Advancing material of indeterminate length – By orbitally traveling material-engaging surface – Including details of roll or mount
Patent
1993-05-28
1995-10-03
Falik, Andrew M.
Advancing material of indeterminate length
By orbitally traveling material-engaging surface
Including details of roll or mount
G11B 23087, B29C 4516
Patent
active
054545013
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape guide roller for a tape cassette, which is disposed within a tape cassette and is used to guide the running of a magnetic tape accommodated within the tape cassette.
2. Background
Generally, tape cassettes of the structure shown in FIG. 1 include a pair of tape reels 2 and 3 which are rotatably accommodated within a cassette 1, comprised of an upper half la and a lower half 1b combined by butt joining and having a magnetic tape 4 wound between the tape reels 2 and 3.
Within the cassette 1, in order to guide the direction of movement of the magnetic tape 4 as it travels between the pair of tape reels 2, 3, tape guides 5a, 5b and 5c and a plurality of tape guide rollers 6 (only one is shown in the figure) are disposed. One tape guide 5a is disposed in such a manner that it projects upwardly from the lower half lb at a position in the vicinity of the tape reel 3. The tape guides 5b and 5c are located at positions in the vicinity of window portions 7, 7 for directing the magnetic tape 4 as it extends across the front side of the cassette 1. In addition, the tape guide roller 6 is disposed between the tape guide 5c and the tape reel 2. During operation, the tape guide roller 6 functions to direct the magnetic tape 4 into a position so that when the tape cassette is loaded into, e.g., a video tape recorder, the tape guide roller 6 rotates, following the running of the magnetic tape 4 and smoothly guides the running direction of the magnetic tape 4.
It is noted that while the tape guide roller 6 is disposed between the tape reel 2 and the tape guide 5c in the example shown in FIG. 1, similar tape guide roller 6 may be disposed between the tape reel 3 and the tape guide 5b and between the tape reel 2 and the tape guide 5c. In such a case, the tape guide 5a disposed on the tape reel 3 side becomes unnecessary.
For conventional tape cassettes, tape guide rollers formed by cutting or machining a synthetic resin body so that they take a cylindrical form, are widely used. Such tape guide rollers are used to guarantee sufficient circularity, to guarantee that the tape guide roller 6 can smoothly rotate without producing rotation noise, etc. when attached on a support shaft 8 projecting upwardly within the cassette half lb as shown in FIG. 2, and to guarantee precise guidance of the magnetic tape 4.
However, although it is possible using tape guide rollers formed by cutting a synthetic resin body as described above to guarantee sufficient machining accuracy, there is the problem in that the machining efficiency is extremely poor, so the productivity is extremely poor.
In view of this, and in order to eliminate problems with tape guide rollers formed by machining, such as cutting, and to attain improvements in the machining efficiency and productivity, tape guide rollers formed by a molded body of synthetic resin (plastic) are used.
Meanwhile, it is necessary that the tape guide rollers disposed within the tape cassette have sufficient strength so that they can tolerate repetitive use. In addition, it is necessary that the tape guide rollers rotate in a stable manner without producing deformation, etc. when it runs with a magnetic tape being wound thereon, i.e., while it serves to guide the running of the magnetic tape.
In order to satisfy these requirements, a tape guide roller 9 (FIG. 3) comprised of synthetic resin formed as a single cylindrical body having sufficient thickness has been used. In such a tape guide roller 9, however, when molten synthetic resin material is molded by a metal mold unit and the molded material is then cooled, there occurs a so-called sink or withdrawal wherein portions of the roller circumference, in the vicinity of the central portions of the outer circumferential surface 9a and the inner circumferential surface 9b, are caused to be thinner in thickness as shown in FIG. 3, thus failing to maintain straightness and circularity, etc. As a result, when such a tape guide roller 9 is attached on a support sh
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Konno Toshikazu
Morita Susumu
Oogi Takashi
APLS Co., Ltd.
Falik Andrew M.
Kananen Ronald P.
Sony Corporation
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