JPS58146068A - Tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate the kind of tape cassettes, by installing plural dust-free holes to the lower half of tape cassettes and blocking various combinations of the holes with projections installed to the upper half of cassettes. CONSTITUTION:A cassette is manufactured by assembling an upper half 1 whose one projection 24 is broken and a lower half 2. Projections 23 and 25 are inserted into holes 15 and 17, respectively, and the holes 15 and 17 are almost closed, but a hole 16 is opened. Pins 26-28 which are installed at the main body side of a device in correspondence to each hole 15-17 and movable in the vertical direction and have upward elastic force, intrude into the holes 15-17, respectively. The pins 26 and 28 are checked their intrusion into the holes 15 and 17 by the projections 23 and 25, and microswitches 29 and 31 are left under ON conditions, because the pin 27 can intrude into the cassette 4, a microswitch 30 is turned off. Eight kinds of cassettes can be prepared by changing the breaking method of the projections 23-25.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tape cassettes such as VTRs, and provides a reliable and simple configuration for determining, for example, the type of tape stored therein or whether recording is possible. be.

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

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a VTR tape cassette according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is the upper half, 2 is the lower half, and both constitute the cassette housing, and 3 is the front cover, and these three parts form the exterior of the cassette 4. The upper half 1 has a viewing window 6. The supply reel A/6 stored in the cassette 4, the take-up reel 7, and the tape 8 wound between them can be seen through the viewing window 5.
is visible from the outside. Further, numeral 9 is a label which displays information such as the insertion direction of the cassette 4 into the VTR main body and the recording time, so that the user can also use it to make notes. The above appearance is similar to a conventional tape cassette.

FIG. 2 shows only the main parts with the upper half 1 removed. The lower half 2 has an arcuate sprue 10.11 and a straight lip 12. 13. 14 are provided. The supply IJ-/L/6 and take-up L/7 on which the tape 8 is wound are connected by lips 10 and 11, and also by the lips of the lower half 2 which are provided in the same way (not shown), and by the lips of the upper half 1. Location is roughly regulated. Now, reply 10.
11.12.13 There are three similar through holes 15.16117 in the area surrounded by 14, and the outer periphery of the through holes 15.16.17 is as shown in Figure 3. Cylindrical hole guides 151, 16 & 17a protrude inwardly.
is provided.

Further, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the portion shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Now, as is clear from Figure 4, Reps. 10 and 11
, 12, 13, 14 have the same height as the outer periphery of the lower half 2, and, as mentioned above, completely surround the holes 15, 16, 170.

Details of the upper half 1 are not shown here, but similar lips are provided, and these lips form holes 15, 16, .
17 is sealed.

Figure 6 shows the hole 15.1 formed by the upper half 1 and the lower half 2.
6.17 is shown in cross section as it is sealed.

18t 19.20% 21.22 is a lip provided on the upper half 1, and its position and height are exactly the same as in the case of the lower half 2 shown in FIG. With these configurations, the holes 15, 16, and 17 appear as if they were in one room, and are completely separated from the tape 8, as shown in FIG. Therefore, hole 15°1
Dust and the like that enter the cassette 4 from the tape 6117 have no effect on the tape 8 at all. This will hereinafter be referred to as dust-free.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show other specific examples of realizing the above-mentioned dust-free system. As mentioned above, there is a hole 1 in the lower half 2.
5,16.17 is open, but the lip surrounding this hole is 1o
-14 are high as shown in 10'-14'.

The arcuate lips 10, 11 are the taller parts 10', 11.
' and the original part 10.11, and the linear lip 12 + 13t14 is all higher, 12' +
13' + 14'. These heights allow the same effect to be obtained without providing a special lip on the upper half 1, instead of providing a similar lip on the upper half 1 to seal the stinging holes 1J 16i 17 as shown previously. It was designed so that

Similar to FIG. 6, FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of how the holes 15y 16+ 17 are sealed. Although the upper half 1 is not particularly provided with a lip, the gap with the tape 8 is completely cut off, and a dust-free state is realized. of course,
The relationship between the upper and lower halves may be reversed, but the explanation will be omitted here. Either way Tb~72
The structure is such that dust and the like that enter through the holes 15, 16, and 17 provided in the tape 8 will not affect the tape 8.

The following description will be made based on the shape in which both the upper and lower halves have a lip as described first. It goes without saying that a different type is also possible.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing an example of the half 1 of the present invention.

As mentioned above, holes 15 and 16 are in the lower half 2.
There is 117, and there are replies 13 and 14. upper half 1
Also, add lips 2.1. at positions corresponding to these lips and holes.
22 and protrusions 23, 24 and 25 are provided. The relationship between the upper and lower halves is the same as that explained with reference to FIG.

FIG. 10 shows how the upper half 1 and lower half 2 are assembled. As shown, the protrusions 23.24.25 are inserted into the holes 15, 16.17, respectively, and generally close the holes. The lips 21 and 22 come into contact with the lips 13 and 14, respectively, to achieve dust-free operation as described above.

A method of determining, for example, the type of stored tape using the upper and lower halves having such a configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the main part of the upper half 1, and as shown, for example, three protrusions 23. 24. 25 (for example, the middle protrusion 24).

The upper half 1 is often resin molded by MuBS or the like. Therefore, it is very easy to break the protrusion 24 in this way.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of use. An upper half 1 and a lower half 2 with one protrusion broken off are assembled to form a cassette 4. A projection 23 is inserted into the hole 15, and a projection 25 is inserted into the hole 17, so that the hole 15.17 is generally closed, but the hole 16 is left open. Here, pins 26 are provided on the apparatus main body side corresponding to the respective hole positions, are movable in the vertical direction, and are elastically biased in the upward (inside the cassette 4) direction. 27.
28 is invading. These pins 26. 27. 2
8 has a micro-nui nochi of 28° and 30° due to its vertical movement.
．． 9, the first
If it enters the inside of the cassette 4 as shown in Figure 2, it will be turned off. Now, the pins 26 and 28 are blocked from entering by the protrusions 23 and 25, and the microswitches 29 and 31 remain ON, but the pin 27 is able to enter the hole 16 and into the deer set 4, so the microswitch 3Q is OFF
Become. In this way, the type of Yotte cassette can be determined by the 0N-OFF of the Tomoe microswitch 29+3C)+31, and the 0N-OFF is determined by the three switches provided on the upper half 1. It is possible to produce a total of eight types of cassettes depending on how the protrusions 23, 24, and 25 are folded.

Next, I will briefly explain the type that does not use a microswitch. For example, a method using a light source and a phototransistor can be considered.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the protrusion portion of the upper half 1. FIG. End face 23a of protrusion 23.24.25.

-' 242L, 251L (hatching surfaces) are configured to reflect light. This can be easily achieved, for example, by applying metal plating or attaching a light reflecting material. Of course, it is also possible to use another method.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of its use. The upper/X-F 1 has only two protrusions because the protrusions 24 are bent in the same manner as described above. Light sources 321L, 33tL, 34L are located at the positions corresponding to the holes 15, 16 and 17 in the lower half 2 on the device main body side, respectively.
Phototransistors 32b, 33b, and 34b are provided. The phototransistors 32b, 33b, and 34b are elements that are turned on when light is detected, and turned off otherwise. Now, as shown in FIG. 14, the light source 32a.

The light emitted from 33&, 341L enters holes 15, 16, and 17, respectively. Light sources 32a, 34! The light emitted from L is reflected by the end faces 232L and 25a of the protrusion, respectively, and reaches phototransistors 32b and 34b, and both phototransistors 32b and 34b are turned on. However, light source 3
The light emitted from the phototransistor 33a enters the cassette 4 and does not return to the phototransistor 33b. That is, the phototransistor 33b remains OFF. Therefore,
In this case as well, depending on how the protrusions 23, 24, and 25 are folded, the phototransistors 32bl, 33b, and 34b are 0N-O.
It is a hook that allows you to control the FF left and right, and allows you to identify eight different types of cassettes. In the above explanation, there are three holes 15.16.degree. 17 and three projections 23, 24, 25, but the number of thermal holes and projections is arbitrary and may be determined depending on the number desired to be determined. Further, although the I-id is provided around the hole, it is of course possible to change it as necessary, and the shape of each part is not limited to this example.

As described above, the tape cassette according to the present invention is advantageous in terms of mass production and control, since only one type of mold is required for each of the upper and lower halves, for example, when determining the type of stored tape. , the reliability is perfect because the discrimination is made by a simple and reliable mechanical change of breaking the protrusion. Furthermore, since the upper half itself has a protrusion, there is no need to worry about bending or shifting the position even if a pin or the like is inserted into the hole from the outside.According to the present invention, it is easy to identify the type of tape cassette. This method provides a reliable method, which is becoming increasingly diverse (it is greatly useful for the development of tape cassettes for VTRs, etc.).

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external view of a VTR tape force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the main part of the lower half of the tape cassette, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the main part of the lower half of the tape cassette. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tape cassette, Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the upper and lower halves of the tape cassette with some parts removed, and Fig. 6
The figure is a sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the lower half, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the same, FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the upper and lower halves combined with some parts of the tape cassette removed, and FIG. 9 12 is a sectional view of a main part to explain an example of use of the tape cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another half of the same half according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a configuration example, and a sectional view showing another example of use of the cassette of the present invention. 1...Top half, 2...Bottom half, 8
...Tape, 1o-14 ...Rig, 1
5-17...hole, 18-22...lip, 23-25...protrusion. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person 2nd
Figure 2 f15I2, 1 book f7 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) The cassette casing is composed of a separable upper half and a lower half, a part of the lower half is provided with a plurality of through holes, and the upper half is provided with the plurality of through holes when combined with the lower half. A tape cassette characterized in that a plurality of breakable protrusions are integrally provided to cover each hole. (2) The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions are made of a member having a high light reflectance. (3) A patent characterized in that the space for accommodating the plurality of through holes provided in the lower half and the plurality of protrusions provided in the upper hearth is separated from other spaces in the cassette housing by ribs. A tape cassette according to claim 1.