JPS6312458Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tape cassette opening/closing lid locking device which is most suitable for application to a recording/reproducing apparatus such as a video tape recorder.

As is well known, when a tape cassette for a video tape recorder is attached to a video tape recorder, the tape is pulled out of the cassette through an opening along one side (front) of the cassette housing and loaded onto a predetermined running path. It is made to be. On the other hand, when the tape cassette is not in use, the front surface of the opening is closed with a rotatable lid, and the lid is locked with a rotatable lock lever to prevent tape from exiting the cassette from the opening. It is configured to prevent the tape from accidentally flying out.

By the way, in conventional tape cassettes of this kind, the opening/closing lid and the locking lever are rotatably supported independently of each other on the cassette housing, and normally, when installing the tape cassette into a video tape recorder, the tape cassette is first opened. The first motion inserted into the cassette holder releases the lock of the opening/closing lid by the lock lever, and then the second motion moves the cassette holder to the cassette mounting position to push up the opening/closing lid and open it. The lock is released and the lid is opened by a step motion. Therefore, in conventional tape cassettes of this kind, the lock is released and the lid is opened by a so-called one-stage motion in which the opening/closing lid is opened at the same time as the opening/closing lid is unlocked when the cassette is installed in the cassette mounting position. There was a defect that the cassette loading operation was troublesome.

The present invention has been devised to correct the above-mentioned defects, and provides a device that allows the opening/closing lid to be unlocked and opened by a single-stage motion when the cassette is installed in the cassette installation position. This is what I am trying to do.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a tape cassette for a video tape recorder will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, in FIG. 1, a pair of left and right tape reels 2 and 3 are placed inside a cassette housing 1 made of synthetic resin.
is rotatably stored. A magnetic tape (hereinafter simply referred to as tape) 4 is wound around both tape reels 2 and 3. This magnetic tape 4
is normally passed along the opening 5 provided on the front surface of the cassette housing 1. Note that a notch 6 is provided on the bottom surface of the cassette housing 1.

Next, in FIGS. 2 to 5, the front surface of the opening 5 is configured to be opened and closed by an opening/closing lid 8 made of synthetic resin. This opening/closing lid 8 has both left and right ends 8a attached to the left and right side walls 1a of the cassette case 1.
It is bent into a U-shape so that it is almost flush with the surface. The opening/closing lid 8 is pivotally supported to the cassette housing 1 by a pair of right and left fulcrum pins 9 integrally molded inside both ends 8a of the opening/closing lid 8, and is shown in solid lines in FIG. It is configured to be able to freely rotate up and down between the closed lid position shown by the arrow and the open lid position shown by the imaginary line.

Further, a lock lever 11 made of synthetic resin is pivotally supported inside one end 8a of the opening/closing lid 8 so as to be freely rotatable up and down. The lock lever 11 is pivotally supported by a fulcrum pin 12 integrally molded inside the end 8a of the opening/closing lid 8 at a position diagonally rearward and below the fulcrum pin 9 so as to be able to freely rotate up and down. The lock lever 11 extends horizontally forward from the fulcrum pin 12, and a lock portion 13 consisting of a recess is formed on the lower surface of its front end. It is configured to be brought into contact with and engaged with a locked portion 14 integrally molded on 1b from above and from the rear.

Further, a torsion coil spring 15 is provided so as to be fitted around the outer periphery of the fulcrum pin 9 by means of a coil portion 15a integrally formed substantially at the center thereof.
One end 15b of this torsion coil spring 15 is pressed against the upper part of the front end of the lock lever 11, and the other end is attached to a spring receiver 16 integrally formed in the cassette housing 1.
is under pressure. Therefore, one end 15b of this one torsion coil spring 15 locks the lever 1.
1 is rotated around the fulcrum pin 12 in the locking direction shown by arrow a in FIG.
is biased to rotate around the fulcrum pin 9 in the direction of closing the lid as shown by arrow b in FIG. Note that the lower edge of the end 8a of the opening/closing lid 8 and the bottom wall 1b of the cassette housing 1
The edge portions of the lock lever 11 have notches 17 and 18 that are opposed to each other in the longitudinal center of the lock lever 11, respectively.
is formed.

According to the tape cassette constructed as described above, when the opening/closing lid 8 is in the closed state shown by the solid line in FIG. The opening/closing lid 8 cannot be opened. That is, even if the opening/closing lid 8 in the closed state is attempted to be rotated in the opening direction shown by the arrow c in FIG. The opening/closing lid 8 is prevented from rotating in the opening direction, so that the opening/closing lid 8 cannot be opened.

Next, the operation of unlocking and opening the opening/closing lid 8 by the one-step motion when loading the tape cassette into the cassette mounting position of the video tape recorder will be explained.

First, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a push-up pin 20 having a horizontally bent upper end 20a is vertically provided at the cassette mounting position of the video tape recorder. On the other hand, the tape cassette is vertically lowered and installed toward the cassette installation position, but at this time, the upper end 20a of the push-up pin 20 is inserted into the notches 17 and 18 relatively from below. It is configured.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 7A, the tape cassette is moved toward the cassette mounting position in the direction of the arrow e.
When lowered in the direction, the upper end 2 of the push-up pin 20
0a is relatively inserted into both notches 17 and 18 from the direction of arrow f, and first, its upper end 20a contacts the lock lever 11 and pushes it up. Then, the lock lever 11 is rotated in the direction of arrow g against the spring 15 and pushed up to the unlocked position shown by the imaginary line in FIG. The lid 8 is unlocked. On the other hand, at this time, the upper end 20 of the push-up pin 20
a comes into contact with the upper edge 17a of the notch 17 of the opening/closing lid 8.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 7B, as the tape cassette continues to descend in the direction of arrow e, the upper end 20a of the push-up pin 20 pushes up the upper edge 17a of the notch 17, and the opening/closing lid 8 springs up. 15 and is rotated in the direction of arrow c. At this time, the lock lever 11 is rotated together with the opening/closing lid 8 in the direction of arrow c.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 7C, when the tape cassette is completely installed in the cassette mounting position, the upper end 20a of the push-up pin 20 pushes up the front edge 17b of the notch 17, and the opening/closing lid is pushed up. 8 is completely opened to the open position. By attaching this tape cassette, a tape loading guide provided in the video tape recorder is inserted into the inside of the tape 4 through the notch 6, and then the tape 4 is moved through the opening 5 by the tape loading guide. The cassette is loaded onto a predetermined travel path outside the cassette, and desired recording or reproduction is performed.

Note that FIG. 8 shows a modification in which the lock lever 11 is located at the upper end 20a of the push-up pin 20.
A protrusion 22 that prevents the upper end 20a from slipping when pushed up by the lock lever 11 is integrally molded on the lock lever 11.
A protrusion 23 is integrally molded on the end of the opening/closing lid 8, with which the lock lever 11 comes into contact when the lock lever 11 is pushed up to the unlocked position shown by the imaginary line in the figure. The opening/closing lid 8 can be configured to rotate in the opening direction. In this case, the push-up pin 20 only needs to push up the lock lever 11, and the cover 8 can be opened via the lock lever 11 without coming into contact with the cover 8. Therefore, in this case, there is no need to provide the above-mentioned notch 17.

In addition, in the embodiment, one spring 15 serves as the urging means for the opening/closing lid 8 and the lock lever 11; however,
Separate springs may be provided for each.

As described above, the present invention has a lock lever rotatably supported on the opening/closing lid, so that the locking of the opening/closing lid can be unlocked and the lid can be opened by one-stage motion when the tape cassette is installed in the cassette mounting position. This makes it possible to simplify the cassette loading operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a tape cassette for a video tape recorder, in which Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of the tape cassette, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the same. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2 - a view taken along the line, FIG. 4 is a view taken from FIG. 3 - a view taken along the line, and FIG.
Figures 6C to 6C are side views similar to Figure 2, illustrating the operation of unlocking and opening the opening/closing lid, and Figures 7A to 6C.
7C is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 corresponding to FIGS. 6A to 6C, respectively, and FIG. 8 is a side view similar to FIG. 6A showing a modification. In addition, in the symbols used in the drawings, 1...cassette housing, 4...magnetic tape, 5...opening,
8... Opening/closing lid, 9... Fulcrum pin, 11... Lock lever, 12... Fulcrum pin, 13... Lock part,
14... Locked part, 15... Torsion coil spring, 20... Push-up pin.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A tape cassette having a rotatable opening/closing lid that covers the front surface of an opening opened along one side of the cassette case, and a lock lever for locking the opening/closing lid in the closed state, wherein the lock lever is connected to the opening/closing lid. The opening/closing lid can be locked in the closed state by engaging the locking lever with a locked portion provided on the cassette housing, and the locking lever is configured to be rotatably supported. An opening/closing lid locking device for a tape cassette, which is configured to release the engagement with the locked portion by pressing in the unlocking direction against an urging means.