JPH0577877A - Tape cassette housing case - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate take-out of a tape cassette in a housing case in which a super-mini-sized tape cassette is housed and which makes the tape cassette distinguishable when displayed in shops for selling. CONSTITUTION:An engaging recessed part 4 in which a tape cassette 1 is engaged and housed is provided in a cardlike base 3, and the base 3 is designed to be bendable around a hinge part 6 which crosses the engaging recessed part 4. If the tape cassette 1 is engaged with and housed in the engaging recessed part 4, a whole volume becomes so large that it becomes distinguishable. When the tape cassette 1 is used, if the base 3 is bent round the hinge part 6, the tape cassette 1 can easily be taken out.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape cassette housing case, and is particularly suitable for use in housing a micro tape cassette.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an audio tape cassette, an ultra-small cassette having a size smaller than that of a so-called micro-cassette, that is, a size of about 25 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm has been proposed.

Since this ultra-small tape cassette is extremely small in size, when it is housed in a box-shaped plastic case like a general so-called compact cassette, the label and the like to be put in the case must be folded small. Also, even if it is stored in a plastic case, it will not have a presence even if it is displayed in a store or the like as a blister pack because it has no volume.

Therefore, in order to improve this, by storing and holding the tape cassette on a relatively large mount,
A possible method is to increase the volume when the tape cassette is stored.

Conventionally, as a method for accommodating such a tape cassette, there is one disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-174072. That is, this tape cassette storage method is such that a storage hole is provided in a part of a spread case such as a record jacket, and a storage cover storing the tape cassette is inserted and fitted into this hole.
The tape cassette is stored and held in the spread case, and when the tape cassette is taken out, the storage cover is pushed out from the front side of the spread case.

[0006]

When the above-mentioned conventional tape cassette storing method is applied to an ultra-small tape cassette, a very small tape cassette is stored in the storage cover, which is further spread over a large surface area. It will be fitted into the small storage hole formed in
For this reason, storing and taking out the tape cassette is a fine task, which is difficult to handle. Especially when taking out the tape cassette, the storing cover is pushed out from the front side of the spread cover, but the size is small corresponding to the tape cassette. The storage cover is difficult to push out from the side opposite to the storage hole of the case, and thus the tape cassette becomes very difficult to take out, and the conventional tape cassette storage method described above is difficult to adopt for storing and holding a micro tape cassette.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage case that can easily store an ultra-small tape cassette and can easily take out the tape cassette.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a tape cassette storage case of the present invention is provided in a card-shaped base and a part of this base, and the tape cassette is stored in a fitted state. The fitting concave portion and the hinge portion provided on the base so as to cross a part of the fitting concave portion.

[0009]

By storing the ultra-compact tape cassette in the fitting recess of the base of the storage case constructed as described above, the volume as a whole becomes large and the presence of the tape cassette appears. When the tape cassette is used, the fitting recess is opened by bending the base at the hinge portion, so that the tape cassette can be easily removed from the fitting recess.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a tape cassette. This tape cassette 1 is an ultra-small tape cassette having a size of, for example, about 25 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm, which is used for PCM recording. The insertion holes 1c are front lids that cover the tape exposed portions on the front of the cassette housing body 1a. This microminiature tape cassette 1 is stored in the storage case 2 of the present invention. Reference numeral 3 denotes a base of the storage case 2. The base 3 is made of an elastic material, for example, rubber, and is formed into a so-called card size having a rectangular flat plate shape.

A fitting recess 4 for accommodating the tape cassette 1 is formed in one half of the surface of the base 3, that is, the left half in the drawing of this example. The fitting recess 4 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the tape cassette 1, and only inner surfaces corresponding to the centers of both side portions of the tape cassette 1 project to form support surfaces 4a and 4b. The tape cassettes 1 are formed so as to be in contact with each other, that is, the tape cassette 1 is fitted and held in the fitting recesses 4 on both sides thereof.

Further, above the fitting concave portion 4, there is provided a display portion 5 of the type of tape (recording time in this example). In addition to the recording time, the display unit 5 may display the model number, the manufacturer name, and the like.

A hinge portion 6 is formed in the base 3 so as to cross a part of the fitting recess 4, and the base 3 is bendable at the hinge portion 6. In this example, a groove 7 is provided on the back surface side of the base 3 in a direction orthogonal to the tape cassette 1 fitted in the fitting recess 4, and the groove 7 is used to reduce the thickness of this portion. Is the hinge portion 6.

The right half of the surface of the base 3, that is, the half where the fitting recess 4 is not formed is the label area 8.
The label 9 indicating the music recorded in the tape cassette 1 and the like is attached here.

Next, a method of using the tape cassette storage case 2 of this embodiment having the above-described structure will be described.

First, when the tape cassette 1 is stored in the storage case 2, the tape cassette 1 is placed in the fitting recess 4.
When the tape cassette 1 is fitted, the tape cassette 1 is sandwiched between the pair of support surfaces 4a and 4b of the fitting recess 4 on both sides thereof and is held in the fitted state.

When the tape cassette 1 is used, as shown in FIG. 4, the base 3 is held by one hand, for example, the right hand, and the hinge portion 6 is bent toward the back side to open the fitting concave portion 4 and support one side. Since the surface 4a is separated from the tape cassette 1, a part of the tape cassette 1 projects from the fitting recess 4, and in this state, the tape cassette 1 may be taken out by the other hand, that is, the left hand.

As described above, by storing the tape cassette 1 in the storage case 2 of this example, the tape cassette 1 is integrated with the base 3 to increase the volume as a whole, and the tape is displayed when it is displayed in a store or the like. The presence of the cassette can be given. Moreover, since the storage case 2 of this example has the label area 8 on the right half of the base 3,
The songs and the like recorded in the tape cassette 1 can be displayed large and clearly.

Then, from the storage case 2 to the tape cassette 1
When taking out, the base 3 can be easily removed from the fitting recess 4 simply by bending at the hinge portion 6,
The tape cassette 1 can be immediately used for recording or reproduction.

In particular, in this embodiment, the pair of support surfaces 4a and 4b of the storage recess 4 hold only both sides of the tape cassette 1, and when the base 3 is bent, one support surface 4a is separated from the tape cassette 1. Since the tape cassette 1 is removed as described above, the tape cassette 1 can be removed from the fitting recess 4 with almost no resistance when the tape cassette is taken out, and thus the tape cassette can be taken out more easily. Also, when the tape cassette 1 is stored, as described above, the base 3 is bent and the fitting recess 4 is opened so that the tape cassette 1 can be smoothly fitted and stored.

In the above embodiment, the groove 7 is formed in the base 3.
Although the hinge portion 6 is formed by providing the base portion, the base portion 3 is divided into a main body portion 3a and a movable portion 3b so as to cross the fitting concave portion 4 as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. The joint portion 11 between the main body portion 3a and the movable portion 3b may be formed as the hinge portion 6 by bonding the elastic sheet 10 to the back surface side.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, and the storage case of this embodiment is designed so that two tape cassettes can be stored at the same time.

That is, the fitting recesses 4 and the hinge portions 6 that cross a part of the fitting recesses 4 are symmetrically provided on the left and right half portions of the base 3, and the tape cassettes 1 are provided in the fitting recesses 4, respectively. It is stored in a fitted state. In this case, the label area may be provided on the back surface side of the base 3.

Although the embodiment of the tape cassette storage case of the present invention has been described above, the present invention has the above first to third embodiments.
It is possible to make various changes and modifications without being limited to the embodiment of
It goes without saying that this example does not specify the invention. For example, the base 3 is not limited to rubber, but a cardboard board,
It may be formed of a synthetic resin plate.

[0026]

As described above, according to the storage case of the present invention, by storing the microminiature tape cassette in the fitting recess provided in the card-shaped base in a fitting shape, the volume as a whole is improved. The size of the tape cassette can be increased and the presence of the tape cassette can be exhibited when the tape cassette is displayed at a store or the like. When the tape cassette is used, the base is bent at the hinge portion so that a part of the tape cassette is projected from the fitting recess, so that the tape cassette can be easily taken out from the fitting recess.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of a tape cassette storage case of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a take-out operation of the tape cassette.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a second embodiment of the tape cassette storage case of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a third embodiment of the tape cassette storage case of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tape cassette 2 Storage case 3 Base 4 Fitting recess 6 Hinge part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A card-shaped base, a fitting recess provided in a part of the base for accommodating a tape cassette in a fitting shape, and a hinge part crossing a part of the fitting recess. A tape cassette storage case, characterized in that the tape cassette stored in the fitting recess is taken out by bending the base at the hinge portion.