JP2002015542A - Tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure reliability of operation of a slider by preventing the unwanted interference between a torsional coil spring and other members of a tape cassette. SOLUTION: A hook part 23, which consists of a projecting part 23a which is protruded from a side surface part 19 of a slider 17 and a support part 23b to be guided folded by a prescribed angle for the protruding part, is disposed on the slider 17 which is supported freely slidably in the back and forth direction at a cassette shell 2, and a guide rail 7b, which guides the slider by freely slidably engaging the support part to be guided of the slider, is disposed on the cassette shell. A lid lock member 24, which lock a front lid on the closing position and is supported freely rotatably at the front lid, is disposed, the torsional coil spring 25 which gives an energizing force in the direction so as to lock the front lid, is disposed on the lid lock member and a position-regulating part 23c, which regulates the position of the torsional coil spring by engaging one end part 25b of the torsional coil spring with the protruding part of the slider, is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tape cassette. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technical field of a tape cassette including a front lid that opens and closes a mouse unit by rotating, and a slider that is integrated with the front lid and that can move in a front-rear direction with respect to a cassette shell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tape cassette generally comprises a tape-shaped recording medium, for example, a tape reel on which a magnetic tape is wound, rotatably supported in a cassette shell. Some of the cassette shells have a front lid for opening and closing a mouse formed at the front end of the cassette shell, and a slider supported by the cassette shell so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

When the front lid is rotated and reaches the open position, the slider is slid integrally with the cassette shell with respect to the front lid. At the time of the sliding operation, the slider slides on a guide rail provided on the cassette shell. The guided support portion of the slider is slid and guided, and the slider is slid in the front-rear direction integrally with the front lid.

[0004] The tape cassette is provided with a lid lock member for locking the front lid to the closed position, and the lid lock member is rotatably supported on the inner surface side of the front lid. The lid lock member is urged in a direction to lock the front lid by a torsion coil spring. The torsion coil spring has its coil portion inserted into the rotation axis of the front lid, and the other end portion has the lid. The lid lock member is elastically contacted with the lock member, and one end of the slider is elastically contacted with a part of the guided support portion of the slider, thereby urging the lid lock member in the above-described direction.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional tape cassette, when vibration or the like occurs, the torsion coil spring rotates the front lid into which the coil portion is inserted. In some cases, a displacement may occur in the axial direction of the shaft. In this case, a part of the torsion coil spring comes into contact with the cassette shell, or
In the worst case, one end of the torsion coil spring may be caught on the guide rail of the cassette shell, and the slider may not be moved in the front-rear direction.

It is an object of the tape cassette of the present invention to prevent unnecessary interference between the torsion coil spring and other members of the tape cassette and to ensure the operation reliability of the slider.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a tape cassette according to the present invention comprises a slider which is slidably supported in a front-rear direction by a cassette shell; A guide shell which is provided with a guided support portion bent at a predetermined angle with respect to the guide portion, and a guide rail for guiding the slider to be moved while the guided support portion of the slider is slidably engaged. A lid lock member rotatably supported by the front lid while locking the front lid in the closed position, one end of which is elastically contacted with the protrusion of the hook portion of the slider, and the other end of which is the lid lock member. A torsion coil spring is provided which provides a biasing force in the direction of locking the front lid to the lid lock member by being elastically contacted with the lid lock member,
One end of the torsion coil spring is engaged with the protrusion of the slider to form a position restricting portion for restricting the position of the torsion coil spring.

Therefore, in the tape cassette of the present invention, the position of one end of the torsion coil spring with respect to the protrusion of the slider is regulated.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the tape cassette of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The tape cassette 1 has a pair of tape reels 4 and 4 on which a magnetic tape 3 as a tape-shaped recording medium is wound and housed in a thin box-shaped cassette shell 2 so as to be rotatable apart from right and left. (See FIG. 1).

Each of the tape reels 4 has an upper flange portion 4a and a lower flange portion 4b provided at both ends in the axial direction of a shaft portion around which the magnetic tape 3 is wound. Is wound (see FIG. 1).

The cassette shell 2 has an upper shell 5 and a lower shell 6 which are vertically connected (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The upper shell 5 includes an upper wall portion 7 serving as a main surface, a rear wall portion 8 extending from a rear edge of the upper wall portion 7, and a side wall portion extending from a rear half of each of left and right side edges of the upper wall portion 7. 9 and 9 (see FIG. 12). The lower edges of the side walls 9, 9 are formed as guide projections 9a, 9a for guiding a slider described later,
Guide rails 7a and 7b are also provided at the front half of the left edge of the upper wall 7 and at the front half of the upper wall 7 at positions closer to the right edge of the upper wall 7 so as to protrude downward and extend in the front-rear direction. 3 and FIG. 4).

The lower shell 6 includes a bottom wall 10 serving as a main surface, a rear wall 11 erected from the rear edge of the bottom wall 10 and a bottom wall 10.
(See FIG. 12), and the side walls 12, 12 are located slightly inside the rear end except for the rear end thereof. The portions excluding the rear end are formed as stepped surface portions 12a, 12a (see FIG. 2).

In a state in which the upper shell 5 and the lower shell 6 are vertically connected to each other to form the cassette shell 2, tape pull-out portions 2a, 2a each having a rectangular tubular shape opened forward and backward at the front ends at both left and right ends thereof. Is formed, and a space formed between the tape pull-out portions 2a, 2a on the front side of the cassette shell 2 is formed as a mouse portion 13. And this mouse part 1
3 is open forward and vertically. Further, the magnetic tape 3 wound around the tape reels 4 and 4
a, 2a, and is located so as to cross the front side of the mouse unit 13.

The tape cassette 1 includes a cassette shell 2
A front lid 14 that covers the front side of the magnetic tape 3 located along the front surface of the magnetic tape 3 is provided rotatably (FIG. 1, FIG.
2 and 5).

The front lid 14 includes the supported parts 15, 1
5 and the closed portions 16 which connect the supported portions 15 and 15 and cover the front side of the magnetic tape 3 are integrally formed, and the inner surfaces of the supported portions 15 and 15 respectively have inwardly protruding turns. The fulcrum shafts 15a, 15a are provided. Then, on the inner surface of the right-side supported portion 15, a rotation fulcrum shaft 15a is provided.
The support shaft 15b and the regulated recess 15c
Are separately formed. In addition, the supported portions 15, 15
Are formed with sliding recesses 15d, 15d so that the outer surface side is thinly scraped off at a part of the periphery thereof.

Engaging recesses 16a, 16a are formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right side edges of the closing portion 16 of the front lid 14, respectively, and are opened downward immediately below the right engaging recess 16a. Is formed in a notch 16b for insertion.

The slider 17 is formed of a plate-shaped metal material, and has a horizontally long upper surface 18 having a substantially rectangular shape, and side surfaces 19 vertically extending from the rear half of the right and left side edges of the upper surface 18.
The lid support portions 20 and 20 extending from the front halves of the left and right side edges of the upper surface portion 18 and the back lid portion 21 extending from the front edge of the upper surface portion 18 are integrally formed (FIG. 6). To FIG. 8). Then, the lid support portions 20, 20
Are located slightly inside the side portions 19, 19, respectively.
The vertical width is approximately half of the side portions 19, 19.

At the lower ends of the side portions 19, 19, there are formed guided support portions 19a, 19a having a U-shaped cross section which are folded inward and opened upward. Also, the side part 1
Overlap portions 19b, 19b protrude forward from the lower end portions of the front edges of 9, 19, respectively.

The lid supports 20, 20 are formed with substantially semicircular shaft supports 20a, 20a which are respectively opened downward, and the lower ends of the rear ends of the lid supports 20, 20 are respectively provided with inner shafts. Hook portions 22 and 23 protruding in the direction are formed.

The hook portions 22 and 23 are connected to the lid support portion 2.
Projection 2 projecting from 0, 20 in a direction orthogonal to this
2a, 23a and sliding engagement portions 22b, 23b protruding upward from the tips of the protruding portions 22a, 23a. In addition, the front edge of the outer end of the protruding portion 23a, that is, the front edge of the portion on the side of the lid support portion 20 is provided with a concave position regulating portion 23c.
Are formed (see FIGS. 7 and 10). Further, in the protrusions 22a, 23a, the protrusion length of the right protrusion 23a is longer than that of the left protrusion 22a (FIG. 7).
reference).

The left and right widths of the back lid portion 21 are formed slightly smaller than the left and right widths of the mouse portion 13.
The lower end is folded back.

The slider 17 has guided support portions 19a, 19a of side portions 19, 19 slidably engaged with guide projections 9a, 9a of side walls 9, 9 of the upper shell 5, respectively.
Also, the sliding engagement portions 22b, 23b of the hook portions 22, 23
Are guide rails 7a, 7 of the upper wall 7 of the upper shell 5, respectively.
The slider 17 is slidably engaged with the inner surface of the upper shell 5 (see FIG. 4), whereby the slider 17 is guided by the guide projections 9a, 9a and the guide rails 7a, 7b and slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the upper shell 5. .

The front lid 14 is supported by the supported portion 1.
The rotation support shafts 15a, 15a
Are supported by the shaft support portions 20a of the lid support portions 20, 20 so as to be rotatable with respect to the slider 17 around the rotation fulcrum shafts 15a, 15a. When the front lid 14 is supported by the slider 17, the overlap portions 19b, 19b of the slider 17 are slidably contacted with the sliding recesses 15d, 15d of the supported portions 15, 15 from the outside (FIG. 1). Or 3
reference).

When the front lid 14 is in the closed position for closing the mouth 13, the closing portion 16 of the front lid 14 is restricted by the tape pull-out portions 2 a and 2 a of the cassette shell 2. ,
Even if the slider 17 attempts to slide rearward, the closing portion 16 of the front lid 14 is restricted by abutting against the front surfaces of the tape pull-out portions 2a, 2a, and cannot slide rearward (see FIG. 11). Is in the open position to open the mouse unit 13,
Since the state restricted by the tape pull-out sections 2a, 2a is released, the slider 17 can slide backward with respect to the cassette shell 2 integrally with the front lid 14 (see FIG. 13).

The supported portion 15 on the right side of the front lid 14
A lid lock member 24 is rotatably supported on the inner surface of the (see FIGS. 5, 9 and 10). Lid lock member 2
4 is formed to be elongated in its entirety.
Are formed. The support shaft 15b formed in the supported portion 15 of the front lid 14 is inserted into the supported hole 24a of the lid lock member 24, and the lid lock member 24 is rotatable about the support shaft 15b.

A locking claw 24b projects from one end of the lid lock member 24. In the lid lock member 24, a spring hooking surface 24c formed by cutting out a portion of the front lid 14 opposite to the supported portion 15 is formed in a portion near the supported hole 24a. A regulating protrusion 24d is provided on a side edge of the hanging surface 24c. The other end of the lid lock member 24 is formed as an affected portion 24e having a curved peripheral surface, and a regulated pin 24f protruding toward the supported portion 15 at a position near the other end. Has been established.

The lid lock member 24 has a locking claw 24b on the right side of the slider 17 and a protrusion 2 of the hook portion 23.
The front lid 14 is locked from the rear side by 3a, whereby the front lid 14 is locked in the closed position (see FIG. 10).
Further, the regulated pin 24f of the lid lock member 24 is located in the regulating concave portion 15c of the supported portion 15. Further, when the lid lock member 24 locks the front lid 14, the operated part 24e is located at the lowermost end (see FIGS. 10 and 11).

The lid lock member 24 is biased by a torsion coil spring 25 in a direction to lock the front lid 14 (see FIGS. 5 and 10).

The torsion coil spring 25 has a coil portion 25a.
Is inserted into the rotation fulcrum shaft 15a of the front lid 14,
One end portion 25b is located within the position regulating portion 23c of the hook portion 23 of the slider 17 and is elastically contacted with the protruding portion 23a, and the other end portion 25c is a spring hooking surface 24c of the lid lock member 24.
(See FIG. 10). Therefore, the lid lock member 24 moves in the direction in which the locking claw 24b is locked to the hook portion 23 of the slider 17, that is, the lid lock member 14
Is biased in the locking direction.

As described above, the torsion coil spring 25
Since the one end 25b is located in the position regulating portion 23c of the hook portion 23 of the slider 17 and is in elastic contact with the projecting portion 23a, even if the tape cassette 1 vibrates, the one end 25b is There is no displacement of the slide 23 toward the sliding engagement portion 23b. Therefore, a part of the torsion coil spring 25 does not come into contact with another part of the tape cassette 1, for example, the guide rail 7b on which the sliding engagement part 23b of the hook part 23 slides. , The reliability of the slide operation can be ensured.

The operation of the front lid 14 and the slider 17 will be described below (see FIGS. 11 to 14).

Devices such as a tape player on which the tape cassette 1 is mounted (hereinafter, simply referred to as “devices”) include:
A support member is provided, and a lid opener 26 that holds and rotates the front lid 14 is provided on the support member.
26 and an unlocking cam 27 for unlocking the lid lock member 24 from the front lid 14 (see FIGS. 12 to 14). The lid opener 26 has one end provided as a rotation fulcrum 26a and the other end provided with an engagement projection 26b.
It is rotatable with respect to the support member about a. The unlocking cam 27 is formed as an inclined edge 27a that is displaced upward as the rear end portion moves forward,
A portion continuous to the inclined edge 27a is formed as a horizontal horizontal edge 27b.

In a state before the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the apparatus, the locking claws 24b of the lid lock member 24
Is locked to the protrusion 23a of the hook portion 23 of the slider 17, whereby the front lid 14 is locked at the closed position (see FIG. 11). The slider 17 is located at the front end in the movement range with respect to the cassette shell 2 (see FIG. 11).

The tape cassette 1 is inserted from the insertion slot of the apparatus as shown in FIG.
1, the lock release cam 27 is relatively inserted into the front lid 14 from the insertion notch 16b formed in the closing portion 16 of the front lid 14 (FIG. 12). reference). At this time, the engagement protrusions 26b, 26b of the lid openers 26, 26 are engaged with the engagement recesses 16a, 16a of the front lid 14. Further, as the tape cassette 1 moves in the A1 direction, the inclined edge 27a and the horizontal edge 27b of the unlocking cam 27 are moved.
Are sequentially slidably contacted with the actuated portion 24e of the lid lock member 24, whereby the lid lock member 24 is rotated in the direction of unlocking the front lid 14, that is, in the direction B1 shown in FIG. Slider 17
Is disengaged from the projection 23a. Therefore, the lock at the closed position of the front lid 14 is released (see FIG. 12).

Further, when the tape cassette 1 is inserted in the direction A1, the lid openers 26, 26 are rotated with the movement of the tape cassette 1 in the direction A1, whereby the front lid 14 is rotated in the direction B1. (See FIG. 13).

The lid lock member 24 is a front lid 1
4, the sliding contact between the lid lock member 24 and the horizontal edge 27b of the unlocking cam 27 is released. When the sliding contact between the lid lock member 24 and the horizontal edge 27b of the unlocking cam 27 is released, the lid lock member 2
4 tries to rotate in the B2 direction due to the urging force of the torsion coil spring 25, but the regulated pin 24f of the lid lock member 24 contacts the edge of the regulating recess 15c of the front lid 14 and rotates in the B2 direction. Is regulated (see FIG. 13).

When the front lid 14 is rotated by about 90 degrees in the direction B1 from the closed position, the closed portion 16 is separated from the front surfaces of the tape pull-out portions 2a, 2a of the cassette shell 2 and regulated by the tape pull-out portions 2a, 2a. Is released, the slider 17 is integrated with the front lid 14 and can slide rearward relative to the cassette shell 2 (see FIG. 13).

From this state, the tape cassette 1 further moves to A
When the cassette lid 2 is inserted in one direction, since the front lid 14 is held by the lid openers 26, 26, the slider 17 is integrated with the front lid 14 by the movement of the cassette shell 2 in the A1 direction. It is slid relatively backward, that is, in the A2 direction. Then, when the tape pull-out portions 2a, 2a are brought into contact with stoppers (not shown) provided in the apparatus, the insertion of the tape cassette 1 into the apparatus is completed, and the slider 17 is positioned at the rear moving end (FIG. 14).

When the tape cassette 1 is moved in the direction A2 and pulled out of the apparatus from the state where the insertion of the tape cassette 1 into the apparatus is completed, the front lid 14 is held by the lid openers 26, 26. When the shell 2 is moved in the direction A2, the slider 17 is integrally moved with the front lid 14 and is moved relatively forward with respect to the cassette shell 2, that is, in the direction A1 (see FIG. 13).

When the slider 17 is slid to the front moving end, the front lid 14 is rotated in the direction B2, and the mouse 13 is closed again. Then, the operated part 24e of the lid lock member 24 is again locked with the unlocking cam 27.
(See FIG. 12).

Further, when the tape cassette 1 is moved in the direction A2, the unlocking cam 27 and the lid lock member 2 are moved.
As the actuated part 24e is slid and the actuated part 24e is slid on the inclined edge 27a of the unlocking cam 27, the lid lock member 24 is rotated in the direction B2 by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 25. Then, the locking claw 24b is locked again to the protrusion 23a of the slider 17, and the front lid 1
4 is locked in the closed position.

The shapes and structures of the respective parts shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples of the embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is thereby reduced. It should not be interpreted restrictively.

[0044]

As is evident from the above description, the tape cassette of the present invention is opened at the front and up and down formed at the front of the cassette shell by rotating between the open position and the closed position. The front lid has a front lid for opening and closing the mouse portion, a side portion facing the upper portion, and an upper surface portion connecting the side portions. The front lid is slidably supported in the front-rear direction by the cassette shell and turned to the open position. A tape cassette provided with a slider that slides integrally with a front lid, comprising: a protrusion protruding from a side surface of the slider; and a guided support portion bent at a predetermined angle with respect to the protrusion. A guide rail for guiding the slider to be moved while the guided support portion of the slider is slidably engaged. A lid lock member rotatably supported by the front lid and locking the front lid in the closed position is provided, and one end is elastically contacted with the protrusion of the hook portion of the slider, and the other end is connected to the lid lock member. A torsion coil spring, which is elastically contacted and applies a biasing force in a direction to lock the front lid to the lid lock member, is provided. One end of the torsion coil spring is engaged with the protrusion of the slider, and the torsion coil spring is A position regulating portion for regulating the position is formed.

Therefore, even if vibration or the like occurs in the tape cassette, one end of the torsion coil spring is not displaced toward the sliding engagement portion of the hook portion. Since the portion does not contact the guide rail or the like, reliability of the sliding operation of the slider can be secured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the tape cassette of the present invention together with FIG. 2 to FIG. 14, and is a schematic perspective view of the tape cassette showing a state where a front lid is closed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the tape cassette showing a state where a front lid is opened.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a relationship among an upper shell, a front lid, and a slider.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a relationship between an upper shell and a slider.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a front lid, a lid lock member, and a torsion coil spring.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a slider.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a slider.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the slider.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a lid lock member.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part.

11 shows the operation of the front lid and the slider together with FIGS. 12 to 14, and FIG. 11 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a state where the front lid is in the closed position.

FIG. 12 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a state where the lock on the front lid by the lid lock member is released.

FIG. 13 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a state where the front lid is at an open position.

FIG. 14 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a state where the slider is located at a rear moving end.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tape cassette, 2 ... Cassette shell, 7b ... Guide rail, 13 ... Mouse part, 14 ... Front lid, 17
... Slider, 18 ... Top part, 19 ... Side part, 19a ...
Guided support portion, 23 ... hook portion, 23a ... projecting portion, 23
b: sliding engagement portion, 23c: position regulating portion, 24: lid lock member, 25: torsion coil spring, 25b: one end portion,
25c ... the other end

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A front lid which opens and closes a front and a vertically opened mouth portion formed at a front portion of a cassette shell by rotating between an open position and a closed position, and a side surface opposed to the front lid. A tape cassette having a front lid that is slidably supported in the cassette shell in the front-rear direction and that is pivoted to the open position and that slides together with the front lid and that has a top part that connects the side parts and the side parts. The slider is provided with a hook portion including a protrusion protruding from the side surface portion thereof and a guided support portion bent at a predetermined angle with respect to the protrusion, so that the guided support portion of the slider can slide freely. A guide rail for guiding the slider to be engaged and moved is provided on the cassette shell, and the front lid is locked in the closed position and the front lid is locked. A lid lock member rotatably supported on the lid, one end of which is elastically contacted with the protrusion of the hook portion of the slider, and the other end of which is elastically contacted with the lid lock member to lock the front lid with the lid lock member. A torsion coil spring for applying a biasing force in the direction is provided, and one end of the torsion coil spring is engaged with the protrusion of the slider to form a position regulating portion for regulating the position of the torsion coil spring. And a tape cassette.