JPS6332783A - Small-sized tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occurrence of damage in advance due to an irrational load by providing a required play to a locking piece tip so as to allow a cover to be turned by a prescribed angle at the locking of the cover thereby smoothing the cover opening. CONSTITUTION:A locking piece 16 to be deformed elastically locking a cover 4 is provided at the inner side wall of a cassette enclosure 3, a rear end 16d is fitted to the supporting part 18 of a half 3A and a locking part 16c at the other end is engaged with the engagement part 4a of the cover 4. Then a play (size l1) is provided between the engagement part 4a and the locking part 16c of the locking piece 16 so as to turn the cover 4 by nearly 15 deg.. Thus, in opening the cover while the lock releasing projection 16e of the locking piece 16 is depressed, the cover is opened smoothly and damage to the locking piece 16 and the cover 4 due to an excess load is prevented in advance.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

(Industrial Application Field) What is the scope of the present invention, for example? A tape cassette smaller than the I semi-type is too small to be directly attached to a standard type video tape recorder, etc., and therefore requires an adapter, for example, to be used in a standard type recording/playback device. In particular, it relates to a small tape cassette whose lid is securely locked. (Prior Art) It is well known that a standard-sized tape cassette is generally used in a recording/reproducing device such as a video tape recorder (VTR) 7a. It is also well known that in recent years, compact tape cassettes have been developed that are smaller than the standard type cassette and are capable of recording and reproducing while maintaining compatibility with equipment that uses this standard type Arp cassette. While this ultra-small tape cassette can be recorded and played back by a recording/playback device exclusively designed for small tape cassettes, when used with a recording/playback device that uses a standard type tape cassette, it is almost the same as the standard type. By storing it in a shaped tape cassette adapter, it can be used in the same way as a standard type tape cassette. FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a general small-sized tape cassette, with the lid opened. The small tape cassette 1 includes a cassette casing 3 that stores a magnetic tape 2 and is configured with an upper half 3 and a lower half 3B twisted together, and a front side opening 171 of the cassette cassette 3. The Δ body 4 is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft (pin) 10. Also, upper half 3A
A large groove portion 3d is formed in the cassette housing 3 so that a gear 7a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the take-up reel hub 7, which will be described later, faces the side surface of the cassette housing 3. This notch 3d is located at the top.
The sections are formed when the lower halves 3A and 3B are assembled. Note that reference numeral 12 denotes a groove for preventing erroneous insertion, which is formed at the rear side of the notch portion 3d, passing through the upper and lower halves 3A, 3B. The magnetic tape 2 is generally protected by closing the lid 4 while being guided by the right guide roller 5.5 so as to cross the frontage. The opening and closing positions of the lid are set in a click manner by the sliding piece 8, which is applied with a sliding force by a leaf spring 11 fitted into a U-shaped recess 9 formed in the front of the - side of 3. When this small tape cassette 1 is used in a recording/reproducing device exclusively for small tape cassettes (not shown), by inserting this small tape cassette 1 to a predetermined position in the device,
By rotating the lid 4 to a substantially horizontal position as shown in the figure, and then lowering the small tape cassette 1, the supply side reel hub 6 is fitted into the supply reel feather, and the outer peripheral surface of the take-up reel hub 7 is fitted. The gear 7a formed in the cassette housing 3 meshes with the drive gear of the device, and the gear 7a formed in the cassette housing 3 is inserted into the recesses 3a, 3b, and 3c on the front side of the device. 1! The recording and reproducing apparatus is installed in a state in which the straight and inclined loading balls and the Kirebstan are respectively entered. In addition, when this small tape cassette 1 is used by being attached to a standard type recording/reproducing device, it is possible to use a tape cassette of the same shape as the standard type tape cassette as shown in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-37739, as described above. It is used while being stored in the adapter storage section. <Problems to be Solved by Rl Akira> By the way, since the small tape cassette 1 with the above structure does not have its own locking mechanism for the lid 4, if the lid 4 is rotated beyond a predetermined angle, the plate will lock. Due to the elastic force of the spring 11, the lid is easily opened via the sliding piece 8, and as a result,
There may be problems in that the signal recording surface of the magnetic tape 2 is exposed to the outside and dust or the like adheres to the signal recording surface, causing damage to the tape and preventing stable recording and reproduction. In addition, in order to eliminate this problem, if a locking mechanism such as that used in a standard type tape cassette is adopted for this small tape cassette 1, the operation section for unlocking this locking mechanism will be similar to that of the cassette. Because it is located inside the side of the case, it is necessary to provide a special lock release mechanism on a dedicated recording/playback device that uses this small tape cassette, or on an adapter for use with a standard type recording/playback device. Not only is it not compatible with current devices, but the mechanical parts of each device are complicated, resulting in problems such as an increase in the number of parts. (Means for solving the problems) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks,
This is a standard type recording and reproducing device that is smaller than the Iζ standard type tape cassette and has a lid that covers a predetermined length of tape path formed on the front surface of the cassette housing consisting of an upper half and a lower half. A small tape cassette that is used while being housed in an adapter when attached to the cassette, and includes a beneficial body that is always biased with rotational force in the direction of closing the lid by an elastic means, and an operating part that protrudes from the side surface of the cassette housing. Equipped with
The locking part formed at one end is faced so as to lock the engaging part formed on the upper half, and the fixing part at the other end is fitted into a support part formed protruding from the inner surface of the upper half. When the lid is locked by the lock piece, the lid rotates by a predetermined angle depending on the distance between the engaging part of the lid and the locking part of the lock piece. To provide a small tape cassette characterized in that it is configured to (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged external perspective view showing the locking mechanism of the lid of the small tape cassette according to the present invention, and this is a side view of the take-up reel hub 7 side of the small tape cassette 1 shown in FIG. This shows the inside of the upper half 3A as seen from above. Fig. 2 is a side view of a small tape cassette according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is a side view showing the lid in an open state, and Figs. 4 (A) to (D) show some of the main parts of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the operating state of the constituent lock pieces, and FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing the pivot portion of the lid body. In the embodiment of the present invention, the same parts as in FIG. 6 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. In the small 7-box cassette 13 of the present invention, the sixth
The small tape cassette 1 shown in the figure has a configuration in which the ( )-shaped recess 9, sliding piece 8, and leaf spring 11, which serve as means for opening and closing the h-body 4, are removed. 5
As shown in the figure, a torsion spring 14 whose one end is locked to the lid body 4 and the other end is locked to the cassette case 3 is attached to a pivot shaft (bin) 1.
0, the assembly is such that a biasing force is always applied in the direction of closing the lid. In FIG. 1, the inner surface 15 corresponding to the notch 3d formed to allow the gear 7a of the take-up reel hub 7 to face the side surface of the upper half 3Δ has an elastic material for preventing rotation of the lid 4. A deformable plate-shaped locking piece 16 is arranged close to the upper plate 17 side of the upper half 3A. This lock piece 16 is integrally formed of, for example, synthetic resin, and has a wide body part 16a corresponding to the position of the cutout part 3d of the cassette housing 3, and a wide body part 16a and a stepped part 16.
It is generally constituted by a thin, narrow and elastically displaceable displacement portion 16b that is connected via f. This locking piece 16 is shown in FIG. 4 (Δ) so that a hook-shaped locking part 16c formed at the tip of the displacement part 16b locks the engaging part 4a formed protrudingly on the inner surface of the lid body 4. As shown, the predetermined play dimension! At the same time, the rear end 16d of the main body 16a faces the upper half near the rear of the notch 3d formed in the upper half 3A of the cassette housing 3 (near the groove 12 for preventing incorrect insertion). [! By doing this, half 3
It can be detachably attached to A. Engaging portion 4a of this lid 4
Due to the play dimension 11 between the locking portion 16G of the lock piece 16, the lid body 4 is allowed to rotate slightly, for example, by about 15°, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, about the pivot shaft 10. will be done. Furthermore, by attaching the lock piece 16, the locking portion 16G is positioned close to the pivot @10. Therefore, the lock piece 16 can be assembled to the cassette housing 3 very easily. And this lock piece 16
is prevented from moving in the insertion direction by the end of the lower half 3B that joins the upper half 3A. Small tape cassette 1 with this lock piece 16 attached
3, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the engaging portion 4a is locked by the locking portion 16G at a position where the lid body 4 is close to the pivot shaft 10, and the main body portion of the lock piece 16 is locked. 16a
An operating section 16e provided in the cassette housing 3 protrudes a predetermined amount from the side surface of the cassette housing 3 through a through hole 19 in the upper half 3A, which is bored at a position close to the benefit body 4 side. In this way, lock piece 1
By locking the lid body 4 near the pivot shaft 10 of the lid body 4 where a predetermined shaft torque is applied by the torsion spring 14, the locking portion 16c of No. 6 locks the lid body 4 in the vicinity of the pivot shaft 10 of the lid body 4. Since a large closing force acts near @10, the engaging part 4a of the lid body 4 displaces the engaging part 16C by a large amount)j, overcomes this and is securely locked, and the lock piece 16 improves the reliability of the lock function. Further, by setting the locking position of the lid 16 in this manner, the biasing force of the torsion spring 14 itself can be reduced, and accordingly, the load on the lid opening mechanism on the apparatus side can be reduced. In addition, the operating portion 16e of the lock piece 16 is formed with inclined surfaces 16e+ and 16e2 facing upward, downward, leftward and rightward, respectively, so that it is possible to load the small tape cassette 13 into the apparatus in the horizontal and vertical directions. Therefore, it becomes possible to respond appropriately to the situation, and a smooth unlocking operation can be performed. Reference numeral 20 in FIG. 1 is a stopper that projects integrally from the upper half 3A to restrict the displacement position of the main body 16a of the lock piece 16, and as shown in FIG. The predetermined position of 16c protects the guide roller and magnetic tape 2 inside the cassette housing 3 by preventing the above displacement. Here, the operation of the locking mechanism of the small tape cassette 13 according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. , For example, this small tape cassette 13 is
When the small tape cassette 13 is inserted into a holder (not shown) in a horizontal position 'C', the operating section 16e protrudes 42 degrees from the side of the cassette housing 3 as shown in FIG.
The inclined surface 16e2 of the holder is pressed by the inner wall 21 of the holder by a distance i3 defined in the P direction, thereby being elastically displaced from the state shown in Δ) to the state shown in <8) in the same figure, and the lid body 4 is engaged. The engagement state between the portion 4a and the locking portion 16G of the lock piece 16 is released, and the lid opening mechanism (not shown) of the device rotates the lid body 4 about the pivot @10 against the force of the torsion spring 14. By moving the lid body 4, the lid body 4 is opened as shown in FIG. Further, for example, if the distance between the inner wall 21 of the holder and the side surface of the cassette housing 3 becomes a distance M1h smaller than the prescribed distance 111:+ as shown in FIG.
Since the magnetic tape contacts the stopper 20 and further movement is restricted, there is no possibility of damaging the internal guide roller or the magnetic tape 2. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(D), when the distance between the inner wall 21 of the holder and the cassette housing 3 is 11115, which is greater than the specified distance i3, the lock piece 16 is engaged. Although the engagement state between the stop portion 16G and the engagement portion 4a of the lid body 4 is not completely released, when the lid opening mechanism of the device operates to open the lid body 4, the thin displacement portion 16b is It is further deformed as shown by the dotted chain line, and the lock piece 16 is forcibly released. When the small tape cassette 13 according to the present invention is installed in a standard type recording/reproducing device, it is loaded from above into the housing section of the above-mentioned adapter (not shown), and the lid body 4 is inserted into the engaging portion of the adapter. 4a and the locking part 16 of the lock piece 16
Due to the play dimension 11 between the adapter and the adapter, it is guided by the four locking parts 22 in the adapter and rotates by a predetermined angle as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. It will be done. Therefore, damage to the lid body 4 and the lock piece 16 can be prevented without being subjected to an excessive load. Due to the subsequent storage operation of the small tape cassette 13, the lock piece 16 is elastically displaced so that the operating part 16e is pressed against the inner wall of the adapter and rotates in the P direction. The engagement state of the lock piece 16 with the locking portion 16c is released. Therefore, this lid body 4
The lid is forcibly opened by a locking portion within the adapter against the force of the torsion spring 14. (Effects of the Invention) As described above, the small tape cassette according to the present invention has a lid body which is always biased with rotational force in the direction of closing the lid by an elastic means, and a locking portion formed at one end of the lid body. The engaging part formed on the upper half faces to be locked, and the fixing part at the other end is locked by an elastically displaceable locking piece fitted into a supporting part formed protruding from the inner surface of the upper half, Moreover, since the engaging part of the lid body and the engaging part of the lock piece are arranged with a predetermined spacing between them, when storing this tape cassette from above in the storage part of the adapter, for example, the four The locking part can easily enter and the lid can be opened smoothly, and when the lid is opened, the lock can be prevented from changing and damage can be prevented without applying excessive load to the lid. . In addition, the lid does not open easily when the cassette is not in use, and as a result, the internal magnetic tape C will not be contaminated or damaged by touching it with the operator's fingers. There are advantages.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 shows the locking mechanism of the lid of the small-sized tape cassette according to the present invention, a partially enlarged external perspective view showing the inside of the upper half from the take-up reel hub side, and Fig. 2 shows the small-sized tape cassette according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the tape cassette, FIG. 3 is a side view showing the lid in an open state, and FIGS. Plan view shown, No. 5
The figures show the pivot portion of the lid, and the sixth side is an external perspective view of a general small-sized tape cassette seen from the bottom. 3...Cassette housing, 3A...Upper half, 3[3.
... Lower half, 4 ... Lid body, 4a ... Engagement part, 10
... Pivot shaft, 13 ... Small tape cassette, 14.
...Torsion spring, 16...Lock piece, 16a...Main body, 20...Stopper, 21...Inner wall of holder. Figure 6 Procedures No. 1 ■ Author: January 22, 1988 Special Revision Application No. 175985, 1988 26 Name of the invention Small Arp Cassette 3, Relationship with the person making the amendment Case Patent applicant address Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture 3-12-4 Moriyamachi, Kanayo-ku
, Date of Amendment Order Voluntary Amendment 5, Specifications subject to amendment) shall be amended as in the attached amended specification. 1 Amendment Description 1, Title of the invention, Small tape cassette 2, Claims m - On both sides of the cassette casing consisting of an upper half and a lower half, a predetermined portion formed on the front of the cassette body A compact tape force set characterized by a lid that covers a long tape path that can be rotated freely. (2) The locking means includes a one-digit elastically deformable lock piece on the side wall surface of the cassette case, a hook-shaped locking part formed at the end of this lock piece, and a side h3 of the lid body. Detailed Description (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention provides a tape cassette that is smaller than a standard type, for example, which is small enough to be directly attached to a standard type video tape recorder, and therefore suitable for use in a standard type recording/playback device. The present invention relates to a small tape cassette that requires an adapter, for example, and particularly relates to a small tape cassette whose lid is securely locked. (Prior Art) It is well known that standard-sized tape cassettes are generally used in recording and reproducing apparatuses such as video tape recorders (VTRs). And in recent years, this standard type tape cassette 1-13 has been made smaller than the standard type cassette, making it possible to record and play while maintaining compatibility. It is also well known that small tape cassettes have been developed. This type of small tape cassette can be recorded and played back using a dedicated recording/playback device, but when used with a recording/playback device that uses a standard type tape cassette, it is almost the same as the standard type. -It can be used in the same way as a standard type tape cassette by being stored in the tape cassette adapter. FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a general small-sized tape cassette, with the lid opened. The small tape cassette 1 opens and closes the front opening of the cassette casing 3 on both sides of the cassette casing 3, which is composed of an upper half 3A and a lower half 3B that house the magnetic arm 12, with their lids put together. The lid body 4 is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft (bin) 10. Further, a cutout 3d is formed in the lower half 3B so that a gear 7a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower flange of the take-up reel 7, which will be described later, faces the side surface of the cassette housing 3. This notch 3d is defined when the upper and lower halves 3A and 3B are assembled. Note that 12 is a groove for preventing incorrect insertion, which is formed by cutting the upper and lower halves 3A and 3B on the rear side of the notch 3d. The magnetic tape 2 is normally protected by the lid 4 being closed while being guided by the left and right guide rollers 5.5 across the opening. Further, the lid body 4 is supported by a leaf spring 11 fitted into a U-shaped four part 9 formed at the front of one side of the cassette housing 3.
12 that can freely slide back and forth with a biasing force in the lateral direction! The movable piece 8 is configured to be held in the lid-opening position and the lid-opening position in a click manner. When this small tape cassette 1 is used in a recording/reproducing device exclusively for small Arp cassettes (not shown), by inserting this small tape cassette 1 to a predetermined position in the device,
By rotating the lid 4 to a substantially horizontal position as shown in the figure, and then lowering the small tape cassette 1, the supply reel 6 is fitted to the supply reel disk of the device, and the take-up reel 7 is fitted. A gear 7a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower flange meshes with a drive gear of the device, and the cassette housing 3
The recording and reproducing apparatus is installed with the vertical and inclined loading balls and capstan of the apparatus respectively entered into the recesses 3a, 3b, and 3c on the opening side of the apparatus. In addition, when this small tape cassette 1 is used by being attached to a standard type recording/reproducing device, as mentioned above, it is possible to use a tape cassette of the same shape as the standard type tape cassette as shown in Publication of Utility Model Publication No. 60-37739, for example. It is used while being stored in the adapter storage section. (Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, since the small tape cassette 1 having the above structure is not equipped with a locking mechanism for the lid body 4, if the four bodies 4 are rotated by a predetermined angle or more, the leaf spring will close. 11 and the biasing action of the sliding piece 8, the result is that
Problems such as the signal recording surface of the magnetic arm 72 being exposed to the outside and dust etc. on the signal recording surface, or the tape being damaged by contact with fingers etc., making it impossible to perform stable recording and playback. There was a point. In addition, in order to eliminate this problem, this small tape cassette 1 is equipped with a lid locking mechanism similar to that used in the standard type tape cassette 1, and this locking mechanism can be released. Therefore, a new lock release means must be provided on the dedicated recording/playback device that uses this small tape cassette, or on the adapter for use with a standard type recording/playback device. In addition, current devices that do not have lock release means are not only unusable and incompatible, but also have complicated mechanisms and a large number of parts. A dot occurs between. (Means for solving the problems) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks.
In a small-sized tape cassette, an additional body covering a tape path of a predetermined length formed on the rear surface of the cassette housing is rotatably supported on both sides of the cassette housing consisting of an upper half and a lower half. , a locking means for locking the lid in a closed state is provided, and a locking means is provided comprising a locking protrusion protruding outward from a side surface of the cassette housing, and when the small tape cassette is loaded, the locking means is provided. By pressing the lock release protrusion, the six bodies are unlocked by the locking means, and the locking means is provided with a necessary amount of force so that the lid can be rotated by a predetermined angle when the lid is locked. To provide a small tape cassette characterized by providing play. (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged external perspective view showing the locking mechanism of the lid of the small tape cassette according to the fourth aspect of the present invention.
This figure shows the inside of the upper half 3A of the small tape cassette 1 shown in the figure as seen from the winding wheel 7 side. Fig. 2 is a side view of a small tape cassette according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is a side view showing the lid in an open state, and Figs. 4 (A) to (D) show some of the main parts of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the operating state of the constituent lock pieces, and FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing the pivot portion of the lid body. In the embodiment of the present invention, the same parts as in FIG. 6 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. In the small tape cassette 13 of the present invention, the sixth
The configuration is such that the 0-shaped recess 9, layered movement piece 8, and leaf spring 11, which serve as means for opening and closing the lid 4 of the small tape cassette 1 shown in the figure, have been removed. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the lid body 4 is connected to a pivot shaft (bin) 10 by a torsion spring 14, which has one end engaged with the h-body part and the other end engaged with the cassette cylinder body 3.
The assembly is such that a biasing force is always applied in the word-closing direction by inserting it into the mouth. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lid 4 is attached to the side of the cassette housing 3. A locking means for locking the I-lid-shaped front state and a locking means for releasing the locks of the four bodies by this locking means are provided. An embodiment of this locking means and unlocking means will be described below. Reference numeral 16 denotes a plate-shaped locking piece provided on the inner surface 15 of the upper half 3A to correspond to the notch 3d, and is integrally formed of, for example, synthetic resin. An elastically deformable displacement part 16b is connected to the main body part 16a through a step part 16f and is connected to a thin and narrow tip part, and a displaceable part 16b is disposed on the outer surface of the main body part 16a. Lock release protrusion 1 protruding from
It is roughly composed of 6e, etc. This locking piece 16 can be locked by attaching the rear end 16d of the main body 16a to an abbreviated support part 18 formed near the rear of the upper half 3A (near the groove 12 for preventing erroneous insertion). The piece 16 can be removably attached to the upper half 3A to simplify the assembly work, and the movement of the lock piece 16 in the insertion direction can be controlled by the lower half 3B that is combined with the upper half 3A.
The end face is arranged to be m. Further, the displacement portion 16b has a narrow width due to the stepped portion 16f and a thin wall shape to further apply elastic deformation force, and a hook-shaped locking portion 16c formed at the tip thereof. 4 (A
) As shown in FIG. 2, by maintaining the play dimension i, + of the predetermined R, the lid body 4 has a slight amount of, for example, about 15 degrees, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The locking portion 16G is configured to allow rotation.The locking portion 16G engages with the locking portion 4a at a position close to the pivot shaft 10, that is, the locking portion 16G of the lock piece 16 is held in a predetermined position by the torsion spring 14. By locking the lid body 4 at the pivot axis 10i1% of the lid body 4 on which the axial torque of Even if it is in the locked position as shown, when the lid 4 rotates in the opening direction, a large closing force acts on the pivot @10M due to the relationship between force and length, so the lid The engaging portion 4a of No. 4 is the locking portion 1
After displacing 6C with a large force, it is firmly locked by overcoming this, and the locking function by the locking piece 16 is reliable.
[is improved. By setting the lock position of the lock piece 16 in this way, the biasing force of the torsion spring 14 itself can be reduced, and accordingly, the load on the lid opening mechanism on the apparatus side can be reduced. Furthermore, the lock release protrusion 16e installed on the outer surface of the main body 16a is inserted through the through hole 19 of the upper half 3Δ bored at a position close to the lid 4 as shown in FIG. 4 (A>). The protrusion a1 is larger than the distance gill (gap) t3 defined between the side surface of the cassette housing 3 and the inner wall 21 on the device side.
A surface 16e I protrudes outward from the side surface of the cassette housing 3 as shown in FIG. By forming 16e2, the small tape cassette 13 can be smoothly loaded into the device in the horizontal and vertical directions, and at the same time, the unlocking operation can be smoothly performed. Reference numeral 20 in FIG. 1 is a stopper integrally projected from the upper half 3A to restrict the displacement position of the main body 16a of the lock piece 16. As shown in FIG. 4(C), the lock piece 16
By preventing displacement of more than a predetermined amount, the guide roller and magnetic tape 2 inside the cassette housing 3 are protected. Here, the operation of the locking means and unlocking means of the small tape cassette 13 according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. When this small tape cassette 13 is installed in a special device, for example, when the small tape cassette 13 is inserted horizontally into a holder (not shown), the lock release protrusion 16e protrudes from the side surface of the cassette housing 3 by 12. However, in Figure 4 (
The main body portion 16a and the displacement portion 16b become elastic by being pressed by the inner wall 21 of the holder from the state shown in A) to the state shown in FIG. As a result, the engagement portion 4a of the lid 4 and the locking portion 16c of the lock piece 16 are disengaged, and the lid 4 is unlocked, and the lid opening mechanism (not shown) of the device opens the lid. 4 is a torsion spring 1 centered around a pivot shaft 10.
4, the lid body 4 is opened as shown in FIG. At this time, the inlet end of the holder comes into contact with the inclined surfaces 16e+ and 16e2 formed on the top, bottom, left and right sides of the lock release projection 16e, and presses the lock release projection 16e along the slope, thereby releasing the lock. The insertion operation of the small tape cassette 13 is not obstructed by the entrance end of the holder being caught on the convex portion 16e, and the small tape cassette 13 can be stored smoothly, and at the same time, the lid 4 can be smoothly unlocked. It will be held on. In addition, due to variations during molding, for example, the inner wall of the holder may
The distance between 1 and the side of the cassette housing 3 is the specified distance as shown in the same figure (C)! title: When the distance 14 is smaller than +, the lock piece 16 comes into contact with the stopper 20 and further movement is restricted. Never. In addition, on the contrary, as shown in FIG.
If there is a holder that shifts to the right by a much larger distance 15, the engagement between the locking portion 16c of the lock piece 16 and the engaging portion 4a of the lid 4 will not be completely released. When the lid 4 of the device is opened, both the main body portion 16a and the displacement portion 16b are elastically deformed, and the displacement portion 16b is further deformed as shown by the two-dot chain line, thereby locking the lock piece 16. Forcibly cancel. When the small tape cassette 13 according to the present invention is installed in a standard type recording/reproducing device, it is loaded from above into the housing section of the above-mentioned adapter (not shown), and the lid body 4 is inserted into the engaging portion of the adapter. 4a and the locking part 16 of the lock piece 16
Due to the play dimension 11 between the adapter and the adapter, it is guided by the lid locking part 22 inside the adapter and rotates by a predetermined angle as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, so the lid opening operation is extremely smooth. It will be done. Therefore, damage to the lid body 4 and the lock piece 16 can be prevented without excessive load acting on them. By the subsequent storage operation of the small Arp cassette 13, the lock piece 16 is removed from the lock release protrusion 16e.
is suppressed by the inner wall of the adapter and is elastically displaced so as to rotate in the P direction, so that the locking piece 16 such as the engaging part 4a of the lid body 4
is disengaged from the locking portion 16C, and the lid 4 is unlocked. Therefore, the lid 4 is opened by being rotated by the four locking portions 22 in the adapter against the force of the torsion spring 14. (Effects of the Invention) As described above, the small tape cassette according to the present invention is provided with a locking means for locking the lid in the closed state, and
A lock release means consisting of a lock release protrusion protruding outward from the side surface of the cassette housing is provided, and by pressing the lock release protrusion when loading the small tape cassette, the lid is released by the lock means. In addition to unlocking the tape cassette, the locking means is provided with a required amount of play so that the lid can be rotated by a predetermined angle when the lid is locked. When storing from two sides in the storage compartment of the adapter, the four locking parts inside the adapter can easily enter, allowing the lid to be opened smoothly, while also preventing excessive loads from being applied to the lock piece and the lid. These damages can be prevented without causing any damage. In addition, the lid does not open easily when the cassette is not in use, and as a result, the magnetic tape inside will not be contaminated or scratched by the operator's fingers. There are advantages. Also,
It is possible to provide a small tape cassette equipped with a lid locking means that maintains compatibility with current devices.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 shows one structure of the lid lock of the small-sized tape cassette according to the present invention, and a partially enlarged external perspective view showing the inside of the upper half as seen from the take-up reel side, and Fig. 2 shows the small-sized tape cassette according to the present invention. A side view of the tape cassette, FIG. 3 is a side view showing the lid in an open state, and FIGS. 4(A) to (D) show the operating state of the lock piece that constitutes a part of the main part of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing the pivot portion of the lid, and FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a general small tape cassette seen from the bottom. 3...Cassette housing, 3A...upper half, 3B...
・Lower half, 4... Lid body, 4a... Engagement part, 10.
...Pivot axis, 13...Small Arp cassette, 14...
- Torsion spring, 16...Lock piece, 16a...Body portion, 16e...Lock release convex portion, 20...Stopper, 21...Inner wall of holder. Patent applicant: Victor Company of Japan. Representative opinion: Kunito Kakiki '5, °.

Claims (1)

[Claims] It is smaller than a standard type tape cassette, which has a rotatably supported lid that covers a tape bus of a predetermined length formed on the front of a cassette housing consisting of an upper half and a lower half, and is suitable for standard type recording and reproducing devices. A small tape cassette that is used while being stored in an adapter when being installed, and a lid body that is always biased with rotational force in the direction of closing the lid by an elastic means;
An operating section protrudes from the side surface of the cassette housing, and a locking section formed at one end faces so as to lock an engaging section formed at the lid, and a fixing section at the other end It consists of an elastically displaceable locking piece that is fitted into a supporting part protruding from the inner surface of the upper half, and when the lid is locked by this locking piece, the engaging part of this lid and the locking piece are engaged. A small tape cassette characterized in that the lid body is configured to be rotated by a predetermined angle depending on the distance between the lid body and the lid body.