JP3289291B2 - Tape cassette - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape cassette suitable for use in a recording and / or reproducing apparatus employing a non-tracking system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, for high-density recording such as digital recording or video recording, a recording and / or reproducing apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a "recording / reproducing apparatus") provided with a helical scan type rotary head. used.

Conventionally, as a tape cassette to be loaded in this type of recording / reproducing apparatus, there is provided a housing having an opening through which a head drum is inserted and withdrawn, and a helical winding wound inside the housing and on the outer peripheral surface of the head drum. Ultra-compact (with a flat size of 20 mm long and 30 m wide)
m) of a tape cassette.

Referring to FIG. 18 to FIG. 20, a reference numeral 1 denotes a housing for a tape cassette, and two upper and lower halves 3 fixed to each other by screws 2a to 2d. , 4 and a cassette opening 5 through which a head drum described later is inserted and withdrawn is provided on the front end face side.

Each of the halves 3 and 4 of the housing 1 is provided with insertion holes 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b which are open in the vertical direction, between the two insertion holes 3a and 3b and between the two insertion holes 4a and 3b.
a, 4b, a rectangular half-opening 3c, 4c in plan view
The transparent plates 6 and 7 for checking the remaining amount of tape for closing the tape are attached.

The halves 3 and 4 of the housing 1 have erroneous erasure prevention mechanisms 8 and 9 located on both sides near the back surface of the half and communicating with the halves. Reference holes 10 to 12 for cassette positioning located on both sides in the left-right direction, a plurality of detection holes 13 and 14 arranged in parallel at intervals in the left and right directions at the rear of the half, and grips 15 and 16 located at the rear of both sides of the half. Is provided.

At the front ends of the two halves 3 and 4, stepped shaft supporting surfaces 19 and 20 (only the shaft supporting surface 20 is shown) having pins 17 and 18 (only the pin 18 is shown) projecting sideways.
Further, stopper surfaces 21 and 22 (only the stopper surface 22 is shown) which are continuous with the two bearing surfaces 19 and 20 are formed. Of these, step portions 19a and 20a of the two bearing surfaces 19 and 20 are formed.
Click projections 23 and 24 (only the click projection 24 is shown) extending in the up-down direction are integrally provided on the (step 20a only).

[0008] A recess 25 is provided on the bottom surface of the lower half 4 of the two halves 3 and 4 for opening a brake, which is open to the upper half side. Protrusion 2 for contacting the brake spring
6 and pins 27 and 28 for brake guidance are provided.

Reference numerals 29 and 30 denote tape winding hubs which are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval from each other. The inner hub has insertion holes 31a and 32a for engaging with a hub drive shaft and a projection (not shown) for controlling rotation. 31 and 32, and the protrusions (not shown) provided around the inner hubs 31 and 32, respectively.
Outer hubs 33, 34 having recesses (not shown) that engage
And the insertion holes 3a and 4a of the halves 3 and 4,
It is located at a position corresponding to 3b, 4b and is rotatably provided in the housing 1. The inner hubs 31 and 32 of each of the hubs 29 and 30 are provided with a large number of hub engaging portions 31b and 32b which protrude from the outer peripheral surface and are exposed in the housing 1, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the outer hubs 33 and 34 are provided. Is wound around a magnetic tape T as a band-shaped recording medium for recording and / or reproducing PCM signals.

Reference numeral 35 denotes the hub 29 when the cassette is not used.
A brake piece having a substantially T-shape in plan view, having arms 36a and 36b projecting to both sides of a front end portion and spring engaging portions 36c and 36d projecting forward of both arms 36a and 36b. And a brake spring 37 made of, for example, a stainless steel wire, which is engaged with the engaging portions 36c and 36d of the brake piece 36 so as to abut on the protrusion 26 and extends in the left-right direction, and is disposed in the recess 25. Has been established. The brake 35 includes the arms 36a,
Locking pawls 38 and 39 projecting rearward of the hub 36b and engaging the hub locking portions 31b and 32b during hub braking, guide portions 40 and 41 for guiding the pins 27 and 28, and positioning pins ( (Not shown) abuts cam surface 4
A pressing operation unit 42 having 2a and 42b (only the cam surface 42a is shown) is provided.

Reference numerals 43 and 44 denote pinch rollers for guiding the magnetic tape T. Roller shafts 45 and 45 are provided on both sides of the opening 5.
It is provided rotatably via 46.

Reference numerals 47 and 48 denote support pieces extending in the vertical direction, and are provided integrally with the upper half 3 with their respective tips abutting on the lower half 4.

Reference numerals 49 and 50 denote guide projections for preventing the tape from sticking out. The guide projections are composed of two upper and lower projections, each of which has a distal end surface facing each other. The corresponding halves 3 and 4 are integrally provided.

Reference numerals 51 and 52 denote self-aligning guides having concave grooves 51a and 52a for guiding the magnetic tape T, and are provided on the lower half 4 via pivots 53 and 54 so as to be movable.

Reference numeral 55 denotes a U-shaped lid serving as a lid, and a shielding portion 57 for opening and closing the cassette opening 5 and protrudingly provided at both ends of the shielding portion 57 to contact the respective bearing surfaces 19 and 20. It is composed of two arms 58 and 59 and is rotatably provided on the upper half 3 of the housing 1. This lid 5
A guide groove 57a extending in the left-right direction is provided in the shielding portion 57 of FIG.
A rack gear 57b with which a cassette changer (not shown) is engaged is provided. The arm portions 58, 59 are provided with shaft holes 58a, 59a facing the pins 17, 18, and clicks corresponding to the click projections 23, 24. Groove 58
b, 59b (only the click groove 59b is shown).

Reference numeral 60 denotes a head drum having an outer peripheral surface around which the magnetic tape T is helically wound, and 61 denotes a head which rotates at a predetermined angle with respect to the head drum 60. 62 and 63 are wing guides provided on both sides of the head drum 60 to be inserted and withdrawn into the opening 5, and 64 and 65 are provided at the distal ends of the wing guides 62 and 63 and are rollers for tape transfer. A flange for rotatably holding 66, 67.

In the tape cassette thus constructed, when the magnetic tape T is helically wound around the outer peripheral surface of the head drum 60 by inserting the head drum 60 into the cassette opening 5 of the housing 1, the magnetic tape T The recording and / or reproducing of the helical scan method is performed by the head 61 traveling obliquely with respect to T.

In a tape cassette of this type, if a position shift occurs when the cassette is loaded into the recording / reproducing apparatus or an error occurs in the inclination of the head drum 60, the head drum 60 is moved to the cassette opening of the housing 1. Self-aligning guide 5
There is a problem that the magnetic tape T is not brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the head drum 60 in an unstable manner, and the recording and / or reproduction is hindered.

For this reason, in the conventional tape cassette, the self-aligning guides 51 and 52 are
3 and 54, and pivots 53 and 54
Of the self-aligning guide 51, the tape guide that tilts with respect to the head drum 60 and advances and retreats in a direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion and removal of the head drum 60.
A countermeasure is taken such that recording and / or reproduction is performed by sliding the magnetic tape T on the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic tape 52 in a stable state.

[0020]

However, when a conventional tape cassette is loaded into a recording / reproducing device , the housing is
In the body 1, the insertion direction of the head drum 60 and this direction
Since there is nothing to regulate the vertical horizontal position,
The insertion direction of the head drum 60 with respect to
A variation in the horizontal position may occur,
Between the program 60 and the self-aligning guides 51 and 52
Friction loss occurs. This is because the wing guides 62 and 63 are inserted into the head drum 60 in the drum inserting direction, the positional error in the approach direction of each wing guide, the dimensional error between the two self-aligning guides 51 and 52, or the guide for the self-aligning guides 51 and 52. Slot (not shown)
It has been found that this occurs when a dimensional error or the like occurs.

As a result, the movement resistance of the head drum 60 becomes large, and the weight of the head drum 60, the frictional force loss due to the pressure contact between the self-aligning guide 51 and the guide long hole (not shown), or the support between the head drum 60 and the drum. A gap having a size corresponding to the magnitude of the frictional force loss when the portion (not shown) moves in the front-rear direction of the drum is formed between the head drum 60 and the self-aligning guide 51, and good recording and / or Alternatively, there is a problem that reproduction is not performed.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to reliably contact a head drum and a self-aligning guide when a drum is inserted, thereby performing good recording and / or reproduction. It is intended to provide a tape cassette capable of performing the following.

[0023]

A tape cassette according to the present invention has an opening through which a head drum is inserted and withdrawn , and a magnetic tape wound around the head drum.
And a housing consisting of upper and lower halves ,
The opening is provided inside each of the openings so as to be swingable.
Swinged by the above inserted head drum,
Insert the magnetic tape into the head drum inserted through the opening
And a pair of tape guides to guide the
Near the opening of at least the lower half of the upper and lower halves
In each of the pair of tape guides,
Provided and the head drum is inserted into the opening
Sometimes a pair of drums in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the head drum
With a guide .

[0024]

According to the present invention, to regulate the movement of the head drum by the drum guide during cassette loading, against the housing
Head drum insertion direction and the side perpendicular to this direction
In addition to suppressing the occurrence of variations in orientation, the head drum and
Reduce frictional loss between tape guide and
You.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The construction of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a tape cassette according to the present invention is loaded on a head drum, and FIGS. 2 and 3.
Is a front perspective view and a rear perspective view showing the entire tape cassette of the present invention, FIGS. 4 and 5 are plan views showing the upper half and the lower half of the tape cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a tape of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the cassette and the head drum before the drum is inserted, FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the wing guide of the head drum contacts the self-aligning guide of the tape cassette according to the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a self-aligning guide of the tape cassette according to the present invention, FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the tape cassette according to the present invention is loaded on the head drum, and FIGS. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE and FF in FIG.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting state of a pinch roller of the tape cassette according to the present invention. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting state of another pinch roller of the tape cassette of the present invention.
5 is a front view showing a state in which the recording medium is in contact with the self-aligning guide of the tape cassette according to the present invention, and FIG.
6A to 6C are sectional views showing the upper half edge of the tape cassette, and FIGS. 17A and 17B show patterns for identifying the recording / reproducing time of the recording medium of the tape cassette in the present invention. FIGS. 18 to 2 are plan views.
0, a head drum 61, a head 61, wing guides 62 and 63, flanges 64 and 65, and rollers 66.
67 is given the same reference numeral.

In the figure, reference numeral 71 denotes a housing for a tape cassette, which is composed of two upper and lower halves 73 and 74 which are fixed to each other by screws 72a to 72d. A cassette opening 75 through which the drum is inserted and withdrawn is provided.

Each of the halves 73 and 74 of the housing 71 has through holes 73a and 73b, 74a and 74 that are open in the vertical direction.
The transparent plates 76, 77 for checking the remaining amount of tape for closing the rectangular half openings 73c, 74c in plan view are provided between the two insertion holes 73a, 73b and between the two insertion holes 74a, 74b. Is attached.

The halves 73 and 74 of the housing 1 have erroneous erasure prevention mechanisms 78 and 79 located on both sides in the vicinity of the back surface of the half. Reference holes 80 to 82 for positioning the cassette, a plurality of detection holes 83 and 84 arranged side by side in the left and right direction at the rear of the half, and grips 85 and 86 located at the rear of both sides of the half are provided.

At the rear edge of the upper half 73 of the two halves 73 and 74, a plurality of recesses 73d and 73e for identifying the recording and / or reproducing front and back surfaces of the magnetic tape and the recording and / or reproducing time described later. Are provided at intervals in the left-right direction.

These recesses 73d and 73e are set to two large and small opening widths and are formed by recesses having triangular, trapezoidal or rectangular side walls as shown in FIGS. 16 (A) to 16 (C). The opening widths of these concave portions 73d and 73e are set to the length of the recording and / or reproducing time, for example, 3
The dimensions are set to correspond to 0 minutes and 10 minutes. By these concave portions 73d and 73e, it can be recognized that the recording and / or reproducing time is 140 minutes (30 minutes × 4 and 10 minutes × 2). In this case, the concave portions 73d, 73
In order to confirm the presence / absence, the number, and the difference of the opening width of e, a finger is moved by contact along the boundary between the upper surface and the back surface of the upper half 73.

It should be noted that various other identification patterns for the recording and / or reproduction time can be considered. However, as shown in FIG. 30 minutes and 10
The minutes can be added and the time can be displayed as 40 minutes, and as shown in FIG. 3B, by combining concave portions having three opening widths of large, medium and small, the length can be shortened, for example, 60 minutes, 30 minutes and 1 minute.
The time can be displayed as 100 minutes by adding 0 minutes.

On the other hand, of the two halves 73 and 74, the bottom surface of the lower half 74 is provided with a concave portion 95 for brake storage which is open to the upper half side. Projection 9 for abutment of brake spring
6 and brake guide pins 97 and 98 are provided.

At the front end portions of both halves 73 and 74, stepped shaft supporting surfaces 99 and 100 having pivoting pins 99a and 100a projecting laterally, and these shaft supporting surfaces 9 are provided.
Stopper surfaces 101 and 102 which are continuous with the bearing surfaces 9 and 100 are formed.
b, 100b have click projections 10 extending in the vertical direction.
3, 104 are provided integrally.

Numerals 105 and 106 denote tape winding hubs arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval from each other. The inner hub 107 has insertion holes 107a and 108a for engaging the hub drive shaft and projections 107b and 108b for controlling rotation. 10
8 and concave portions 109 provided around the inner hubs 107 and 108 and engaged with the convex portions 107b and 108b.
a, 110a, and outer hubs 109, 110 having insertion holes 73a, 74a,
73b, 74b, and the housing 71
It is provided rotatable inside. Of these, hub 10
The hubs 7 and 108 are provided with a large number of hub engaging portions 107c and 108c that protrude from the outer peripheral surface and are exposed in the housing 71. The outer peripheral surfaces of the outer hubs 109 and 110 are, for example, PCs.
A magnetic tape T is wound around a band-shaped recording medium for recording and / or reproducing the M signal.

Reference numeral 111 denotes the hub 10 when the cassette is not used.
5 and 106, the arms 112a and 112b projecting to both sides of the front end, and both arms 112a and 112b.
a, 112b, spring engaging portions 112c, 1 protruding forward.
A brake piece 112 having a substantially T-shape in plan view having 12d;
The spring engaging portions 112c and 112d of the brake piece 112
And a brake spring 113 made of, for example, a stainless steel wire, which is locked so as to come into contact with the protrusion 96 and extends in the left-right direction, and is disposed in the recess 95. Locking pawls 114a and 114b projecting rearward from the arms 112a and 112b and engaging with the hub locking portions 107c and 108c during braking of the hub, and an insertion for regulating the pins 97 and 98. Holes 115 and 116 and a pressing operation portion 117 having cam surfaces 117a and 117b (only the cam surface 117a is shown) with which a positioning pin (not shown) abuts when the cassette is loaded.

Numerals 118 and 119 are vertically symmetrical pinch rollers for guiding the magnetic tape T. The flanges 120a and 121a protrude from the outer peripheral surfaces of both open ends and have end surfaces facing the bottom surfaces of the upper and lower halves 73 and 74 with a predetermined gap g. And a receiving portion 120b protruding from the inner peripheral surface in the axial center portion,
And cylindrical roller guides 12 made of, for example, rubber, which are loaded on the outer peripheral surfaces of the holders 120 and 121 and in which the magnetic tape T slides.
2 and 123, and are rotatably provided on both sides in the cassette opening 75 via roller shafts 124 and 125, respectively.

The roller shafts 124 and 125 of the pinch rollers 118 and 119 are provided integrally with the bottom surface of the lower half 74 and have large-diameter portions 124a and 125a having receiving surfaces of the holders 120 and 121 in the thrust direction. Small-diameter portions 124b and 125b, which are press-fitted and fixed in a bearing body 126 on the upper half 73 and have outer diameters smaller than the outer diameters of the large-diameter portions 124a and 125a, and the small-diameter portions 124b and 125
b and middle diameter parts 124c, 125c which are connected to the large diameter parts 124a, 125a and have outer peripheral surfaces which are in contact with the inner peripheral surfaces of the receiving parts 120b, 121b. .

The roller shafts 124 and 125 may be, for example, a roller shaft 124A as shown in FIG. That is, both ends of the roller shaft 124A are fixed to the upper half 73A and the lower half 74A, respectively.
The axial central portion projections 124B are provided with curved surfaces 124B ₁ spherical. In this case, the pinch roller 1
18A is formed the a holder 120A having fits projections 124B bearing 120A _1, by the roller guide 122A which contacts the magnetic tape T is loaded in the holder 120A.

Here, the bearing 126 will be described. The bearing 126 has a function of preventing creep from falling and receiving in the thrust direction, and is formed integrally with the upper half 73. The receiving unit 120b, an axial central portion of the 121b and dimension L ₁ between the thrust direction receiving surface of the bearing member 126, also receiving portion 120b, 121b of the axial center portion and the large diameter portion 124a, 125a thrust is set equal to _{(L 1 = L 2 = L} ) dimension and the dimension L ₂ between the direction receiving surface. The outer diameter a of the large diameter portions 124a, 125a of the roller shafts 124, 125 is set to be larger than the outer diameter b of the bearing body 126 (b <a). 11
A maximum alignment angle of 8,119 is determined.

In the self-alignment of the pinch rollers 118 and 119, the smaller the dimension L is, the more the large-diameter portions 124a and
The smaller the thrust receiving diameter R of 5a is, the more effective it is.

Reference numerals 127 and 128 denote self-aligning guides having guide surfaces 127a and 128a for guiding the magnetic tape T. The self-aligning guides are accommodated on both sides in the cassette opening 75, and are connected to the lower half 74 via pivots 129 and 130. It is provided movably.

These self-aligning guides 127,
128 has inclined surfaces 127a and 128a whose inner surfaces are slightly smaller in curvature than the outer diameter of the head drum 60 and have gradients opposite to each other in the vertical direction.

Since the self-aligning guides 127 and 128 have substantially the same configuration, only one of the self-aligning guides 127 will be described. The self-aligning guide 128 has the same reference numerals as those given to the respective parts.), And the upper and lower portions of the inclined surface 127a of the self-aligning guide 127 have protrusions extending at intervals slightly wider than the width of the magnetic tape T. Support edges 131a and 131b are provided. Between the upper and lower supporting edge portions 131a and 131b, an inclined guide surface 132 that falls down toward the pinch roller side, and a vertical guide surface 133 that is continuous with the front end of the inclined guide surface 132.
Is provided.

At the front ends of the supporting edges 131a and 131b, receiving edges 134a and 134b are provided which extend slightly forward from the vertical guide surface 133, and the receiving edges 134a and 134b are provided. On the back end surface, semi-cylindrical guide protrusions 1 facing each other at a predetermined interval.
35a and 135b are provided. By these guide projections 135a and 135b, the width of the tape guide groove at the drum insertion start end portion in the concave groove 127a is set to be smaller than the tape guide groove width at the drum insertion end portion.

Further, pressing edge portions 136a, 136 corresponding to the receiving edge portions 134a, 134b are provided on upper and lower portions on the outer end side of the vertical guide surface 133 between the two supporting edge portions 131a, 131b.
6b, the pressing edges 136a, 136
On the front side of 6b, there is provided a recess 137 having an inclined surface 137a with which the flange 64 (or 65) comes into contact when the drum is inserted and guides them.

The inner open end (inclined surface top 137A) of the two open ends of the concave portion 137 is formed so as to protrude from the outer open end in the pulling-out direction of the head drum 60, and when the drum is inserted. It is positioned at a position approaching the head drum 60.

Then, the self-aligning guide 127
A bearing bracket 138 having a half abutting portion 138a mounted on the bottom surface of the lower half 74 and protruding from the outer surface of the inclined guide surface 132 is provided.

The bearing bracket 138 is provided with a shaft hole 139 which is inclined with respect to the direction in which the head drum 60 is inserted and with which the end of each drum insertion side extends closer to each other than the end of each drum withdrawal side. This shaft hole 1
39 is a shaft supporting edge 139a located substantially at the center in the axial direction.
Is protruding. The shaft hole 139 does not need to be formed by a hole closed in the circumferential direction, and may be formed by a partially cut-out hole.

The self-aligning guide 127,
128 is provided with two upper and lower pivots 140a and 140b which are capable of swinging and which are self-holding. It is positioned between the surface.

141 and 142 are the head drum 6
This is a drum guide for guiding the “0” to the drum insertion position. The drum guide faces the inside of the cassette opening 75 and is located on the drum pull-out side of the self-aligning guides 127 and 128, and is provided on the bottom surface of the lower half 74. The inner surface of the drum guides 141 and 142 has the head drum 6 thereon.
The inclined surfaces 141a and 142a with which the outer peripheral surface of 0 is contact | abutted are formed, and the positioning parts 141b and 142b with which the support piece mentioned later fits are provided in the outer surface. The drum guides 141 and 142 are used to set the frictional inclination angle H (FIG. 9) of the head drum 60 to a large angle so that the frictional force loss when the drum is inserted and the head drum 6
0, since it is possible to reduce the position error of the pivots 129 and 130, it is desirable to provide the lower half 74 near the drum insertion opening of the opening 75 in the lower half 74.
There is no problem even if it is provided in 3,74.

Reference numerals 143 and 144 denote support pieces extending in the up-down direction, and are provided integrally with the upper half 73 such that the respective tips abut against the positioning portions 141b and 142b of the drum guides 141 and 142.

Reference numerals 145 and 146 denote protrusions for preventing the tape from protruding, and are located outside the supporting pieces 143 and 144 and are provided integrally with the upper half 73.

Reference numeral 147 denotes a substantially U-shaped lid serving as a lid, and a shielding portion 148 for opening and closing the cassette opening portion 75, and protrudingly provided at both ends of the shielding portion 148.
The upper half 73 includes two arms 149 and 150 that are in contact with the upper and lower arms 9 and 100, respectively. The cover 148 of the lid 147 is provided with a guide groove 148a extending in the left-right direction and a rack gear 148b with which a cassette changer (not shown) is engaged.
The pivot pins 99a, 100 are attached to both arms 149, 150, respectively.
a, and click grooves 149b, 15 corresponding to the shaft holes 149a, 150a and the click protrusions 103, 104.
0b is provided.

When the tape cassette constructed as described above is loaded into a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording and / or reproducing, the lid 147 is rotated to open the cassette opening 75, and the head drum 60 is moved to the win guide 62, The wing guides 62, 63 are inserted into the wing guides 62, 63 while moving integrally with the magnetic tape T.
7 is pinch rollers 118, 119 and support pieces 143, 14
4 (drum guides 141, 142).

At this time, the movement of the head drum 60 is restricted by the drum guides 141 and 142 when the cassette is loaded, and the two self-aligning guides 127 and 128 mainly move. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of variations in the direction in which the head drum 60 is inserted into the housing 71 and in the lateral direction perpendicular to the direction, and between the head drum 60 and the self-aligning guides 127 and 128. Friction loss can be reduced.

Further, the head drum 60 is positioned at the front end side (the concave grooves 127a, 12b) of the supporting edges 131a, 131b depending on the position and orientation of the self-aligning guides 127, 128.
8a) or the rear end face side (the groove 12).
7a and 128a), the pressing force is applied by first contacting either one of the two ends of the drum 12a.
The support edge portions 131a, 13
1b also contacts the other side.

Further, when the head drum 60 comes into contact with one of the upper and lower support edges 131a and 131b first, the self-aligning guides 127 and 128 are moved by the pressing force at the time of contact with the pivot shafts 129 and 128. It tilts with the abutment of the shaft support edge 139a against 130 and the pivots 140a, 140b with respect to the halves 73, 74 as a fulcrum, and also abuts on the other side of the support edges 131a, 131b. Therefore, each self-aligning guide 127, 1
It turns in the directions indicated by arrows R ₁ and R ₂ (FIGS. 11 and 12) at 28, but the amount of rotation and the amount of vertical movement are reduced, and the relative distance between the self-aligning guides 127 and 128 and the head drum 60 is reduced. It is possible to reduce the amount of deviation, and to suppress the occurrence of variations in the height positions of the self-aligning guides 127 and 128 with respect to the head drum 60.

Further, each wing guide 62, 63
Self-aligning guides 127,
128 are close to each other and have axial holes 139 in the drum insertion direction.
When the wing guides 62 and 63 are displaced in the direction away from each other or in the drum pull-out direction, the self-aligning guides 127 and 128 are moved.
Are separated from each other and move in the shaft hole 139 in the drum withdrawing direction to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the head drum 60.

As described above, the self-aligning guide 1
27, 128, the head drum 60 with respect to the opening 75;
The supporting edges 131a, 13
The front and rear end portions and the upper and lower end portions of 1b surely come into contact with each other in a regular state.

On the other hand, the rollers 66 and 67 of the wing guides 62 and 63 are connected to the drum guides 141 and 142 (the support pieces 1).
43, 144) and the pinch rollers 118, 119, they are rolled into contact with the magnetic tape T and the flanges 64, 65 are self-aligning guides 127, 1
Abutting against the pressing edges 136a and 136b of the
7 with the inclined surface 137a.

That is, the head drum 60 is
Self-aligning guide 12 when loaded into
The wing guides 62 and 63 abut against the pressing edges 136a and 136b of the rims 7 and 128 to determine the azimuth direction, and the head drum 60 contacts the supporting edges 131a and 131b to determine the tilting direction. In this state, the magnetic tape T slides along the inclined guide surface 132 from the vertical guide surface 133 between the support edge portions 131a and 131b.

At this time, the self-aligning guide 12
Since the inclined surface 137a of the recess 137 of FIG. 7 is a steeply inclined surface and the inclination range is wide, a frictional force loss generated between the inclined surface 137a and the wing guides 62, 63 and the wing guides 62, 63 with respect to the head drum 60. It is possible to reduce a position error and a left / right position error generated when the wing guides 62 and 63 are inserted into the drum.

Further, the pinch rollers 118 and 119 can be swung by the bearings 120a and 120b to obtain the self-centering effect, and the dimensional accuracy and mounting accuracy of the components (the dimensional accuracy of the wing guide height and the reel height) can be obtained. And the mounting accuracy of the roller shafts) can be reduced, and the bending of the roller shafts 124 and 125 due to the pressing of the capstan (not shown) can be suppressed. In this case, since the pinch rollers 118 and 119 are vertically symmetric rollers, these rollers are reversed (so that the polishing directions of the tape contact surfaces are different from each other) when the cassette is loaded, so that each roller shaft 12
4,125.

The magnetic tape T stretched between the pinch rollers 118 and 119 is inserted into the cassette opening 75 of the head drum 60, and the upper and lower guide projections 135a and 135a of the self-aligning guides 127 and 128 are moved.
Both self-aligning guides 1 to face between 135b
The self-aligning guides 127, 127 for the head drum 60 are surely located along the inclined guide surface 132 between the supporting edge portions 131 a, 131 b of the head drums 27, 128.
It runs smoothly along the tape path without being pinched at the abutment portion 128.

In this embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to an ultra-small tape cassette is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is applicable to a large tape cassette in the same manner as in the embodiment. Of course, you can.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be appropriately modified based on the technical idea of the present invention.

[0068]

As described above, according to the present invention, a housing having an opening through which a head drum is inserted and withdrawn, and a band-shaped recording medium wound in the housing and wound around the outer peripheral surface of the head drum. A pair of tape guides for guiding the recording medium are provided movably in the opening of the housing, and a drum guide for guiding the head drum to the drum insertion position is provided on the drum pull-out side of each of the tape guides.
When the cassette is loaded, the movement of the head drum is restricted by the drum guide, and both self-aligning guides can be mainly moved.

Therefore, since no gap is formed between the head drum and the self-aligning guide as in the prior art, the head drum and the self-aligning guide can be reliably brought into contact with each other, and good recording and / or recording can be performed.
Or playback can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state where a tape cassette according to the present invention is loaded on a head drum.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing the entire tape cassette of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing the entire tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the upper half of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the lower half of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the tape cassette and the head drum before the drum is inserted according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which a wing guide of a head drum contacts a self-aligning guide of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a self-aligning guide of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state where a tape cassette according to the present invention is loaded on a head drum.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line FF of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mounting state of a pinch roller of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting state of another pinch roller of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front view showing a state in which the recording medium is in contact with the self-aligning guide of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

16A to 16C are cross-sectional views showing the upper half edge of the tape cassette.

17A and 17B are plan views showing patterns for identifying the recording / reproducing time of the recording medium of the tape cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the entirety of a conventional tape cassette.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the relationship between a conventional tape cassette and a head drum before drum insertion.

FIG. 20 is a plan view showing a lower half of a conventional tape cassette.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 60: head drum, 71: housing, 75: cassette opening, 127, 128: self-aligning guide, 14
1,142: drum guide, T: magnetic tape.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A magnetic tape wound around the head drum and having an opening through which the head drum is inserted and withdrawn.
A housing formed of the upper and lower halves housed therein, and a swingably provided inside the opening of the housing.
The head drum inserted through the opening.
To the head drum inserted through the opening.
A pair of tapes for guiding the magnetic tape to be wound thereon.
Guide and at least the lower half of the upper and lower halves near the opening
In each of the pair of tape guides,
Provided and the head drum is inserted into the opening
Sometimes a pair of drums in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the head drum
A tape cassette provided with a guide . 2. A pair of support pieces are integrated with the upper half.
And a pair of the lower half
Positioning portions that engage with the support pieces on the drum guide
2. The tape cassette according to claim 1, further comprising:
G.