JPH0612825A - Tape cartridge provided with use identification means - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To dissolve an identification miss occurring due to the defective-print of a pinhole or density unevenness, etc., and to improve the reliability of a use identification means in a tape cartridge indentifying a use by printing plural light shielding parts on a transparent start end side leader tape and detecting the presence of the light shielding parts by a tape end detection means. CONSTITUTION:A splicing tape 9 is formed by a transparent tape base material 10 and an adhesive layer 11, respectively. On the surface of the tape base material 10 of a side where the adhesive layer 11 is applied, the vertically-striped light shielding parts 12 are provided. The light shielding parts 12 are formed by plural print layers 13, 14, and a detection beam is interrupted by the light shielding parts 12 surely by being complementary to each other even when the pinhole and the density unevenness is present on one side.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a DAT type tape cartridge provided with identification means for identifying the purpose of use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since a tape cartridge has a large signal recording capacity and a low cost per unit signal amount, it is used not only for recording audio signals but also for recording computer data, for example. This type of tape cartridge is provided with identification means in order to avoid mixing. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-134879, one of the drive shaft insertion holes opened in the upper and lower surfaces of the main body case is covered with a metal plate so that it can be recognized that the tape cartridge is not an audio tape cartridge. further,
The concave portion provided on the rear wall of the main body case for identifying the recording direction also serves to identify the application.

The DAT tape cartridge, which has an order of magnitude larger signal recording capacity, is being used as a signal recording medium other than audio, like the Philips tape cartridge, and some kind of application identifying means should be provided. Is desired.

[0004]

In the DAT type tape cartridge, the transparent leader tape crosses the detection optical path to detect the beginning and end of the tape. The present inventor has adopted this tape end detection means. I thought about using it for identifying the purpose. Light-shielding parts that prevent light transmission are provided at multiple points on the leader tape on the start end side, and the output signal of the light receiver of the tape end sensor alternately turns on and off according to the light-shielding parts to identify the application. Do it.

Regarding the formation of the light-shielding portion, it is advantageous in terms of cost to print, for example, black ink which is difficult for light to pass through. However, the light-shielding portion formed in the normal printing form may have pinholes or uneven density, although it is rare, and to identify the application by the presence or absence of the light-shielding portion,
It is difficult to obtain a high degree of reliability.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a tape cartridge provided with a highly reliable application identifying means which does not cause an identification error due to pinholes or uneven density.

[0007]

According to the present invention, in a tape cartridge in which an end of a tape 2 for recording a magnetic signal is connected to a transparent leader tape 5 via a splicing tape 9, the splicing tape 9 is Having a transparent tape base material 10 and a translucent adhesive layer 11 formed on one surface of the tape base material 10, a plurality of tape base materials 10 in a bonding area Z of the splicing tape 9 with the leader tape 5. A light-shielding portion 12 that blocks the transmission of the detection light for tape end detection is formed in a vertical stripe shape by printing at a position, and the light-shielding portion 12 has a plurality of printing layers 13.
It is required to be formed by 14. In particular,
At least one of the plurality of printing layers 13 and 14 is provided between the adhesive layer 11 and the tape base material 10. The light-shielding portion 12 has a printed layer 13 having a predetermined width dimension a, and a width dimension b from this.
With the print layer 14 set to be slightly smaller.

[0008]

Operation: Pinholes and uneven density occur irregularly and at unspecified positions, and their occurrence is irregular and not periodic. Therefore, when the light-shielding portion 12 is formed by the plurality of printing layers 13 and 14, even if one printing layer 13 has pinholes or uneven density, the other printing layers 14 block the transmission of the detection light, The identification by the light shielding unit 12 can be surely performed. When at least one of the plurality of printing layers 13 and 14 is provided between the adhesive layer 11 and the tape substrate 10, the adhesive layer 11
It is possible to prevent discoloration and fading of the printing layer 13 provided on the side of the.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a plurality of printing layers 13 and 14 are provided.
By forming the light-shielding portion 12 in the form of vertical stripes and detecting the presence / absence of the light-shielding portion 12 by the tape end detection means, the application of the tape cartridge can be identified. Therefore, even if a pinhole may be generated in one printing layer 13 due to floating dust or ink residue attached to the printing plate, or density unevenness may occur due to a subtle difference in printing conditions, another printing layer 14 Blocking the transmission of the detection light, the light shielding unit 12
Since it is possible to maintain the light transmittance of (1) or less to a predetermined value or less, it is possible to always accurately identify the use and improve the reliability of the use identifying means. When at least one of the plurality of printing layers 13 and 14 is provided between the adhesive layer 11 and the tape base material 10, the printing layer 13 can be protected by the tape base material 10 and the leader tape 5, so that printing can be performed during long-term use. It is possible to prevent the layer 13 from being discolored or discolored, or to be scratched by rubbing against another object, so that the durability of the light shielding portion 12 can be improved.

[0010]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of a DAT tape cartridge according to the present invention. In FIG.
The tape cartridge has hubs 3 and 3 for winding the tape 2 on the left and right sides inside the main body case 1, and the tape 2 fed from the tape roll 2a wound on one hub 3 is provided at the left and right tape outlets. Connect to the other hub 3 via the guides 4 and 4. Both ends of the tape 2 for recording magnetic signals are fixed to the hub 3 via transparent leader tapes 5, respectively, and a prism 6 provided inside the tape outlet 4 and a tape end provided on the tape deck side. By allowing the leader tape 5 to cross the detection optical path L between the sensor and the light receiver 7, the start end and the end of the tape 2 can be detected. When the tape roll 2a is fully wound, the boundary line between the tape 2 and the leader tape 5 is located substantially in the center of the left and right tape guides 4 and 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tape 2 and the leader tape 5 are connected via a splicing tape 9. The splicing tape 9 is formed as a transparent adhesive tape by a transparent tape base material 10 and a translucent adhesive layer 11 applied and formed on one surface thereof.

The tape cartridge of the present invention is used not only for the original purpose of recording an audio signal, but also as a medium for recording computer data such as backup of a hard disk device or recording of commercially available software. In order to automatically discriminate the difference between No. 1 and No. 2 on the tape deck side, the above-mentioned splicing tape 9 is used to provide an identifying unit. In the bonding area Z of the splicing tape 9 with the leader tape 5, the light shielding portions 12 are formed in vertical stripes at two locations on the tape base material 10, and the light receiving portion 7 is formed by the light shielding portions 12 and the transparent portions adjacent thereto.
Output signal is changed to an on / off state, thereby identifying that the content recorded in the tape cartridge is computer data.

The light-shielding portion 12 is formed of two printing layers that respectively block the transmission of the detection light. Specifically, the first printing layer 13 is formed on the surface of the tape substrate 10 on which the adhesive layer 11 is applied, and the second printing layer is formed after the printing layer 13 is half solidified or completely solidified. 14 are overlapped and formed.
At this time, the width dimension b of the print layer 14 to be printed later is set to be 0.1 to 1 mm smaller than the former width dimension a with reference to the width dimension a of the print layer 13 on the side to be printed first. This is the second
This is to prevent the printed layer 14 from protruding from the first printed layer 13 and to prevent the dimensions of the transparent portions between the adjacent light shielding portions 12 from varying. After the second printing layer 14 is dried and solidified, the adhesive layer 11 is applied.

As described above, when the light-shielding portion 12 is formed by superposing the printing layers 13 and 14 in multiple layers, even if any one of them has a pinhole or uneven density, the detection light is complemented with each other. It can shut off surely. In the DAT type tape cartridge, the light transmittance when the tape 2 passes through the detection optical path L is specified to be 5% or less, but the light shielding portion 12 can satisfy the light transmittance equivalent to this. . Since the light-shielding portion 12 is provided between the tape base material 10 and the leader tape 5, it is possible to prevent the light-shielding portion 12 from being discolored and discolored or peeled off due to deterioration, thereby improving durability.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment in which the form of the light shielding portion 12 is changed. This is the print layer 13 that forms the light-shielding portion 12.
One of 14 is provided between the tape substrate 10 and the adhesive layer 11 and the other is provided on the exposed surface side of the tape substrate 10 as in the above embodiment. In this, the printing layers 13 and 14
Since it is possible to print simultaneously, it is possible to eliminate the printing misalignment due to the expansion and contraction deformation of the tape base material 10 at the time of printing.

In addition to the above, the light shielding portion 12 is a tape base material 10.
Can be formed by two or more printing layers 13 and 14 provided on the exposed surface side of the. The printing layer 13 in the above embodiment
Two or more layers 14 can be provided. For forming the light shielding portion 12 on the splicing tape 9,
And the cut length of the splicing tape 9 is set as a repeating pitch, and the light shielding portion 12 is intermittently formed only in a necessary portion (bonding area Z with the leader tape 5). It can take the form.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tape connecting portion showing a use identifying means.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an internal plan view showing a schematic structure of a tape cartridge.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a tape connecting portion showing another embodiment of the light shielding portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 tape 5 leader tape 9 splicing tape 10 tape base material 11 adhesive layer 12 light shielding part L detection optical path

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An end portion of a tape 2 for recording a magnetic signal,
A tape cartridge, which is connected to a transparent leader tape 5 via a splicing tape 9, wherein the splicing tape 9 comprises a transparent tape base material 10,
It has a translucent adhesive layer 11 formed on one surface of the tape substrate 10, and in the bonding area Z of the splicing tape 9 with the leader tape 5, it is provided at a plurality of locations on the tape substrate 10 for tape end detection. The tape cartridge is provided with a light-shielding portion 12 that blocks the transmission of detection light and is formed in a vertical stripe pattern by printing, and the light-shielding portion 12 is provided with an application identifying unit formed of a plurality of printing layers 13 and 14. 2. A tape cartridge provided with the use identifying means according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of printing layers 13 and 14 is provided between the adhesive layer 11 and the tape substrate 10. 3. The use according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielding portion 12 is formed of a print layer 13 having a predetermined width dimension a and a print layer 14 having a width dimension b slightly smaller than the print layer 13. A tape cartridge equipped with an identification means.