JPS5855581B2 - transparent tape cassette - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tape cassette for use in, for example, a tape recorder, and more particularly to a see-through tape cassette.

As is well known, a conventional tape cassette used in a cassette tape recorder is made up of a pair of cassette halves 11 and 12, as shown in FIGS. A pair of glue hubs 13, 14 are rotatably held at predetermined locations inside, and tape guide pins 15, 16. Mechanical parts such as a head pad 17 and seat guide pins 18 and 19 are assembled at predetermined locations.

Further, both ends of a roll-shaped cassette tape (see FIG. 2 20) are fixed to the hub 13 and 14, and both upper and lower surfaces of this tape 20 are covered with a slippery sheet T-
It is sandwiched between 21 and 22.

Further, reel shaft insertion holes 23, 24, windows 25, and capsun insertion holes 26 are provided at predetermined locations on the upper and lower surfaces of the Norse.
27. Case guide pin insertion holes 28 and 29 are formed, and the front surface of the case is provided with insertion holes 30 and 31 for pinch rollers or erasing heads, recording/reproducing head insertion windows 32, tape tension detectors, etc. Hole 33.3
4, etc. are formed, and the back of the case has recording prevention claws 35 and 36 at predetermined locations, and a hole 37°3 for identifying the recording prevention claw.
8 etc. are formed.

The pair of cassette halves 11 and 12 are fixed to each other by screws at the four corners and in the vicinity of the pad.

As shown in FIG. 2, a guide roller 39.4 is installed near the tape guide pin 15.16 in the cassette case.
0 may be provided rotatably.

Further, the tape 20 travels in two cases, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, and in other cases, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, the tape 20 passes through the outside of the guide pins 15 and 16.

By the way, the above-mentioned conventional cassette case is made of non-transparent synthetic resin, and has the disadvantage that it is not possible to easily check the running state of the tape inside the case.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned conventional cassette case, each of the thin cassette halves 1L12 made of synthetic resin is assembled with the front end surfaces of the side walls 41 and 42 formed along the periphery of the cassette halves 41 and 42 abutting against each other. Most of it is hollow.

For this reason, conventional tape cassettes have low strength, and when accidentally dropped, stepped on, or pushed, the cassette case is easily cracked or deformed, and furthermore, internal mechanical parts are easily deformed.

In addition, the cassette case is prone to deformation such as warping or bending due to aging or environmental conditions.

Such deformation deteriorates the precision of the mechanical connection between the tape cassette and the tape recorder main body, adversely affecting tape running characteristics and deteriorating recording and reproducing characteristics.

Furthermore, due to the above-described structure, conventional tape cassettes lack a sense of texture to the user and give the user a cheap feeling.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily check the running state of the tape inside the case, has strong mechanical strength, has little change over time and environmental conditions, and is sturdy and durable for users. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a see-through tape cassette that can give a high-quality feel and a high-quality feel.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The see-through tape cassette 50 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 shows a basic example of the present invention, and is almost the same as a conventional tape cassette in terms of external shape, dimensions, tape winding mechanism, etc. The differences are as follows.

(1) The case is made of transparent or semi-transparent synthetic resin.

Therefore, the conventionally required window (see FIG. 1, 25) is omitted.

(2) As shown in FIG. 5, slippery sheets 55 and 56 having a slippery effect (not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4).

) has, for example, a circular outer shape with a diameter approximately equal to the maximum winding diameter of the rolled tape 20, and the right tape storage section 5
In 21, one sheet 56 is concentrically fixed to the reel hub 14 so as to face the top surface of the rolled tape 20, and in the tape storage section 52□ on the left side, one sheet 56 is fixed concentrically to the tape accommodating part 52□ so as to face the bottom surface of the tape, for example. The other seat 55 is fixed concentrically to the reel hub 13.

A plurality of through holes 57 are formed in each of the seams 1-55 and 56 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction so that the presence or absence of rotation can be easily identified.

Therefore, the sheet guide pin (see Fig. 1, 18-19), which was conventionally required for positioning the sheet, and the notch or through-hole (first (see figure) is omitted.

(3) Most of the interior of the case, except for the tape running path 51 and the paralyzed roll tape storage space 52, is fully occupied.

That is, around the space 52, there is a tape running path 51.
A side wall 52' is formed close to the portion other than the communication port.

In this case, the pair of cassette halves 53 and 54 may each have approximately half the thickness of the cassette case;
One cassette half 54 may be thick and the other cassette half 53 may be thin (for example, plate-shaped), and the point is that the butt area when the two halves are butted together is larger than that of a conventional tape cassette. It suffices if it is as large as possible.

Further, the two halves may be assembled with screws as in conventional tape cassettes, but one half may have a plurality of protrusions and the other half may have a plurality of fitting holes and these may be fitted together. Furthermore, adhesive welding of the abutting surfaces may be used.

(4) The tape guide pin (see Fig. 1, 15.16) is omitted.

(Actually, there is no need to omit it.

) Other than the above-mentioned differences, the same parts in FIGS. 3 and 4 as in FIG.

According to the transparent tape cassette as described above, the external shape,
The dimensions and the ability to freely run the rolled tape are the same as those of conventional tape cassettes, so it goes without saying that they are compatible.

Inside the case, a slippery sheet 5556 is fixed concentrically to the reel hub 13, 14 so as to face one side of the rolled tape, and these sheets 55, 56 are formed in such a way that it is easy to identify whether or not they are rotating. At the same time, since the case has transparency, the reel hub 1 can be seen while the tape is running.
Since the sheets 55 and 56 rotate according to 3.14, it is possible to immediately identify that the tape is running just by observing the rotation of the sheets 55 and 56.

In the above basic example, the slippery sheets 56 and 55 were fixed to the right reel hub 14 at the upper end and the left reel hub 13 at the lower end, respectively, on one side of the tape in opposite directions. may be reversed, and furthermore, the sheets may be fixed so as to face the upper and lower ends of each reel hub, in other words, to face both the upper and lower surfaces of the rolled tape.

In this case, the size of each sheet requires consideration, such as by spacing the left and right sheets apart in the left-right direction or up-down direction so that they do not get in the way of each other, or by providing unevenness at a predetermined rotation angle relationship.

Further, the sheet rotation identification means is not limited to the through hole in the above example, but may be arbitrarily selected such as adding a waveform or the like to the outer shape of the sheet, or displaying a spiral pattern on the sheet, for example.

Further, the sheet does not necessarily have to have a slippery effect, and the case does not have to be transparent in its entirety as long as it has transparency in at least the portion facing the sheet.

Note that by providing a pattern on both end surfaces of the guide rollers 39 and 40, for example, it is possible to easily identify the presence or absence of rotation as the tape runs.

Furthermore, the characteristic of the transparent tape cassette according to the basic example described above, that is, the characteristic that the tape running state can be easily identified, is, for example, as shown in FIG. It is even more effective when used in a so-called direct loading type tape recorder, which is easy to install and easy to check the tape running state, as it can give the appearance of a reel-to-reel type tape recorder.

In the tape cassette storage section of this tape recorder, 61 is a group of operators, 62 is a pinch roller, 63 is a recording/reproducing head, 64 is an erasing head, 65 is a capstan shaft, and 6
667 is a cassette guide pin, 68 and 69 are reel shafts,
Reference numerals 70 and 71 are the anti-erasure claw detectors, 72 and 73 are cassette holding pieces, and 74 and 75 are cassette holding springs.

The pinch roller 62, recording/reproducing head 63, erasing head 6
4, as shown in FIG. 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a tape cassette 5 is opened by operating the play operator PLAY, for example.
0 and comes to have a predetermined relationship with the tape cassette 50.

In FIG. 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the slippery sheet 80 is not rotatably provided as in the basic example described above, but is provided on both sides of the tape accommodated in the tape accommodation space 52 of the tape cassette 50. A plurality of through holes 80 are fixedly interposed along the periphery of the bubble.
1 is formed.

In this case, the tape cassette 50 is formed such that at least the entire tape storage space 52 is transparent, so that the tape cassette 50 has a plurality of through holes regardless of whether the slippery sheet 80 is transparent or non-transparent. 801 makes it possible to easily identify the running state of the tape.

In other words, the transparent tape cassette described above is a tape cassette in which a roll of tape wound between a pair of reel hubs is accommodated in a freely running state inside the case. The part excluding the path and the rolled tape storage space is formed to be full in the thickness direction of the case, and a plurality of through holes are formed along the periphery of the bubble on both sides of the tape stored in the tape storage space. The adhesive sheet is fixedly interposed, and at least the tape storage space portion is transparent, and the solid portion is continuous from the rear end surface to the inside of the case on both sides and the front end of the case. At the same time, a pair of gaps for the tape to run is formed near each intersection of the solid portions from both ends and the solid portion from the front end, and a tape running path and a gap are formed in the solid portions from the front end. The head insertion part and the head pad support part are integrally formed, and each tape accommodation space part corresponding to the pair of reel hub parts overlaps each other's maximum winding diameter to form a plane path in the shape of a figure 8. The running state of the tape can be identified through the through-holes of the slippery sheet by forming the tape in a continuous manner and by forming the side wall along the maximum winding diameter of each tape storage space portion as a tape guide surface. This transparent tape cassette is characterized by the fact that:

Furthermore, according to the transparent tape cassette as described above, the abutment area of the pair of cassette halves in the interior of the case excluding the tape running path 51 and the tape storage space 52 is as large as possible compared to the conventional tape cassette. Since the inside of the case is formed to be recyclably solid, its mechanical strength is strong, and even if it is accidentally dropped, stepped on, or pushed, the case is unlikely to crack or deform.

Further, due to the above-described structure, deformation such as warping or bending of the case is unlikely to occur due to aging or environmental conditions.

Therefore, the accuracy of the mechanical connection between the tape cassette and the tape recorder main body is maintained, and good tape running characteristics and, as a result, good recording and reproducing characteristics are maintained.

Further, due to the above-described structure, it is possible to give the user a profound texture and a sense of high quality.

In particular, this case was a problem because it is the most mechanically weakest part of conventional cassette tapes, and on the other hand, it is an important part of the tape running path and the head insertion part, which has a head pad support part. In the front part, only a pair of gaps are left for the tape running path, which is formed substantially near both sides of the case, for feeding or winding the tape. Since the solid parts are formed continuously like those on both sides and the rear, the mechanical strength of the front force part of the case is made as strong as possible, and the above-mentioned prevention of cracking and deformation is improved. It has the remarkable effect of ensuring effectiveness.

In this case, since the head pad support part is integrally formed in the solid part at the front of the case, the head pad support part is integrally formed with the tape running path and the head insertion part, so the strength of the solid part at the front of the case is not impaired. It is also important that the strength of the tape running path, the paralytic head insertion part, and the head pad support part is improved laterally.

Further, each tape storage space portion corresponding to a pair of reel hubs is connected in a figure-8 shape on a plane in which the maximum winding diameters overlap each other, and the side wall along the maximum winding diameter is formed as a tape guide surface. This not only makes the case as small as possible and makes it compatible with conventional tape cassettes, but also ensures that the tape does not protrude outside the maximum winding diameter. This eliminates irregularities such as sagging and rippling of the tape that occurs when it is carried around.

In particular, the latter effect of preventing irregularities in the tape winding state not only contributes to obtaining a proper tape running state immediately during use, but also prevents the occurrence of undesirable tape winding phenomena and the like. This is important in that it can prevent accidents such as bending, cutting, and tangling.

Although the above embodiment describes the case where the present invention is applied to a tape cassette that is installed and used in a cassette tape recorder, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and is not limited to the recently popular micro cassette and L cassette. It can be applied to cassettes that freely accommodate tapes or films such as cassette-type projection films, and the meaning of the see-through tape cassette of the present invention is a general term for the cassettes in the above-mentioned range of application, and it also applies to the concept of tape. contains film.

As described above, the present invention allows the tape running state inside the case to be easily checked, has strong mechanical strength, is less susceptible to changes over time and environmental conditions, and provides the user with a solid texture and high quality. It is possible to provide a see-through tape cassette that can give a sense of feeling.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a cassette case of a conventional cassette tape, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of a conventional tape cassette, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a basic example of a transparent tape cassette according to the present invention. 4 is a sectional view showing the inside of the tape cassette in FIG. 3, FIGS. The figure is a perspective view showing an example of a tape recorder suitable for mounting and using the transparent tape cassette of the present invention, and FIG. It is a front view showing a state where it is attached. 13.14...Reel hub, 50...
Tape cassette, 51...Tape running route, 5
2...Tall tape storage space, 53.54
...Cassette half, 80...Smooth sheet, 801...Through hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a tape cassette in which a roll of tape wound between 11 pairs of reel hubs is housed inside a case in a freely running state, a portion of the inside of the case excluding a tape running path and a roll tape storage space is provided. A slippery sheet is formed substantially in the thickness direction of the case, and a plurality of through holes are fixedly interposed on both sides of the tape accommodated in the tape accommodation space along the periphery of the hub, and at least The tape storage space portion is transparent, and the solid portions are formed continuously from the front and rear end faces of the case on both sides toward the inside of the case. 1 for running the tape near each intersection with the solid part from the front end
A pair of gap portions are formed, and a tape running path, a head insertion portion, and a head pad support portion are integrally formed in the solid portion from the front end, and each tape storage space portion corresponds to the pair of reel hub portions. are formed so as to overlap each other's maximum winding diameter in a substantially figure-eight shape, and the side walls along the maximum winding diameter of each tape storage space are formed as tape guide surfaces. A see-through tape cassette, wherein the running state of the tape can be identified through the through holes of the slippery sheet.