Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record medium – In container
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-03
2002-09-17
Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record medium
In container
Reexamination Certificate
active
06452746
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to tape cassettes for recording audio or video signals or computer data, and more specifically to a write protect device or erroneous erase preventing device.
As shown in FIGS.
20
~
24
, a tape cassette
101
includes a pair of rotatable tape reels
103
and
104
winding magnetic tape
102
, and a cassette body (or case)
105
enclosing the tape reels
103
and
104
. At one corner of a lower face
106
of the cassette body
105
, there is provided an erroneous erase preventing device (or write protect device)
111
for discriminating a record enable state enabling the recording on the magnetic tape
102
and for preventing recorded data from being erased by error.
The erroneous erase preventing device
111
consists of a detectable portion
112
for discrimination to prevent erroneous erasing (which serves as a detectable portion formed in the bottom
106
of the cassette body
105
), and an erroneous erase preventive plug
113
serving as a discrimination plug for opening and closing the detectable portion
112
.
The detectable portion
112
is formed by opening a round hole in the bottom
106
of the case
105
.
As shown in
FIG. 22
, the erroneous erasing preventive plug
113
has an open-close portion
114
for opening and closing the detectable portion
112
, a slide operating portion
115
, and a lock portion
116
.
As shown in
FIG. 20
, the erroneous erasing preventive plug
113
is right-left slidably attached in the cassette body
105
in the state that the slide control portion
115
projects out of an operation opening
108
on the back
107
of the cassette body
105
. Thus, the plug
113
is slidable in a right and left direction.
The erroneous erasing preventive plug
113
, when the slide operation element
115
is operated to slide to one direction, closes the detectable portion
112
with the open-close portion
114
as shown in
FIG. 23
, while the lock portion
116
engages in a first lock opening
109
provided inside the case
105
to keep the closing state of the detectable portion
112
.
Also, the erroneous erasing preventive plug
113
, when operated to slide to direction A shown by an arrow from the state shown in
FIG. 23
, opens the detectable portion
112
which was closed by the open-close portion
114
as shown in
FIG. 24
, while the lock element
116
hooks to a second lock opening
110
provided inside the cassette body
105
to lock to keep the opening state of said detectable portion
112
.
Then, if the tape cassette
101
is loaded in the recorder-player that is not shown in figures, while in the state that the detectable portion
112
for discrimination to prevent erroneous erasing is closed by the erroneous erasing preventive plug
113
, the erroneous erase detecting element provided on the recorder-player is prevented by the erroneous erasing preventive plug
113
from being lead into the cassette body
105
from the detectable portion
112
, which enables the recording on the magnetic tape
102
in the tape cassette
101
.
Also, if the tape cassette
101
is loaded in the recorder-player, while in the-state that the detectable portion
112
is open, the erroneous erasing detection element provided on the recorder-player is lead into the cassette body
105
from the detectable portion
112
, which disables the recording on the magnetic tape
102
in the tape cassette
101
or, in other words, prevents erroneous erasing.
By the way, in addition to the conventional tape cassette (hereinafter called the first format tape cassette)
101
shown in
FIGS. 20-24
, the tape cassette that enables high-density recording on the magnetic tape (hereinafter called the second format tape cassette) has also been developed.
As shown in
FIG. 25
, the second format tape cassette
201
, like the first format tape cassette
101
, is provided with a pair of tape reels
203
and
204
with magnetic tape
202
wound around them that are rotatably accommodated in the cassette body
205
, and, in one corner in the bottom
206
of the cassette body
205
, there is provided with an erroneous erasing preventive device
211
.
The erroneous erasing preventive device
211
consists of a detectable portion
212
for discrimination or identification to prevent erroneous erasing and an erroneous erasing preventive plug
213
which closes/opens the detectable portion
212
.
The detectable portion
212
is formed by opening a round hole in the bottom
206
of the cassette body
205
.
The erroneous erasing preventive plug
213
is formed roughly in the same way as the erroneous erasing preventive plug
113
of the first format tape cassette
101
, and when it is operated to slide to one direction, closes the detectable portion
212
, while when it is operated to slide to the other direction, releases open the detectable portion
212
.
The cassette body
105
of the first format tape cassette
101
is also used as the cassette body
205
of the second format tape cassette
201
.
The detectable portion for identification to prevent erroneous erasing
212
of the second format tape cassette
201
is formed, near the detectable portion
112
for identification to prevent erroneous erasing of said first format tape cassette
101
, with a predetermined spacing D between the portion
212
and the portion
112
.
Because of the development of magnetic materials and the reduction in thickness of magnetic recording layers enabled by the recent technological advances, the third format tape cassette that enables higher-density recording than said second format tape cassette
201
has also been developed.
By the way, in attempting to use, as the cassette body of the third format tape cassette, the cassette body
205
of the second format tape cassette
201
, the following problems have been arisen.
(1) As shown in
FIG. 26
, in attempting to form the detectable portion for identification to prevent erroneous erasing
312
for the third format tape cassette between the detectable portion for identification to prevent erroneous erasing
112
for the first format tape cassette and the detectable portion for identification to prevent erroneous erasing
212
for the second format tape cassette provided on the bottom
306
of the cassette body
305
of the third format tape cassette
301
, these three detectable portions
112
,
212
and
312
become close in distance, therefore, as shown in
FIG. 27
, the thickness t of the separating walls
321
between the detectable portions
112
,
212
and
312
become thinner, which often results in defective products during forming process and reduces efficiency in production. Moreover, the separating walls
321
are easy to break during usage.
(2) If the detectable portion
312
for the third format tape cassette of the cassette body
305
is formed sufficiently away from the detectable portions
112
and
212
, the above-mentioned first problem (1) will be solved. However, the bottom plate
306
of said cassette body
305
is formed with various holes such as detection hole for magnetic tape type
331
, cassette positioning holes
332
and
333
, detection hole for recording format
334
, detection hole for tape end
335
. Therefore, there are imposed constraints in space. Also, in the case that the detectable portion
312
for the third format tape cassette is formed at a distance from the detectable portions
112
and
212
, the position of the detection element for erroneous erasing of the recorder-player unit must also be moved in conformity with the position of the detectable portion
312
for the third format tape cassette. Again, on the recorder-player unit, the change of the position of the detection element for erroneous erasing is also subjected to constraints in space, and difficulties in terms of cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
From the above viewpoints, it is desirable to form the detectable portions for identification to prevent erroneous erasing
112
,
212
and
312
for the first, second, and third format tape cassettes together in a single space of the cassette body
305
.
Chiba Hitomi
Sasaki Kazuo
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Ryan Matthew K.
Sony Corporation
Tupper Robert S.
LandOfFree
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