JP3989613B2 - Magnetic tape cartridge - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cartridge in which a single reel wound with a magnetic tape is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case, and in particular, a slide door that opens and closes a tape drawer opening for pulling out one end of the magnetic tape. The sliding door locking mechanism in the magnetic tape cartridge provided with
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a magnetic tape cartridge used as a recording medium used in an external storage device such as a computer, a single reel on which a magnetic tape is wound has a substantially square planar shape composed of an upper half and a lower half. Some of them are rotatably accommodated in a flat cartridge case. These magnetic tape cartridges are mainly used as a computer memory backup.
[0003]
There are, for example, two types of conventional magnetic tape cartridges of this type. One of them is a state in which the magnetic tape is completely wound on a reel when not in use, and the tip of the magnetic tape is a cartridge case. It is comprised so that it may be latched by the leader block accommodated so that the opening part for tape drawers formed in one corner may be covered.
[0004]
Another type is a mode in which a lid that can be opened and closed in the direction of the cartridge plane is spring-biased toward a closed position in a tape drawer opening formed on one side wall of the cartridge case, and In order not to rotate when the cartridge is not used, it is attached in such a manner that it is locked in the closed position by a lid lock that is spring-biased in the locked position, and the tip of the magnetic tape is attached to the hook incorporated in the opening for drawing out the tape Some are configured to be locked.
[0005]
When the magnetic tape cartridge having such a configuration is set in the recording / reproducing device of the corresponding external storage device, the rotation driving means on the device side is engaged with the engaging teeth of the reel exposed at the center of the lower half. In the former case, the lid is first opened by the tape pulling mechanism on the apparatus side, and in the latter case, the lid is opened first by the tape pulling mechanism on the apparatus side. Then, when the hook is pulled out together with the magnetic tape, the magnetic tape is pulled into a predetermined position of the tape running path, and data can be written / read on the magnetic tape.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, among the two types of magnetic tape cartridges described above, those using the former leader block only have to have the advantage that the tape drawing mechanism on the apparatus side can be simplified because it is only necessary to grasp and pull out the leader block when drawing the tape. When the cartridge is not used, there is a drawback that dust easily enters the inside of the cartridge from the gap between the opening for drawing the tape and the leader block.
[0007]
On the other hand, the latter open / close lid type has solved the problem that dust can easily enter the cartridge, but when the tape is pulled out, the lid must first be released before the lid is opened. There is a problem in that the tape drawing mechanism on the side becomes complicated and a rotation space for the rotation type lid is required. Further, the cartridge side also has a problem in that it takes time to incorporate a torsion spring for urging the lid and a coil spring for urging the lid lock when assembling the cartridge.
[0008]
In view of this, a configuration including a slide door for opening and closing the tape drawer opening has been proposed. In that case, a leader pin that clamps the leading end portion of the magnetic tape is accommodated inside the tape drawing opening, and when this magnetic tape cartridge is inserted into a corresponding recording / reproducing device such as an external storage device, The slide door is opened by the member on the device side, and the leader pin is pulled to the device side together with the magnetic tape by the tape pulling mechanism, so that the magnetic tape is set on the device side and data can be written / read on the magnetic tape. Become.
[0009]
In the configuration including such a sliding door, it is preferable to provide some kind of locking mechanism in order to stably hold the sliding door in the closed position. However, if the locking mechanism is provided, when the sliding door is opened, Since the lock must be released, there arises a problem that the structure becomes complicated.
[0010]
In view of the above circumstances, the present invention is a slide door in which a single reel wound with a magnetic tape is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case, and opens and closes a tape drawer opening for pulling out one end of the magnetic tape. In the magnetic tape cartridge provided in the cartridge case, at least during the opening operation of the sliding door, the locking by the locking mechanism is automatically released in accordance with the pressing in the opening direction of the sliding door by the member on the external device side. An object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic tape cartridge that can be used.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the present invention, the slide door includes an engagement member that is integrally provided at the front end portion in the closing direction and locks the slide door in the closed position, and the engagement member has one end on the slide door. A flexible leg portion that is connected and has the other end extending forward, an engaging protrusion that protrudes to the side of the distal end of the leg portion, and is connected to the leg portion on the opposite side of the engaging protrusion. It consists of an action part that receives an open operation external force formed to extend,
A concave portion into which the engaging member at the front end portion of the sliding door is inserted when the sliding door is in the closed position is formed at an end portion of the tape drawer opening of the cartridge case. And an engagement recess into which the engagement protrusion of the engagement member can be engaged,
When the sliding door is closed, the engaging projection of the engaging member comes into contact with one end of the concave portion of the cartridge case and the leg portion is bent, and the engaging projection is engaged with the engaging concave portion and slides. The door is automatically locked in the closed position, and with the insertion into the external device, an external force acts on the action portion of the engagement member in the opening direction to bend the leg portion, and the engagement protrusion and the engagement portion. A lock mechanism is provided which is disengaged from the joint recess and automatically unlocks and opens the slide door .
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, as the sliding door returns to the closed position by the biasing force of the spring member, the sliding door is automatically locked to the closed position by the flexible engagement member, and the sliding door is opened. Since the engaging member is sometimes bent in the unlocking direction by the pressing force acting on the slide door via the engaging member, the lock is automatically released by this, and a very simple configuration Thus, there is an advantage that the sliding door can be locked smoothly and the sliding door can be opened and closed smoothly.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
1 and 2 are perspective views of a magnetic tape cartridge according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a closed state of the slide door, and FIG. 2 shows an open state of the slide door.
[0015]
In the magnetic tape cartridge, a single reel wound with a magnetic tape is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case 1 composed of an upper half 1a and a lower half 1b. On one side wall of the cartridge case 1, a tape drawing opening 2 for drawing out one end of the magnetic tape is formed so as to straddle the upper half 1a and the lower half 1b and close to the corner portion. A slide door 3 for opening and closing the tape drawing opening 2 is slidably provided.
[0016]
As is apparent from FIG. 2, a leader pin 4 that clamps the leading end portion of the magnetic tape is accommodated in the recess 6 inside the tape drawer opening 2, and an external storage device to which the magnetic tape cartridge corresponds is accommodated. 2 is inserted in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2, the rotation drive means on the apparatus side engages with the engaging teeth of a reel (not shown) exposed in the opening in the center of the lower half 1b. As the magnetic tape cartridge is inserted into the external device, the member on the external device side is opened in contact with the front end 3a of the slide door 3, and the leader pin 4 is attached together with the magnetic tape by the tape pull-out mechanism on the external device side. By being pulled into the external device, the magnetic tape is set in the external device, and data can be written / read on the magnetic tape.
[0017]
The leader pin 4 is detachably locked between recesses 6 formed on the lower surface of the upper half 1a and the upper surface of the lower half 1b so as to face the opening 2 respectively. Further, on one side of the cartridge case 1, a rotary operation knob 5 for preventing erasure and double writing of the magnetic tape is exposed.
[0018]
3-5 is a diagram showing an implementation form of the locking mechanism of the slide door in a magnetic tape cartridge according to the present invention, Figure 3 shows the shape of the front end 3a of the slide door 3 together with a main portion of the cartridge case 1 FIG. 4 is a front view of the main part showing a state in which the slide door 3 is locked in the closed position, and FIG. 5 shows a state when force is applied to the slide door 3 in the opening direction from the state of FIG. It is a principal part front view.
[0019]
The slide door 3 that opens and closes the tape drawer opening 2 is urged by a spring member (not shown) to the right in the drawing, that is, toward the closed position, and the front end 3a of the slide door 3 in the closing direction , that is, the slide door 3 is closed. An engaging member 7 for locking the slide door 3 in the closed position is integrally provided at the end of the leading side when the door is closed (trailing side when the door is opened).
[0020]
The engaging member 7 has one end connected to the slide door 3 and the other end formed forward at the front (right side in the figure) and a flexible leg portion 7a, and is formed at the tip of the leg portion 7a and protrudes to the side. And an engaging projection 7b facing upward and an action portion connected to the tip of the leg portion 7a and extending downward from the opposite side of the engaging projection 7b and receiving external force when the sliding door 3 is opened. 7c. Then, as the magnetic tape cartridge is inserted into the external device, a force that presses the slide door 3 in the opening direction due to the contact of the member on the external device side acts on the action portion 7c. .
[0021]
On the other hand, a recess 8 into which the engaging member 7 of the front end portion 3a of the slide door 3 is inserted when the slide door 3 is in the closed position is inserted into the wall end facing the end of the tape drawer opening 2 of the cartridge case 1. And an engaging recess 9 into which the engaging protrusion 7b of the engaging member 7 can be engaged is formed at the upper end of the recessed portion 8.
[0022]
In the above configuration, when the slide door 3 moves from the state shown in FIG. 3 toward the closed position by the biasing force of the spring member (not shown), the engagement protrusion 7 b of the engagement member 7 is formed in the recess 8 of the cartridge case 1. When abutting against the upper inner wall surface 8a, the leg portion 7a of the engaging member 7 bends downward, thereby allowing the engaging member 7 to be inserted into the concave portion 8. When the sliding door 3 reaches the closed position, as shown in FIG. 4, the engaging projection 7b is engaged with the engaging recess 9, and the sliding door 3 is automatically locked in the closed position. .
[0023]
Next, when the magnetic tape cartridge is inserted into the external device with the slide door 3 locked in the closed position, the action portion 7c of the engaging member 7 provided on the slide door 3 is accompanied with this insertion. On the other hand, a force acts from the right direction of FIG. Accordingly, the leg portion 7a of the engagement member 7 bends downward, and the engagement projection 7b and the engagement recess 9 are disengaged, so that the slide door 3 is automatically unlocked and the slide door 3 is opened. Is acceptable.
[0024]
As apparent from the above description, in the present embodiment, as the slide door 3 is returned to the closed position by the biasing force of the spring member, the slide door 3 is automatically locked in the closed position, When the sliding door 3 is opened, a force that presses the sliding door 3 in the opening direction is applied via the action portion 7 c of the engaging member 7 provided on the sliding door 3. The lock is automatically released by bending downward.
[0025]
Thus, according to the present embodiment, the sliding door 3 can be locked and the sliding door 3 can be smoothly opened and closed with a very simple configuration.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a perspective view showing a magnetic tape cartridge according to the present invention in a closed state of a sliding door. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the magnetic tape cartridge in FIG. 1 in an opened state of a sliding door. front view of the implementation in the form of a sliding door locking mechanism in the tape cartridge 4 shows partial front view illustrating a state in which the sliding door is locked in the closed position in the locking mechanism of FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 in FIG. 4 Main part front view showing the state when force is applied to the sliding door in the opening direction from the state [Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cartridge case 1a Upper half 1b Lower half 2 Tape drawer opening 3 Slide door 4 Leader pin 7 Engagement member 7a Engagement member leg 7b Engagement member projection 7c Engagement member action part 9 Engagement Recess

Claims (1)

A single reel wrapped with a magnetic tape is rotatably accommodated in the cartridge case, and a sliding door that opens and closes a tape drawer opening for pulling out one end of the magnetic tape is closed by a biasing force of a spring member. provided in the cartridge case in a manner to return to the position, a magnetic tape cartridge provided with a locking mechanism for holding the closed position,
The sliding door includes an engaging member that is integrally projected at a front end portion in the closing direction and locks the sliding door in a closed position. The engaging member has one end connected to the sliding door and the other end. A flexible leg portion extending forward, an engagement protrusion formed to protrude to the side of the distal end of the leg portion, and connected to the leg portion to extend to the opposite side of the engagement protrusion. It consists of an action part that receives an open operation external force,
A concave portion into which the engaging member at the front end portion of the sliding door is inserted when the sliding door is in the closed position is formed at an end portion of the tape drawer opening of the cartridge case. An engagement recess into which the engagement protrusion of the engagement member can be engaged is formed.
When the sliding door is closed, the engaging projection of the engaging member comes into contact with one end of the recess of the cartridge case and the leg is bent, and the engaging projection is engaged with the engaging recess and slides. The door is automatically locked in the closed position, and with the insertion into the external device, an external force acts on the action portion of the engagement member in the opening direction to bend the leg portion, and the engagement protrusion and the engagement portion. A magnetic tape cartridge comprising a lock mechanism that is disengaged from the mating recess and automatically unlocks and opens the slide door .

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