JP3658494B2 - Tape cartridge - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tape cartridge such as a data cartridge.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a data cartridge, an information recording card such as an identification symbol that can be discriminated by a machine such as a bar code for displaying individual cartridge information, or a content display for a user to visually check for use with an autoloader or the like. Is required. As a means for providing such an information recording card on the outer surface of the data cartridge, there are a sticking method and a method of inserting and storing it in a concave groove on the outer surface.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to the pasting method, two or more types of information recording cards can be provided, but they may be peeled off or floated over time. In particular, when the information is automatically loaded by an autoloader or the like, floating of the information recording card becomes a serious problem. In that respect, according to the insertion and storage method, there is no such floating problem and it can be used for an autoloader or the like without any problem. In this insertion and storage system, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a concave groove 7 is provided on the outer surface of the main body case 1, and the information recording card 6 is inserted from the card insertion slot 9 and stored in the concave groove 7. Yes. However, the biggest difficulty is that only one information recording card 6 can be stored. In addition, when the content displayed on the information recording card 6 is a display unique to the data cartridge such as an identification symbol that can be discriminated by an autoloader or the like, it is desirable that the user cannot take it out without permission, but the data cartridge shown in FIG. Then, since the information recording card 6 can be taken out freely from the groove 7, there is a problem that the user accidentally takes out the information recording card 6.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide a tape cartridge that employs the above-described insertion and storage method but enables storage of two types of information recording cards. An object of the present invention is to enable storage of two types of information recording cards that display information unique to a cartridge that is difficult to be taken out by a user and information recording cards that require free insertion and removal by the user. It is to provide a cartridge.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As shown in FIG. 1, the tape cartridge of the present invention has two concave grooves 7 for accommodating the information recording cards 6 and 11 on the same outer surface of the main body case 1 so that the recording display surfaces 6a and 11a are exposed to the outside. 7 are arranged in a horizontal row, and a card insertion slot 9 is provided at one longitudinal end of each groove 7.
In the vicinity of the card insertion slot 9 in one concave groove 7, there is provided an extraction restricting means 10 that permits insertion of the information recording card 6 but restricts extraction, and the other concave groove 7 is provided via the card insertion slot 9. Thus, the information recording card 11 can be freely inserted and removed.
[0006]
More specifically, the extraction restricting means 10 is constituted by an elastic protrusion 14 provided so as to protrude into and out of the concave groove 7 from a notch 12 provided in the concave groove 7 having a T-shaped cross section. The elastic protrusion 14 is formed integrally with the main body case 1 made of plastic. A taper 15 is provided on one side surface of the elastic protrusion 14 facing the card insertion slot 9, and a regulating surface 16 is provided on the other side surface of the concave groove 7 facing the information recording card 6.
[0007]
[Action]
By inserting the two types of information recording cards 6 and 11 into the concave grooves 7 and 7 of the main body case 1 from the respective card insertion slots 9, they can be stored in a separate and independent state. By providing two concave grooves 7, 7 side by side on the same outer surface of the main body case 1, it is possible to contribute to downsizing of the tape cartridge.
Since the information recording card 6 inserted into the concave groove 7 provided with the extraction regulating means 10 is regulated to be extracted, it is possible to prevent the user from taking out the information recording card 6 from the concave groove 7 without permission.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1 to 5 show an embodiment of a tape cartridge according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a single reel type data cartridge. A single reel 2 is rotatably housed inside a rectangular box-shaped main body case 1 and a tape 3 is wound around the reel 2. The tape 3 is provided with a connecting tool (not shown) for pulling out on the winding end side of the tape 3 and can be pulled out from a loading opening that can be opened and closed on the front wall 4 of the main body case 1.
[0009]
On the outer surface of the back wall 5 of the main body case 1, an information recording card 6 on which an identification symbol such as a barcode unique to the cartridge for identification by an autoloader or the like is displayed is stored so that the recording display surface 6a is exposed. And a concave groove 7 for storing an information recording card 11 on which a content display etc. that can be visually confirmed by the user is stored so that the recording display surface 6a is exposed. . As shown in FIG. 3, each of the left and right concave grooves 7 has a narrow groove portion 7a that is formed in a T-shaped cross section and faces the outside, and a wide groove portion 7b that is formed to communicate with the inside of the narrow groove portion 7a. The vertical width of the narrow groove portion 7a is set to be slightly narrower than the vertical width of the information recording cards 6 and 11, and the recording display surfaces 6a and 11a of the information recording cards 6 and 11 are exposed from the narrow groove portion 7a. The vertical width of the wide groove portion 7b is set to be slightly wider than the vertical width of the information recording card 6/11 so that the information recording card 6/11 can slide along the wide groove portion 7b.
[0010]
In the figure, the left groove 7 is at the left end, the right groove 7 is at the right end, and the card insertion slot 9 is inclined downward toward each wide groove portion 7b so as to communicate with the wide groove portion 7b. Provide to do. And, in the vicinity of the card insertion slot 9 in one of the concave grooves 7, the left concave groove 7 in the figure, the information recording card 6 is provided with an extraction restricting means 10 to permit the insertion of the information recording card 6. Extraction shall be regulated. In the drawing, the right concave groove 7 is not provided with the above-mentioned extraction restriction means 10, and other information recording cards 11 can be inserted and extracted freely.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5A, the extraction restricting means 10 is provided with a notch 12 inside the wide groove portion 7b of the concave groove 7, while a thin arm 13 is integrally formed in the body case 1 in a cantilever manner. The elastic protrusion 14 integrally provided at the tip of the arm 13 can be protruded and retracted from the notch 12 into the wide groove portion 7 b by the elastic action of the arm 13. A taper 15 is provided on one side surface of the elastic protrusion 14 facing the card insertion slot 9, and a straight wall-like regulation surface 16 is provided on the other side surface of the concave groove 7 facing the information recording card 6. In the illustrated example, the notch 12 is formed in the inner wall 19 of the upper case 1a of the main body case 1, and the arm 13 having the elastic projection 14 is provided on the inner wall 20 of the lower case 1b so as to project upward through the notch groove 17, and When the cases 1 a and 1 b are brought into contact with each other, the elastic protrusion 14 is incorporated into the notch 12. A cover wall piece 18 is provided on the back wall 5 of the upper case 1a so as to cover the elastic protrusions 14 so that the elastic protrusions 14 cannot be seen from the outside. The covering wall piece 18 can be attached to the lower case 1b.
[0012]
At that time, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the information recording card 6 is pushed into the concave groove 7 from the card insertion slot 9, the insertion-side start end 6b of the information recording card 6 abuts against the taper 15 of the elastic protrusion 14, When the card is further pushed in, the insertion side starting end 6b of the information recording card 6 slides on the taper 15, and the elastic projection 14 of the arm 13 is notched against the elastic force by the component of the pushing force as shown in FIG. 5B. 12, the information recording card 6 is inserted deeply into the concave groove 7 with the elastic protrusion 14 being immersed therein. As soon as the end 6c of the information recording card 6 passes over the elastic projection 14 as shown in FIG. 5C, the information recording card 6 is completely stored in the concave groove 7, and at the same time, the end 6c of the information recording card 6 is connected to the elastic projection 14. The elastic protrusion 14 is protruded and returned into the groove 7 by the elastic return force. As a result, the information recording card 6 is restricted from moving in the direction of the card insertion slot 9 by the restriction surface 16 of the elastic protrusion 14, and can be prevented from being pulled out by the user. If the elastic protrusion 14 is covered with the covering wall piece 18, the effect of preventing the user from pulling out the information recording card 6 can be further enhanced.
[0013]
One of the information recording cards 6 or 11 can be constituted by an IC card.
In the above embodiment, the elastic protrusion 14 is formed in the lower case 1b and the notch 12 is formed in the upper case 1a. Conversely, the notch 12 is formed in the lower case 1b and the elastic protrusion 14 is formed in the upper case 1a. it can. If the elastic protrusion 14 is formed integrally with the main body case 1, it is advantageous that the number of assembling steps of the elastic protrusion 14 can be omitted. However, the elastic protrusion 14 is not necessarily limited to this, and is configured separately from the main body case 1. It may be incorporated in the concave groove 7.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
According to the tape cartridge of the present invention, the two types of information recording cards 6 and 11 can be conveniently stored without peeling or floating problems. In the concave groove 7 provided with one extraction restricting means 10, the information recording card 6 that is not easily taken out by the user is stored, so that it can be suitably used for an autoloader or the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tape cartridge showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the tape cartridge of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
4 is an exploded perspective view of the main part shown in FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an insertion operation of the information recording card of the tape cartridge of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional tape cartridge.
7 is a cross-sectional view of a groove for storing an information recording card of the tape cartridge of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 6/11 Information recording card 7 Concave groove 9 Card insertion slot 10 Extraction control means 12 Notch 14 Elastic protrusion 15 Taper 16 Control surface

Claims (6)

On the outer surface of the back wall 5 of the body case 1, an information recording card 6-11 each record display surface 6a-11a are arranged in a horizontal row two grooves 7, 7 for housing so as to expose to the outside in the left-right A tape cartridge provided with a card insertion slot 9 at the left end of the left groove 7 and at the right end of the right groove 7 ,
An insertion of the information recording card 6 is permitted at a position in the vicinity of the card insertion slot 9 in one of the concave grooves 7, but is provided with an extraction restricting means 10 for restricting the extraction, and the other concave groove 7 is not provided with an extraction restricting means 10. The information recording card 11 can be freely inserted and removed via the card insertion slot 9,
The extraction restricting means 10 includes a notch 12 provided in a part of the concave groove 7 and an elastic protrusion 14 provided so as to protrude and retract in the notch 12.
A tape cartridge in which a cover wall piece 18 for covering the elastic protrusion 14 is provided on the back wall 5 . 2. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein one of the information recording card 6 and the information recording card 11 comprises an IC card . The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the groove 7 has a narrow groove portion 7a having a T-shaped cross section and facing outward, and a wide groove portion 7b formed in communication with the inside of the narrow groove portion 7a . 4. The tape cartridge according to claim 3 , wherein the extraction restricting means is constituted by an elastic protrusion provided so as to protrude from and into the wide groove portion b from a notch provided in a part of the wide groove portion b of the concave groove . The tape cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the elastic protrusion is formed integrally with the plastic body case . 6. The tape cartridge according to claim 5 , wherein a taper 15 is provided on one side surface of the elastic protrusion 14 facing the card insertion slot 9 and a regulating surface 16 is provided on the other side surface of the concave groove 7 facing the information recording card 6 .

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