Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record medium – In container
Reexamination Certificate
1995-07-24
2001-01-30
Heinz, A. J. (Department: 2512)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record medium
In container
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181515
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing tape cassette attached with a lid and more particularly to improvements in the lid spring used for the lid capable of rotatably clamping the upper and rear surfaces of the exposed portion of the tape and the lid spring engagement portion.
The present invention further relates to an improvement in a lid mechanism for a recording/reproducing tape cassette for the purpose of smoothing the opening and closing operations of the lid and more particularly, to a tape cassette structure having a lid which is made to open and close quickly by suitably setting the position of an elastic member guide portion located close to a tape end detecting optical path for detecting the amount of tape so that the force of the elastic member becomes variable.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art recording/reproducing tape cassette
60
attached with a lid comprises a substantially square front shell
2
, a reel portion
5
comprised of a pair of reels
4
around which a tape
3
is wound, a lid mechanism
61
including a rotatable lid for clamping the upper and rear surfaces of a part of the tape exposed outside the cassette
60
and a substantially square lower shell
37
capable of engaging the upper shell, as shown in FIG.
9
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the upper shell
2
is formed of a substantially square insulating member and is provided with a pair of top-lid guide grooves
7
, respectively, which are formed on both longitudinal side surfaces thereof so as to extend rearwardly from the front surface, a pair of front-lid rotating shaft bearing portions
8
, a pair of tubular lower shell engagement projections
9
and a back-lid engagement portion
10
of a predetermined length formed by recessing the central portion of the front edge of the upper shell
2
.
The lid mechanism
61
comprises a top-lid
12
, a back-lid
17
, a front-lid
21
and a lid spring
65
in the form of an elastic torsion coil spring. The lid mechanism
61
operates such that when the cassette
60
is in use, it leaves away from the tape
3
as it opens to release the tape clamped thereby.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the top-lid
12
is rectangular and comprises two longitudinal side walls
13
, a pair of front-lid engagement holes
14
formed inside the side walls
13
in opposite relationship with each other with each being in the form of a partly recessed blind hole, a pair of upper shell engagement projections
15
respectively formed on the side walls
13
at positions behind the front-lid engagement holes
14
so as to be guided by the top-lid guide grooves
7
and a pair of back-lid engagement projections
16
formed on the inner surface of the top-lid
12
in spaced apart relationship with each other inwardly of the side walls
13
so as to engage the back-lid
17
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the back-lid
17
has a horizontally elongated triangular lower portion and an elongated platelike tape retaining surface
18
A for clamping the exposed portion of the tape
3
. Further, one side surface of the triangular lower portion of the back-lid
17
is provided with a lower shell guide projection
19
interlocking with the tape clamping and unclamping operations and the upper end of the tape retaining surface
18
A is provided at both ends thereof with a pair of top-lid engagement projections
20
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the front-lid
21
comprises an elongated flat base plate portion
22
, a pair of front-lid retaining portions
23
extending from both ends of the base plate portion
22
in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the latter, a pair of top-lid engagement projections
20
A to engage the top-lid
12
and a tape retaining surface
18
B formed on the rear side of the base plate portion
22
so as to clamp the tape.
The front-lid retaining portions
23
are provided with lid-rotating shafts
62
and
35
, respectively, which are different in structure and which face each other inwardly right and left and are also provided with tongue-like lid-engagement pieces
26
at positions near the free ends thereof, respectively.
As shown in
FIGS. 10 and 11
, the lid rotating shaft bearing portion
62
(see the leftside of
FIG. 9
) is an engagement portion for the lid mechanism
6
and comprises a axial portion
27
rotatably engageable with a front-lid rotating shaft bearing portion
8
and a front-lid engagement portion
41
, a support shaft
63
coaxial with the axial portion
27
for mounting a lid spring
65
thereon and a flange portion
64
of an enlarged diameter provided between the axial portion
27
and the support shaft
63
.
The support shaft
63
has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of an end turn
66
of the lid spring
65
and is provided with a hook engagement portion
64
projecting from a portion of the support shaft
63
in a direction intersecting at right angles with the axis of the support shaft
63
.
As shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, the lid spring
65
may comprise the end turn
66
wound in the form of a torsion coil spring, an arm portion
67
formed by linearly expanding one end of the end turn
66
and a semi-circular hook portion
66
formed by raising the end turn portion
66
of a diameter Dc upward by 90°. In that case, the distance between the end turn portion
66
and the free end of the hook portion
68
is dc and it is therefore necessary to increase the width wa for accommodating the lid spring
65
shown in FIG.
10
.
Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 13
, the hook portion
69
is made to have a limited height Y in such a manner that after a wire having an end turn is raised upward by 90°, the wire is reprocessed to reduce the diameter dh of the semi-circular portion of the wire. Thus, the width wb can be increased to allow the lid spring
65
to be mounted on the front-lid rotating shaft bearing portion
8
support shaft
63
.
The lid rotating shaft
35
(the right side in
FIG. 9
) comprises a shaft
36
rotatably engageable with the front-lid rotating shaft bearing portion
8
of the upper shell
2
and the front-lid rotating shaft engagement portion
41
of the lower shell
37
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the lower shell
37
is substantially square in shape so as to engage the upper shell
2
and is provided with a pair of lid engagement portions
40
on both shorter sides thereof.
The assembly of the tape cassette
60
having a lid comprising the various kinds of parts described above is performed in such a manner that the pair of reels
4
having the tape wound therearound are first mounted in the lower shell
37
, then the back-lid
17
, the top-lid
12
and the front-lid
21
are brought into engagement with one another and then with the upper shell
2
and the lid spring
65
is fitted on the support shaft
63
to thereby complete the lid mechanism
61
. Then the lid mechanism
61
is placed over the lower shell
37
while it is kept opened against the force of the lid spring
65
to thereby complete the assembly of the cassette
60
.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 21
, a prior art recording/reproducing cassette with a lid is provided with a lid mechanism comprising, in combination, a top lid
118
, a front lid
109
and a back lid
115
and provided on the front surface of a combined structure of an upper shell
102
A and a lower shell
102
B.
These lids
118
,
109
and
115
are made to open and close in interlocking relationships with one another as they are guided by grooves formed in the shells
102
A and
102
B such that when the cassette
1
is not in use, the tape is protected by being clamped between a front lid
109
and a back lid
115
while when the cassette
1
is in use, the lids move upward as they release the tape from its clamped state allowing a part of the tape to become exposed outside completely.
The closing operation of the lids
118
,
109
and
115
is effected by the elastic force of a torsion coil spring
121
fitted on a guide portion
114
A coaxial with a lid rotating shaft
113
A of the lid mechanism.
Further, the position of
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Heinz A. J.
Ryan Matthew K.
Sony Corporation
LandOfFree
Lid spring engagement assembly for lid assembly of a tape... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lid spring engagement assembly for lid assembly of a tape..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lid spring engagement assembly for lid assembly of a tape... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2524548