Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~G~:TI~ T~ CA5SETT~ C~SI~(~ WIT~ CLOS~ LID FO~
~AP13--A~CESS OPE~I~G
BACg(~ROU~D OF r~ ITIO~
The present invention relates generally to a
magnetic tape cassete, especially for recording
pulse-code modulated (PCM) signals. More particularly,
the invention relates to a tape cassette which is
provided with a closure lid for protecting a magnetic
tape enclosed therein when not in use, and which is
automatically retracted to expose the tape when inserted
into a recording and reproducing system for use.
In recent years, various recording and
reproducing systems for converting analog signals, such
5 as audio signals, into binary code or digital signals,
such as PCM signals and recording the converted digital
signals have been proposed. These recently developed
digital recording and reproducing systems generally use
magnetic tapes as a recording medium to record the
digital signals converted from analog signals.
In such digital recording and reproducing
systems, oily deposits, such as fingerprint or the like,
and/or dust adhering to the tape surface may cause loss
or distortion of reproduced signals.
This defect or difficulty in digital recording
can be solved by providing an oil and dust deposition
proofing lid for all tape cassette casings so as to
close an opening through which the magnetic tape
enclosed in the tape cassette casing may be accessed,
and which opening will be referred to hereafter as
~tape-access opening". The lid may be operable between
a closed position sealing the tape-access opening so as
to prevent deposition of oil and dust onto the tape
surface when not in use, and an open position allowing a
magnetic head of the digital recording and reproducing
system to access the tape when in use.
In the prior art, a drawback has been
encountered in that in order ~o permit pivotal movement
of the lid between the closed position and the open
position, it is necessary to provide a substantial
clearance between the lid and the matiny surface of the
tape cassette casing in the closed position of the lid.
This means that the space in the recording and
reproducing system require~ to accommodate the magnetic
tape cassette must be undesirably large. Furthermore,
in the conventional cassette casing structure, the lid
may be inadvertently pivoted from its closed position to
its open position when the cassette is not in use.
In the disclosure of a prior invention, a
magnetic tape cassette includes a casing with a
substantially straight side along which a peripheral wall
has an opening for access to the magnetic tape enclosed in
the casing between its top and bottom walls which have
edge portions projecting beyond the peripheral wall
along the straight side, and a lid member having an
elongated plate portion dimensioned to extend along ths
straight side of the casing and to fit closely between
the projecting edge portions and ears projecting from
opposite ends of the plate portion for disposition
against respective end portions of the peripheral wall.
Pivot pins are loosely received in respective, preferrably
triangular, apertu~es for connecting the ears of the lid
member with the casing to permit pivoting of the lid member
and its bodily displacement relative to the casing in
directions at right angles to the pivoting axis. Thus, the
lid member is movable, by a combination of the pivoting
and bodily displacement thereof, between a closed position
1~
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in which the plate portion is between the projecting
edge portion at the straight side of the casing for
closing the opening therein and an open position in
which the plate portion of the lid is disposed at the
outside of the top or bottom wall of the casing adjacent
the respective edge portion. Coil springs are connected
between the casing and lid member for pivotally urging
the latter to a neutral pivoted position in which the
plate portion is centered between the projecting edge
portions and bodily urging the lid member, in its
neutral pivot postion, toward the straight side of the
peripheral wall of the casing.
For operating the lid member, the recording
and/or reproducing system has to be pro~ided with an
actuator pin for automatically operating the lid member
into the open position when the tape cassette is
inserted into the recording and/or reproducing s~stem
for use. In such cases, since the lid member,
especially the plate portion thereo~, is in the shape of
20 a relatively this plate, positioning the tape cassette
such that the plate portion of the lim member exeactly
opposes the actuator pin is rather difficult. Unless
the portion of the lid member to be mated with the
actuator pin is exactly opposite the actuator pin,
automatic lid opening can not be carried out.
S~MM~RY OF T~ I~VE~IO~
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Therefore, it is an object of the present
invention to provide a magnetic tape cassette casing
with a tape-access opening closure lid, which ensures
30 automatic lid opening operation with only simple
structural changes.
Another and more specific object of the
invention to provide a tape cassette casing which allows
use of a thicker actuator pin so as to ensure automatic
35 lid opening without requiring a wider tape cassette
opening of the recording and/or reproducing s~stem.
In order to accomplish the aforementioned and
other objects, a tape cassette casing, according to the
present invention, is formec~ with a peripheral recess or
cutout opposite an actuator pin of a recording and/or
reproducing system used to move a tape-access opening
closure lid provided for the cassette casing to its open
position The recess or cutout may extend across the
entire length of a front vertical wall of the casing to
allow the actuator pin to pass therethrough.
According to one aspect of the invention, a
tape cassette casing comprises a casing having an
opening in a forst face through which a magnetic tape is
accessible, a pair of tape reels, about which tne
magnetic tape is wound, disposed within the casing, a
closure lid pivotably secured to the casing near the
first face for covering and exposing the opening of the
casing, an actuator rod disposed in a tape drive system
for actuating the closure lid to the open position as
the cassette is inserted into the tape drive system, and
a depression formed in the first face of the casing, the
depression accommodating the actuator rod as the
cassette is inserted into the tape drive system to allow
the actuation rod to pass therethrough while actuating
the closure lid.
According to another aspect of the invention,
a magnetic tape cassette comprises a casing having a
front face with a front opening allowing access to a
magnetic tape therethrough, a closure lid including an
elongated plate portion dimensioned to cover the front
face of the casing and ears projecting from opposite
ends of the elongated plate portion essentially
perpendicularly to the front face, cooperatively
engageable means for connecting each of the ears with an
opposing peripheral wall of the casing, each of the
cooperatively engageable means including a pivot and an
aperture in which the pin is loosely received to permit
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pivoting of the closure lid relative to the casing about
an axis which is parallel to the front face and bodily
displacement of the closure lid relative to the casing
in a plane essentially perpendicular to the axis, the
closure lid being movable, by combination of the
pivoting and the bodily displacement, between a closed
position in which the elongated plate portion covers the
front opening and an open position in which the plate
portion of the closure lid exposes the front opening to
allow access to the magnetic tape; biasing means
connected between the casing and the closure lid for
pivotably biasing the latter toward a neutral pivot
position in which the elongated plate portion is in its
closed position and acting bodily on the closure lid in
the neutral pivot position to bias the elongated plate
portion toward the front opening, and actuation pin
guide means provided on the front face of the casing
allowing an actuation pin provided in a recording and
reproducing device, which pin is operative to actuate
the closure lid from the closed position to the open
position when the cassette is inserted into the
recording and reproducing device, to pass therethrough
and come into contact with the opposing edge of the
closure lid.
According to a further aspect of the
invention, in a combination of a recording and
reproducing apparatus for a magnetic tape and a tape
cassette containing the tape therein, the tape cassette
comprises a casing having an opening in a first face
through which a magnetic tape is accessible, a pair of
tape reels, about which the magnetic tape is wound,
disposed within the casing, a closure lid pivotably
secured to the casing near the first face for covering
and exposing the opening of the casing, an actuator rod
disposed in a tape drive system for actuating the
closure lid to the open position as the cassette is
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inserted into ~he tape drive system, and a depressionformed in the first face of the casing, the depression
accommodating the actuator rod as the cassette i5
inserted into the tape drive system to allow the
actuation rod to pass therethrough while actuating the
closure lid.
According to a still further aspect of the
invention, in a combination of a recording and
reproducing apparatus for a magnetic tape and a tape
~ cassette containing the tape therein, the tape cassette
comprises a casing having a front face with a front
opening allowing access to a magnetic tape
therethrough,a closure lid including an elongated plate
portion dimensioned to cover the front face of the
5 casing and ears projecting from opposite ends of the
elongated plate portion essentially perpendicularly to
the front face, cooperatively engageable means for
connecting each of the ears with an opposing peripheral
wall of the casing, each of the cooperatively engageable
20 means including a pivot and an aperture in which the pin
is loosely received to permit pivoting of the closure
lid relative to the casing about an axis which is
parallel to the front face and bodily displacement of
the closure lid relative to the casing in a plane
25 essentially perpendicular to the axis, the closure lid
being movable, by combination of the pivoting and the
bodily displacement, between a closed position in which
the elongated plate portion covers the front opening and
an open position in which the plate portion of the
closure lid exposes the front opening to allow access to
the magnetic tape, biasing means connected between the
casing and the closure lid for pivotably biasing the
latter toward a neutral pivot position in which the
elongated plate portion is in its closed position and
3~ acting bod.ily on the closure lid in the neutral pivot
position to bias the elongated plate portion toward the
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front opening, and actuation pin guide means provided on
the front face of the casing allowing an actuation pin
provided in a recording and reproducing device, which
pin is operative to actuate the closure lid from the
closed position to the open position when the cassette
is inserted into the recording and reproducing device,
to pass therethrough and come into contact with the
opposing edge of the closure lid.
BRIEF DFSCRIPTION OF T~E D~ INGS
0 The present invention will be understood more
fully from the detailed description given herebelow and
from the accompanying drawings of the preferred
embodiments of the invention, which however, should not
be taken to limit the invention to the specific
embodiments but are for explanation and understanding
only.
In the drawings:
Fig. l is a perspective view of the preferred
embodiment o~ a magnetic tape cassette casing according
to the present invention, which is illustrated as when
not in use;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. l
but showing the cassette in use;
Fig. 3 is a exploded perspective view o' the
tape cassette casing of Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is an elevation in partial section
showing a major part of the tape cassette casing in
relation to an actuator pin provided in a recording
and/or reproducing system;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the elements shown in
Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary illustration of a
recording and reproducing appratus to which the
preferred embodiment of the magnet taper cassette
according to the invention can be applied; and
Fig. 7 is a plan view similar to Fig. 5 but
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showing a modi~ication to the preferred embodiment of
Fig. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ~IBODI~ENTS
Refexring now to the drawings, particularly to
Figs, l to 3, the tape cassette has a casing 10 made of
a synthetic resin and generally made up of an upper
section 12 and a lower section 1~ molded to a desired
shape and secured together by screws for rotatably
enclosing therein rotatable reel hubs 16 and 18 on which
a magnetic tape 20 is wound. As illustrated, the casing
10 i5 essentially in the shape of a rectangular prism
defined by the upper and lower sections forming
substantially rectangular top and bottom walls and
having marginal flanges extending therefrom so as to
abut each other and define a peripheral wall by which
the top and bottom walls are maintained in spaced,
paralleI relationship. Along the essentially straight
fron~ edge of the casing 10, the peripheral wall i9
formed with an openîng 22, as shown in Fig. 2, allowing
a magnetic he~d of a recording and/or reproducing system
(not shown~ access to a tape 24 retained in the casing.
The magnetic tape cassette also has a lid member 26
formed with an eIo~ated thin plate portion 28
dimensioned to extend along the straight front side of
casing lO with the opening therein, which side will be
hereinafter referred as "fron~ side section 30", and ears
32 and 34 extending perpendicularly from opposite ends
of the plate portion 28 so as to oppose opposite ends of
the peripheral wall of the casiny near the corresponding
? ~,
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ends of the front side section 30. The ears 32 and 3~
are pivotably mounted on the adjacent end portions of
the peripheral wall of the casing 10 so that the lid
member 26 is capable of pivotal movement about a fixed
5 axis between the closed position shown in Fig. 1 sealing
the tape-access opening 24 and the open position shown
in Fig. 2 in which the tape-access opening 24 is
substantially unobstructed for ready access to the tape.
When the magnetic tape cassete is not in use,
the lid member 26 should be disposed in its closed
position (FigO 1) so that the fingers of a person
handling the cassette will not come into contact with
the tape 22 through the tape-access opening 24~
The elongaged plate portion 28 of the lid
15 member 26 is slightly wider than the opening 24. The
width or height of plate portion 28 is approximately
e~ual to the vertical spacing between the top and bottom
walls, of the casing 10.
The ears 32 and 34 extend at right angles to
20 the opposite ends of the elongated plate portion 28, and
are substantially D-shaped with substantially
rectangular forward portions slightly wider than the
width of the plate portion 28 and semicircular rear
~ortion. In the shown embodiment, each ear 32 and 34
25 has a pivot pin (visible only in Fig. 3) projecting
inwards from near the center of its semicircular
portion, the two pivot pins being coaxial. A bias
spring, such as torsion coil spring, leaf spring or the
like, cooperates with each pivot pin to restrict pivotal
3~ movement of the lid member 26. In practice, a detent
mechanism for the lid member holds the lid member 28 in
its closed position (FigO 1), a first open position in
which the plate portion 28 rests on the forward-most
section of the top portion (Fig~ 2), or a second open
35 position in which the lid member rests on the
forward-most section of the bottom portion (invert
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Fig. 2).
As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a pair of
cutouts 38 and 40 are formed in the front side section
30 of the casing 10. The cutouts 38 and 40 extend
across the entire height of the front side section 30
and are located near opposite ends of the front side
section. The depth of the cutouts 38 and 40 is selected
so as to allow the plate portion 28 of the lid member 26
to abut an actuator pin 42 near its center, as shown in
10 Figs. 4 and 5.
As will be appreciated, the diameter of the
actuator 42 pin can be increased sufficiently to ensure
successful actuation of the lid member 28 from the
closed position to an open position when the cassette is
inserted into the recording and/or reproducing system.
The actuator pins 42 pass through the cutouts 38 and 40,
thus allowing the mating edges of the lid member 26 to
fall closer to the centers thereof. This ensures proper
operation of the lid member 28 without additional
structural components.
Fig. 6 briefly shows the PCM recorder to which
the foregoing preferred embodiment of the magnetic tape
cassette according to the present invention can be
applied. As will be appreciated from Fig. 6, the
actuator pin 42 is extended updardly from the bottom of
the recorder. The actuator pin 42 is located adjacent
the front end of a cassette holder 44 which is pivotable
about a pivot shaft 46. The cassette holder 44 is
associated with an actuation mechanism including a
driving motor (not shown) through a gear 48 and agear
lever 50 which is fixed to the bottom of the cassette
holderO The setting the tape to a position for
recording or reproducing, and ejecting the cassette
would be performed in the ~ se well known manner.
Also, the actuation mechanism per se would have well
known construction and does not re~uire further
description.
In the condition of Fig. 6, the magnetic tape
cassette is put into the cassette holder 44. Then, the
actuation mechanism is operated by driving of the motor
5 for shifting down the cassette holder for placing the
front opening 22 of the tape cassette opposing to the
magnetic head. During this downward movement of the
cassette holder 44, the actuator pin 42 comes into
contact with the lower edge of the lid member 8 through
10 the cutout 38 and 40. By further downward movement of
the cassette holder 44 with the inserted magnetic tape
cassette, the lid member 26 is pushed to the open
position for allowing the magentic head ko access the
magnetic tape contained in the cassette.
As will be appreciated herefrom, since the
cutouts 38 and 40 are formed on the front end of the
cassette to allow the actuator pin 42 passing
therethrough to contact with the lower edge of the lid
member 26, automatic lid opening operation can be
20 successfully and satisfactorily ensured.
Although the preferred embodiment has been
disclosured in terms of the specific arrangement of the
cutouts for the actuator pin hereabove, it may be
modified in any way without departing from the principle
of the invention.
Fig. 7 shows a modiEication of the roregoing
preferred embodiment of the tape cassette casing
according to the present invention. In this
modification, recesses 52 are formed precisely at
opposite ends of the front side section. The recesses
44 replace the cutouts 38, 40 in the preferred
embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5. As in the foregoing
embodiment, this cassette casing structure allows the
actuator pin to be enlarged in order to ensure lid
~pening operation when the tape is inserted into the
recording/reproducing system.
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While the present invention has been disclosed
in terms of the preferred embodiments, the invention
should not be taken as being limited to the specified
embodiments but should be considered to include all
5 possible embodiments and modifications which may be
derived directly from the principle of the invention.
For example, the positions of the cutouts or recess are
not limited to the positions illustrated. Also, there
need not necessarily be two cutouts; rather, this number
may be adjusted to suit the application~
