JP2570696B2 - Small tape cassette - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a small tape cassette smaller than a standard tape cassette, and in particular, locks a guard panel for opening and closing a front opening of a cassette housing in a closed state. Or, it relates to a tape cassette provided with a lock mechanism for releasing.

(Prior Art) With the spread of video tape recorders, recently, a so-called camera-integrated video tape recorder in which a video camera and a video tape recorder are integrated has been manufactured. In such a camera-integrated video tape recorder, the size of the device is reduced by using a small tape cassette smaller than a standard tape cassette so as to be suitable for portable photographing.

On the other hand, standard tape cassettes and small tape cassettes used in video tape recorders use the magnetic tape built into the cassette casing through the front opening of the cassette casing during recording and playback. The front opening is provided with a card panel for protecting the magnetic tape stretched on the front when the tape cassette is not loaded in the video tape recorder.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional small tape cassette provided with such a guard panel, and FIG. 5 is a right side view of the small tape cassette shown in FIG. In this small-sized tape cassette 1, a guard panel 4 covers a front opening 3 for pulling out a tape provided on a front surface of a cassette housing 2, and the guard panel 4 has both sides 4a and 4b '. The shaft 2 is supported on both sides 2a, 2a 'of the body 2 by a shaft 5,
It is configured to be rotatable. Further, on one side surface 2a of the cassette housing 2, a slender strip-shaped slider 6 slidable in the length direction (the X and X 'directions in the figure) of the side surface 2a is mounted. A U-shaped leaf spring 7 is mounted in the U-shaped groove 2b of the side surface 2a, and the other end 7b of the U-shaped leaf spring 7 opposite to one end 7a abuts on the inner end 6b of the slider 6, and The slider 6 is constantly biased in the direction of the front opening 3 (X direction in the figure). The outer end 6a of the slider 6 is in contact with the rear edge 4a of the side portion 4a of the guard panel 4, and the guard panel 4 is constantly urged in the lid closing direction (Y direction in the drawing). I have.

When the small tape cassette 1 configured as described above is loaded into a device such as a video tape recorder or an adapter, the guard panel 4 is opened by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) in the device. That is, when the guard panel 4 is rotated in the Y 'direction in the drawing, the rear edge 4b of the side portion 4a of the guard panel 4 pushes the slider 6 against the urging force of the U-shaped leaf spring 7 in the X direction in the drawing. ', The slider 6 and the other end 7b of the U-shaped leaf spring 7 recede into the space of the U-shaped groove 2b, and the guard panel 4 is opened.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional small-sized tape cassette 1 does not include a lock mechanism (not shown) for locking the guard panel in the closed state like a standard tape cassette.
When the guard panel 4 is easily opened, the magnetic tape stretched over the front opening 3 of the cassette housing 2 is exposed, and there is a problem that the magnetic tape is easily damaged. In addition, the guard panel 4 was easily caught when it was taken out, and the lid was easily opened. It is difficult to provide a lock mechanism similar to the standard tape cassette in the small tape cassette 1 smaller than the standard tape cassette in terms of space and cost.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by allowing both sides of a gart panel for opening and closing a front opening of a cassette housing to be rotatable on both sides of the cassette housing. In the supported small tape cassette, a front edge that abuts against a rear edge of one side of the front guard panel to lock the card panel in a closed state, and an elastic inside of a side surface of the cassette housing. An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized tape cassette in which an elastic lock piece, which is displaced to release the lock, is formed integrally with a side surface of the cassette housing.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of a small tape cassette according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a right side view of an embodiment showing a lock mechanism of a small tape cassette according to the present invention.
The figure is a sectional view of the lock mechanism taken along the line II-II in FIG. The same components as those of the conventional small tape cassette shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the details are omitted.

In the small-sized tape cassette 10, a guard panel 4 covers a front opening 3 for pulling out a tape provided on a front surface of the cassette housing 2.
a, 4a 'are rotatably supported by shafts 5, 5' on both side surfaces 2a, 2a 'of the cassette housing 2. Further, although not shown, one side surface 2a (side surface 2a 'shown in FIG. 1) of the cassette housing 2 is similar to the conventional small tape cassette 1 shown in FIG.
On the opposite side), a strip-like slider 6 slidable in the length direction of the side 2a is mounted in an inclined manner.
A U-shaped leaf spring 7 is mounted in the U-shaped groove of the side surface 2a, and the other end 7b of the U-shaped leaf spring 7 opposite to one end 7a abuts on the inner end 6b of the slider 6. Is constantly urged toward the front opening 3. The outer end 6a of the slider 6 is connected to the side of the guard panel 4 (the side shown in FIG. 1).
4a '), which is in contact with the rear edge 4b of 4a, and the gart panel 4 is always in the lid closing direction (Y direction in the figure) around the axes 5, 5' as shown in the figure. Being energized.

Next, a lock mechanism for locking or releasing the guard panel 4 in the closed state will be described. 3 (A) and 3 (B) are plan views showing a lock mechanism, FIG. 3 (A) is a view showing a locked state, and FIG. 3 (B) is a view showing a released state.

As shown in FIG. 1, a side surface 2a 'of the cassette casing 2 molded with resin or the like is provided with a side portion of the guard panel 4.
An elastic lock piece 11 is integrally formed at a position behind the rear edge 4b 'of the rear edge 4a'.

The elastic locking piece 11 has a front edge 11a,
11b and a root portion 11c. The front edge 11a is in close proximity to the rear edge 4b 'of the side 4a' of the guard panel 4, and the unlocking projection 11b is located on the side surface 2a 'of the cassette housing 2, as shown in FIG. It is formed so as to protrude from.

Further, a space 2b 'is formed on the side surface 2a' of the cassette housing 2 in the vicinity of the front edge 11a and the unlocking projection 11b of the elastic lock piece 11, and the elastic lock piece 11
As shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), the cassette housing 2 has the base 11c, which is the base of the side surface 2a ', as a fulcrum.
And the front edge 11a of the lock piece 11 can be retracted into the space 2b '.

The operation of the lock mechanism configured as described above will be described. 1 and 3 when the small tape cassette 10 is not loaded in the video tape recorder or the adapter.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the side portion 4a 'of the guard panel 4 is shown.
Since the rear edge 4b 'and the front edge 11a of the elastic lock piece 11 are close to and opposed to each other, the guard panel 4 which is closed is rotated in the Y' direction in the figure to open the cover. Also, the rear edge 4b 'of the guard panel 4 and the front edge 11a of the elastic lock piece 11 abut, and the guard panel 4 is not opened,
Locked in the closed state.

When the small tape cassette 10 is loaded in a video tape recorder or an adapter, the inner walls (inner surfaces) 12 of these cassette holders are locked with the unlocking projections of the elastic lock pieces 11, as shown in FIG. Abut on 11b,
The elastic lock pieces 11 are elastically displaced inward of the cassette housing 2. Therefore, the front edge of the elastic lock piece 11
11a is retracted to the space 2b 'on the side surface 2a' of the cassette housing 2, so that the guard panel 4 which is closed is moved to Y 'in FIG.
, The rear edge 4b 'of the side portion 4a' of the guard panel 4 rotates without contacting the front edge 11a of the elastic locking piece 11, and the guard panel 4 is opened and locked. Is released.

When the loaded small tape cassette 10 is taken out from the video tape recorder or the adapter, the U-shaped tape cassette provided on the side surface 2a of the cassette housing 2 is provided, as shown in FIG. The slider 6 is slid toward the front of the cassette housing 2 by the urging force of the leaf spring 7, and the outer end 6a of the slider 6 comes into contact with the rear edge 4b of the side 4a of the guard panel 4 so that the guard panel is pivoted on the shaft 5, The cassette holder is rotated in the closing direction (the y direction in FIG. 1) around the center 5 ', and at the same time, the inner wall (inner surface) 12 and the elastic locking piece 11 of these cassette holders.
The front edge 11a of the elastic lock piece 11, which has been restored by the elastic force, and the rear edge 4b 'of the guard panel 4 are closely opposed to each other, and the guard panel 4 is closed. Locked again to state.

(Effects of the Invention) In the small-sized tape cassette according to the present invention, both sides of a guard panel for opening and closing the front opening of the cassette housing are supported on both sides of the cassette housing, and one end is provided on one side of the guard panel. A small tape cassette in which a slider that constantly abuts elastically and holds the guard panel in a closed state is slidably mounted on one side of the cassette housing.
The slider has a concave notch, and is engaged with the concave notch to lock or release the guard panel in a closed state. Since the small tape cassette is not mounted on the video tape recorder or adapter when not in use, the gart panel is locked in the closed state because it is integrally formed on the side of the cassette housing. There is an effect that the magnetic tape is not exposed and damaged by opening the cover.

In addition, since the elastic locking piece for locking or unlocking the guard panel in the closed state is integrally formed on the side surface of the cassette housing, there is an advantage that the space is not required, the assembling workability is good, and the cost is excellent. is there.

Further, since the unlocking protrusion is formed on the elastic lock piece, the inner wall (inner surface) of the cassette holder of the video tape recorder or the adapter in which the small-sized tape cassette is loaded is in contact with the unlocking protrusion of the elastic lock piece. Contact and displace the elastic lock piece to the unlocked state,
There is also an advantage that it is not necessary to provide a special lock release mechanism (lock release pin) in the cassette holder of the video tape recorder or the adapter.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a right side view of an embodiment showing a lock mechanism of a small tape cassette according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lock mechanism taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4A and 4B are plan views showing a lock mechanism, FIG. 4A is a view showing a locked state, FIG. 5B is a view showing a released state, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional small tape cassette. FIG. 5 is a right side view of the small tape cassette shown in FIG. 2 ... cassette housing, 2a '... side, 2b' ... space,
4 Guard panel, 4a 'side, 4b' trailing edge,
11 Elastic lock piece, 11a Front edge, 11b Unlocking protrusion, 11c Root.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A small tape cassette wherein both sides of a gart panel for opening and closing a front opening of a cassette housing are rotatably supported on both sides of the cassette housing, and one side of a front guard panel. A front edge that abuts against a rear edge of the cassette panel to lock the guard panel in a closed state, and an unlocking projection that elastically displaces inside the side surface of the cassette housing to release the lock. A small-sized tape cassette, wherein an elastic lock piece is formed integrally with a side surface of the cassette housing. 2. The small tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking projection is formed on the elastic lock piece so as to project from a side surface of the cassette housing. .