JPS62157385A - Tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a tape cassette having an external shape compatible with floppy disks.

[Summary of the invention]

A center core rotatably driven within a flat cartridge formed by an upper half and a lower half, a rotation drive section interlocked with the center core for rotating a supply reel, and a take-up reel; In a tape cassette in which a tape running path is formed that guides the magnetic tape pulled out from the supply reel along a flat space inside the cartridge and returns it to the take-up reel, a portion of the tape running path passes through the center core. It is constituted by a separate guide substrate provided with a positioning member that fits into a rotationally driven shaft.

Therefore, the position of the tape in contact with the head is regulated by the guide board, and the track position of the tape can be accurately determined regardless of the dimensional accuracy of the cartridge.

[Conventional technology]

A floppy disk has a flexible magnetic disc housed in a flat cartridge, and the magnetic disc is rotated to record and reproduce signals.

Therefore, since it has a compact shape and can quickly write or read high-density data, it can be directly attached to microcomputers and various OA equipment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of such a floppy disk, in which a magnetic disk is rotatably housed in the space inside the cartridge in which the upper half H1 and the lower half H2 are overlapped, and one end of the cartridge is rotatably housed. A shutter S is attached to open and close an opening K for contacting the magnetic head (pad).

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In such a floppy disk, recording tracks are formed in the circumferential direction of the magnetic disk, so the access time is fast, but there is a problem that the storage capacity becomes insufficient, especially when the diskette becomes small.

Therefore, as described below, we developed a large-capacity tape cassette that is compatible with floppy disks.
Conventional positioning methods for recording/reproducing devices have a problem in that it is extremely difficult for the magnetic head to scan a predetermined recording track.

The present invention has been made in order to solve these problems, and provides a means for positioning a tape cassette that enables highly accurate positioning when installed in a recording/reproducing apparatus.

[Means for solving problems]

In the tape cassette of the present invention, a guide board for positioning the tape running path based on the rotational drive shaft of the floppy disk recording and reproducing device is housed near the opening so as to serve as a reference point for positioning the half tape cassette. has been done.

[Effect]

In a floppy disk recording/reproducing device, the position of a rotational drive shaft and the relative position of a magnetic head moved by a stepping motor are adjusted with high precision during the manufacturing stage. Therefore, by positioning the running path of the tape running inside the tape cassette using the rotary drive shaft, it becomes possible to accurately determine the relative position of the magnetic head and the tape.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a tape cassette (separately pending application) to which the present invention is applied, and the portion below the break line R shows the inside of the cassette with the upper half removed. Further, FIG. 2 shows a cross section taken along the center line LL in FIG. 1.

First, the tape cassette will be explained with reference to these drawings.
A cartridge formed by overlapping Obs is shown.

The dimensions of the cartridge 10 on the left side from the dashed-dotted line Q are the same as, for example, a 3.5-inch micro-floppy disk cartridge. lower half 1
In 0a, a center core l for driving is provided in the drive hole 10A that engages with the rotating shaft of the motor, and a conventional floppy disk is installed in both the upper and lower halves lOa and fob. Similar to the cartridge, the magnetic head (
An opening 10B is formed through which the pad (pad) is exposed.

10C is a protrusion provided to distinguish between this tape cassette and a conventional microfloppy disk, and 10D and 100 are dowel holes for positioning.

10E indicates a dome portion formed to cover a tape reel and a rotating mechanism, which will be described later.

Further upper and lower half 1. Detection holes 10F+ and 1OF2 passing through Oa and 10b are provided, and the running state of the tape is monitored through these detection holes 10F+ and 10F2.

l is on the inner surface of the upper half 10b facing the drive hole 10A,
For example, the center core is rotatably attached via oil-less metal, etc., and the center core l has a shaft hole IA where the rotating shaft of the recording/reproducing device abuts, and a hole lB into which the drive bin is fitted. is provided, and a concave flange IC is formed on its outer periphery so that the timing belt 2 is wound thereon.

As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the toothed timing belt 2 is connected to a pulley 3 which is supported by a shaft P1, and a gear 3A carved in this pulley 3 is supported by a shaft P1. It is formed to mesh with the swing gear 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a swing plate which is connected to the shaft P2 by a clutch mechanism via a slip plate 4A and a spring coil 4B, and one end of which is loosely fitted onto the shaft PI.

Such a transmission mechanism, as seen in the forward/reverse mechanism of a tape recorder, changes the direction of rotation of the oscillating plate 5 depending on the rotational direction of the pulley 3.
swings left and right to control the oscillating gear 4 to mesh with the adjacent gear (bevel gear) 6a or 6b.

Reference numeral 7a denotes a bevel gear pivotally supported by a shaft 9 substantially perpendicular to the bevel gear 6a, which drives a supply reel 8a around which the tape 11 is wound.

Tape guides 12a and 13a allow tape 11 pulled out from supply reel 8a to circulate in a flat space inside the cartridge in a flat state.

Although not shown, the tape guides 12b, 13b, and 14b are guided by the take-up reel 8b.

It is guided back at 15b, 16b, and 17b.

18 are the upper and lower halves 10a, and the fob opening 10B.
A sliding shutter configured to block the
This shutter 18 is controlled in a manner similar to that used in known microfloppy disks.

Since the tape cassette that is the subject of this invention has the above-described structure, when it is installed in a conventional micro-floppy disk playback device, the rotating shaft inside the device will collide with the shaft hole IA of the center core 1. As the rotating shaft rotates, the driving pin enters the hole IH and can drive the center core I. Then, the pulley 3 rotates via the timing belt 2, and the oscillating gear 4 and bevel gears 6a, 7a
The supply reel 8a rotates via. In this case, when the center core l is rotating normally (in the direction of the arrow), as is well known, the oscillating gear 4 and the oscillating plate 5 swing in the direction of the arrow, so that the oscillating gear 4 and the bevel gear 6b They mesh and rotate the take-up reel 8b via a bevel gear 7b (not shown). Therefore, the tape 11 is pulled out from the supply reel 8a in the direction of the arrow, changed direction by approximately 90@ by the tape guide 15a at the corner, and is regulated in position by the tape guides 16a and 17a to form the opening 10B.
Although not shown, the direction is changed approximately 90' at the tape guide 15b located at the corner, and the dome part 1
It is wound onto a take-up reel 8b arranged in 0E.

Therefore, when the tape 11 is brought into narrow contact with the magnetic head and pad that face the opening 10B from the top and bottom of the cartridge 10, as seen in a normal floppy disk recording/playback device, the magnetic head will move the tape 11 in the running direction ( record the signal in the longitudinal direction) or tape 1
1 can be reproduced.

In this case, if the width of the tape 11 is set to about 374 inches, the number of tracks formed in the longitudinal direction corresponding to a 3.5 inch floppy disk can be set to about 80. However, since the recording medium of such tape cassettes has been converted from a disk to a tape, the recording capacity of the track is several ten times that of the disk.For example, if the tape length is set to 12m, the storage capacity is approximately 20MB. Can be obtained with one tape cassette.

Therefore, it can be used as a backup memory for hard disks, and can also be applied to filing systems that require large amounts of data.

By the way, if the number of recording tracks formed on the tape 11 is set to 80, for example, the track width of the track will be approximately 0.12 mm, so such a tape cassette can be inserted into the device using the dowel holes 10D, IOD, etc. Even if the tape 11 and the magnetic head are positioned within a predetermined range, it is extremely difficult to maintain the relative positional accuracy between the tape 11 and the magnetic head within a predetermined range.

Therefore, in the present invention, the relative positional accuracy between the tape 11 and the magnetic head is improved by taking advantage of the fact that the floppy disk recording/reproducing device adjusts and matches the positions of the disk rotation axis and the magnetic head on the production line. Try to make it higher.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the guide substrate 20 used to accurately set the relative position of the tape 11 and the magnetic head, with the upper and lower halves 10a and 1Ob omitted.

As shown in the figure, the guide substrate 20 is integrally molded into a wing shape using, for example, a thermosetting resin, and the upwardly protruding protrusions 21, 22a, 22b are formed from the surface of the upper half 10b as shown in FIG. It is said to have an outstanding height.

A concave positioning hole 21a is bored downward in the center of the protrusion 21 so as to fit into the rotary drive shaft 30 for driving the tape cassette.

At an angle of about 45 degrees on the left and right sides of the guide substrate 20, the first
Inclined guides 23a and 23b, which correspond to guide bins 15a (15b) in the figure, are supported by ribs, and guide bins 24a and 24b that regulate the position of the running tape are juxtaposed in the central opening of the guide board 20. There is. .

As shown by the dashed line, the tape 11 supplied from the supply reel wraps around the guide board 20 around the inclined guide 23a in the direction of the arrow AI force, changes direction by about 90 degrees, and passes over the guide bins 24a and 24b. , the direction is changed again by 90 degrees at the other inclined guide 23b, and the sheet moves in the direction of arrow A2, and is wound onto a take-up reel.

FIG. 4 shows the guide substrate 20 and the rotary drive shaft 30. and a partial cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship of a recording/reproducing spatula 40, in which a fixed shaft 21b that fits into the rotary drive shaft 30 in a V-groove is mounted in the protrusion 21 of the guide substrate 20. l indicates a center core that is magnetically attracted to the chucking table 31 of the rotary drive shaft 30, and this center core 1 is attached to the lower half l.
It is pivotally supported by an oil-less metal 33 fixed to a support piece 32 fixed to Oa.

Therefore, when the tape cassette loaded into the magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus is placed on the chucking tape 31 and the tape cassette is urged downward by a suppressing member (not shown) from above the protrusion 21, the guide board 20 is positioned on the axis of the rotary drive shaft 30, and when the left and right protrusions 22a, 22b of the guide board 20 are similarly pressed from above, the positioning pins 34 (FIG. 3) below the guide board 20 keep the guide board 20 horizontal. Directional positioning is performed.

Since the distance glL between the rotary drive shaft 30 and the head 40 is adjusted with high precision during the manufacturing stage, in this state, the positional relationship between the guide substrate 20 and the head 40 is also accurately regulated.
The positional relationship between the tape 11 and the head 40 whose tape running position is regulated by the guide board 20 is also accurately regulated.

Therefore, the cartridge 1 constituting the tape cassette
Even if the dimensional accuracy of 0 is somewhat poor, the guide board 20 accurately regulates the tape position when loading the tape cassette, so even if a narrow track width is formed on the recording surface of the tape 11, there is little crosstalk. You will be able to record and play data.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the tape cassette of the present invention dramatically increases the recording capacity of a floppy-type tape cassette by using magnetic tape as a recording medium, and at the same time, the tape cassette has a guide plate in the tape running path, especially in the head part. Since the guide board is configured to be positioned with reference to the rotational drive shaft of the spindle motor, the relative positioning of the traveling tape and the head is performed regardless of the dimensional error of the cartridge of the tape cassette.
This has the effect of eliminating crosstalk between multi-channel tracks.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the tape cassette of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a sectional view taken along the center line LL in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an outline of the guide board, and Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the guide board, the rotation drive shaft, and the head. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional floppy disk. In the figure, 1 is a center core, 10 is a cartridge, 11 is a tape, 20 is a guide board, 21 is a protrusion for positioning,
21a is a concave hole, 21b is a fixed shaft, 22a and 22b are left and right positioning protrusions, 23a and 23b are inclined guides,
24a and 24b are tape guide pins, 30 is a rotational drive shaft, 31 is a chucking table, 32 is a support plate, 34
indicates a positioning bin, and 40 indicates a head. Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] A guide board is provided that is movably disposed within the tape cassette and has a guide member that guides the tape along a predetermined running path, and the guide board has a positioning hole for the guide board and a rotation drive shaft that runs the tape. a receiving portion for receiving the tape cassette, and a through hole is formed on the lower surface of the tape cassette at a position corresponding to the positioning hole and the receiving portion;
When the tape cassette is installed, a positioning pin and a rotary drive shaft engage with the positioning hole and the receiving portion through the through hole, so that the guide plate is positioned independently of the tape cassette. tape cassette.