of the hub of the hub large reel can be improved.

  The recording tape cartridge according to claim 7 is the recording tape cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the hub thickness of the hub large reel is equal to or greater than the plate thickness of the annular connecting portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, deformation of the hub of the large hub reel can be prevented.

  The recording tape cartridge according to claim 8 is the recording tape cartridge according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the hub, the annular connecting portion, and the upper flange are made of a resin material in the hub large reel. The lower flange is welded to a convex portion protruding from the lower surface of the annular connecting portion, and the lower end surface of the hub is brought into contact with the lower flange.

  According to invention of Claim 8, while being able to ensure suitably the flow path of the resin material which flows from an annular connection part to a hub, a lower flange can be welded stably.

  The recording tape cartridge according to claim 9 is the recording tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the leader member is in the form of a film tape and extends along the side wall of the case. It is characterized by being held in a slit-shaped storage portion formed in this manner.

  In the invention described in claim 9, even if the leader member is a leader tape, there is no problem that the arrangement angle of the leader tape varies.

  The recording tape cartridge according to claim 10 is the recording tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the reel accommodated in the case is a hub large reel or a hub small reel. An RFID for identifying a reel is provided in the case.

  According to the invention described in claim 10, when the recording tape cartridge is taken out from the library device or when the recording tape cartridge is loaded into the drive device, the reel accommodated in the case is a low capacity type or The type can be identified.

  In any case, according to the present invention, other parts can be used by simply replacing a normal reel with a low-capacity type reel, and the leader member can be arranged even if the low-capacity type reel is accommodated. It is possible to provide a low-capacity type recording tape cartridge in which the angle does not vary.

Schematic perspective view of recording tape cartridge Schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the opening when the door is opened Schematic side sectional view of the recording tape cartridge before the rotating shaft is raised Schematic side sectional view of the recording tape cartridge after the rotating shaft is raised Schematic exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the mounting portion formed on the upper case Schematic perspective view showing the mounting portion formed on the upper case Schematic side view of the lock member held by the holding part Partially enlarged schematic side sectional view of the recording tape cartridge before the rotating shaft is raised Partially enlarged schematic side cross-sectional view of a recording tape cartridge while the rotary shaft is rising Partially enlarged schematic side cross-sectional view of a recording tape cartridge while the rotary shaft is rising Partially enlarged schematic side sectional view of the recording tape cartridge after the rotating shaft is raised Schematic perspective view showing a low-capacity type reel XX schematic side sectional view of FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged schematic side sectional view of FIG. Schematic plan view of a low-capacity type recording tape cartridge with the top plate removed Partially enlarged schematic side sectional view explaining taper angle of upper flange and lower flange Schematic side cross-sectional view of a low-capacity type recording tape cartridge before the rotating shaft rises Schematic side sectional view of a low-capacity type recording tape cartridge after the rotating shaft is raised

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. First, a recording tape cartridge containing a normal reel will be described, and then a recording tape cartridge containing a low capacity type reel will be described. For convenience of explanation, the loading direction of the recording tape cartridge into the drive device is indicated by an arrow A, which is the forward direction. Moreover, the arrow B is set to the left direction, and the front / rear, left / right, and upper / lower directions are expressed based on the arrow B. Further, in the following, the “radial direction” refers to a direction parallel to a direction radially outward from the axis (center) line of the reel accommodated in the case.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a normal recording tape cartridge 10 has a case 12 having a substantially rectangular box shape. In this case 12, an upper case 14 and a lower case 16 made of a resin such as PC are connected to a peripheral wall 14B erected on the periphery of the top plate 14A and a peripheral wall 16B erected on the periphery of the bottom plate 16A. In the contacted state, they are joined by ultrasonic welding, screwing or the like.

  A swing restricting wall 17 (see FIG. 15) is erected inside the case 12, and only one reel 40 is rotatably accommodated inside the swing restricting wall 17. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reel 40 is formed by integrally forming a bottomed cylindrical hub 42 constituting an axial center portion and an upper flange 44 provided at an upper end portion thereof, and a lower flange 46 is formed. It is constructed by ultrasonic welding at the lower end of the hub 42. A recording tape T such as a magnetic tape as an information recording / reproducing medium is wound on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 42, and an end in the width direction of the wound recording tape T is formed by the upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46. The part is held (regulated).

  As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 20 for drawing the recording tape T wound around the reel 40 to the outside is formed in the vicinity of the corner portion 12 </ b> C on the left front side of the recording tape cartridge 10. That is, an opening 20 is formed across the front wall 12A and the left side wall 12B adjacent to the corner part 12C, and the opening 20 is connected to the end of the recording tape T by a splice tape (not shown). The leader tape 22 arranged substantially along the line is drawn out.

  In addition, the corner part said here points out the ridgeline part which cross | intersects substantially right angle or an obtuse angle in planar view in the surrounding walls 14B and 16B of the substantially rectangular box-shaped case 12. FIG. Therefore, the corner portion 12C refers to a ridge line portion where the front wall 12A and the left side wall 12B intersect at substantially right angles in a plan view. Further, the opening 20 is not limited to the case where the opening 20 is provided near the corner portion 12C on the left front side. For example, the opening 20 may be provided near the corner portion 12D on the right front side.

  The leader tape 22 is a drawn member with which a drawing member (not shown) of the drive device is engaged to draw out the recording tape T. The leader tape 22 is an antistatic treatment, or at least its surface is coated with a conductive material. It is configured. The pull-out member on the drive device side has a similar tape shape, and a hole 22 </ b> A for engaging the pull-out member is formed near the tip of the leader tape 22.

  In the leader tape 22, overhang portions 22B projecting in the vertical direction are formed on both the upper and lower sides slightly closer to the rear than the tip of the hole 22A. The protruding portion 22B is accommodated (inserted) in the slot portions 24 formed on the inner surface of the upper case 14 and the inner surface of the lower case 16, respectively, so that the leader tape 22 is held in the case 12. .

  The slot portion 24 is a slit-shaped storage portion that includes a left side wall 12B and a restriction wall 23 that is erected so as to have a predetermined gap along the left side wall 12B. Is a rear wall 23B (see FIG. 15) that is provided integrally with the left side wall 12B and closes the rear side. Therefore, the leader tape 22 is arranged substantially along the left side wall 12B in a state where the overhanging portion 22B is regulated by the rear wall 23B.

  Further, the front end of the regulation wall 23 is bent so as to substantially follow the shape of the case 12, and the front side of the slot portion 24 faces the opening 20 and is opened. Thereby, the overhang | projection part 22B is a structure which can be freely entered / exited from the front side of the slot part 24, and is a structure by which the extraction | drawer path | route of the leader tape 22 is ensured suitably (the leader tape 22 can be pulled out suitably).

  The opening 20 is closed by a door 30 when the recording tape cartridge 10 is not used. The door 30 is formed in a substantially “L” shape in plan view having substantially the same shape and size as the opening 20.

  Further, on the inner surface of the door 30, on the upper and lower portions on the right side of the bent portion, when the opening 20 is closed, a convex portion 30 </ b> D that contacts the front surface 23 </ b> A of the restriction wall 23 bent toward the front wall 12 </ b> A is provided. It is integrally formed. And the front-end | tip part 30C by the side of the left side wall 12B of the door 30 is formed in the substantially trapezoid shape by the side view. The door 30 is preferably formed of an olefin resin such as POM, but may be formed of a resin such as PC or a metal such as SUS.

  Further, a support shaft 25 serving as a pivotal support point of the door 30 is provided on the front wall 12A side of the upper case 14 and the lower case 16 respectively. The support shaft 25 has a cylindrical boss 26 on the upper case 14 side, and a two-stage columnar protruding shaft 27 on the lower case 16 side. And the support shaft 25 comes to be comprised when the front-end | tip part (illustration omitted) of the protrusion shaft 27 by the side of the lower case 16 fits into the hole (illustration omitted) of the boss | hub 26 by the side of the upper case 14. ing. Note that the diameter of the protruding shaft 27 excluding the tip is slightly smaller than the diameter of the boss 26.

  Further, in the vicinity of the right end portion of the inner surface of the door 30 (a position shifted to the left by a predetermined distance from the right end portion), three flat plate-like rotational sliding portions 32 are provided in parallel. The rotary sliding portions 32 protrude from both upper and lower end portions of the inner surface of the door 30 and midway portions slightly shifted downward from the center, and are freely fitted on the support shafts 25 on the rotary sliding portions 32. A through hole is formed. Therefore, the door 30 is rotatably supported by inserting the support shaft 25 into each through hole.

  In addition, annular convex portions 34 are formed around the through holes on the upper surface of the rotational sliding portion 32 at the upper end and the lower surface of the rotational sliding portion 32 at the lower end, respectively. And this annular convex part 34 contacts the upper case 14 and the lower case 16, respectively, between the upper end surface 30A of the door 30 and the upper case 14, and between the lower end surface 30B of the door 30 and the lower case 16. A gap of about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm is formed between them.

  Further, on the inner surface of the door 30 between the rotating and sliding portions 32, a raised portion 36 having an arc shape in a plan view substantially along the peripheral surface of the support shaft 25 is formed. A coil portion 28 </ b> A of a torsion spring 28 that constantly biases the door 30 in the closing direction of the opening 20 is inserted into the support shaft 25.

  That is, the coil portion 28 </ b> A of the torsion spring 28 is inserted into the protruding shaft 27 having a diameter smaller than that of the boss 26 while being held between the rotating sliding portion 32 at the lower end and the rotating sliding portion 32 at the midway portion. It is fitted and attached. One end 28 </ b> B of the torsion spring 28 is locked to the screw boss 15 of the case 12 (the screw boss protruding from the lower case 16), and the other end is connected to the right edge of the raised portion 36. It is locked.

  On the other hand, the reel 40 is formed of a resin material in which 20% of glass fiber (GF) is added to polycarbonate (PC). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a bottomed cylindrical hub 42 and an upper end portion of the hub 42 are formed. And a lower flange 46 attached to the lower end portion of the hub 42 by welding or the like.

  Therefore, the hub 42 and the lower flange 46 are formed using resin materials that are compatible with each other, and can be easily welded by ultrasonic waves or the like. The distance between the upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46 is substantially the same as the width of the recording tape T, and the position in the width direction of the recording tape T wound around the hub 42 is regulated. .

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a bottom wall 48 is provided on the lower flange 46 side of the hub 42, and a through hole 48 </ b> A is formed in an axial center (center) portion of the bottom wall 48. ing. A reel gear 50 is formed in an annular shape on the lower surface side of the bottom wall 48. The reel gear 50 is exposed from a circular gear opening 18 provided substantially at the center of the lower case 16 when the reel 40 is pressed against the lower case 16 side by the urging force of the compression coil spring 78. The rotating power is transmitted to the reel 40 by meshing with a driving gear 102 provided on the rotating shaft 100 on the drive device side.

  An annular rib 19 is erected on the peripheral edge of the gear opening 18 (inside the case 12), and a tapered surface 19A is formed on the inner peripheral surface (the peripheral surface on the gear opening 18 side). ing. An annular rib 56 extending downward is provided on the lower surface of the reel 40 (lower flange 46) and radially outward of the reel gear 50, and a tapered surface 56A is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Accordingly, when the recording tape cartridge 10 is not used, the reel 40 is positioned and supported by the lower case 16 (case 12) by the taper surface 56A of the annular rib 56 coming into contact with the taper surface 19A of the annular rib 19.

  Further, an annular reel plate 52 made of a magnetic material is integrally fixed to the inner side in the radial direction of the reel gear 50 by insert molding or the like. The reel plate 52 is attracted by the magnetic force of an annular magnet 106 provided between the drive gear 102 and a release projection 104 described later in a state where the drive gear 102 and the reel gear 50 are completely meshed with each other. In addition to preventing misalignment (axial misalignment) with the rotating shaft 100, the meshing state of the reel gear 50 and the drive gear 102 can be maintained. With such a configuration, when the rotary shaft 100 rotates about its axis, the reel 40 rotates in the case 12 integrally therewith.

  On the other hand, an engagement gear 54 is formed in an annular shape on the upper surface side of the bottom wall 48 of the hub 42, and can mesh with the braking gear 82 of the brake member 80. The brake member 80 is formed in a disk shape that is accommodated inside the hub 42 so as to be movable up and down (movable in the axial direction of the reel 40), and a brake gear 82 is annularly provided on the outer periphery of the lower surface thereof. It has been.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of (three in the present embodiment) plate-like guide portions 84 inserted between guide wall portions 68 (described later) of the upper case 14 are provided on the upper surface of the brake member 80. In addition, the same number (three) of substantially prismatic engagement protrusions 86 respectively engaged with cam portions 94 of a plurality (three in this embodiment) of lock members 90 (described later) are alternately spaced at equal intervals. It is erected. The engagement protrusion 86 has a tapered surface 86A that is inclined 30 to 60 degrees, preferably 45 degrees on the radially inner side, and the tapered surface 86A is a tapered surface formed on the cam portion 94 of the lock member 90. 94A is engaged.

  Further, on the upper surface of the brake member 80, a flat surface 80A is formed in an annular shape outside the guide portion 84 and the engagement projection 86, and when the recording tape cartridge 10 (case 12) is assembled, it is compressed as a biasing member. The lower end of the coil spring 78 comes into contact.

  Further, a substantially cylindrical operation protrusion 88 that can be inserted into the through hole 48A is projected at the center of the lower surface of the brake member 80, and a release protrusion that is projected from the axial center of the rotary shaft 100 on the drive device side. 104 can be contacted (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In addition, as shown in the figure, the operation projection 88 is provided so as to project at a height that does not project downward from the through hole 48A (from the bottom wall 48) (a height that is located in the through hole 48A). This prevents the brake member 80 from inadvertently moving upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upper edge of the top case 14A of the upper case 14 is engaged with the upper edge of the hub 42 from the inner peripheral surface side at the approximate center (on the axial center of the hub 42). Thus, a mounting portion 60 that slidably accommodates a plurality (three) of locking members 90 and the like that prevent the reel 40 from moving in the axial direction (vertical direction) is formed.

  The mounting portion 60 has two cylindrical walls 62 and 64 which are erected in a concentric shape in plan view and whose outer side is higher than the inner side. The cylindrical walls 62 and 64 are notched at appropriate positions (three places at equal intervals), and a guide rib 65 is erected along the radial direction inside the cylindrical wall 64 at the notched portion. Yes. And the lock member 90 is accommodated in the accommodating part 63 comprised between this guide rib 65, and it can be slid to radial direction.

  A plurality of (9 in this embodiment) plate-like support ribs 66 are erected between the cylindrical walls 62 and 64 in the radial direction so as to connect the cylindrical walls 62 and 64 to each other. Yes. A pair of two guide wall portions 68 into which the guide portions 84 of the brake member 80 are inserted are provided between the accommodating portions 63 and inside the cylindrical wall 64 so as to protrude in the same number as the guide portions 84. Has been. The two sets of guide wall portions 68 are projected along the radial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 64 so that the outer end surfaces thereof are flush with each other. The interval is the same as or slightly larger than the plate thickness of the guide portion 84.

  In addition, a pair of holding portions that hold the lock member 90 slidably (with a minute gap) between the cylindrical walls 62 and 64 and on both sides of the housing portion 63 (on the extension line of the guide rib 65). 70 is protruded. An undercut portion 70 </ b> A that protrudes toward the inside (the lock member 90 side) is formed at the tip (lower end) of the holding portion 70.

  The undercut portion 70A is assembled when the upper case 14 is turned over so that the inner surface of the top plate 14A faces downward after the lock member 90 is assembled (when the case 12 is assembled). The lock member 90 is temporarily pressed to the extent that it does not fall (cannot be removed) from at least the mounting portion 60 (accommodating portion 63).

  Further, a locking projection 72 for holding one end of the coil spring 58 is provided projecting substantially at the center of the inner surface of the top plate 14A (on the axis of the hub 42 and the center of the mounting portion 60). The coil springs 58 are provided for each lock member 90 (in this case, three), and each lock member 90 is constantly biased radially outward from the center of the mounting portion 60 (center of the reel 40). It has become.

  The locking projections 72 are formed in a substantially triangular prism shape so that the three coil springs 58 can be held at a time. A pair of locking claws 72A capable of locking and holding the winding from both sides are formed so as to project inward.

  In the top plate 14A, when the lock member 90 and the coil spring 58 are assembled at a predetermined position on the extension line of the accommodating portion 63 and outside the cylindrical wall 62 (a position where a tension to be described later is applied to some extent) Stopper ribs 74 are provided so as to temporarily fix the lock member 90 biased by the coil spring 58 (until the upper case 14 is covered with the lower case 16). Accordingly, since the lock member 90 is held in a state where a certain amount of tension is applied between the coil spring 58 and the stopper rib 74, the lock member 90 is further prevented from falling off, thereby improving its assemblability. It has come to be.

  Further, after the lock member 90 is temporarily held by the holding portion 70, a resin ring as a drop-off preventing member that holds the lock member 90 on the support rib 66 so as not to be detached even if the lock member 90 slides. A shaped stopper 76 is welded by ultrasonic waves or the like. A predetermined clearance C1 (C1 = about 0.05 mm to about 0.4 mm) is provided between the stopper 76 and the lock member 90 so as not to hinder the lock member 90 from sliding. The height of the support rib 66 is defined so that the clearance C1 is secured (see FIG. 7).

  Further, on the stopper 76, when the recording tape cartridge 10 is assembled (when the upper case 14 is put on the lower case 16), the upper end of the compression coil spring 78 comes into contact with the stopper 76. The coil spring 78 is held between the stopper 76 (upper case 14) and the flat surface 80A (brake member 80).

  Note that the upper end of the compression coil spring 78 does not have to be in contact with the stopper 76 but may be in contact with the support rib 66. Further, the stopper 76 is not limited to the ring shape shown in the figure, and may be provided between the support ribs 66 at least on both sides of the lock member 90 so that the lock member 90 can be prevented from falling off at all times. In addition, the holding unit 70 may be omitted simply by providing such a stopper 76, or the holding unit 70 may be omitted and only the holding unit 70 may be provided.

  The lock member 90 is held in the housing portion 63 in a state in which the lock member 90 is prevented from falling off by the holding portion 70, the stopper 76, and the like so as to be slidable in the radial direction. It has a substantially prismatic main body 92 that is in sliding contact with the inner surface. In addition, a substantially prismatic cam portion 94 having the same width as the main body 92 protrudes perpendicularly to the main body 92 (in the axial direction of the reel 40) in the vicinity of the radially inner end 92B of the main body 92. It is installed.

  On the radially inner side surface of the cam portion 94, a cross-sectional insertion portion 98 into which the other end of the coil spring 58 is inserted is projected in a predetermined length toward the radially inner side. The outer diameter of the insertion portion 98 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the coil spring 58 so that the coil spring 58 does not come off from the insertion portion 98. Further, in the main body portion 92, an end portion 92B radially inward of the cam portion 94 is extended inward in the radial direction by a predetermined length (so as to be slightly longer than the fitting portion 98).

  Accordingly, the center of gravity of the lock member 90 can be lowered, and the lock member 90 and the coil spring 58 are incorporated into the attachment portion 60 (accommodating portion 63) and held between the locking projection 72 and the stopper rib 74. In this case, it is possible to further prevent the lock member 90 from jumping out of the attachment portion 60 (accommodating portion 63) due to the tension of the coil spring 58. That is, with such a configuration, the incorporation of the lock member 90 and the coil spring 58 is further improved.

  Further, the outer side of the lower end surface of the cam portion 94 is a tapered surface (cam surface) 94A inclined at 30 to 60 degrees, preferably 45 degrees, and is engaged with the tapered surface 86A of the engaging protrusion 86 of the brake member 80. It comes to match. Since both the engagement protrusion 86 and the cam portion 94 are formed in a substantially prismatic shape, the engagement protrusion 86 and the cam portion 94 have high rigidity and can be suitably engaged.

  The thickness D (see FIG. 7) of the end portion 92A on the radially outer side of the lock member 90 (main body portion 92) (outside the engaging portion 96 described later) It is formed substantially the same as the distance W (see FIG. 3) between the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A when positioned at the lower position.

  Further, in the vicinity of the radially outer end portion 92A, an engaging portion 96 having a predetermined height that engages with the upper edge portion of the hub 42 is perpendicular to the main body portion 92 (in the axial direction of the reel 40). ) Projected. The engaging portion 96 has the same width as the main body portion 92 and protrudes lower than the cam portion 94, and the outer side of the lower end surface is a tapered surface 96A inclined at a predetermined angle. The shape of the outer surface including the tapered surface 96A is a circular arc surface that matches the inner peripheral surface of the hub 42 in plan view.

  Accordingly, when the recording tape cartridge 10 is assembled (when the upper case 14 is put on the lower case 16), the locking member 90 temporarily fixed by the stopper rib 74 causes the engaging portion 96 to move to the hub 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the radially outer end 92 </ b> A of the main body 92 is separated from the stopper rib 74 after the engagement.

  According to the above configuration, when the recording tape cartridge 10 is not used, the brake member 80 is urged downward by the urging force of the compression coil spring 78 and the lock member 90 is coil spring as shown in FIGS. It is urged radially outward by the urging force 58. At this time, the guide portion 84 inserted into the guide wall portion 68 prevents the brake member 80 from rotating relative to the case 12, and the brake gear 82 of the brake member 80 and the engagement gear 54 in the hub 42 are firmly meshed with each other. Thus, inadvertent rotation of the reel 40 is prevented.

  Then, when the engaging portion 96 of the lock member 90 is engaged with the upper edge portion of the hub 42, that is, the outer surface except the tapered surface 96A of the engaging portion 96 presses the inner peripheral surface of the hub 42, An end 92A radially outside the engaging portion 96 of the main body 92 is interposed between the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A (the thickness D of the end 92A is the upper surface of the upper flange 44). Is substantially the same as the distance W between the top plate 14A and the inner surface of the top plate 14A), the reel 40 is prevented from rising when the recording tape cartridge 10 is not used.

  Here, when the recording tape cartridge 10 is not used, the engagement protrusion 86 and the cam portion 94 are not in contact with each other so that the component force of the coil spring 58 does not act on the brake member 80. The clearance C2 between the opposing tapered surfaces 86A and 94A in the axial direction of the reel 40 (moving direction of the brake member 80) is naturally larger than the meshing amount K between the braking gear 82 and the engaging gear 54 (in other words, For example, it is smaller than the ascending stroke of the brake member 80 until the engagement between the brake gear 82 and the engagement gear 54 is released.

  This is because if the clearance C2 is larger than the meshing amount K, the brake member 80 easily rises by the clearance C2 due to an impact such as dropping, so that the reel 40 can be rotated carelessly. It is. Therefore, the clearance C2 between the engagement protrusion 86 and the cam portion 94 is extremely small, so that the reel 40 and the brake member 80 cannot substantially be raised when the recording tape cartridge 10 is not used (the shaft of the reel 40). It is impossible to move in the direction).

  On the other hand, when the recording tape cartridge 10 is used, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 11, the engagement of the brake gear 82 and the engagement gear 54 is released, and the lock member 90 resists the biasing force of the coil spring 58. And the outer surface of the engaging portion 96 is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the hub 42, and the outer end 92A of the main body 92 is connected to the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A. Evacuate from between. Thereby, the reel 40 can be raised to a predetermined height in the case 12 and can be rotated.

  When the brake member 80 is raised, the cam portion 94 enters the inside of the engagement protrusion 86. At this time, the outer surface of the cam portion 94 only comes into contact with the inner surface of the engagement protrusion 86. The upper end surface of 86 does not contact the lock member 90, and the lower end surface of the cam portion 94 does not contact the brake member 80. For this reason, the pressing force (biasing force) by which the lock member 90 is pressed by the coil spring 58 is received by the inner peripheral surface of the engagement protrusion 86, and a component force that presses the brake member 80 downward is not generated. .

  That is, when the reel 40 rotates, the pressing force (biasing force) by the coil spring 58 acts only in the radial direction of the reel 40 and does not act (is not transmitted) in the axial direction (vertical direction) of the reel 40. For this reason, the lock member 90 is stably held in the unlocked state. Further, since the pressing force (biasing force) in the axial direction (vertical direction) of the reel 40 is only the urging force of the compression coil spring 78 as in the prior art, even if the coil spring 58 is provided, the rotating shaft No extra load is applied in the 100 axial direction (downward).

  Further, in the main body 92 of the lock member 90, it is preferable to form a recess (or projection) (not shown) on the upper surface of the upper case 14 that contacts the inner surface of the top plate 14A and the lower surface that contacts the stopper 76. . By forming such a concave portion (or convex portion), the contact area between the inner surface of the top plate 14A of the upper case 14 and the stopper 76 can be reduced, so that the lock member 90 can be slid with less resistance. Become.

  Next, the operation of the recording tape cartridge 10 configured as described above will be described. When the recording tape cartridge 10 is not in use (when not loaded in the drive device), the door 30 closes the opening 20 by the urging force of the torsion spring 28. The leader tape 22 is disposed substantially along the left side wall 12 </ b> B by holding (inserting) and holding the protruding portion 22 </ b> B in the slot portion 24.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the reel 40 is urged downward by a compression coil spring 78 via a brake member 80. That is, due to the urging force of the compression coil spring 78, the braking gear 82 of the brake member 80 is firmly meshed with the engagement gear 54 in the hub 42, and the reel 40 is prevented from being inadvertently rotated.

  The locking member 90 is urged radially outward from the center of the mounting portion 60 (center of the reel 40) by the urging force of the coil spring 58, and the engaging portion 96 is engaged with the upper edge portion of the hub 42. Match. That is, the outer surface except for the tapered surface 96 </ b> A of the engaging portion 96 presses the inner peripheral surface of the hub 42, and the end portion 92 </ b> A on the radially outer side of the engaging portion 96 of the main body portion 92 is It is interposed between the inner surface of the plate 14A.

  Here, the thickness D of the outer end 92A of the lock member 90 (main body 92) is the distance between the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A when the reel 40 is positioned at the lowest position in the case 12. Since it is formed substantially the same as W, the locking member 90 prevents the reel 40 from rising. That is, even if an impact is applied to the recording tape cartridge 10 due to dropping or the like, the reel 40 does not rise.

  Further, the clearance C2 between the cam portion 94 of the lock member 90 and the engagement protrusion 86 of the brake member 80 is smaller than the engagement amount K between the brake gear 82 and the engagement gear 54, and is extremely small. Even if an impact is applied to the cartridge 10, the brake member 80 does not substantially rise. Therefore, the brake gear 82 is not disengaged from the engagement gear 54, and the recording tape T is not adversely affected.

  When recording data on the recording tape T of the recording tape cartridge 10 or reproducing the data recorded on the recording tape T of the recording tape cartridge 10, the recording tape cartridge 10 is loaded into a drive device (not shown). To do. That is, the recording tape cartridge 10 is inserted into the loading port (not shown) of the drive device from the front wall 12A side.

  Then, along with the loading, the opening / closing member (not shown) of the drive device approaches and contacts the right end portion (right side of the support shaft 25) of the door 30 relatively and presses the right end portion. As a result, the door 30 rotates about the support shaft 25 against the urging force of the torsion spring 28 and opens the opening 20.

  At this time, between the upper end surface 30A of the door 30 and the upper case 14 and between the lower end surface 30B of the door 30 and the lower case 16, about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm are respectively provided by the annular protrusions 34. A gap of a certain degree is formed. That is, in the door 30, only the annular protrusion 34 is in contact with the upper case 14 and the lower case 16. Therefore, the door 30 can be rotated with little sliding resistance.

  Further, in the door 30, at least the rotary sliding portion 32 and the annular convex portion 34 are desirably formed of an olefin resin such as POM. According to this, the sliding resistance with respect to the upper case 14 and the lower case 16 formed of resin such as PC can be further reduced, and the sliding resistance with respect to the support shaft 25 can also be reduced.

  Furthermore, since the coil portion 28A of the torsion spring 28 is disposed between the rotary sliding portions 32, if the rotary sliding portion 32 is formed of an olefin resin such as POM, the resin such as PC is used. It becomes harder to cut than the case 12 to be molded. That is, even if the coil portion 28 </ b> A of the torsion spring 28 is slid by the rotation of the door 30, wear powder or the like is hardly generated, so that the recording tape T is not adversely affected.

  In any case, when the door 30 is rotated and the opening 20 is opened, the drawer member (not shown) of the drive device approaches the opening 20 from the left side wall 12B side, and the hole of the leader tape 22 22A is engaged. At this time, since the leader tape 22 stands by in the state of being close to the left side wall 12B, the drawing member can be reliably engaged with the hole 22A.

  Thus, when the drawing member is engaged with the hole 22 </ b> A, the drawing member is separated from the opening 20, whereby the leader tape 22 is drawn from the case 12. Then, the leader tape 22 drawn out from the case 12 is wound around a take-up reel (not shown) of the drive device.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the rotary shaft 100 of the drive device enters from the gear opening 18, the release protrusion 104 comes into contact with the operation protrusion 88, and presses the operation protrusion 88 upward. Then, the brake member 80 rises against the urging force of the compression coil spring 78, and the engagement protrusion 86 comes into contact with the cam portion 94 of the lock member 90 and presses the cam portion 94 upward.

  As a result, the taper surface 94A of the cam portion 94 slides on the taper surface 86A of the engagement protrusion 86, and the lock member 90 resists the urging force of the coil spring 58 on the inner surface of the top plate 14A (inside the housing portion 63). ) Begins to slide radially inward. At this time, since the concave portion (or convex portion) is formed in the main body 92, the lock member 90 can slide with little resistance. Further, the lock member 90 can be slid in a stable state without being detached from the accommodating portion 63 (attachment portion 60) by the stopper 76 or the like.

  Thus, when the lock member 90 starts to slide radially inward in the housing portion 63, the outer surface of the engaging portion 96 of the lock member 90 is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the hub 42, and the outer side of the main body portion 92. The end portion 92A starts to retract from between the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A. Then, the meshing between the engagement gear 54 and the braking gear 82 is released, and the drive gear 102 begins to mesh with the reel gear 50. As shown in FIG. 10, the meshing amount between the reel gear 50 and the drive gear 102 is as follows. When approximately half of the tooth height is reached, the lock member 90 is completely retracted from between the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A.

  That is, the outer end portion 92 </ b> A is disposed inside the hub 42, and the reel 40 starts to rise by the rotating shaft 100. When the drive gear 102 is completely engaged with the reel gear 50 and the reel plate 52 is attracted to the magnet 106, the rotating shaft 100 is further raised to a predetermined height as shown in FIGS. Accordingly, the cam portion 94 enters (falls) inside the engagement protrusion 86, the outer surface of the cam portion 94 comes into contact with the inner surface of the engagement protrusion 86, and the lock member 90 is held in the unlocked state. Then, the reel 40 is rotationally driven at the predetermined height position.

  That is, the reel 40 (reel gear 50) is driven to rotate in synchronization with the take-up reel by the rotating shaft 100 (drive gear 102), so that the recording tape T is sequentially fed to the drive device side, and the recording / reproducing head of the drive device. By (not shown), data is recorded on the recording tape T or data recorded on the recording tape T is reproduced.

  On the other hand, when the recording tape cartridge 10 is taken out from the drive device, first, the drive gear 102 is reversely rotated to rewind the recording tape T onto the reel 40. Then, the leader tape 22 is removed from the take-up reel and returned from the opening 20 into the case 12. That is, the protruding portion 22B of the leader tape 22 is stored (inserted) in the slot portion 24 and held at a predetermined position in the case 12.

  Next, when the rotary shaft 100 is lowered, the reel 40 begins to descend, and the brake member 80 begins to descend due to the urging force of the compression coil spring 78. Along with this, the lock member 90 starts to slide radially outward in the accommodating portion 63 by the biasing force of the coil spring 58. That is, the taper surface 94A of the cam portion 94 starts to slide on the taper surface 86A of the engagement protrusion 86. At this time, the lock member 90 can slide in a stable state with little resistance.

  When the rotating shaft 100 is further lowered, the magnet 106 is separated from the reel plate 52 and the engagement of the drive gear 102 with the reel gear 50 starts to be released. When the amount of engagement between the reel gear 50 and the drive gear 102 is reduced to about half of the tooth height, the outer end 92A of the lock member 90 (main body 92) becomes the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A. Begins to intervene with.

  That is, before the engagement of the drive gear 102 with the reel gear 50 is completely released (while the reel 40 is supported by the rotary shaft 100), the lock member 90 is between the upper surface of the upper flange 44 and the inner surface of the top plate 14A. The reel 40 is held between the lower case 16 and the rise is prevented. Thereafter, when the rotating shaft 100 further descends and the engagement of the drive gear 102 with the reel gear 50 is completely released, the engaging portion 96 engages with the upper edge portion of the hub 42. That is, the outer surface of the engaging portion 96 excluding the tapered surface 96 </ b> A presses the inner peripheral surface of the hub 42 by the biasing force of the coil spring 58.

  When the taper surface 86A of the engagement projection 86 is separated from the taper surface 94A of the cam portion 94 and the release projection 104 is separated from the operation projection 88, the brake member 80 is moved to the lowest position by the urging force of the compression coil spring 78. The brake gear 82 is engaged with the engagement gear 54 firmly. As a result, inadvertent rotation of the reel 40 is prevented again, and the top surface of the reel 40 is held so as not to be lifted by the lock member 90, and the annular rib 56 standing on the bottom surface of the reel 40 is attached to the annular rib 19. Supported.

  Thus, when the rotary shaft 100 is extracted from the gear opening 18, the recording tape cartridge 10 is discharged from the loading port, and the opening / closing member is separated from the right end portion of the door 30 along with this discharging operation. Then, the door 30 is rotated about the support shaft 25 in the opposite direction by the urging force of the torsion spring 28 to close the opening 20. Then, the recording tape cartridge 10 with the opening 20 closed is ejected from the drive device.

  Next, a low-capacity type recording tape cartridge 11 in which the winding amount of the recording tape T is reduced with respect to the normal recording tape cartridge 10 as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. The low-capacity type recording tape cartridge 11 is configured such that all other parts can also be used as parts of the recording tape cartridge 10 by replacing only the reel 40 with the low-capacity type reel 41. Except for the structure, the manufacturing cost is prevented from increasing.

  Accordingly, the low-capacity type reel 41 will be described below, and the other components will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the recording tape cartridge 10 and detailed description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, with respect to the reel 41, portions having the same functions as those of the reel 40 may be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof may be omitted. Furthermore, the material of the reel 41 is naturally the same as that of the reel 40, and a resin material obtained by adding 20% glass fiber (GF) to polycarbonate (PC) is used. The Young's modulus E is both 6000 MPa.

  In this low capacity type reel 41, the diameter of the hub 43 is larger than that of the hub 42 of the reel 40, and the amount of winding of the recording tape T is reduced. That is, the inner diameter of the hub 42 of the reel 40 is about 48 mm, whereas the inner diameter of the hub 43 of the reel 41 is about 87.7 mm. Therefore, in the following, in order to distinguish the low-capacity type reel 41 from the normal reel 40, it is referred to as a “hub large reel 41”, and the normal reel 40 is referred to as a “hub small reel 40”.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the large hub reel 41 has a cylindrical wall 49 having at least the same inner diameter as the hub 42 of the small hub reel 40. That is, both the inner diameter of the hub small reel 40 and the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 49 are about 48 mm. The cylindrical wall 49 has a function equivalent to that of the hub 42 of the hub small reel 40, and is configured such that the brake member 80, the compression coil spring 78, and the like can be accommodated inside and the lock member 90 can be engaged. Therefore, the height is the same as the height of the hub 42 of the hub small reel 40. In addition, the plate | board thickness of the cylindrical wall 49 is about 1.4 mm-about 1.5 mm, and the intensity | strength with respect to the lock member 90 is fully ensured.

  The hub 43 of the large hub reel 41 is connected to the cylindrical wall 49 by an annular connecting portion 51. In other words, the annular connecting portion 51 integrally connects the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 49 and the inner peripheral surface of the hub 43, and the plate thickness thereof is the same as or thinner than the plate thickness of the hub 43. Has been. That is, the plate thickness of the hub 43 is the same as or greater than the plate thickness of the annular connecting portion 51.

  More specifically, the plate thickness of the hub 43 is about 1.8 mm to about 2.7 mm, and the plate thickness of the annular connecting portion 51 is about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm. For example, the thickness of the hub 43 and the annular connecting portion 51 are both formed to be about 1.8 mm, or the thickness of the hub 43 is about 2.7 mm, and the annular connecting portion 51 is about 2 mm thick. .2mm. Thereby, the deformation of the hub 43 is prevented. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, the shape of the annular connection part 51 is preferably a linear shape in the horizontal direction, but may be a shape that is bent in the middle.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the position of the annular connecting portion 51 connected to the hub 43 is half the distance H between the upper flange 45 and the lower flange 47 on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 43, or the lower flange 47 side than that. It is said that. The bottom wall 48, the cylindrical wall 49, and the annular connecting portion 51, the hub 43 and the upper flange 45 are integrally formed, and considering the strength of the hub 43, the connecting portion of the annular connecting portion 51 is the lower end portion of the hub 43. Although it is preferable, at the time of molding, the resin material injected from the gate (not shown) provided on the bottom wall 48 does not suitably flow to the upper flange 45. Therefore, in order to suitably secure the flow path of the resin material and to obtain the strength of the hub 43 suitably, the annular coupling portion 51 is configured to be coupled to the above position.

  A plurality of (for example, six, for example, six) are provided between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 49 and the upper and lower surfaces of the annular connecting portion 51 so that the reinforcing ribs 57 and 59 are at equal intervals and in the same vertical position. See) is arranged. The sizes of the reinforcing ribs 57 and 59 are different on the upper surface side and the lower surface side, and the reinforcing rib 59 on the lower surface side is formed larger than the reinforcing rib 57 on the upper surface side. These reinforcing ribs 57 and 59 improve the connection strength between the cylindrical wall 49 and the annular connecting portion 51, improve the drop impact resistance, and provide a resin material flow path from the cylindrical wall 49 to the annular connecting portion 51. To be secured.

  Further, as described above, the upper flange 45 and the lower flange 47 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the hub 43, respectively. That is, the upper flange 45 is integrally formed with the hub 43 and the annular connecting portion 51, and the lower flange 47 is welded to the annular convex portion 53 that protrudes from the annular connecting portion 51. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, an annular projecting portion 47A projecting inwardly extends from the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the lower flange 47, and the upper surface of the annular projecting portion 47A is annular. It is configured to be ultrasonically welded to the lower surface of the convex portion 53, and a welding margin 53 </ b> A is provided on the lower surface of the annular convex portion 53.

  In addition, an annular protrusion 55 projects further downward on the inner side of the annular protrusion 53, and the inner end surface of the annular projecting portion 47A is a tapered surface 47B that expands downward. . The upper part of the inner end surface of the annular projecting portion 47 </ b> A is configured to contact the outer peripheral surface of the annular protrusion 55 after welding, and the lower end surface 43 </ b> A of the hub 43 is configured to contact the upper surface of the lower flange 47.

  With such a configuration, surface vibration of the lower flange 47 during ultrasonic welding is suppressed, and the lower flange 47 can be stably welded to the annular coupling portion 51. Further, since the impact received by the lower flange 47 due to dropping or the like can be received by the annular protrusion 55, the drop impact resistance can be improved. As shown in FIG. 14, the position where the welding margin 53A is provided is a position where the distance L between the center of the welding margin 53A and the center of the hub 43 in the plate thickness direction is L = about 3 mm to about 5 mm. It is preferable. Further, the welding margin may be provided on the upper surface of the lower flange 47.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the outer diameters of the upper flange 45 and the lower flange 47 of the hub large reel 41 are the same as the outer diameters of the upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46 of the hub small reel 40 (both are about 103 mm). ing. In other words, the maximum winding diameter of the recording tape T wound around the hub 42 of the hub small reel 40 and the maximum winding diameter of the recording tape T wound around the hub 43 of the hub large reel 41 are the same. ing. Therefore, when the recording tape cartridge 11 is not used, the leader tape 22 is preferably housed and held in the slot portion 24 in the same manner as the recording tape cartridge 10.

  That is, when the recording tape cartridges 10 and 11 are not used, the leader tape 22 (the outermost recording tape T) pulled out from the small hub reel 40 accommodated inside the swing restriction wall 17 is also the swing restriction wall. The leader tape 22 (the outermost recording tape T) drawn out from the hub large reel 41 housed inside 17 is also disposed substantially along the left side wall 12B. The arrangement angle of 22 with respect to the slot portion 24 is the same as the arrangement angle of the small hub reel 40 with respect to the slot portion 24 of the leader tape 22.

  Therefore, in the recording tape cartridge 11, there is no problem that the path angle at which the drawing member of the drive device engages with the hole 22A of the leader tape 22 fluctuates, and the path of the leader tape 22 and the recording tape T within the drive device. The path is not different from that of the recording tape cartridge 10. That is, the recording tape cartridge 11 having the hub large reel 41 and the recording tape cartridge 10 having the hub small reel 40 can be recorded and reproduced by the same drive device.

  In the case of the recording tape cartridge 11 that accommodates the hub large reel 41, since the winding amount of the recording tape T is smaller than that of the recording tape cartridge 10 that accommodates the hub small reel 40, the weight of the entire reel is generally reduced. Therefore, the drawing torque of the leader tape 22 and the recording tape T is smaller for the hub large reel 41 than for the hub small reel 40. Of course, the tension of the drive device here can be controlled, and the recording tape cartridge 11 can be loaded in the same drive device as the recording tape cartridge 10.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 16, the angles of attack α1 and α2 on the opposed surfaces of the upper flange 45 and the lower flange 47 of the hub large reel 41 are the upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46 of the hub small reel 40 indicated by phantom lines. Are made equal to the angles of attack β1 and β2 of the opposing surfaces. That is, the lower surfaces of the upper flanges 44 and 45 and the upper surfaces of the lower flanges 46 and 47 are tapered surfaces that are thinned radially outward in a side view (the difference between the thickness of the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion). The taper surface is about 0.2 mm for the small hub reel 40 and about 0.1 mm for the large hub reel 41), regardless of the diameter of the hub 43 of the large hub reel 41. The angles of attack α1 and α2 of the lower flange 47 are configured to be the same as the angles of attack β1 and β2 of the upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46 of the hub small reel 40 (α1 = β1, α2 = β2), respectively.

  Therefore, the distance H between the upper flange 45 and the lower flange 47 on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 43 of the hub large reel 41 is the distance J between the upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46 on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 42 of the hub small reel 40 indicated by phantom lines. However, in this case, for example, the distance H between the upper flange 45 and the lower flange 47 on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 43 of the large hub reel 41 is set higher on the outer peripheral surface of the hub 42 of the hub small reel 40. It is equal to the interval J between the flange 44 and the lower flange 46 (H = J), and is more preferable than the cases where the angles of attack α1 and α2 are larger than the angles of attack β1 and β2 (α1> β1, α2> β2).

  That is, in the latter configuration (α1> β1, α2> β2, H = J), the upper end portion (edge) of the recording tape T and the upper flange 45 and the lower end portion (edge) and the lower flange 47 are arranged. Since the margin between them is reduced, the effect of LTM (Lateral Tape Motion), in which the recording tape T is wound slightly shifted in the vertical direction (width direction), or the recording tape T is more The vibration of the hub 43 (because the center of gravity of the recording tape T to be wound is shifted radially outward) that occurs due to being wound away from the center of rotation (the vibration of the hub 43 during the rotation of the hub large reel 41). ), That is, the vibration of the upper and lower flanges 45 and 47 is increased.

  Therefore, it is preferable to adopt the configuration (α1 = β1, α2 = β2, H> J) as in the former, so that the upper and lower ends (edges) of the recording tape T can be suitably controlled (the recording tape T is stabilized). The vibration of the hub 43 during the rotation of the large hub reel 41, that is, the vibration of the upper and lower flanges 45 and 47 can be reduced (stabilized).

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 15, in order to determine which one of the small hub reel 40 and the large hub reel 41 is the recording tape cartridge 10 or 11 accommodated in the case 12, these recording tape cartridges 10 and 11 include: It is preferable to mount an RFID 108 that stores the type of reel, information on the recording tape T, production information, and the like.

  As shown in the figure, the position where the RFID 108 is mounted is preferably arranged on the inner surface of the front wall 12A side of the case 12 in parallel with the recording tape cartridge 10 or the recording tape cartridge 11 when the RFID 108 is arranged at such a position. Can be immediately determined whether the recording tape cartridge 10 of the hub small reel 40 or the recording tape cartridge 11 of the hub large reel 41 is loaded.

  The RFID 108 is arranged in parallel with the inner surface of the rear wall 12E side of the case 12 so that the type of the recording tape cartridges 10 and 11 can be discriminated when the recording tape cartridges 10 and 11 are taken out from the library device (not shown). May be. With such a configuration, after the recording tape cartridges 10 and 11 are taken out from the library device and before being loaded into the drive device, information about the type of the recording tape cartridges 10 and 11 can be transmitted to the drive device. The drive device can be prepared in advance for receiving a change in tension when the leader tape 22 is pulled out in advance.

  Next, the operation of this low capacity type recording tape cartridge 11 will be described. The description of the same points as the recording tape cartridge 10 will be omitted as appropriate. When the recording tape cartridge 11 is not used, the leader tape 22 is stored and held in the slot portion 24. At this time, since the outer diameters of the upper and lower flanges 45 and 47 of the large hub reel 41 are the same as the outer diameters of the upper and lower flanges 44 and 46 of the small hub reel 40, the leader tape drawn from the large hub reel 41 is used. 22 (the outermost recording tape T) is also arranged substantially along the left side wall 12B, like the hub small reel 40.

  Information is recorded on the recording tape cartridge 11 (recording tape T wound around the hub large reel 41), or information recorded on the recording tape cartridge 11 (recording tape T wound around the hub large reel 41). Is reproduced, the recording tape cartridge 11 is loaded into the drive device. At this time, the drive device recognizes that the recording tape cartridge 11 automatically accommodates the hub large reel 41, for example, by the RFID 108 provided on the inner surface of the front wall 12A.

  When the recording tape cartridge 11 is loaded into the drive device, the state shown in FIG. 17 is changed to the state shown in FIG. That is, the door 30 is opened by an opening / closing member (not shown) of the drive device, the rotating shaft 100 enters from the gear opening 18, and the drive gear 102 provided on the door 30 meshes with the reel gear 50.

  With the meshing operation, the brake member 80 is raised, the braking gear 82 is separated from the engagement gear 54 (meshing between the engagement gear 54 and the braking gear 82 is released), and the lock member 90 is The hub large reel 41 is allowed to move and rotate in the vertical direction away from the cylindrical wall 49.

  Further, when the door 30 is opened, the leader tape 22 is pulled out, but the leader tape 22 of the hub large reel 41 is stored and held in the slot portion 24 at the same arrangement angle as the hub small reel 40. The pull-out member of the drive device can be reliably engaged with the hole 22 </ b> A of the leader tape 22.

  Further, since the weight (winding amount) of the hub large reel 41 is lighter (less) than the weight (winding amount) of the hub small reel 40, when the drawing torque of the leader tape 22 of the hub large reel 41 is the hub small reel 40. However, the tension adjustment has already been completed on the drive device side. Therefore, the drive device can suitably pull out the leader tape 22 from the case 12 just like the recording tape cartridge 10.

  When the recording tape T is pulled out from the case 12 via the leader tape 22 in this way, it is wound around a take-up reel (not shown) of the drive device as in the case of the recording tape cartridge 10, and a recording / reproducing head (not shown). Thus, the recording of the information on the recording tape T or the reproduction of the information recorded on the recording tape T may be performed. The recording tape cartridge 11 that has finished recording or reproducing the information is shown in FIG. State.

  That is, when the rotary shaft 100 is extracted from the gear opening 18, the engagement between the drive gear 102 and the reel gear 50 is released, and the brake member 80 is lowered and the brake gear 82 is engaged with the engagement release operation. The lock member 90 engages with the cylindrical wall 49 while meshing with the gear 54. That is, the hub large reel 41 is prevented from moving and rotating in the vertical direction. Thereafter, the recording tape cartridge 11 is ejected from the drive device while the door 30 is closed.

  In any case, the low capacity type recording tape cartridge 11 can be simply replaced by replacing the normal small hub reel 40 accommodated in the normal recording tape cartridge 10 with the low capacity type hub large reel 41. Can be manufactured. That is, the low-capacity type recording tape cartridge 11 can be easily assembled because all the components other than the large hub reel 41 can be used together with the normal recording tape cartridge 10 that accommodates the normal small hub reel 40. Therefore, the trouble that the manufacturing cost increases other than the hub large reel 41 does not occur.

  In the above embodiment, the coil spring 58 has been described as an example of the biasing means for biasing the lock member 90 radially outward from the center of the reel 40 (mounting portion 60). Is not limited to this, and may be configured by, for example, a leaf spring or a torsion spring. Further, when such an urging means is arranged at a substantially central portion (center of the mounting portion 60) of the inner surface of the top plate 14A, it is possible to effectively use the dead space in the case 12, and This is preferable because the biasing means can be made compact.

  Furthermore, in the said Example, although it was set as the structure which slides the locking member 90 to radial direction by engagement with the brake member 80, the structure which slides the locking member 90 to radial direction is not limited to this. For example, a switching member or the like that switches the lock member 90 between a lift lock position (a position where the reel 40 is prevented from moving in the axial direction) and a lift allowance position (a position where the reel 40 is allowed to move in the axial direction) is used as the brake member 80. It is good also as a structure provided separately. However, in this case, the switching member or the like is preferably configured to operate in conjunction with the brake member 80. Further, the leader member is not limited to the illustrated leader tape 22, and the same applies to a leader pin or a leader block.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Recording tape cartridge 11 Recording tape cartridge 12 Case 20 Opening 22 Leader tape (leader member)
24 Slot part (storage part)
30 door 40 reel (hub small reel)
41 reel (hub large reel)
42 Hub 43 Hub 44 Upper flange 45 Upper flange 46 Lower flange 47 Lower flange 48 Bottom wall 49 Cylindrical wall 50 Reel gear 51 Annular connecting part 52 Reel plate 53 Annular convex part 54 Engaging gear 55 Annular protrusion 56 Annular rib 57 Reinforcing rib 58 Coil Spring 59 Reinforcing rib 80 Brake member 90 Lock member 108 RFID

Claims (10)

A hub around which the recording tape is wound, and an upper flange and a lower flange that are provided on the upper and lower end surfaces of the hub and restrict the end in the width direction of the recording tape. A large hub reel and a small hub reel,
A case that accommodates the hub large reel or the hub small reel in a single and rotatable manner;
A leader member attached to an end of the recording tape;
With
A recording tape cartridge capable of recording / reproducing with the same drive device even if the hub large reel is housed in the case or the hub small reel is housed in the case,
When the leader member is held in the case, the recording tape drawn out from the hub large reel and the recording tape drawn out from the hub small reel are substantially along the side wall of the case when not in use. A recording tape cartridge which is arranged. A hub around which the recording tape is wound, and an upper flange and a lower flange that are provided on the upper and lower end surfaces of the hub and restrict the end in the width direction of the recording tape. A large hub reel and a small hub reel,
A case that accommodates the hub large reel or the hub small reel in a single and rotatable manner;
A leader member attached to an end of the recording tape;
With
A recording tape cartridge capable of recording / reproducing with the same drive device even if the hub large reel is housed in the case or the hub small reel is housed in the case,
The recording tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameters of the upper flange and the lower flange of the large hub reel and the outer diameters of the upper flange and the lower flange of the small hub reel are the same.   The angle of attack of the opposing surfaces of the upper flange and the lower flange of the hub large reel is the same as the angle of attack of the opposing surfaces of the upper flange and the lower flange of the hub small reel, and the outer peripheral surface of the hub of the hub large reel The recording tape according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the upper flange and the lower flange in the recording medium is greater than the distance between the upper flange and the lower flange on the outer peripheral surface of the hub of the hub small reel. cartridge.   The large hub reel is provided with a cylindrical wall having the same inner diameter and height as the hub of the small hub reel, and the leader member is held in the case. The brake member that is housed in the cylinder and prevents rotation of the small hub reel is housed in the cylindrical wall and can be used as a brake member that blocks rotation of the large hub reel. The recording tape cartridge according to claim 3.   The top plate of the case is provided with a common locking member that restricts the movement of the hub large reel and the hub small reel in the height direction, and the leader member is held in the case when not in use. 5. The recording tape cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the lock member is configured to be engaged with the cylindrical wall in the case of the large hub reel and to be engaged with the hub in the case of the small hub reel.   In the hub large reel, the hub and the cylindrical wall are connected by an annular connecting portion, and a portion where the annular connecting portion is connected to the hub is formed by an upper flange and a lower flange on the outer peripheral surface of the hub. 6. The recording tape cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the recording tape cartridge is half the interval or on the lower flange side.   7. The recording tape cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the thickness of the hub of the large hub reel is equal to or greater than the thickness of the annular connecting portion.   In the hub large reel, the hub, the annular connecting portion, and the upper flange are integrally formed of a resin material, and the lower flange is welded to a convex portion protruding from the lower surface of the annular connecting portion, 8. The recording tape cartridge according to claim 6, wherein a lower end surface of the hub is brought into contact with the lower flange.   The said leader member is a film tape shape, and is hold | maintained at the slit-shaped accommodating part formed along the side wall of the said case, The Claim 1 thru | or 8 characterized by the above-mentioned. Recording tape cartridge.   10. The RFID according to claim 1, wherein an RFID for identifying whether the reel housed in the case is a large hub reel or a small hub reel is provided in the case. 11. Recording tape cartridge.

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