JPS6235179Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tape cassette most suitable for application to, for example, a Philips type compact cassette (for tape recorders).

As is well known, a compact cassette is made by molding a pair of upper and lower halves that make up the cassette housing in an opaque synthetic resin so that they cannot be seen through, and molding them in a transparent or translucent synthetic resin so that they can be seen through. A pair of upper and lower window covers are attached to the insides of both halves. Incidentally, conventionally, both window covers have usually been attached to both halves by ultrasonic welding or the like. Therefore, if the window covers are made larger in order to improve the visibility inside the cassette case, the welded portions mentioned above will also become larger, which may cause uneven welding or areas where it is difficult to weld. (for example, near the guide roller). However, if the welding of both window covers is not sufficient, the window cover may unexpectedly fall off inside the half due to vibrations or shocks applied to the cassette case, or loads such as unexpected pressure on the window cover. Accidents that could result in accidents are likely to occur. For this reason, when implementing the above ultrasonic welding method, the actual situation is to select a synthetic resin material that allows the half and the window cover to be welded together as easily as possible. There is a problem with that.
For example, a welding dowel integrally formed on the half side is fitted into a through hole provided in the window cover, and the tip of the dowel is crushed by applying pressure while heating.
According to the method of attaching the window cover to the half by a so-called crimping method or the bonding method using an adhesive, the window cover can be attached more firmly than the above-mentioned ultrasonic welding method. However, in this crimping method and bonding method, fitting the window cover to the half, crushing the tip of the dowel, and bonding work are extremely troublesome, resulting in low productivity and a significant increase in cost.

The present invention was devised to correct the above-mentioned defects, and is designed to mechanically prevent the window covers from accidentally peeling off (falling off) inside the two halves. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tape cassette in which both window covers can be attached to both halves extremely easily.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a Philips type compact cassette (for tape recorder) will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, in FIG. 1, a cassette housing 1 is composed of a pair of upper and lower halves, that is, an upper half 2 and a lower half 3. When these halves are fitted together from above and below, for example, five setscrews 4 are inserted. The structure is structured such that they are screwed together and connected together. Both halves 2 and 3 are made of synthetic resin such as ABS resin or high-impact styrene resin and are molded in a state that cannot be seen through (for example, in an opaque state). A pair of accidental erasure prevention holes 5 are provided at both left and right ends of the back surface 1a of the cassette housing 1.
A pair of accidental erasure prevention claws 6 made of, for example, synthetic resin and molded into a U-shape are removably inserted therein. By attaching these accidental erasure prevention claws 6 in the direction shown on the right side of Fig. 1, the accidental erasure prevention hole 5 is closed and the data can be erased (new recording is possible), and vice versa, as shown on the left side of Fig. 1. By attaching it in the opposite direction, the erroneous erasure prevention hole 5 is opened, resulting in a non-erasable state (no new recording is possible). At this time, use the accidental erasure prevention claw 6.
is elastically locked in the erroneous erasure prevention hole 5 in both the erasable state and the non-erasable state.
When removing the accidental erasing prevention claw 6 from inside the accidental erasing prevention hole 5, when the erasing is possible, the rear surface 1a
Insert the tip of a pencil or the like into a horizontal hole 7 continuously provided inside both accidental erasure prevention holes 5 and push it out to remove it, and when it is in a state where erasing is impossible, place it opposite to both accidental erasure prevention holes 5. The halves 2 and 3 are configured so that they can be removed by inserting the tip of a pencil or the like into a vertical hole 8 provided in the halves 2 and 3 and pushing them out. Further, both the halves 2 and 3 are provided with a pair of left and right reel shaft insertion holes 9a and 9b that pass through them vertically.

Next, in FIG. 2, inside the cassette housing 1 is a magnetic tape 12 wound around the outer peripheries of a pair of left and right reel hubs 11a and 11b, with both ends fixed respectively.
A pair of upper and lower slippery sheets 13a, 13b stacked above and below the magnetic tape 12, a tape pad 14, a magnetic shield plate 15, a pair of left and right guide rollers 16a, 16b, etc. are housed.
The slippery sheets 13a and 13b are made of transparent synthetic resin sheets, and a pair of left and right circular holes 17 are provided in each of the slippery sheets 13a and 13b, so that the reel shaft insertion holes 9a and They are respectively fitted into circular ribs 18 provided on the circumferential surface of 9b. Furthermore, antistatic treatment and lubricant treatment are applied to at least the surfaces of the slippery sheets 13a and 13b that contact the tape, and the cross-sections along both the front and rear sides of the circular holes 17 are approximately semicircular. A pair of protrusions 19 are formed parallel to each other. On the other hand, both reel hubs 11a and 11b are rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of each pair of circular ribs 18 of both halves 2 and 3, respectively. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, both slippery sheets 13a and 13b
Both reel hubs 11a, 1 are connected by a pair of protrusions 19.
1b and the winding portion 12a of the magnetic tape 12 wound around the outer periphery of the reel hubs 11a and 11b are elastically sandwiched from above and below, and the magnetic tape 12
The reel hubs 13a and 13b are configured so that the reel can be wound neatly without any disturbance. As shown in FIG. 5, the magnetic tape 12 passes through a pair of left and right friction bosses 20a, 20b and a pair of left and right guide rollers 16a, 16b provided in the cassette casing 1 to the front surface 1b of the cassette casing 1. There are passes along. In addition, a magnetic head insertion window 21 is provided in the center of the front surface 1b.
However, there are a pair of pinch roller insertion windows 22 on both the left and right sides.
a, 22b have a pair of left and right small windows 23a in the middle part,
23b are provided respectively. Also, the front side 1b
On the side, there are trapezoidal bulges 2 on the top and bottom of both halves 2 and 3, respectively.
4 is molded, and the trapezoidal bulge 24 has a pair of left and right capstan insertion holes 25a, 25b and a positioning pin insertion hole 26 that vertically pass through the trapezoidal bulge 24.
a, 26b are provided.

Next, in FIGS. 2 and 3, both halves 2,
Inside the window cover 3, there is a pair of upper and lower window covers 3 formed of synthetic resin such as acrylic resin in a transparent state (for example, a colorless transparent state or a colored translucent state).
1 and 32 are attached. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper window cover 31 is offset to the left side of the upper half 2, and the lower window cover 32 is attached to the right side of the lower half 3 in symmetrical positions. Furthermore, these window covers 31 and 32 are arranged along the inner sides of the peripheral edges 2a and 3a of both halves 2 and 3, leaving a predetermined width _l1 , and along the inner side of the trapezoidal bulge 24. It has a symmetrical shape and size. Therefore, the size of these window covers 31, 32 is such that the width _l2 in the left-right direction and the width _l3 in the front-rear direction are relative to the width _l4 in the left-right direction and the width _l5 in the front-rear direction of the cassette housing 1. Each of them is configured to be 1/2 or more in size. Therefore, these window covers 31 and 32 have overlap portions 31a and 31b that overlap each other from above and below within a predetermined width _l6 at the center of the cassette housing 1.
is formed. Also, these window covers 31, 3
2 has both guide rollers 16a, 1 with a predetermined width _l7 on the front side 1a of both left and right ends of the cassette housing 1.
The roller transparent portions 31 that have entered each part up to the 6b portion
b, 32b are formed.

According to the window covers 31 and 32 configured as described above, since these are very large [also the sliding sheets 1
3a and 13b are also transparent], the visibility inside the cassette housing 1 is very good, especially when checking the remaining amount of the magnetic tape 12 while it is being used after being set in a tape recorder. Both reel hubs 11a,
This makes it extremely easy to check the rotational state of the motor 11b. Also, since the rotational states of both guide rollers 16a, 16b can be confirmed in the transparent parts 31b, 32b of both rollers, both reel hubs 11a, 11b can be checked.
It is useful for checking the running state of the magnetic tape 12 as well as the rotation of the magnetic tape 12, and also has a sufficient display effect. For this purpose, both guide rollers 16a, 16
It is preferable to provide a rotating display section 33 with unevenness, coloring, etc. as shown in FIG. 2 on the upper and lower end surfaces of b. However, both window covers 31 and 32 are both half 2,
These joints are not visible through the peripheral edges 2a, 3a and the trapezoidal bulge 24, which are the mutual joints of the parts 3 and 3, giving the image of a luxury product.

Next, FIG. 4 shows the upper window cover 31 attached to the inside of the upper half 2.
1 is fitted from the inside into a window hole 39 provided in the upper half 2, and its peripheral edge 40 is welded to the peripheral edge 39a of the window hole 39 by, for example, ultrasonic welding. For example, three pin-shaped protrusions 41a, 41b and a U-shaped protrusion 42 are integrally formed on the lower surface of the peripheral edge 40 of the upper window cover 31 and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. Note that the two pin-shaped protrusions 41a are arranged approximately at the center of the upper half 2. Further, on the lower surface of the roller transparent portion 31b of the upper window cover 31, a guide roller insertion recess 43, a guide roller pin insertion recess 44, and a pair of parallel magnetic tape height regulating ribs 45 are integrally formed. Molded. The pair of circular ribs 18 are integrally formed on the lower surfaces of the upper half 2 and the upper window cover 31, respectively. Furthermore, a U-shaped convex portion 46, a guide roller insertion recess 47, a guide roller pin insertion recess 48, and a pair of magnetic tape height regulating ribs 49 are integrally formed on the lower surface of the upper half 2, respectively.

Next, FIG. 5 shows the lower window cover 32 attached to the inside of the lower half 3.
2 is fitted from the inside into a window hole 51 provided in the lower half 3, and its peripheral edge 52 is welded to the peripheral edge 51a of the window hole 51 by, for example, ultrasonic welding or the like. The upper window cover 31 has three pin-shaped protrusions 53 on the upper surface of the peripheral edge 52 of the lower window cover 32.
a, 53b and the U-shaped convex portion 54 are each integrally molded. Note that the two pin-shaped protrusions 53a are arranged to correspond to the two pin-shaped protrusions 41a at the center of the upper half 2. Further, on the upper surface of the roller transparent portion 32b of the lower window cover 32, there are a guide roller insertion recess 55, a guide roller pin 56, a pair of parallel magnetic tape height regulating ribs 57, and the one friction boss 20b. are each integrally molded. The pair of circular ribs 18 are integrally formed on the upper surfaces of the lower half 3 and the lower window cover 32, respectively. Also, there is a U-shaped convex portion 5 on the upper surface of the lower half 3.
8. Guide roller insertion recess 59 and guide roller pin 60, pair of magnetic tape height regulating ribs 6
1. The other friction bosses 20a are integrally molded. The pair of guide rollers 16a and 16b are rotatably inserted into the pair of guide roller pins 60 and 56 of the lower half 3, respectively, and their lower ends are inserted into both the recesses 59 and 55.

By the way, as mentioned above, there are a pair of guide rollers 16a, 16b and friction boss 2 on the lower half 3.
By providing 0a and 20b, it is possible to extremely easily assemble the magnetic tape 12 onto the lower half 3 during automatic cassette assembly using an automatic cassette assembly machine.

The upper half 2 and the lower half 3 are constructed as described above, and by assembling them from above and below, a structure as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 is obtained.

That is, by the above assembly, the upper end surface of one friction boss 20b and the upper end surface of the other friction boss 20a of the lower half 3 are brought into contact with the lower surface of the upper half 2 itself and the lower surface of the upper window cover 31, respectively. At this time, both guide roller pins 56, 60 are fitted into both recesses 48, 44, and both guide rollers 1
The upper ends of 6a and 16b are inserted into both recesses 43 and 47. Next, at the same time, lower window cover 3 of lower half 3
The upper end surfaces of the two pin-shaped protrusions 53a of the upper half 2 are brought into contact with the lower end surfaces of the two pin-shaped protrusions 41a of the upper window cover 31 of the upper half 2, respectively. At the same time, the upper end surfaces of the two U-shaped protrusions 54 and 58 of the lower half 3 are brought into contact with the lower end surfaces of the two U-shaped protrusions 46 and 42 of the upper half 2, respectively. The remaining pin-shaped protrusions 41b and 53b of both window covers 31 and 32 are protrusions 62 and 63 integrally formed on both halves 2 and 3, respectively.
are in contact with each other. Further, both the vertical holes 8 are constituted by the two U-shaped convex portions 42, 58 and 54, 46 which are brought into contact with each other.

According to the cassette case 1 assembled as described above, both the window covers 31 and 32 have a symmetrical shape, and the roller transparent parts 31b and 3 of both the window covers 31 and 32 have a symmetrical shape.
A pair of guide rollers 16a, 1 in the 2b portion
6b, guide roller pins 56, 60, magnetic tape height regulation guides 45, 49, etc., look the same, so the upper and lower surfaces of the cassette case 1 (so-called A/
The design of side B) is symmetrical, giving it the image of a luxury product.

In addition, both window covers 31 and 32 have two pin-shaped protrusions 41.
a, 53a from above and contact between the friction boss 20a and the upper window cover 31 that assist this,
Both U-shaped convex portions 58 and 4 of both U-shaped convex portions 42 and 54
6 and the pin-shaped protrusions 41b, 53b and the protrusions 62, 63, the structure is such that they stick to each other from above and below. Therefore, the window covers 31 and 32 are mechanically and reliably prevented from accidentally peeling off (falling off) inside the halves 2 and 3. As a result, these window covers 31, 3
Even if the attachment strength (for example, welding strength by ultrasonic welding) to both halves 2 and 3 of 2 is low, vibrations and shocks applied to the cassette casing 1, or the window covers 31 and 32 placed inside the cassette casing 1, The window covers 31 and 32 will not accidentally peel off inside the halves 2 and 3 due to a load such as pressing.

As described above, the present invention is configured such that convex portions are integrally molded on the inside of the upper and lower window covers respectively attached to the insides of the upper and lower halves, and the convex portions are brought into contact with each other from above and below. Therefore, the abutment of these convex portions can reliably mechanically prevent both window covers from accidentally peeling off (falling off) to the inside of both halves. Therefore, the attachment strength of both window covers to both halves can be lowered, so there is no particular need for conventional crimping or gluing methods, and it is possible to attach both window covers to both halves extremely easily. . Even if ultrasonic welding is used, the number of welded areas (welded area) can be greatly reduced compared to conventional methods, and there is no need to particularly select synthetic resin materials that are easy to weld, etc., greatly improving production. It is possible to improve performance and reduce costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a Philips type compact cassette (for tape recorder), in which Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view. An enlarged plan view of the whole, Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the inner side of the upper half, Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the inner side of the lower half,
6 is a sectional view taken along the line of FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line of FIG. 3, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line of FIG. 3, and FIG. 9 is a cutaway perspective view of the main part. In addition, in the symbols used in the drawings, 1...Cassette housing, 2...Upper half, 3...Lower half,
31... Upper window cover, 32... Lower window cover, 41a, 41
b...Pin-shaped protrusion, 42...U-shaped protrusion, 53
a, 53b... pin-shaped protrusion, 54... U-shaped protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A pair of upper and lower halves that make up the cassette housing are molded with opaque material so that they cannot be seen through, and a pair of upper and lower window covers that are molded with synthetic resin so that they can be seen through are attached to the inside of both halves, respectively. 1. A tape cassette comprising: a tape cassette, characterized in that convex portions are integrally molded with resin on the insides of both the upper and lower window covers, and the convex portions are brought into contact with each other from above and below.