JPH0552596B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] This invention relates to a tape cartridge having a tape loading pocket on the front surface of a main body case, and more specifically, to prevent dust from entering from the bottom of the opening of the pocket when not in use. In a tape cartridge equipped with a dust cover that prevents the tape from adhering to the tape portion led out to the front of the case, improvements have been made to the way the dust cover is attached and the spring member that maintains the dust cover in a closed position when not in use. It was added.

[Background technology]

For video and audio tape cartridges in which the tape is pulled forward from the front of the main case when loaded into a deck, a pocket for tape loading with openings at the front and bottom is inserted into the front of the main case. It is formed with a recess. A front lid is pivotally attached to the main case to cover and protect the outside of the front of the tape that is led out to the front of the case when not in use, and further protects the tape from dust and other objects entering from the bottom of the opening of the pocket. It is known to attach a dust cover for this purpose.

In this type of tape cartridge, when loaded onto a deck, the front lid swings forward and opens upwards, but the dust cover is also inserted into the pocket to allow the tape loading member on the deck side to enter from the bottom of the opening. must be evacuated from the closed position to the open position so that it can be pulled out. The problem is how to operate this dust cover.

In this regard, it is conceivable to provide a dust cover integrally and continuously on the inner surface of the front lid at the location where the pocket is present so as to cover the inside of the tape. However, when the front cover opens forward and upward, care must be taken to ensure that the dust cover that moves together with it does not come into contact with the tape and interfere with the tape. Therefore, the vertical width of the dust cover becomes shorter, and the front cover becomes smaller. The bottom surface of the tape insertion space between the cover and the dust cover remains open, resulting in an insufficient dustproof effect. Another disadvantage is that when the front cover is opened, the dust cover protrudes significantly toward the front and top of the case.

Therefore, the front lid and dust cover are molded separately and attached separately. That is, the dust cover is provided with cam followers at its left and right ends, and the cam followers are guided into cam grooves formed on the left and right sides of the pocket, and then the front cover and the dust cover are separately interlocked and connected. It has been proposed that when the case is opened, the dust cover opens upward on the rear side of the case without coming into contact with the tape and interfering with the dust cover.

According to this, it is possible to prevent the dust cover from coming into contact with the tape and from protruding upward from the case, and there is no problem in terms of functionality. However, the biggest drawback is that it is extremely troublesome to simultaneously and integrally assemble the dust cover and the front cover, especially when downsizing the tape cartridge. In addition, it is necessary to form cam grooves in the main body case with high precision, which is disadvantageous in terms of case molding and ensuring case strength, and furthermore, it is difficult to ensure a smooth sliding effect of the cam follower in the cam groove. .

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention focuses on this fact, and the dust cover closes the bottom surface of the opening of the pocket itself instead of the inside of the tape, so that the dust cover is perfect when not in use, and the bottom surface of the pocket is left open when the deck is loaded. The first objective is to enable tape loading without any hindrance.

Furthermore, the conventional complicated opening/closing mechanism that interlocks and connects the dust cover between the main body case and the front cover is eliminated, and the dust cover can be easily assembled to the main body case with a simple sliding mechanism. is the second purpose.

The third purpose is to eliminate the possibility of the dust cover coming into contact with the tape or protruding outside the main body case when the dust cover opens and operates, and also to ensure reliable operation.

Furthermore, in the case where the dust cover slides back and forth along the bottom wall of the case, where is the spring member attached to urge the dust cover to swing forward so that it always closes the bottom surface of the pocket opening when not in use? The question is whether to do so. In this regard, the fourth object of the present invention is to enable the spring member to be attached without contacting and interfering with the tape winding hub or tape inside the main body case.

[Summary of the invention]

The main feature of the present invention is that a dust cover is attached to the bottom wall of the main body case so that it can slide forward and backward in the front and rear directions, and when not in use, the dust cover is moved forward using a spring member so as to always close the bottom surface of the opening of the tape loading pocket. The dust cover is biased to move to prevent dust from entering the pocket, and when the tape is loaded into the deck, the dust cover retracts to the rear, leaving the bottom of the pocket open and allowing for smooth tape loading. This is what I did. A spring member for urging the dust cover to slide is attached between the front end of the dust cover and the main body case. Specifically, the spring member 46 is a torsion coil spring having a coil portion 46a and extending ends 46b and 46c extending from both ends of the coil portion 46a, and the coil portion 46a is connected to the front end of the dust cover 30. 30a or main case 1
At least one of the extending ends 46b and 46c slides against a spring stop provided on the other of the front end 30a of the dust cover 30 or the main body case 1. It is designed so that it can be touched freely.

〔Example〕

1 to 9 show a first embodiment of a tape cartridge according to the present invention, and specifically, a digital recording/playback type audio tape cartridge is illustrated.

Basic Configuration In Figures 1 to 3, 1 is the main body case. The main body case 1 is formed by screwing together upper and lower plastic cases 1a and 1b with their lids mating, and has hubs 3, 3 around which tapes 2 are wound on the left and right sides of the inside. These hubs 3, 3 rotate on the left and right drive shaft insertion holes 5, 5 transparently provided in the bottom wall 4 of the main body case 1, and when loaded onto the deck, the drive shafts on the deck side insert into the respective insertion holes 5. The hub holes 8 of each hub 3 are fitted through the hub holes 8 of the hubs 3 . There are tape guide members 9, 9 on the front left and right sides of the main body case 1, and the tape 2 is led out from one hub 3 to the front of the case via these guide members 9, 9, and is wound around the other hub 3. In addition,
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 is a transparent window provided on the upper wall 6 of the case.
The amount of tape wrapped around can be visually checked from the outside.

Form of Screwing the Upper and Lower Cases In FIG. 1, the upper and lower cases 1a and 1b are screwed at two locations on the left and right in the front using tape guide members 9, 9, and also at two locations on the left and right at the rear. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the front screw fastening locations has a circular hole 11 for screwing from the inner surface of the case bottom wall 4 at a position closer to the inside of the case than each tape guide member 9. The boss 12 is erected at a height that reaches the inner surface of the case upper wall 6, and a screw insertion hole 13 is provided in the case upper wall 6 in a manner opposite to the screw pilot hole 11, and a tuft pin screw 15 is inserted from the upper case 1a side. They are inserted through the insertion holes 13 and screwed into the screw pilot holes 11, respectively.

In addition, at each screw fastening point on the rear left and right,
As shown in FIG. 10, a circular boss 17 with a screw pilot hole 16 is provided upright from the inner surface of the case bottom wall 4, a screw insertion hole 18 is provided in the case top wall 6, and a tuft pin screw 15 is provided from the top case 1a side. are inserted into the screw insertion holes 18 and screwed into the screw pilot holes 16, respectively.

Front Lid A front lid 20 for tape protection that closes the front surface of the main body case 1 is pivotally attached to the main body case 1 so that it can be opened and closed. In FIGS. 1 and 2, this front lid 20
A front plate 21 that closes the front surface of the main body case 1 between the left and right sides, connecting pieces 22, 22 extending rearward from both left and right ends of the front plate 21, and connecting pieces 22, 22
It is a plastic molded product having pivots 23, 23 protruding from the inner surface of the shaft in opposite directions. Lid mounting walls 24, 2 are provided at the front ends of the left and right side walls 25, 25 of the main body case 1.
4 is located on the inside of the case, and as shown in FIG. Transparent pivot holes 26, 26 in 24, 24
The front cover 20 is rotatable around the pivot shaft 23 between a position in which the front surface of the main case 1 is closed and an upwardly opened position;
A torsion spring 27 attached to a pivot shaft 23 on the left side of the figure rotates and biases it into the closed position.

When the tape cartridge is not in use, the front lid 20 is closed and covers and protects the front outside of the tape 2. When the tape cartridge is loaded into the deck, the front lid 20 opens and the tape 2 is pulled out to the front of the case. possible standby state.

Tape Loading Pocket In Figures 3 to 5, a tape loading pocket 29 with openings at the front and bottom is formed in the central front portion of the main body case 1 in a recessed manner toward the inside of the case. The tape loading member on the deck side enters the pocket 29 from below the case and pulls out the tape 2 to the front of the case.

Dust cover When the pocket 29 is opened wide in this way, the tape 2 stretched between the left and right tape guide members 9 is covered with the front outer side by the front lid 20 when not in use. Since the lower surface of the opening remains open, there is a risk that dust may enter from there and adhere to the tape 2. Therefore, the present invention is provided with a dust cover 30 that closes the lower surface of the opening of the pocket 29 when not in use, and has a first feature in the way the dust cover 30 is attached.

In FIGS. 4 to 7, the dust cover 30
is a flat plate-like member made of plastic whose front end portion 30a substantially matches the planar shape of the pocket 29,
The front end 30a is placed on the inner surface of the case bottom wall 4 in a forward protruding position in which the bottom surface of the opening of the pocket 29 is completely closed, and in a backward retracting position in which the bottom surface of the opening in the pocket 29 is completely opened. It is installed so that it can be slid forward and backward in a horizontal position. In the figure, a portion of the dust cover 30 abuts and engages with the rear end edges of the left and right partition walls 31, 31 of the pocket 29, thereby restricting the forward advancement limit of the dust cover 30.

The front and back width of this dust cover 30 is set so that when it is slid to the front limit, the rear end remains behind the case from the inner inner end surface 32 of the pocket 29, and even when it is slid to the rear limit, the rear end edge remains. does not come in contact with and interfere with the hubs 3, 3. However, since the dust cover 30 extends to the winding layer of the tape 2 wound around each hub 3 and the tape running area, it is sunk below the lower edge of the tape 2 on the inner surface of the case bottom wall 4.

In order to allow the dust cover 30 to smoothly slide back and forth on the inner surface of the case bottom wall 4, a protrusion is provided between the opposing surfaces of both 4 and 30 to reduce sliding resistance. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a linear protrusion 33 is provided near the inner inner end surface 32 of the pocket 29 on the side of the case bottom wall 4, and directly above the inner end surface 32 in the figure. Similarly, a linear projection 34 is provided on the flat lower surface so as to protrude parallel to the projection 33, and the tips of both projections 33 and 34 abut each other. And dust cover 3
0 is projected and slid to the forward limit, the linear protrusion 34 on the cover 30 side touches the bottom wall 4 of the case.
It closely opposes or abuts the inner side of the linear protrusion 33 on the side. In this way, in particular, the linear protrusion 33 on the case bottom wall 4 side ensures sufficient strength at the inner end surface of the pocket 29, and dust is prevented from entering the case through the gap created between the case bottom wall 4 and the dust cover 30. prevent it from entering the room.

In FIG. 5, on the left and right sides of the pocket 29, shelves 35, 35 are formed that integrally project from the case bottom wall 4 on the inner side of the left and right partition walls 31, 31, and the front end 30a of the dust cover 30 is located on the left and right sides. The edge portions are received and supported by the shelves 35, 35 in a horizontal position.

In addition, in order to prevent the dust cover 30 from rattling when sliding, the case left and right side walls 25, 25 extend rearward from the left and right ends of the upper surface of the dust cover 30.
Guide plates 37 and 38 are integrally connected to each other. Each guide plate 37, 38 has a sufficient vertical width, and as shown in FIG. , 25. Each guide plate 37,
At the front and rear ends of the upper edge of 38, there are thin elastic parts 39, 39 that can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction as shown in FIG.
The elastic portions 39, 39 come into contact with the inner surface of the case upper wall 6 to absorb vertical play.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, ribs 41 extending vertically from the case upper wall 6 and parallel to the case side wall 25 slide and guide the left and right guide plates 37 and 38 without wobbling. That is, in the assembled state, the guide plates 37, 38 slide while being sandwiched between the case side walls 25, 25 and the plates 37, 38. In addition, the dust cover 30
A series of T-shaped reinforcing ribs 44 extending in the left-right and front-rear directions are provided at the left and right center portions of the front end 30a of the car. presser rib 4
5 closely opposes the reinforcing rib 44 to prevent the cover front end 30a from lifting up. Here, the portion of the reinforcing rib 44 in the front-rear direction is important, and it is desirable that the rear end surface 44a of this rib be made into an inclined surface as shown in FIG. 4 in order to prevent contact interference with the tape 2 when retracting. It will be done.

The lower opening of the pocket 29 must always be closed with the dust cover 30 when not in use. Therefore,
A spring member 46 is provided for slidingly biasing the dust cover 30 to its forward protrusion limit, and the second feature of the present invention lies in how the spring member 46 is attached.

That is, in FIGS. 5 and 6, a pair of torsion coil springs are used as the spring member 46. On the front end 30a of the dust cover 30, round pin-shaped spring retainers 47, 47 are integrally provided on the left and right sides of the upper surface near the front end, and notches are provided in the vicinity of the screw fixing bosses 12 of the left and right partition walls 31, 31. 48 will be provided. Each boss 12 is used as a coil receiving part, and the intermediate coil part 46a of the spring member 46 is fitted from above to the lower end of the coil receiving part 12.
One long extended end 46b of the spring is fixed to the spring 4
7 is slidably abutted and received, and the other extending end 46c is received and supported by the partition wall 31. Here, each spring stopper 47 is set at a height such that its upper end is close to and opposed to the case upper wall 6, and when the front end 30a of the dust cover 30 is strongly pressed from below, the upper end of each spring stopper 47 is set to the upper end of the case upper wall 6. 6, the cover tip 30a may be deformed and
Prevent damage. Further, when not in use, a tape path is formed between the front plate 21 of the front cover 20 and each spring stopper 47, and the presence of the spring stoppers 47 prevents the tape 3 from loosening inward of the case. .
Of course, one continuous end 46b of each spring member 46
is guided from the inside of the case and received by each spring stopper 47, so that the tape 2 does not contact or interfere with the spring member 46.

Now, when the tape cartridge is not in use, the front lid 20 closes the front outside of the tape 2, and the dust cover 30, which is biased to move forward by the spring member 46, closes its front end 30a. completely closes the lower surface of the opening of the pocket 29. The forward movement limit of the dust cover 30 is restricted, and the front edge of the cover is in contact with the inner surface of the lower end of the front plate 21 of the front lid 10. In fact, considering design allowances, the front edge of the cover is set to face the front plate 21 closely with a slight gap as shown in FIG. The protruding piece 49 is located below the dust cover 30 to prevent dust from entering the inside through the gap.

When the tape cartridge is loaded onto the deck, the dust cover 30 must be moved backward against the spring member 46 to open the lower surface of the opening of the pocket 29. For that purpose, the main case 1
As shown in FIG. 4, a slit 50 extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the left and right side walls 25 at approximately the center of the top and bottom. The front end 50a of this slit 50 is formed in a shape that widens in the front and has a guide surface 51 that slopes forward downward, and the guide plate 37, 3
Knobs 52, 52 protruding from 8 face the slits 50, 50, respectively, so as to be movable back and forth.

Therefore, when the tape cartridge is loaded onto the deck, the deck-side member is guided into the left and right slits 50, 50 and comes into contact with the knobs 52, 52 while the front lid 20 is still closed. Then, the dust cover 30 as a whole slides backward against the spring member 46, and the bottom surface of the opening of the pocket 29 is completely opened, and the tape loading member on the deck side enters the pocket 29 from below. I will allow you to come.

In addition, as shown in the illustrated example, there are a pair of spring members 4 on the left and right.
6, 46 are installed, the dust cover 30
Although this is advantageous for stably sliding back and forth, a configuration in which the spring member 46 is attached only to one of the left and right sides may also be used. In this case, it is desirable to set the spring stopper 47 at the left-right center of the front end portion 30a of the cover so that the spring pressure from the spring member 46 acts on the dust cover 30 evenly on the left and right sides.

Front Lid Closing Lock Mechanism Although the front lid 20 is biased to rotate in a closed manner by the spring 27, it is desired that the front lid 20 be locked so that it does not open and rotate when not in use.

For this purpose, the guide plate 37 on the left side of the dust cover 30 is used. That is, when the dust cover 30 is extended forward as shown in FIG.
4, the upper surface 54 of the front end of the plate 37 is formed in a stepped shape, and the downward end surface is formed to protrude from the inner surface of the connecting piece 22 when the front lid 20 is in the closed position. 55 is positioned to face the stepped upper surface 54 at a position rearward from the center of the pivot 23.

In such a case, even if an attempt is made to open the front lid 20 upward from the closed position when not in use, the aforementioned downward end surface 55 will come into contact with the stepped upper surface 54 and the front lid 20 will not open. However, when a tape cartridge is loaded on the deck, a member on the deck side engages in the slit 50 and slides the dust cover 30 backward, and the stepped upper surface 54 escapes from below the downward end surface 55. , the rotation lock of the front cover 20 is released. After that, another member on the deck side comes into contact with the lower end of the front plate 21 of the front lid 20 at a proper position, and the front lid 20 is opened upward against the spring 27.

Tape end detection means In FIGS. 2 and 5, when the tape cartridge is loaded on the deck, the case bottom wall 4 is used to optically detect the starting and ending ends of the tape 2.
Through-holes 60, 6 for tape end detection are provided on the front left and right parts of the
0, and through holes 61, 61 communicating with the slits 50, 50 are formed in the left and right case side walls 25, 25, respectively, so as to pass through the inside and outside.

When not in use, open the left and right through holes 6 as shown in Figure 2.
0,60 is closed with a dust cover 30,
Further, the through holes 61, 61 are also closed by the guide plates 37, 38 of the dust cover 30 to prevent dust from entering inside. However, when the tape cartridge is loaded onto the deck and the dust cover 30 is moved backward, the through holes 60, 60 and the through holes 61, 61 open as shown in the fifth figure, and the lamps 62, 62 on the deck side open. The light from the lamp 62 enters the through holes 60, 60 from below, passes through the transparent leader tape parts connected to both ends of the tape 2, passes through the left and right through holes 61, 61, and enters the deck side. The light is received by sensors 63, 63. In the figure, the symbol L indicates the sensor optical path. In particular, the detection light from the deck side is projected into the main body case from the left and right outside of the main body case 1 through the through holes 61, 61,
The projection detection light may be received by a sensor on the deck side that has entered the through holes 60, 60.

Hub Rotation Stopping Means At the rear left and right corners of the main body case 1, there is provided a pair of hub rotation prevention means 70, 70 which act on both hubs 3, 3 individually, as shown in FIG. 9 to 11, each of the bubble rotation prevention means 70 is provided with a plastic brake piece 71 as an assembly member, and the aforementioned screw boss 15 is utilized.

The brake piece 71 has a flat shape with a thin wall thickness in the vertical direction, and a tongue-like spring piece 73 is integrally extended in a cantilevered manner from a boss part 71 at the base end, and an engaging claw 74 is attached to the tip.
has. The brake piece 71 has a boss portion 72 fitted into the boss 17 from above, is received and supported by the recessed inner surface of the case bottom wall 4, and horizontally rotates around the boss 17 below the tape 2. The spring piece 73 is received and supported by a member 78 on the case side, and is biased to swing so that the distal end engaging claw 74 of the brake piece 71 always comes into contact with the hub 3 side. Each hub 3 has engagement teeth 75 on the outer periphery of its lower end.
are continuously formed in a circumferential manner, and the brake piece 71
The distal end engaging pawl 74 is in a relationship to engage with the engaging tooth 75.

Brake release operation ports 76 , 76 are transparently provided in the case bottom wall 4 near the left and right bosses 15 , 15 , and the intermediate portion of each brake piece 71 is connected to each operation port 76 .
It straddles part of the top. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the operation ports 76, 76 have an oval shape on one side and a circular shape on the other side, and also serve as reference holes for positioning when loading the deck.

When not in use, the engagement claw 7 at the end of each brake piece 71
4 is abuttingly engaged with the engaging tooth 75 of each corresponding hub 3, thereby preventing each hub 3 from rotating. When loading the tape cartridge into the deck,
As shown in FIG. 11, the brake release member 77, which also serves as a reference pin for positioning on the deck side, enters each operating port 76 from below and comes into contact with the intermediate portion of each brake piece 71. The brake piece 71 swings and retreats to the brake release position against the spring pressure of the spring piece 73, causing each hub 3 to freely rotate.

Note that FIGS. 9 and 10 are visible from the case top wall 6.
As shown in the figure, a wall-shaped presser rib 79 is vertically disposed at a position where the lower end thereof is close to the upper surface of each brake piece 71, and the rib 79 prevents each brake piece 71 from coming into contact with it, and This prevents dust that has entered the corners of the case through each operating port 76 when not in use from further reaching the center of the case.

[Modified example]

Although the illustrated example is as described above, the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a round pin-shaped spring stopper 47 is erected as a coil receiving part at the center of the upper surface of the cover front end 30a, and Spring retainers 80, 80 are provided protruding from the left and right inner surfaces of the wall 4 at the front parts away from the tape end detection through holes 60, 60.
The intermediate coil portion 46a of the spring member 46, which is a torsion coil spring, is fitted into the coil receiving portion 47 on the dust cover 30 side from above, and the two continuous protruding ends 46b, 46c of the spring member 46 are connected to the spring stopper on the case bottom wall 4 side. 8
0 and 80, respectively, and the spring member 46 slides and urges the dust cover 30 forward. This is dust cover 30
When the spring member 46 is in the forward extending state, the spring member 46
As shown by the solid line diagram in FIG. 2, it has a V-shape in plan view, but when the dust cover 30 is retracted backward, the spring member 46 deforms into a substantially straight line,
Both continuous projecting ends 46b and 46c enter the tape running area. However, since both continuous protruding ends 46b and 46c are arranged in a sunken state below the lower edge of the tape 2, they do not come into contact with the tape 2 and interfere with it.

In these first and second embodiments, the cover front end 3
A spring member 46 is attached between the upper surface of 0a and a proper position on the lower case 1b side. Therefore, after the dust cover 30 is assembled to the lower case 1b, the spring member 46 can be easily attached from above so that it does not come off. Moreover, in a configuration in which a compression coil spring or the like is attached between the rear end of the dust cover 30 and a suitable position of the lower case 1b located rearward from this, the range of back and forth swing of the dust cover 30 is large, so the spring member is As the amount of deformation increases, it tends to become detached and difficult to attach while avoiding the tape 2 and hub 3, but these points can also be improved.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a third embodiment of the present invention, and in this case as well, a round pin-shaped spring stopper 47 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the cover front end 30a near the front end. is installed upright as a coil receiving part. However, the coil receiving part 47 has an upper end formed with a stepped small diameter, and the intermediate coil part 46a of the spring member 46 is fitted and supported from above into the upper end small diameter part 47a. A plate-shaped spring stopper 81 having a constant width in the left-right direction is integrally hung from the inner surface of the case upper wall 6, and both continuous protruding ends 46b and 46c of the spring member 46 are connected to the front flat surface of the spring stopper 81. It is designed to be able to slide freely left and right. In this case as well, when not in use, the spring member 46 has a V-shape in plan view, but when the dust cover 30 is retracted, it becomes almost a straight line, and the coil receiving part 47 on the dust cover 30 side is connected to the case top wall 6 side. The spring stopper 81 is fitted into a notch 82 provided therein.

In addition, when the dust cover 30 is urged forward to its forward protrusion limit, the front edge of the dust cover 30 passes under the lower edge of the tape 2 and comes into contact with the front plate 21 of the front cover 20, as shown in the illustrated example. Or, it is most preferable if they are closely opposed to each other, but if there is not enough vertical height, the front edge of the dust cover 30 may be located on the inside of the tape 2. In such cases, the dust cover 3
It is also conceivable to provide a standing wall upward from the front edge of tape 2 and cover the inside of tape 2 with this standing wall.

It goes without saying that the dust cover 30 may be used to only open and close the pocket 29, and the locking of the front cover 20 and the opening and closing of the tape end detection through hole 60 may be performed separately.

Furthermore, when attempting to downsize the tape cartridge, if an attempt is made to provide a tape end detection through hole 60 separately from the pocket 29, the two 29 and 60 will be close to each other, and the strength of the case bottom wall 4 will be reduced. may partially fall off, and there may be no margin in the design.
In such a case, the pocket 29 and both through holes 6
It is desirable to form a series of 0.0 and 60, and to make the dust cover 30 have a shape corresponding to the shape.

In addition, when the dust cover 30 is to be slid backward, it is also conceivable that the dust cover 30 is entirely or partially located on the outer lower surface of the case bottom wall 4 and can be slid forward and backward in the front and rear directions.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the dust cover 30 is attached to the bottom wall 4 of the main body case 1 so as to be slidable forward and backward, and when not in use, the dust cover 30 always advances forward and closes the pocket 29. The lower surface of the opening was almost completely closed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent dust from entering the pocket 29 from the lower surface of the opening thereof, and also to prevent fingertips or other objects from entering and damaging the tape.
When loading the deck, use the dust cover 30.
Since the dust cover 30 slides in and out rearward, the dust cover 30 does not contact and interfere with the tape 2 that can be led out to the front of the case during this operation, and does not protrude outside the case. In this way, the configuration in which the dust cover 30 is linearly slid in the front and back direction is of a swinging type, which has the advantage of reliable operation and a simplified mechanism.

Furthermore, in order to bias the dust cover 30 forward, the spring member 46 is installed across the front end 30a of the cover and the main case 1 side, so that the spring member 46 does not touch the tape 2 or the hub 3. There is no contact interference, and the dust cover 30
The material of the spring member 46 is
There is a lot of leeway in the design for setting the shape, spring pressure, and spring stop position. Further, since the spring member 46 is attached to the cover front end 30a, the spring member 46 is attached to the pocket 2 when the dust cover 30 is retreated.
It has the advantage that it reliably escapes from the opening area of No. 9 and does not cause any hindrance to tape loading. In particular, the spring member 46 of the present invention is made of a torsion coil spring having a coil portion 46a and continuous ends 46b, 46c extending from both ends of the coil portion 46a, and the coil portion 46a is attached to the main body case 1 or the dust cover 3.
0, and at least one of the connecting ends 46b, 46c slides into a spring receiver provided on either the front end 30a of the dust cover 30 or the main body case 1. Since the coil 46a is designed to be freely received, it is only necessary to fit the coil 46a into the coil receiving portion and then hook the extending end 46b onto the spring receiving portion. Therefore, unlike other compression coil springs or leaf springs, the spring member 46 can be easily installed, does not come off during assembly, and has the advantage of being able to be reliably prevented from coming off with a simple structure. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 11 show a first embodiment of the tape cartridge according to the present invention, with Figure 1 being an overall perspective view and Figure 2 showing the tape loading pocket closed with a dust cover. Fig. 3 is a bottom view, Fig. 4 is a partially cutaway left side view, Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the main parts with the pocket open, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the main parts. 2, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the dust cover, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along B-B in FIG. 2, FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view showing the hub rotation prevention means, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 9. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a main part showing a second embodiment of the present invention regarding how to attach a spring member for urging the dust cover to swing. 13 and 14 show a third embodiment of the present invention regarding how to attach the spring member for biasing the dust cover to swing, FIG. 13 is a plan view of the main part, and FIG. E in the diagram
-E line sectional view. 1...Main case, 4...Bottom wall of main body case,
6...Top wall of main body case, 20...Front lid, 29...
...Pocket, 30...Dust cover, 46...Spring member, 47...Spring stop.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a tape cartridge having a tape loading pocket 29 on the front surface of the main case 1, a dust cover 30 is attached to the bottom wall 4 of the main case 1 in a forward direction that closes the lower opening of the pocket 29. It is attached so that it can slide forward and backward in the forward and backward direction between a protruding position and a backward retracting position in which the lower surface of the opening of the pocket 29 is opened, and between the front end 30a of the dust cover 30 and the main body case 1. The dust cover 3 is installed over the
The spring member 46 is provided with a spring member 46 that slides and urges the coil part 46a and the connecting ends 46b and 4 extending from both ends of the coil part 46a.
6c, the coil portion 46a is fitted into a coil receiving portion protruding from either the front end 30a of the dust cover 30 or the main body case 1, and at least one of the extending ends 46b, 46c One side is the front end 30 of the dust cover 30
1. A tape cartridge characterized in that it is slidably in contact with a spring stopper provided on either the other of the tape cartridge A or the main body case 1.