Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Including threading
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-13
2004-02-17
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Including threading
C360S132000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06691941
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording tape cartridge rotatably accommodating a single reel around which a recording tape such as a magnetic tape is wound.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A recording tape such as a magnetic tape is widely employed as an external recording medium for a computer. By winding the magnetic tape on a reel and housing the reel in a housing to form a magnetic tape cartridge, only a small space is needed for storage to be able to construct a magnetic tape cartridge, which is able to record a large amount of information.
As seen in
FIG. 11
, when this magnetic tape cartridge is loaded in a tape drive, a leader pin attached at an end of the magnetic tape is taken up from a take-up opening by a chucking member disposed at the tape drive. The leader pin, which is taken up from a take-up opening of the housing, is lead to a reel of the tape drive through a specific magnetic tape path and is engaged with the reel. Thus, the magnetic tape
10
is wrapped around the reel and computer data are recorded on and played back from the magnetic tape.
Flanges
12
A formed at both of the ends of the leading pin
12
protrude from both of the edges, in the width direction of the magnetic tape
10
. When the magnetic tape
10
is taken back in the housing
70
, the flange
12
A held in a housing
70
by being inserted into a holder groove
40
, which extends to the take-up opening, and pressed by a plate spring
50
. The plate spring
50
comprises a base portion
52
, which is fixed to the housing
70
, and a pair of arm portions
54
, which project from the base portion
52
in parallel. At each end of the arm portions
54
, a pressing portion
54
A is formed and engages with flanges
12
A.
However, making a spring force of the arm portions
54
A the same is difficult, and variation occurs. Therefore, as shown by two-dot chain line in
FIG. 11
, There is a possibility that the leader pin
12
will be slanted by the difference of the spring forces and will not be correctly engaged with the chucking device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a recording tape cartridge, in which, when the recording tape is taken up by a reel, a leader member, such as a leader pin attached on an end portion of a recording tape, is held at an optimal position inside a housing, and, when the recording tape is wound out from the housing, the leader member is correctly chucked by a chucking member of a tape drive.
A first aspect of this invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a recording tape cartridge comprising a recording tape; a leader member attached at an end of the recording tape and extending in a width direction of the recording tape; a single reel on which the recording tape is wound; a housing for holding the reel rotatably and including a take-up opening from which the tape is taken up and a holding portion formed adjacent to the opening; and an urging member for urging the leading member and securing the same at the holding portion when the recording tape is taken back in the housing; wherein the urging member including a pressing portion formed continuously in the axial direction of the leading member and contacting both ends of the leading member when the leading member is secured at the holding portion.
The pressing portion of the urging member of the recording tape cartridge is an integrated member formed continuously in the axial direction of the leader member. Therefore, an equal force is applied to both ends of the leading member, and there happens no slanting of the leading member.
Accordingly, since the urging force from the urging member is not different between one end of the leader member and the another, the leader member does not slant because the leader member is held at an optimal position when the recording tape is taken up from the reel. When the recording tape is pulled out from the housing, the leader member is correctly chucked by the chucking member, which is disposed at the tape drive. Therefore, the recording tape is correctly wound around a reel disposed at the tape drive.
As described above, the pressing portion of the urging member extends continuously in the axial direction of the leader member. In other words, the pressing member is formed to be continuous in the axial direction of the leader member and when the recording tape is taken back into the housing, the leader member is secured at the holding portion.
Examples of the recording tape include a magnetic tape used as an external recording medium for computers.
Examples of the leader member include a leader pin, which is a rod-shaped member extending in the width direction of the recording tape and both ends of the leader pin protrude from the edges of the recording tape.
The leader pin can be cylindrical and can have flanges formed at both ends thereof.
In the housing, a take-up opening and a holding portion are formed. The holding portion is formed adjacent to the take-up opening and functions to secure the leader member when the recording tape is taken back into the housing.
The holding portion includes a recess formed on an inner wall of the housing as well as a holding member that is hook-shaped and is mounted on the inner wall of the housing. The holding member can be formed integrally with the housing. It also can be a separately formed member fixed to the inner wall.
The urging member has a function of urging the leader member to secure the same in the holding portion and comprises, at end portions thereof, pressing portions, which contact at least both ends of the leading member. A shape of the pressing portion is not particularly limited, as long as they extend along the width direction of the recording tape.
A plate spring is a preferable example of the urging member in that a plate spring has a simple configuration. The plate spring can have a frame-shape with a central portion of the plate spring cut-out. In addition to the plate spring, an example of the urging member also includes a device comprising a contacting member, an arm member and a spring. The contacting member includes a function of the pressing portion. The contacting member is fixed to one end of the arm member and the other end of the arm member is rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the housing. The spring is disposed between the arm member and the inner wall so that the spring urges the arm member to hold the lead member in the holding portion. Example of the spring includes a coil spring and a plate spring.
A second aspect of this invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is the recording tape cartridge of the first aspect wherein the leader member is a leader pin.
In the recording tape cartridge, the recording tape is pulled out from the housing and rolled into the interior of the drive by both ends of the leader pin being grasped by a checking portion of the derive, and the leader pin being drawn into the interior of the tape drive.
A third aspect of this invention is the recording tape cartridge of the second aspect wherein the holding portion is a pair of recessions formed at a position of an inner wall of the housing adjacent to the take-up opening so as to face to each other with the recording tape therebetween.
In the above tape cartridge, when the recording tape is taken back in the housing, the leader member is secured at a position adjacent to the opening by both ends of the leader member being inserted into the recess. The recess may be groove-shaped. This groove-shaped recess can be referred to as a holding groove. The recess is preferably formed so as to narrow in the direction of the inside of the housing. A recess formed in this way engages with the leader member more securely when the recording tape is taken up into the housing. Since the pair of recesses is formed as the holding portion, parts for forming the holding portion are unnecessary. Accordingly, the number of parts can be reduced and assembly
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rivera William A.
LandOfFree
Recording tape cartridge does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Recording tape cartridge, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Recording tape cartridge will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3320385