Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Including threading
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-01
2003-01-07
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Including threading
C242S348200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502776
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a single-reel recording tape cartridge and, more particularly, to the single-reel recording tape cartridge of a kind including a leader member which is, when in use, captured by a catch member, forming a part of an automatic tape threading mechanism built in the tape drive, so that a length of magnetic recording tape can be drawn out of the cartridge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The tape cartridge of the kind referred to above is well known in the art and is disclosed in, for example, the Japanese Laid-open patent publication No. 11-232826, published Aug. 27, 1999. In general, the single-reel recording tape cartridge includes a generally rectangular cartridge housing having a reel chamber defined therein, and a single reel freely rotatably accommodated within the reel chamber and having a roll of a length of magnetic recording tape mounted thereon. The length of magnetic recording tape has one end anchored to a reel hub and the opposite, free end coupled with a leader piece. When the cartridge is in use, having been loaded into a tape drive for data recording or retrieval, a catch member forming a part of an automatic reeling mechanism built in the tape drive captures the leader piece to draw the magnetic recording tape out of the cartridge housing for data recording or retrieval in cooperation with a magnetic read/write head.
The leader piece disclosed in the publication No. 11-232826 is in the form of a metal pin of a uniform diameter over the length thereof and having its opposite ends formed with an engagement boss of a diameter greater than that of the metal pin. The leader piece disclosed in this publication is, when the cartridge is not in use, retained at a retracted position with its opposite engagement bosses receded within generally U-shaped bearing recesses defined in top and bottom panels of the cartridge. Barrier walls for preventing a spring element from being displaced in position are formed adjacent the associated bearing recesses so as to protrude parallel to the top and bottom panels, respectively. The spring element is in the form of a torsion spring having opposite spring arms, one of which is formed with a generally arcuate portion adapted to engage the corresponding engagement boss when the leader piece is held in the retracted position.
According to this publication, connection between the leader piece, that is, the metal pin and the free end of the magnetic recording tape is achieved by turning the free end of the magnetic recording tape around the metal pin to form a tape loop around the metal pin and mounting an elastic C-clip externally around the tape loop, with the intervention of a cushioning sleeve between the metal pin and the C-clip, to secure the free end of the magnetic recording tape to the metal pin. The metal pin has upper and lower, thin-walled annular flanges formed integrally therewith so as to protrude radially outwardly therefrom and positioned on respective sides of the tape loop, or the C-clip connecting it to the metal pin.
This publication describes the annular flanges as “flange-like thin-walled dividing walls” and is silent as to the function thereof, but a portion of the metal pin between the annular flanges is shown as being used to receive the free end of the magnetic recording tape that is turned and secured in position by the C-clip.
In any event, the single-reel recording tape cartridge in general makes use of a leader piece to ensure a sure withdrawal of the length of magnetic recording tape out of the cartridge housing in cooperation with the catch member. In order for the leader piece to be assuredly drawn of the cartridge housing by the action of the catch member, the leader piece must be retained in the retracted position without being axially displaced and, also, without being tilted when the magnetic recording tape is not in use. In addition, the leader piece held at the retracted position should not displace from the retracted position in any way whatsoever even when external impacts or shocks are applied thereto as a result of, for example, the tape cartridge having been inadvertently dropped onto a floor.
Considering the severe requirement that the leader piece must be retained precisely in proper posture when the tape cartridge is not in use, connection of the tape free end with the metal pin by means of the C-clip creates a high possibility that the tape free end may be connected with the metal pin with its longitudinal axis departing from an orthogonal relation with the metal pin. An additional problem is found in that since the engagement bosses formed integrally with opposite ends of the metal pin are received within generally U-shaped bearing recesses defined in top and bottom panels of the cartridge, one or both of the torsional springs may be dislocated in the event of an inadvertent dropping of the tape cartridge onto, for example, the floor. Once this occurs, the metal pin is, of course, dislodged from the retracted position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an attempt to alleviate the problems and inconveniences discussed above, the inventors of the present invention have found that they can be successfully alleviated if the leader member is so structured and configured as to represent a generally U-shaped configuration including a pair of hooking arms and a leader pin having opposite ends connected respectively with the hooking arms. A series of experiments conducted by the inventors have shown that the U-shaped leader member is effective to withstand an external impact or shock and will not therefore be skewed or deformed even when the external impact of shock acts thereon.
More specifically, in order to accomplish the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a single-reel tape cartridge cooperable with an operatively compatible tape drive including a tape catch member, which tape cartridge includes a cartridge housing having a tape window defined therein; a single reel rotatably accommodated within the cartridge housing and having a roll of a length of magnetic recording tape coaxially mounted thereon; a length of leader tape having first and second ends, the first end of the leader tape being connected with a free end of the magnetic recording tape; and a leader member connected with the second end of the leader tape and positioned adjacent the tape window for engagement with the tape catch member when the length of magnetic tape is to be drawn out of the cartridge housing and into the tape drive. The leader member includes a metallic leader pin extending in a direction orthogonal to a lengthwise direction of the magnetic tape and first and second hooking arms and having opposite ends thereof insert-molded into the first and second hooking arms to thereby connect the leader pin with the first and second hooking arms so as to represent a generally U-shaped configuration.
Each of the opposite ends of the leader pin may be formed with a respective anchor which, when insert-molded into the corresponding hooking arm, prevents a rotation of the leader pin relative to such corresponding hooking arm and also separation of such corresponding hooking arm from the leader pin. Preferably, the leader pin has a round sectional shape and each of the opposite ends of the leader pin is flattened to define the anchor of a shape flaring outwardly from the leader pin.
According to the present invention, connection of the leader pin with the hooking arms by the use of an insert-molding technique is particularly advantageous in that not only can the leader pin be accurately positioned relative to the hooking arms at right angles thereto, but also the spacing and parallelism between the hooking arms can be secured with high precision. By way of example, as compared with the leader member wherein after the hooking arms have been molded, the leader pin is connected with the hooking arms with its opposite ends press-fitted into the respective hooking arms, connection of the leader pin with the hooking arms by the use
Miyazaki Nobutaka
Sogabe Teruo
Hitachi Maxell Ltd.
Rivera William A.
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