Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Cartridge system
Patent
1996-06-01
1998-12-22
Nguyen, John Q.
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Cartridge system
360132, G11B 23087
Patent
active
058509801
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tape cassette comprised of a cassette body in which is rotatably supported a pair of tape reels between which is wound tape member on which a data signal is recorded, and more particularly relates to a tape cassette providing at a part of the tape member an information display portion displaying information concerning the tape member such as if the tape cassette mounted in the recording and reproduction apparatus is meant for only the recording of a video signal or is meant for the recording of a data signal.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, a method of detection using an optical means has been used to detect a starting end and terminal end of a tape member including a long magnetic tape accommodated in a cassette body constituting part of a tape cassette.
The tape member accommodated in the cassette body, however, has a leader tape made of a plastic with a sufficiently guaranteed mechanical strength which is connected to each of the starting end and the terminal end of the magnetic tape on which the data signal is recorded. The tape member is affixed to the tape reel via the leader tapes and is wound between these tape reels.
The magnetic tape on which a magnetic recording medium is coated and the leader tapes on which no magnetic recording medium is coated, which constitute the tape member, have different light transmittances. More specifically, when light having a wavelength of 800 nm to 900 nm is irradiated, the light transmittance of the magnetic tape is 60 percent or less, while in contrast the light transmittance of the leader tapes is 60 percent or more. Therefore, the difference of the light transmittances between these magnetic tape and leader tapes may be noted to try to detect the starting end or terminal end of a tape member. This is the principle behind the method of detection using an optical means.
To enable the detection of the starting end or the terminal end of a magnetic tape by using such an optical means, a conventional tape cassette provides, in the cassette body in which the tape member is accommodated, a light emitting element hole into which a light emitting element arranged at the recording and reproduction apparatus side is inserted. This light emitting element hole is provided so as to be positioned between the pair of tape reels rotatably supported in the cassette body. On the other hand, a light transmission hole is provided on the side of the apparatus and allows light from the light emitting element to pass therethrough and out of the cassette body with the tape member interposed therebetween. A light transmission hole is formed in each of the mutually facing side walls orthogonal to the travelling direction of the tape member travelling over the space between the pair of tape reels of the cassette body. On the recording and reproduction apparatus side, light receiving elements serve as detection elements for detecting the light passing through the transmission holes made in the cassette body. By detecting the state of the light passing through the transmission holes by these light receiving elements, the starting end or the terminal end of the tape member is detected.
More specifically, the light from the light emitting element arranged at the recording and reproduction apparatus side and facing the interior of the cassette body via the light emitting element hole is received at the light receiving elements arranged at the recording and reproduction apparatus side facing each other at the two sides of the cassette body. At this time, the light of the light receiving element arranged at the tape reel side acting as the tape supply side and the light of the light receiving element arranged at the other tape reel side acting as the tape take-up side are compared. When the detection output of one light receiving element is larger than the detection output of the other light receiving element, the tape starting end is detected. Further, where the detection output of the other light receiving element is larger than the
REFERENCES:
patent: 3706844 (1972-12-01), Besier et al.
patent: 3826447 (1974-07-01), Yabu et al.
patent: 4848698 (1989-07-01), Newell et al.
patent: 5452150 (1995-09-01), Henneberger et al.
patent: 5474249 (1995-12-01), Koizumi et al.
Frommer William S.
Nguyen John Q.
Sony Corporation
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