JPS58100281A - Tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent deteriorations in performance of a stretched tape caused by a finger and dust with a simple constitution, by protecting both surfaces of the tape stretched over an opening part of a cassette with a front cap and rear cap. CONSTITUTION:Both surfaces of a tape 2 stretched over an opening part 15 of a cassette are protected by a front cap 3 and rear cap 4, respectively. The front cap 3 is rotated and opened when the tying of a locking member 20 interlocked with a releasing member of a cassette garage is released when the cassette is inserted into a prescribed position of the cassette garage. When the cassette is lowered together with the garage under this condition, a cap opening arm 36 is rotated by a cap opening means and the cap 4 is opened and, at the same time, the cap 3 is also opened under an interlocked condition. Thus the caps 3 and 4 are opened only when a cassette is mounted on the record reproducing device. Therefore, the stretched tape is protected with a simple constitution even when the tape is stretched for a long distance, and deteriorations in performance of the stretched tape caused by the finger and dust can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tape cassette loaded into a magnetic recording/reproducing device or the like.

Conventionally, in order to prevent the tape stretched over the front of the tape cassette case from getting dusty or coming into contact with foreign objects such as fingers or fingers, and to prevent deterioration of tape performance, the front surface of the stretched tape was covered. There is a structure that includes a lid and a slide cover that closes an opening into which a tape pull-out post for pulling out the tape into the apparatus is inserted and covers the inner surface of the stretched tape.

However, in the structure of covering the opening with a slide cover, the tape cassette becomes thicker by the thickness of the slide cover, and the structure becomes complicated in order to allow smooth movement of the slide cover. Another problem is that the slide cover can be moved very easily with fingers, making it easy to touch the tape. For tape cassettes where the opening into which the tape drawer post is inserted is relatively small, a flexible material such as Mylar film is placed on the inside of the tape stretched on the front to protect it from contact with foreign objects that may enter through the opening. There are also structures that do this. However, if the area of the tape stretched over the opening is large, permanent deformation may occur due to changes in temperature and humidity during long-term storage of the flexible body, making it impossible to completely cover the tape from the inside. In addition, as a member to cover the tape from the inside, a structure in which the flexible body and the rigid body are continuously rotated in the longitudinal direction of the tube structure can be considered, but the rotation range of the rigid body is limited. However, there is a problem in that the area of the opening cannot be large.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and has an extremely simple configuration even in a tape cassette having a large area facing the opening of the stretching tape. To provide a tape cassette structure that makes it possible to eliminate problems with poor performance.

In the tape cassette of the present invention, the tape is stretched at a position facing the front lid via the stretched tape as a means for protecting the tape stretched from the inside through the opening provided on the front surface of the casing. It covers the tape from the inside, has a pivot point independent of the front cover, is rotatably supported by the back cover spring on the housing, and covers the stretched tape from the inside. , at least within the stretching range of the tape facing the opening, one end in the rotating direction forms a part of the upper surface of the tape cassette, and the other end is located at a position that substantially surrounds the tape together with the front cover. By providing a back cover in contact with or close to one end of the front cover, the stretched tape is protected from contact with fingers and the like and from adhesion of foreign matter such as dust and dirt.

Embodiments of the tape cassette of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. @ Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the tape cassette of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the tape cassette in Figure 1, and Figures 3 and 4 are front lid locks of the tape cassette of the present invention. It is an operation explanatory diagram.

The tape cassette 1 has a front lid 3 that covers the tape 2 stretched on the front surface of the casing, a back lid 4 that forms part of the top surface of the tape cassette throat 1, and a lower side of the tape cassette 1. A lower housing 6 and an upper housing 13 that is also formed on the upper side.
It is composed of

The rotation shaft 1o provided at one end of the front lid 3 passes through the front lid spring 14 and engages with a retaining hole 8 provided in the front plate 6 of the lower housing 5, and the rotation shaft 1o provided at the other end The rotating shaft 11 is engaged with an engagement hole 9 provided in the front plate 7 of the lower housing 5.

The front cover 3 is rotatably supported by a rotation axis 10°11VC, and is connected to the opening 1 of the tape cassette 1 by a front cover screw 14.
Arrow 16 that covers the tape 2 stretched from the front facing the arrow 16
energized in the direction. The rotation range of the front cover 3 in the biasing direction is restricted by the front cover 3 coming into contact with the front end 17 of the lower housing 6.
There are four parts 19 at positions corresponding to each other, which rotatably hold the shaft part of the locking member 2Q. Lock member 2
o is rotatably energized by the other end of a leaf spring 22 whose one end is fixed to a wall 21 as shown in FIGS. It is regulated by contact with the protrusion 23 located thereon. When the locking member 20 engages with the engaging protrusion 24 provided on the front lid 3, the front lid 3 is locked. A method of releasing the lock member 20 will be explained using FIG. 3.4. One end of an unlocking plate spring 26 is fixed to the lower surface of a bottom plate 25 of a tape garage (not shown), which is provided on the main body of the apparatus and serves as a means for receiving the tape case/sheet 1 and positioning it in a predetermined position. The distal end of the release member 27 provided at the other end protrudes from the upper surface of the bottom plate 26. As the tape cassette 1 is inserted in the direction of the arrow 28, the release member 27 and the front lid 3 come into contact, the lock release plate spring 26 is bent in the direction of the arrow 29, and the release member 27 moves in the direction of the arrow 29. When the tape cassette 1 is further inserted in the direction of the arrow 28 and the contact between the release member 27 and the front cover 3 is released, the tip of the release member 27 is pushed against the upper surface of the bottom plate 26 by the biasing force of the lock release plate spring 26. Return to a more prominent state. When the tape cassette 1 is further inserted in the direction of the arrow 28 and the release member 27 comes into contact with the lock member 20, the lock member 20 is rotated by the urging force of the lock release leaf spring 26 against the urging force of the leaf spring 22. . The locking member 2o is disengaged from the engagement protrusion 24 provided on the front lid 3, and therefore the restriction on rotation of the front lid 3 is released.

Next, the structure and operation of the back cover 4 will be explained using FIG. 2 and FIGS. 5 to 9. Back cover 411-1. The moving part 30 is rotatably held by a recess 31 provided in the lower casing 6, is inserted into the shaft part 30, has one end latched to an arm part 32 continuing from the shaft part 30, and has the other end It is biased in the direction of arrow 34 by a back cover spring 36 that comes into contact with the wall surface 33 near the four parts 31 of the lower housing 6 . The width in the longitudinal direction of the curved part of the back cover 4 is slightly smaller than the distance between the left and right walls 43 forming the opening 16 of the tape cassette 1, so that the back cover 4 can be rotated. The rotational position of the back cover 4 is regulated by abutting the end of the front cover 3, which forms the entire upper surface of the tape cassette 1, with the end of the back cover 4. A cover opening arm 36 is provided at the longitudinally extending end of the back cover 4, and is narrowed between the front plate 6 and the side plate 18, which are separated from the opening 16, and is located in the same space as the rotation space of the lock member 20. are doing. The engagement relationship between the front cover 3 and the back cover 4 and the operation of opening the cover will be explained using FIGS. 6 to 9.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the front cover 3 and the back cover 4 are in a position where rotation due to force is restricted, and this is a state in which the cassette is closed. In this state, when the lid is opened, the tip of the arm 36 is inserted into the notch 37 of the front lid 3 and is located below the tape force center 1 in the thickness direction. By pushing the cassette down toward the main body of the device after insertion into the cassette garage (not shown), the lid opening means 38 opens the notch 3 of the front lid 3 from below in the thickness direction of the tape cassette 1.
7 and the back cover 4 enter from the direction of the arrow 39 at a position corresponding to the arm 36, and the lid opening pushes up the tip of the arm 36. When the lid is opened, the back cover 4 begins to rotate in the direction of the arrow 4o as the arm 36 moves, and when the lid is opened, the surface forming the notch 37 of the front cover 3 is within the rotation range of the tip of the arm 36. Therefore, the front cover 3 can also be opened by the arm 36 as shown by the arrow 41.
rotated in the direction. As the lid opening means 38 advances, the notch 37 of the front lid 3 is removed from the rotation range of the tip of the arm 36 for opening the lid. The lid opening means 38 has portions with different relative heights so that the front lid 3 and the back lid 4 can be rotated independently to their optimal positions. (See FIG. 7.) The closing operation of the front cover 3 and back cover 4 is such that when the cover opening means 38 is relatively retreated due to the rise of the cassette garage (not shown), the front cover 3 is closed by the front cover spring 14. , the back cover 4 is moved by the biasing force of a back cover spring 35. Further, by pulling out the tape cassette 1TFf from the cassette garage 26, the opening/link member 20 engages with the engagement protrusion 24 of the front lid 3, thereby restricting rotation of the front lid 3. At the same time, arm 36 also opens the back cover 4.
Since the tip of the front cover 3 is restricted from rotating by the notch 37 of the front cover 3, it is locked and cannot be opened.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the front cover and the At the entry position of the lid opening means that rotates the back lid.

At least at the beginning of the rotation process of the back cover, one end of the back cover is located below the front cover and is configured to engage with a part of the front cover, so that it is possible to Simple and reliable front lid.

The camera back can be opened and closed at the same time. Further, it is possible to lock the opening of both the front cover and the back cover using a single locking means.

Next, the protected state of the tape 2 stretched facing the opening 16 will be explained using FIGS. 8 and 9.

The tape 2 is covered on the front side by the front cover 3 and on the back side by the curved part of the back cover 4, and in the longitudinal direction by the left and right walls 42, 43 forming the openings of the upper housing 13 and the lower housing 6. The upper end of the back cover 4 forms a part of the upper surface of the tape cassette 1, and the lower end is in contact with the lower end of the front cover 3 so as to substantially surround the tape 2 together with the front cover 3. . Front lid 3
and when the back cover 4 is opened, the tape force is 1 cent.
Since it is located above the opening 16 of the tape 2, the area of the opening 16 of the tape 2 can be increased, and there is no obstacle to the entry of a post (not shown) inserted into the opening 16 and the withdrawal of the tape 2. In addition, since the positions of the rotation axes of the front cover 3 and back cover 4 are different, the lower ends of the cylinder covers are spaced m apart from each other during rotation in the 4° and 41 directions, and the tape 2 is in contact between them. pass without.

As is clear from the above description, the tape cassette according to the present invention has a front lid that covers the tape stretched from the outside through an opening provided at the front of the housing, and a state that covers the stretched tape from the inside. One end forms part of the top surface of the tape cassette, and the other end contacts or is close to one end of the front cover, so that the stretched tape is protected from contact with fingers, dust, dirt, etc. It is protected from adhesion of foreign matter.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a tape cassette according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts, and Figs. 30 and 4 are partial sectional views showing the lid lock release operation of the main parts. ,
FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the main part, FIGS. 6 and 7 are partial sectional views taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6 of the lid opening operation of the main part,
8 and 9 are partial sectional views taken along line B-B in FIG. 6, showing tape protection and opening operations of the same essential parts. 1... Tape cassette, 2... Tape, 3... Front cover, 4... Back cover, 14...
...Front cover spring, 16...Opening, 2o/fist...Lock member, 36...Back cover spring. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao Haga 1 person No. 3
Figure 6 Figure 4.3 Figure 4 4

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An opening provided in the front of the casing so that a part of the stretched tape can be exposed, and a tape that is rotatably attached to the casing and stretched in the opening. The front cover can take a position where it is covered from the outside and a position where it is opened, and the front cover is biased toward the former position, and the front cover can be locked in a position where the stretched tape is covered from the outside. and a position that is rotatably attached to the housing and covers the stretched tape from the inside at a position facing the front lid via the stretched tape. , is elastically biased toward the former position, and with the stretched tape covered from the inside, at least both ends in the rotating direction are in contact with or close to the opposing portions of the front cover, respectively. and a back cover configured to rotate the tape at different centers so that at least one end of the cylinder cover separates from each other and passes through the tape during rotation to the tape release position. cassette. (2) At the regulating position on the side that covers the tape, attach an engaging piece to the back cover that is located lower in the thickness direction of the case than the front cover, and one end of which engages with a part of the front cover. A tape cassette 0 according to claim 1 comprising: