Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record medium – In container
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2003-07-01
Nguyen, Hoa T. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record medium
In container
Reexamination Certificate
active
06587306
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape cassette formed of a high transparency material and having tape ends thereof detected and a tape cassette of which the presence/absence is detected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional Tape Cassette Regarding the Detection of a Tape End
The applicant of the present application proposed a tape cassette, as the conventional tape cassette of this type, disclosed by Japanese Utility Model Examined Application Publication No. 63-25595.
FIG. 1
is a partially-cut perspective view of the tape cassette;
FIG. 2
is a plan view of a lower case portion thereof;
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of part S shown in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of part E of
FIG. 2
; and
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of part F of FIG.
2
.
In
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a cassette case
1
consists of a lower case portion
2
and an upper case portion
3
. The case portions
2
and
3
are assembled with their respective junction surfaces abutting on each other. A pair of tape containers
4
,
4
are provided in this cassette case
1
. Reels
5
,
5
are rotatably arranged in the paired tape containers
4
,
4
, respectively. A tape (not shown) is wound around the paired reels
5
,
5
and constituted so that the rotation of the reels
5
,
5
allows the traveling of the tape. Also, a cover lock container
6
is provided on one front end portion of the cassette case
1
to be surrounded by wall portions
10
d
and
10
e.
A cover lock member
7
is rockably arranged in the cover lock container
6
. The cover lock member
7
locks a cover (not shown) to a closed position. While a cassette is inserted into a recording and reproducing apparatus, the position of the cover is changed to an unlocked position.
A light emission element insertion hole
11
is provided at the central position of the lower case
2
to be surrounded by the wall portion
10
a.
While the tape cassette is being installed into the recording and reproducing apparatus, the light emission element
12
of the recording and reproducing apparatus is arranged in the light emission insertion hole
11
. The recording and reproducing apparatus is provided with a pair of right and left light reception elements
13
a
and
13
b.
The paired light reception elements
13
a
and
13
b
are positioned outward of the right and left sides of the tape cassette, respectively while the tape cassette is being installed into the recording and reproducing apparatus. The tape cassette is also provided with sensor optical path holes
14
a
to
14
e
and
17
a
to
17
d
in wall portions
10
a
to
10
e
and
16
a
to
16
d,
respectively, which are positioned on straight lines L
1
and L
2
coupling the position of the light emission element
12
with the paired right and left light reception elements
13
a
and
13
b,
respectively.
To be specific, the light which advances from the light emission element
12
in right direction, is introduced into the tape container
4
by way of the sensor optical path hole
14
a
of the right semicylindrical wall portion
10
a
constituting the light emission element insertion hole
11
and the sensor optical path hole
14
b
of the wall portion
10
b
constituting tape container
4
.
FIG. 3
shows the sensor optical path holes
14
a
and
14
b
provided in the lower case portion
2
. It is noted that sensor optical path holes (not shown) are also provided at the corresponding positions of the upper case
3
. To be exact, the holes of the upper and lower cases
2
and
3
constitute the respective sensor optical path holes. After the light which is introduced into the tape container
4
passes through the tape traveling path on which the pulled-out tape travels, the light is introduced to the outside of the tape cassette by way of the sensor optical path hole
14
c
of the wall portion
10
c
constituting the tape container
4
, the sensor optical path hole
14
d
of the wall portion
10
d
constituting the cover lock container
6
and the sensor optical path hole
14
e
of the wall portion
10
e
on the side surface of the cassette (which wall portion also serves as one constituting the cover lock container
6
) and reaches the light reception element
13
a.
FIG. 4
shows the sensor optical path holes
14
c
to
14
e
provided in the lower case portion
2
. It is noted that sensor optical path holes are also provided at the corresponding positions of the upper case portion
3
(except for the sensor optical path hole in the wall portion on the side surface of the cassette). To be exact, the holes of the upper and lower case portions
2
and
3
constitute the respective sensor optical path holes.
The light which advances from the light emission element
12
in left direction, is introduced into the tape container
4
by way of the sensor optical path hole
17
a
of the left semicylindrical wall portion
16
a
and the sensor optical path hole
17
b
of the wall portion
16
b
constituting the tape container
4
.
FIG. 3
shows the sensor optical path holes
17
a
and
17
b
provided in the lower case portion
2
. It is noted that sensor optical holes (not shown) are also provided at the corresponding positions of the upper case
3
. To be exact, the holes of the upper and lower case portions
2
and
3
constitute the respective sensor optical path holes. After the light which is introduced into the tape container
4
passes through a tape traveling path on which the pulled-out tape travels, the light is introduced to the outside of the tape cassette by way of the sensor optical path hole
17
c
of the wall portion
16
c
constituting the tape container
4
, the sensor optical path hole
18
a
of a tape pad
18
which is a transparent member and the sensor optical path hole
17
d
of the wall portion
16
d
on the side surface of the cassette and reaches the light reception element
13
b.
FIG. 5
shows the sensor optical path holes
17
c
and
17
d
and the optical path hole
18
a
of a tape pad
18
provided in the lower case portion
2
. It is noted that sensor optical path holes are also provided at the corresponding positions of the upper case portion
3
, respectively (except for the optical path hole in the wall portion on the side surface of the cassette). To be exact, the holes of the upper and lower case portions
2
and
3
constitute the respective sensor optical path holes.
The wall portions
10
c
to
10
e,
16
a
to
16
d
and the like which constitute the sensor optical path holes
14
c
to
14
e
and
15
a
to
15
d
on the optical path for the light from the light emission element
12
which comes out of the tape container
4
, are colored with a low light reflectance color. In
FIGS. 4 and 5
, the colored portions of the lower case portion
2
are indicated by hatching. The corresponding portions of the upper case portion
3
are colored, as well.
With the above constitution, the light which advances from the light emission element
12
in right direction reaches the tape traveling path by way of the sensor optical path holes
14
a
and
14
b.
If a tape on the tape traveling path is a magnetic recording layer tape part, it does not transmit light and the light does not reach the light reception element
13
a.
If the tape on the tape traveling path is a high light transmittance leader tape part, it transmits light and the light reaches the light reception element
13
a
by way of the sensor optical path holes
14
c
to
14
e.
Further, the light which advances from the light emission element
12
in left direction reaches the tape traveling path by way of the sensor optical path holes
17
a
and
17
b.
If the tape on the tape traveling path is a magnetic recording layer tape part, it does not transmit light and the light does not reach the light reception element
13
b.
If the tape on the tape traveling path is a high light transmittance leader tape part, it transmits light and the light reaches the light reception element
13
b
by way of the sensor optical path holes
17
c,
18
a
and
17
d.
Usin
Fujiwara Hisashige
Hashimoto Yasufumi
Ishikawa Shigeru
Umeda Hiroyuki
Berkowitz Marvin C.
Nath Gary M.
Nguyen Hoa T.
Novick Harold L.
Victor Company of Japan , Limited
LandOfFree
Tape cassette of high transparency material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tape cassette of high transparency material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tape cassette of high transparency material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3076175