JPH04310687A - Tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a tape cassette in which the ply extent of a front cover is lessened, the dust is hard to invade into the internal part and the merchandise value is high. CONSTITUTION:The title cassette is equipped with a case main body part 1, a front cover 7 of a turning opening closing system fitted to the case main body part 1, a restraining part 13 provided at the front cover 7, a convex part constituted at the case main body part and a lock member 10 having a lock claw 10f to restrain to the restraining part 13 and perform the closed cover locking of the front cover 7, and when the lock member 10 is locked, the lock claw 10f is constituted to the knife-edge shape of a sword which is contacted with the restraining part 13 and the convex part.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a tape cassette used in a recording and/or reproducing device, particularly a front cover that moves in the thickness direction of the case body, such as an 8 mm video tape cassette or an HDTV tape cassette. The present invention relates to a tape cassette equipped with a locking member for locking the lid closed.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known that tape cassettes have been used in recording and/or reproducing devices (hereinafter simply referred to as recording and reproducing devices) such as video tape recorders. An overview of such tape cassettes is as follows:
Generally, a supply reel and a take-up reel are disposed within a case main body formed by combining an upper half and a lower half made of plastic, and between the supply reel and the take-up reel. A magnetic tape is stretched over a predetermined path of the case body, and a front cover is provided to protect the magnetic tape located outside the case body. It is also well known that a locking means is provided to maintain the front lid in a closed state.

By the way, this locking means consists of a locking part provided on the front cover and a locking member having a locking claw provided on the case body side, and the locking claw of the locking member locks the front cover. However, when the front cover is locked, there is considerable wobbling, and this causes the problem that dirt and dust can easily enter the interior through the gaps. Moreover, since the degree of rattling is large, the product value is correspondingly lowered.

0004

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION As a result of intensive research into the problem of the rattling of the front lid mentioned above, it was found that this rattling is caused by the large gap between the locking part provided on the front lid and the lock pawl. This has been determined. however,
With the lock pawl structure of the conventional lock member, unless the gap between the locking part of the front cover and the lock pawl is large, the lock member cannot be rotated, that is, locking or unlocking cannot be performed. It was found that the function of the tape cassette could not be achieved by simply reducing the gap between the locking part of the front cover and the lock claw, and as a result of further development, the present invention was developed. It has been achieved.

That is, an object of the present invention is to reduce the degree of rattling of the front cover, thereby making it difficult for dirt and dust to enter the interior.
Another objective is to provide tape cassettes with high commercial value. The object of the present invention is to provide a case body, a rotatable front cover attached to the case body,
The front lid includes a locking portion provided on the front lid, a convex portion formed on the case body, and a locking member having a locking claw that locks on the locking portion to lock the front lid closed. The present invention is achieved by a tape cassette characterized in that the locking pawl is configured in a sword-edge shape such that the locking pawl comes into contact with the locking portion and the convex portion when the locking member is locked.

[0006] In the tape cassette having the above structure, the gap between the locking member and the engaging part or convex part can be made small, and as a result, the degree of rattling of the front cover is reduced, and therefore dust and dirt can be kept inside. This tape cassette is difficult to penetrate and has high commercial value.

[0007]

[Embodiment] Figures 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the tape cassette according to the present invention. Figure 1 is an overall perspective view, Figure 2 is a side view of the main parts in the front lid locked state, and Figure 3 is a FIG. 3 is a side view of the main parts in the front lid unlocked state. The case main body part 1 constituting the tape cassette A is composed of a rectangular upper half 1a and a lower half 1b made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene, polystyrene, ABS resin, etc., and these upper half 1a and lower half 1b are They are fitted into each other from above and below and secured with set screws to form an integrated housing.

A pair of tape reels, namely a supply reel 2a and a take-up reel 2b, are rotatably housed in the case body 1, and a magnetic tape (hereinafter referred to as tape) 3 is connected to the supply reel 2a and the take-up reel 2b. It is wound and stretched between the reel 2b and the reel 2b. Both tape reels 2a and 2b are placed on the bottom plate of the lower half 1b, and their lower ends are positioned by fitting into reel fitting holes provided in the bottom plate. 4 is a presser spring for the pair of tape reels 2a and 2b.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front surface of the case body 1 is provided with a front opening 5 that spans approximately the entire width of the tape cassette, and the bottom plate of the lower half 1b is provided with a front opening 5 that is continuous with the front opening 5. A bottom opening (a tape loading member of the recording/reproducing apparatus enters the pocket formed by the front opening 5 and the bottom opening to pull out the tape 3 from the tape cassette A) is provided. A front wall is integrally formed on the bottom plate of the lower half 1b along the edge of the bottom opening, and this front wall allows the interior of the case body 1 to be spaced between the bottom opening side and both tape reels 2a and 2b. It is divided by. A pair of tape guides 6a and 6b are integrally formed on the bottom plate of the lower half 1b at both left and right ends of the front wall, and the tape 3 is attached to both tape guides 6a and 6b.
It is guided by points a and 6b and spans along the front opening.

[0010] The front opening 5 is covered by a front lid 7 formed in a substantially U-shape. That is, the front lid 7 includes a front plate 7a that closes the front surface of the case body 1, connecting pieces 7b extending rearward from both left and right ends of the front plate 7a, and opposing inner surfaces of both connecting pieces 7b. It is a molded product made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene, polystyrene, ABS resin, etc., and has a protruding rotation shaft 7c, and the left and right connecting pieces 7b are externally formed in the front end recesses 8a and 8b of the left and right side walls of the case body 1. The rotation shafts 7c are fitted into rotation holes provided in the recesses 8a and 8b, respectively. The front lid 7 is rotatable around the rotation axis 7c between a posture in which the front surface of the case body 1 is closed and an upwardly opened posture. It is rotated and biased to the normally closed position by an elastic means such as a torsion spring 9 mounted on the body.

[0011] In the location where the pocket exists, the front lid 7
A dust cover is pivotally connected to the inside of the tape cassette A via a shaft, and the dust cover seals the inside including the lower side of the tape 3 and the top surface of the opening of the pocket when the tape cassette A is not in use. Dust is prevented from entering from the upper and lower opening surfaces of the pocket and adhering to the tape 3. This dust cover is connected to cam grooves provided on the left and right sides facing the pocket (these sides are connected to the tape guides 6a and 6b), and when the front lid 7 is opened, the dust cover also connects to the tape 3. It moves upward together with the front lid 7 without any interference. That is, dust cover mounting pieces are integrally hung from the upper end side of the front plate 7a at locations near both left and right ends of the front plate 7a of the front lid 7, and dust cover mounting pieces are attached to both left and right ends of the upper and lower intermediate portions of the dust cover. The protruding shaft is pivotably supported. Pin-shaped cam followers are protruded from the left and right sides near the lower end of the dust cover, and these cam followers are engaged and connected to the cam grooves, respectively.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a locking member, and this locking member 10 is constructed by insert molding means using a plate spring or a suitable resin material such as polyacetal, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The main parts include a pair of elastic resin-made locking arms 10b each having a claw-like locking portion 10a that is fixed to the case body 1 (lower case 1b in this embodiment), and this locking arm. 10b is made of resin, and a stainless steel (elastic modulus 1900
0Kg/mm2) width 0.8~1.2mm, length 4
~8mm, thickness 0.08~0.2mm leaf spring 10d, and a release end 1 provided at the lower end of this leaf spring 10d.
0e and a resin-made lock portion 10g having a lock claw 10f.

In particular, the upper surface side of the lock claw 10f is formed into an arc shape with a radius of curvature approximately equal to the length of the leaf spring 10d, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower surface side of the lock claw 10f has a radius of curvature of the leaf spring 1.
It is formed into an arc shape with a length of 0d + width of the lock claw 10f, and its tip is curved like the tip of a sword blade.

Further, the release end 10e is formed in such a shape that the rear side is inclined toward the third quadrant, and when the tape cassette is installed in the recording/playback device, the lock release member 11 of the recording/playback device is moved to the release end 10e. abutting and locking member 10,
In FIG. 2, the front cover 7 is unlocked by pushing it toward the right. In this unlocked state, as shown in FIG.
It is configured to make surface contact with the end surface 1c of b, and to prevent further displacement to the rear side. Furthermore, the release end 10e
is formed in such a shape that the upper surface side is inclined toward the second quadrant, and the lock release member 11 of the recording/reproducing device pushes the lock member 10 to the right in FIG. 2, and the front cover is unlocked. In the closed state, as shown in FIG. 3, the release end 10
The upper surface of the tape cassette is in contact with the end surface 1d of the lower half 1b of the tape cassette, thereby preventing further upward displacement. That is, in a state in which the lock release member 11 of the recording/reproducing device pushes the lock member 10 in the release direction and the front cover is unlocked, at least one surface of the lock member 10 is pushed toward the release direction. Even if the locking member 10 is pushed excessively, the displacement of the locking member 10 is reliably prevented, and the plate spring 10d is plastically bent into a dogleg shape. It is constructed so that it will not deform.

Further, a convex portion 10h having a substantially concave arc shape is formed on the lower surface side of the base of the lock claw 10f. 12
is an opening formed in the case body 1 (in this embodiment, a horizontal flat plate connected between the vertical walls of the lower case 1b), and the locking arm 10 of the locking member 10 is inserted into this opening 12.
When b is fitted, the locking arm 10b is elastically deformed, the locking arm 10b enters from the opening 12 downwardly, the claw-shaped locking part 10a locks on the lower surface of the horizontal plate, and the locking arm 10b deforms elastically. 10 is configured to be attached to the case body 1 in a so-called snap type manner.

As can be understood from the structure and mounting structure of the lock member 10, the lock member 10 does not rotate. Reference numeral 13 denotes a substantially D-shaped locking portion protruding from a predetermined position of the connecting piece 7b of the front lid 7, as shown in FIG.
It is formed into an arc shape or a tapered shape to match the shape of the arc-shaped lock claw 10f. And lock claw 1
This is to lock the front lid 7 in closing by locking the locking portion 13 in sliding contact with the locking portion 13. Note that when the front cover 7 is locked by the lock claw 10f of the locking member 10 and the locking part 13, the gap between the two is not only small, but also has a lower side of the approximately D-shaped locking part 13. Since the lock is made by facing each other, there is little wobbling and the lock is secure.

14 is a semicircle with a height of about 0.9 mm (radius of about 0.7 mm) formed on the side plate of the lower half 1b.
It is a columnar rib. The configuration position of this rib 14 is such that a rightward force is applied to the release end 10e of the lock member 10 by the lock release member 11 on the side of the recording/reproducing device (not shown), as shown in FIG. The spring 10d is bent and displaced (
In the case of unlocking), the lock claw 10f does not collide with the rib 14 and the unlocking operation of the lock member 10 is prevented, and when the front cover 7 is closed, When a clockwise opening force is forcibly applied to the lock member 10, a pulling force acts on the lock pawl 10f of the lock member 10 via the locking portion 13, but as shown in FIG. Locking part 13, lock claw 10f, and rib 14
This is the position where the three elements collide and no further displacement is possible. Note that the base side of the rib 14 has a shape that spreads out like a mountain, making it difficult to break even if a large force is applied to the rib 14. Of course, this rib 14
may be integrally made of the same resin as the lower half 1b, but may also be embedded with a metal material. When the ribs 14 are made of a metal material, they are often simply columnar, and may also be formed by insert molding, press-fitting means,
In addition, it can be constructed by press-fitting after heating or by ultrasonic welding. Further, in FIG. 2, the rib 14 is depicted as having a semi-cylindrical shape, but it may be, for example, in the shape of a triangular prism, and is not limited to these shapes.

It should be noted that a convex portion 10 having a substantially concave arc shape is formed on the lower surface side of the base of the locking pawl 10f of the locking member 10.
Due to the cooperative action of h and the ribs 14, the leaf spring 10d is difficult to be plastically deformed even if the locking member 10 is strongly pulled forward. Reference numeral 15 denotes a "shaped member" formed on the inner surface of the connecting piece 7b of the front lid 7, and a torsion member attached to the right rotation shaft 7c is placed in a groove 16 formed by the "shaped member 15 and the connecting piece 7b. A spring 9 is arranged. That is, this "shaped member 15
The torsion spring 9 is positioned within the groove between the connecting piece 7b and the connecting piece 7b. Therefore, the torsion spring 9 is attached to the rotating shaft 7c, and one end of the torsion spring 9 is attached to the locking portion 1.
The front cover 7 is assembled into the case main body 1 while being temporarily fixed to the upper end of 3, and after assembly, the torsion spring 9
One end comes into contact with the upper end of the base part 10c of the locking member 10, comes off from the upper end of the locking part 13, and the torsion spring 9
Although the temporary fixing to the torsion spring 9 is released, one end of the torsion spring 9 is still restricted by the shaped member 15, and therefore, the restriction mechanism for the torsion spring 9 is still in effect even after assembly, so the tape cassette Even if the front lid 7 is dropped, the closing biasing action of the torsion spring 9 on the front lid 7 is not reduced.

Tape cassette A configured as described above
, the front cover 7 is closed when not in use, and the tape 3
When the tape cassette A is loaded into the recording and reproducing device, the front cover 7 opens and a large recess is formed in the left and right center of the front edge of the case body 1. A tape loading member (not shown) on the recording/reproducing apparatus side enters the formed pocket and draws out the tape 3 to the front of the tape cassette. That is, when the tape cassette A is loaded into the recording and reproducing apparatus, the lock releasing member 11 on the recording and reproducing apparatus side enters, the lock releasing member 11 contacts the release tapered surface portion of the release end 10e of the locking member 10, and further enters. The leaf spring 1 of the locking member 10 is
The lock release member 11 moves to the release end 10 against the elastic force of 0d.
e is displaced as shown in FIG. 3, thereby the lock claw 10f is disengaged from the locking part 13 of the front cover 7, the front cover 7 is placed in a state where it can be opened, and the opening member ( (not shown), the front cover 7 rotates clockwise in FIG. A tape loading member (not shown) on the side enters and pulls out the tape 3 to the front of the tape cassette.

When the lock release member 11 displaces the lock member 10, even if the lock release member 11 displaces the lock member 10 excessively, as shown in FIG. 3, the rear surface of the release end 10e is The upper surface of the release end 10e is surface-joined to the end surface 1c of the lower half 1b of the tape cassette, and the upper surface of the release end 10e is the end surface 1 of the lower half 1b of the tape cassette.
d and further upward and rearward displacement is prevented, so that excessive displacement of the locking member 10 is reliably prevented and the leaf spring 10d is not plastically deformed into a dogleg shape. Therefore, the locking member is highly durable, and the front lid can be securely locked.

[0021] Furthermore, the lock member 10 is a lock release member 11.
When a large force is applied to the front lid 7 in the direction of opening the lid when the front lid 7 is not under the action of the lock member 10, that is, when it is in the locked state, the leaf spring 10d at the joint between the leaf spring 10d of the locking member 10 and the locking portion 10g is A large force acts on leaf spring 1
In contrast, in the above embodiment, since the rib 14 is configured, the approximately concave arc-shaped convex portion 10h of the locking member 10 and the rib 1
4, even if the locking member 10 is strongly pulled forward, the leaf spring 10d is difficult to be plastically deformed, the locking function does not deteriorate, and the durability is increased accordingly.

Furthermore, as a result, the front cover 7 can be securely locked, and accidents such as the front cover 7 being accidentally opened by mistake do not occur, and the safety of the tape 3 is also high. In addition, since the tip of the locking claw 10f is shaped like the tip of a sword blade, there is no gap between the locking portion 13 and the rib 14 when the locking member 10 is locked and unlocked. Even if it is small, these operations will not get in the way at all, and therefore the degree of rattling of the front cover 7 can be reduced, making it difficult for dirt and dust to enter the interior.

[0023]

[Effects] The tape cassette according to the present invention includes a case body, a rotatable front cover attached to the case body, a locking part provided on the front cover, and a case body. A tape cassette comprising: a convex portion formed in a section; and a locking member having a locking claw that locks the front lid by locking the locking portion; Since the claw is configured in the shape of a sword's edge so that it comes into contact with the locking part and the protrusion, even if the gap between the locking part and the protrusion is small, the locking and unlocking operations of the locking member can be performed easily. There is no problem at all, and therefore the degree of rattling of the front cover can be reduced, making it difficult for dirt and dust to enter the interior, and the product has a high commercial value since there is little rattling.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire tape cassette.

FIG. 2 is a side view of main parts in a front lid locked state.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the main parts in the front lid unlocked state.

[Explanation of symbols]

A tape cassette 1
Case body part 7 Front lid 10 Lock member 10f Lock claw 13 Locking part 14 Rib

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A case body, a rotary opening/closing front cover attached to the case body, a locking part provided on the front cover, and a protrusion formed on the case body. and a locking member having a locking pawl that locks the front lid in a closed state by locking the locking portion, the locking pawl locking the locking portion when the locking member is locked. and a tape cassette characterized in that it is configured in the shape of a sword's edge so as to be in contact with the convex portion.