JPS633031Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tape cassette, particularly a magnetic tape cassette, having a viewing window consisting of an opening in the cassette casing and a transparent portion covering the opening.

Magnetic tape cassettes, in particular compact cassettes, with a viewing window in plan view between the inlet openings for the winding shafts of recorder devices are described, for example, in German Utility Model No. 7637787 and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,295. , and U.S. Pat.
It is known from specification No. 3565367. In this case, only the middle part of the tape roll is visible from the outside. On the other hand, from US Pat. No. 3,704,841 an elongated rectangular window is known which extends over the inlet opening for the winding shaft. Although the central strip of the tape roll is thereby visible, this known long square window does not extend to the short sides of the square cassette, so that important areas of the tape roll remain covered.

Furthermore, it is known to design the cassette casing completely transparent or to design the window part to be oval, for example by means of an otherwise opaque insert with a correspondingly oval part behind it.
A completely transparent cassette casing is not a problem from a design point of view.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the window of a magnetic tape cassette in such a way that it is simple and advantageous to manufacture, favorable in design and increases the visibility of the core and tape roll.

This problem is solved according to the invention by means of a magnetic tape cassette, in particular a compact cassette, which has a viewing window consisting of an opening in the cassette casing and a transparent part covering the opening. That is, in plan view at least one window is provided, which window extends as far as the contour edge of the housing.

This makes it possible to see tape disturbances occurring in the edge area between the tape roll periphery and the cassette side walls, and in particular to better track the function of the tape guide elements. In order to be able to observe the circumference of both tape rolls from each cassette side, it is advantageous to provide two windows according to the invention.
However, 1 reaches from the rear wall to above the winding shaft inlet opening.
Two windows may be provided. Furthermore, a window may be arranged on each short side of the square of the casing, which allows for a better monitoring of, for example, the SM tape guide lever in a compact cassette.

According to the invention, the end of the window may have a rounded shape, in particular a semicircular shape corresponding to the tape core, with the core inlet opening provided approximately in the center of the semicircle. It's advantageous. This results in an advantageous shape of the window and the cassette, and an aesthetically pleasing cassette profile. If the cassette casing is made opaque and dark, as is customary, this gives the impression that the tape roll or reel is held within the window frame. In another embodiment, both windows can start from the longitudinal rear side of the housing and extend onto the tape core. In addition, it is actually possible to provide only one window on the upper and lower sides of the housing, for example for the right-hand tape roll in each case.

Advantageously, each window extends around the short side of the housing, for example by means of a right-angled edge. Only then can the condition of the tape, the tape roll, and possibly the guide elements be monitored also from the short sides of the cassette. It is likewise possible to optically read tape markings and empty cores.

It is also desirable with respect to manufacturing that the two windows, each superimposed on the upper and lower sides of the casing, can be integrally formed as a double pane.

Furthermore, to compensate for vertical tolerances to the winding core,
It is desirable to form the double windows so that they are elastic with respect to each other due to the initial stress.

Furthermore, it is desirable for manufacturing purposes to form two windows side by side on the top and bottom surfaces in one piece, so that the two windows can be manufactured and assembled simultaneously.

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

The compact cassette 5 essentially comprises a casing 4 having upper and lower parts 6 and 7 connected, for example by screws 8 (FIG. 4). Openings 9 and 10 are used for passing the winding shaft of the table device. Behind the openings 9 and 10 are the winding cores 11 and 12, the driving pins 13 of which are also visible. Two identical window openings 14a and 14b are provided on the axis connecting the center points of openings 9 and 10, the inner ends of which can advantageously be arcuate in shape. Here we include curved-arc shapes that can terminate the ends of the squares, with these shapes gradually increasing in strength in the direction of the transverse central axis of the cassette in order to maintain a minimum breaking strength. suitable for increasing. In the illustrated example of the cassette, the inner ends of the openings 14a and 14b are formed as semicircles with diameters that approximately correspond to the outer diameters of the cores 11 and 12. The diameter may be larger or smaller. As a result, the mostly bright winding cores 11 and 12 in the opaque housing 4 appear to be supported in a fork-like carrier. Window openings 14a and 1
4b extends linearly to the casing contour edge 15, here the short side of the casing square. The shape and arrangement of the window openings 14 are arbitrary as long as the strength requirements of the magnetic tape cassette are maintained and a suitable material selection is made accordingly. Window opening 1
4a and 14b are covered by transparent parts 16a and 16b, which form the actual windows. Parts 16a and 16b are arranged on a common support 17 in FIG. 2B and can also be made together. Part 16a
and 16b are formed so as to fit well into the casing 4 for insertion into the openings 14a and 14b together with the support 17 or individually. Attachment is carried out by suitable measures such as welding, gluing, etc. The transparent parts 16a and 16b have support rings 18 (FIG. 6B) for the cores 11 and 12. This allows it to be made independently of the other housing 4, which contributes to the quality of the cassette just in the support area of the winding core. In principle, it is advantageous to include the support ring 18 in the transparent part 16 even if this is not absolutely necessary, since transparent parts without a support ring are therefore also conceivable. It is important that, according to the invention, the otherwise invisible edge areas of the tape reels or tape rolls 19 and 20 become visible, especially in the area of winding and unwinding of the tape. For example, SM levers 22 and 23
This is of course particularly advantageous if a tape guide element such as (SM stands for safety mechanism) is attached to the circumference of the tape roll from the outside. This is because instantaneous cassette faults, such as loop formation, can then be immediately recognized and removed. However, it is also advantageous that the tape roll itself and the winding and unwinding of the tape 21 can be seen and thus monitored. Due to the preferred formation of the transparent part 16 with a right-angled edge portion 24, this visibility is further improved. The height and shape of the edge parts can be chosen appropriately, so that a closed, tight short side is obtained in the two windows. The transparent short side areas make it possible to optically inspect and/or illuminate the protected tape 21 and/or the tape markings and/or the empty core 11 or 12 from the side.
This has hitherto been impossible. tape 2
1 is the front side 2 of the cassette 5 which has not been protected so far.
6, or the tape roll 19 or 20 could only be inspected through a conventional central window. Tape roll 19 up to rear side 27 of cassette 5
and 20 are also well suited for window openings, as shown in the examples of cassettes 30 and 35 in FIGS. 3 and 5. In this area, the tape rolls 19 and 20 may slip down, and a tape guide or tape pressing means, such as the pressing spring or tape pressing lever 34 shown in FIG. 5, may be provided in this area. Third
The large window 33 in the figure can advantageously be formed with two support rings 18 for the winding cores 11 and 12, so that the horizontal spacing tolerances between the supports can also be precisely maintained during manufacture. Window 32 in Figure 5
are windows 16a, 16b according to FIGS. 1 and 4.
is the same as Here again, the two windows 32 can be formed in one piece via visible or invisible supports. The support part, like the support body 17, has a transparent part 16.
It can be made at the same time from the same synthetic material.

FIG. 4 shows a cassette 25 having a right-hand window 28 on the top side and a (here) left-hand window 29 on the bottom side. Here, tape rolls 19 are arranged according to each cassette state.
Alternatively, one of the tape rolls 20 can be monitored and illuminated.

In FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the transparent part 1
If 6a and 16b or windows 33 or 32 are perpendicularly opposed to each other, a common transparent part 31 can also be manufactured in one piece, as in FIG. 6, so that two openings can be covered at the same time.
Core 1 with or without a tape roll
It is also advantageous that 1 can be mounted already outside the cassette casing parts 6 and 7, which facilitates manufacturing operations. When manufactured as a single part 31, in some cases the support ring 18
It is also possible to provide a predetermined initial stress in the window parts 31a and 31b in the range of
Adequate sealing shall be ensured.

The compact cassettes described above can advantageously be manufactured by known synthetic material processes using conventional synthetic materials. Advantages are obtained in manufacturing, and in use of the cassette, the aforementioned advantages are obtained for the end user. Due to the obvious enlargement and very advantageous arrangement of the window, it is possible from the side of the recorder device to realize better inspection and/or illumination and thus, for example, an improved tape length indication. The advantages of cassettes apply to all types of cassettes in the field of signal audio, video, data recording and playback.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a perspective view of a compact cassette with two horizontal viewing windows on the top surface; FIG. 2A is a view of the upper casing of the cassette of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 shows a compact cassette with a large symmetrically arranged window; FIG. 4 shows a compact cassette with two asymmetrically arranged windows; FIG. 5 shows a compact cassette with two asymmetrically arranged windows; FIG. 6A is a top view of a half of a compact cassette with two vertical windows.
A view of the integral window for the top and bottom surfaces of the cassette, FIG. 6B, is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the window of FIG. 6A. 4...Cassette casing, 9, 10...Inlet opening for winding shaft, 11, 12...Tape winding core, 14...
...Opening, 15, 17...Contour edge, 16a, 16
b, 28, 29, 32, 33... window, 19, 20
...Tape roll.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) In a tape cassette, particularly a magnetic tape cassette, having a viewing window consisting of an opening 14 in a substantially rectangular cassette casing 4 and a transparent portion 16 covering this opening, at least one cassette in a planar shape is provided. window 16a,
16b, 28, 29, 32, 33 are provided, characterized in that the windows extend as far as the contour edge 15 or 27 of the casing 4,
Tape cassettes, especially magnetic tape cassettes, with viewing windows. (2) The cassette according to claim 1 of the utility model registration, which is provided with two windows 16a, 16b, and 32. (3) Two windows 16 arranged adjacent to each other in plan view
a, 16b, 32, the windows extending over the nearby inlet opening 9 or 10 for the winding shaft, according to claim 1 or 2. . (4) One window 33 is provided, and this window
The cassette according to claim 1, which extends from the longitudinal rear side 27 of the casing 4 to above the inlet openings 9, 10 for the winding shafts. (5) The cassette according to claim 2, in which windows 16a or 16b are arranged on each short side of the casing 4. (6) The cassette according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both windows 32 start from the rear side 27 of the casing 4 and reach above the tape winding core 11 or 12. (7) On the upper and lower surfaces of the casing 4, respectively, 1 for the tape roll 20 or 19 on the right side.
The cassette according to claim 1, which is provided with two windows 28 or 29. (8) The cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 7 of the utility model registration claim, wherein the windows 16a, 16b, 28, 29, and 32 have rounded ends. (9) The ends of the windows 16a, 16b, 28, 29, 32 are semicircular with the direction determined by the diameter of the tape cores 11, 12, claims 1 to 3 of the utility model registration claims. 7. A cassette according to item 7. (10) Winding shaft openings 9, 10 having a ring collar 18 for the winding core 11 or 12 at the center of an approximately semicircular shape.
9. The cassette according to claim 9 of the utility model registration, wherein the cassette is provided with: (11) A cassette according to one of the claims 1 to 9, in which each window 16a, 16b extends at least partially around the short side of the casing 4. (12) Utility model registration claims 1 to 3, in which two windows 31 are formed integrally, overlapping each other on the upper surface and the lower surface, and the windows 31 are formed so as to have elasticity with each other. No.
A cassette according to one of paragraphs 11. (13) Utility model registration claims Paragraphs 1 and 2, in which two windows arranged side by side on the top and bottom surfaces are integrally formed (Fig. 2B, Fig. 5).
The cassette according to any one of paragraphs 4 to 14.