KR960009884B1 - Integral reel spring/removable dust door combination - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

How to deflect tape cassettes and tape reels with integral reel springs and detachable dust doors

1 is a plan view of a tape cassette according to the present invention showing an integral reel spring formed on a cover with a conventional dust door,

2 is a bottom view of the reel spring formed on the cover,

3 is a side cross-sectional view of an integrally formed reel spring biased with respect to the upper end of the tape reel hub,

4 is a plan view of a tape cassette cover in accordance with the present invention showing a detachable dust door in combination with an integral reel spring.

5 is a perspective view of the dust door is separated and coupled to the cover;

6 is a side cross-sectional view of a hook formed in a dust door extension connected to an opening formed in a tape cassette cover,

7 is a side view of a detachable dust door coupled with a cover;

8 is a plan view of a detachable dust door,

9 is a rear view of the detachable dust door,

10 is a perspective view of a detachable member used with the first embodiment.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10 cassette 12 base portion

13: dust door 14: kava

16, 18: tape reel 20, 22: hub

21 flange 23 magnetic tape

24: flat part 26, 28: reel spring

30: end of spring 32, 34: side

36: free end 38: space

40: lower part of the spring 42, 44: opening

42 ': top of hub 50: dust door

52: dust door front portion 54: inner wall

56: vertical wall 58, 60: corner

64: extension 66, 68: arm of the dust door

70: third arm 71: curved groove

72, 74: protrusion 76: bottom member

78: vertical member 80: hook member

90: both edges of the cassette 92: the edge of the opening

100: detachable member 102: front portion of the member

104: curved groove 106, 108: protrusion

110: hook

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tape cassettes, and more particularly to a reel leaf spring of a video tape cassette cover that supports the rotation of the hub of a tape reel in a tape cassette and a detachable dust door interacting with them.

Conventional video tape cassettes each have a base and a cover made of plastic. Inside the assembled base and the cover is a pair of tape reels containing a hub with magnetic tape wound around it.

The cassette usually includes a separate reel leaf spring, which spring is extendable from both sides of the flat center portion, as described in the reel leaf spring molded for the assignee's US Patent No. 4,662,579 video tape cassette. With bent arms, it is a compact of a metal or alloy. The center flat portion of the reel leaf spring has a hole to accommodate projections formed in the central planar portion below the cover. The free end of the projection extends around the hole in the shape of a wedge or column and fixedly clamps the leaf spring against the cover.

For the device described above, when the cover containing the reel leaf spring is engaged with the base, the free end of both arms of the spring touches the hub of each tape reel to deflect the tape reel downwards to connect the tape player / recorder. It is designed to be able to rotate while staying in a position to give a proper pressure. This is when the tape cassette player / recorder is loaded, the tape player / recorder's spindle enters the hub and lifts the reel against the force of the spring. When the cassette is not loaded into the tape player / recorder, the spring pushes the reel against the base, locking the reel against rotation with a conventionally known reel lock. In addition, there is a method in which the teeth of the cassette base and the teeth of the reel interact with each other to lock the reel, as described in the assignee's pending application No. 07 / 471,648, application name stop tape reel lock.

Assembling this spring is relatively labor intensive. This means that the spring must be pressed and bent into a press, the hole must be made precisely, the protrusion corresponding to it must be molded into the cassette cover, the spring must be mounted so that the hole can adequately accommodate the protrusion, and the protrusion must be columnar. Because. It is only natural that all these steps raise the manufacturing cost of the cassette.

Furthermore, there may be situations in which the spring may be misplaced relative to the protrusion during the assembly process before the spring is placed on the cover and made a permanent connection.

Also, like all plastic consumer goods, cassettes need to find a way to recycle rather than just landfill. At this time, as removing the spring from the cassette cover, it is much more expensive and difficult to separate and collect other materials, such as metal and plastic, will weaken the motivation for recycling.

US Patent Application No. 458,428, Applicant's currently pending reel rep spring / cassette cover assembly and joining methods include press fits or movable cam fits between protrusions or ramps formed on a cassette cover. The in reel leaf spring is described. This structure is easy to assemble and it is easy to install and remove the metal reel leaf spring on the cassette cover, which also facilitates the recycling. The presently pending wire reel leaf spring / cassette cover assembly and the assembly method of the present transferee described a wire reel leaf spring having the above characteristics.

However, the reel leaf springs described above are not the most economical or the easiest to manufacture and recycle. Conventional cassettes also have a dust door that rotates by a spring that protects the tape from dust and contact when it is closed. Examples of such dust doors are described in the assignee's US Pat. No. 4,533,093 tape cassette dust door spring combination and method thereof. When the dust door is opened by the tape player / recorder with the cassette loaded, the magnetic head of the player / recorder can contact the tape.

To make such a dust door in a cassette, after forming the door and manufacturing the spring, mount the spring on the dust door, install the spring on the cassette, install and install the spring related to the dust door latch, When the cover and the base are combined, the process of holding the dust door deflected between the base and the cover is required. Many of these steps are not very economical. Moreover, there is a possibility that components such as springs may be misaligned or not functioning properly during manufacturing, shipping, handling and use.

As a result, no prior art dust door has interacted with the reel spring to improve the life of its elastic energy.

Detachable dust doors integrated with the assignee's pending US Patent Application No. 610,585 tape reel lock describe a detachable dust door but are not intended to interact with the reel spring.

Thus, the dust doors described above are not the most economical and are not the easiest to manufacture and recycle, but also fail to combine in any way with the reel springs.

Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a reel spring and a dust door that lower the overall manufacturing cost of a tape cassette.

A second object of the present invention is to provide reel springs and dust doors that are more humane ecologically suitable than conventional members through improved materials and energy conservation.

It is a third object of the present invention to provide a tape cassette which requires fewer accessories than a conventional tape cassette.

The fourth object of the present invention is to enable the same function by combining the functions previously available only with two separate members into one member integrally.

It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide a dust door that does not require a separate deflection mounting or assembly in a video cassette.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a reel spring which does not require assembly of parts in a video cassette.

A seventh object of the present invention is to combine the operation of the dust door and the reel spring.

An eighth object of the present invention is to provide a video tape cassette with a reel spring / removable dust door combination having no moving or actuating parts except for mutual interaction between the dust door and the reel spring for improved reliability.

In order to achieve these and other objects of the present invention, a pair of reel springs integrally molded with a cassette cover are provided. The reel spring is molded at an angle inside the cover surface. Once the cover and base are joined with the tape reel in between, the reel spring pushes the tape reel against the cassette against the base, and there is another device at the base that locks the tape reel from rotation. The extension, made on a detachable dust door, has a pair of spaced projections. When the dust door is positioned in the cassette, the extension is in contact with the cassette cover, and a projection enters into an opening formed around the reel spring to contact the reel spring, thereby fixing the tape reel to the cassette base. Thus, no fatigue occurs in the reel springs until the door is removed. When the dust door is removed from the cassette, the protrusion is separated from the reel spring and the tape is exposed to allow access to the tape player / recorder.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the combination of the integrated reel spring and the detachable dust door according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 shows a video tape cassette according to the present invention, which comprises a shell member or base 12 and a different armor member or cover 14, respectively, made of plastic. A pair of tape reels 16 and 18 are located in a well-known manner within the combined base 12 and the cover 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, each tape reel 16, 18 includes hubs 20, 22, around which magnetic tape 23 will be wound. Each tape reel 16, 18 includes a pair of coaxial flanges 21 at the upper and lower ends of the hubs 20, 22 to protect the upper and lower ends of the magnetic tape 23.

In the center flat portion 24 of the cassette cover 14, spaced reel springs 26 and 28 are formed and formed of the same material as the cassette cover 14 and formed of the same shape. In a preferred embodiment the reel springs 26 and 28 are elongated reel springs integrally molded with the cassette cover 14.

Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the respective reel springs 26 and 28 are configured such that the ends 30 are connected to the center flat portion 24 of the cover 14. to be. Each reel spring 26, 28 is flat and extends at an angle of about 20 to 25 ° with respect to the planar portion 24, in the direction away from the dust door 13, in front of the cassette 10. Down towards the base 12 of the. This angle may vary depending on the thickness of the reel springs 26 and 28 and the plastic material selected. Each reel spring 26, 28 consists of two converging sides 32, 34 that end with a straight free end 36. Both sides 32 and 34 may be parallel at all. Two sides 32, 34 and free sides of the reel springs 26, 28 with a space 38 therebetween allowing each reel spring 26, 28 to bend freely relative to the cassette cover 14 The stage 36 is spaced apart from the cover 14. This spacing creates openings 42 and 44 into which projections 72 and 74 of the detachable dust door 50 described below will enter.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, when the cover 14 and the base 12 are engaged, the reel springs 26, 28 are pushed against the tape reel hubs 20, 22, as shown by arrow A, toward the top 24. Bends As a result, the lower portion 40 of the reel springs 26 and 28 presses on the upper end 42 'of the hubs 20 and 22 to deflect the hubs 20 and 22 downwards as indicated by arrow B. FIG.

According to the present invention, if a defect is found, for example, if the base portion 12 is assembled with the cover 14 in the overlapped state, the cassette 10 is simply disassembled to cover the cover with the reel springs 26 and 28. (14) may be used again, and the base part 12 may be melted and remolded if necessary.

The benefit of this invention of the reel spring is that there is no need to squeeze the spring into a stainless steel sheet. The reel springs 26 and 28 are made of the same material as the cassette cover 14. Therefore, since the spring is removed in a conventional technical process such as making a spring by punching and assembling a hole, a spring pressing process is required.

In the present invention, it is not necessary to modify the mold of the cassette base 12, only the mold of the cover 14 needs to be changed.

Moreover, since no metal is used, the manufacturing cost of the press leaf spring is not at all cost, and the reel spring can be made of cheap plastic instead. Furthermore, the reel springs 26 and 28 can be made by slightly modifying the plastic material already used to make the cassette cover 14. It also eliminates the tendency for the reel spring to fall out of position during the assembly process. All of these features, of course, lead to cost savings throughout the cassette.

In addition, as we are now dealing with plastic bottles, if the tape cassette recovery policy is formulated for energy conservation in the future and the cover needs to be recycled, there is no need to remove the metal spring from the plastic cover. This advantage will reduce the cost of regeneration, make it easier to melt the cassette cover for reuse of plastics, and attract more attention to recycling overall.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 9, the tape cassette 10 according to the present invention also includes a detachable dust door. The dust door 50 includes a front portion 52, an elongated inner wall 54, walls 56 perpendicular thereto, left and right edges 58 and 60, and lower support portions 59 and 61. The inner wall 54 protects the tape 23 from debris or contact when the dust door 50 is attached to the cassette 10. The front wall 54 of the dust door 50 can also be used as a place for advertising or trademarks.

At the rear part 62 of the dust door 50 is an extension 64, which is parallel to the two arms 66, 68 and the wall 56 extending perpendicular to the wall 56. A third arm 70 is connected to the upper arm end. The third arm 70 includes a curved recess 71 that allows the user to easily separate the dust door 50 with the thumb.

The dust door 50 also includes a pair of projections 72 and 74. These projections 72 and 74 are preferably made together with the dust door 5 during the molding process. As shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 and 9, the projections 72 and 74 include a flat bottom member 76 and a long, flat, vertical member 78. This vertical member 78 includes a hook member 80. These members 76, 78, 80 are made for calibration with the arms 66, 68, 70, respectively.

When the dust door 50 goes to the closed position covering the tape cassette 10, the openings 42 and 44 made in the cassette cover 14 receive the projections 72 and 74, respectively. In this way, debris or dust is prevented from entering the openings 42 and 44 when the cassette 10 is not in use.

More specifically, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how the dust door according to the present invention is separated and coupled to the cassette 10. In the case of engagement, the extension 64 of the dust door 50 moves towards the cassette 10 with a slightly upward angle. At this time, the corners 58 and 60 of the dust door enter the inclined portions 90 of both edges of the cassette, and both edges 90 are determined by the conventional dust door type. Supports 59 and 61 enter toward the front bottom outer corner of cassette base 12. The extension 64 pushes the cassette cover 14 downward so that the projections 72 and 74 enter the openings 42 and 44, with the hooks 80 opening 42 and 44. It is caught by the edge 92 of.

The projections 72 and 74 are used for the purpose of contacting and pressing the formed reel springs 26 and 28. This maintains the elasticity of the plastic reel springs 26, 28 for the expected end of life of the cassette 10. In environments where spring hardships can occur, such as shipping or storage, the protrusions 72 and 74 ensure that the reel springs 26 and 28 are not loaded. Plastic springs can lose their original properties over time under load in a thermal environment.

In case of separation, reverse the order. Put the thumb in the curved groove (71) to lift the extension 64 slightly upward, the projections (72), (74) springs out from the edge 92 of the openings 42, 44, the dust The door 50 is detached and the tape 23 is exposed to the tape player / recorder.

Separation or joining is an operation possible regardless of whether the base 12 of the tape cassette is turned up or down. Hold the cassette 10 at any position, that is, if you hold the cassette 10 with your left hand, you can hold the dust door 50 with your right hand, and the dust door 50 is pulled for separation or for connection. Can be pressed.

The state in which the dust door 50 is closed represents the characteristic in the case of shipment, handling, storage, etc., when the data cassette 10 is not operated by the tape player. In this position, the dust door 50 protects the tape from dust or contact. The cassette tape with the dust door covered does not accidentally enter the tape player / recorder because the thickness of the tape added by the dust door prevents charging of the cassette. The user must remove the dust door 50 from the closed position in the manner described above before loading the cassette into the tape player / recorder. The dust door 50 is placed on its side until the use of the tape cassette loaded in the tape player / recorder is finished.

In the first embodiment described above, a conventional dust door is used. In this first embodiment, it is desirable to cover the openings 42 and 44 as described above with the extension 64 and to interact with the separate members in contact with the reel springs 26 and 28. More specifically, there may be a tape cassette comprising a generally longitudinally detachable member 100 as shown in FIG. The front portion 102 of the member 100 includes a curved groove 104 in which a user can put a nail to facilitate separation.

Although not shown, this member 100 includes a pair of identical protrusions 106 and 108. The protrusions 106 and 108 include a hook 110, which is preferably molded integrally with the member 100 for the same reasons as the protrusions 72 and 74 described above.

When attaching the member 100 to the cassette 10, the member 100 is placed on the cassette cover 14 and pushed so that the projections 106, 108 enter the openings 42, 44, and the hook ( 110 is caught under the edge of openings 42 and 44. In this way, when the cassette 10 is not in use, debris and dust are prevented from entering the openings 42 and 44.

The projections 106 and 108 are used for the purpose of contacting and pressing the molded reel springs 26 and 28. This also helps to preserve the elastic forces of the plastic spings 26 and 28. As soon as the projections (106), (108) to reduce the burden of the spring so as not to be loaded in storage shipping, etc.

The user must remove the member 100 before loading the cassette 10 into the tape player. The member 100 may be placed on the side until the use of the tape cassette 10 loaded in the tape player is finished.

As such, the present invention properly presents voids created by flex allowance of the springs, so that the hub does not move relative to the base during shipment or storage without any action on the springs. This void is corrected by the detachable dust door 50 or the detachable member 100 described above. In both cases, the projections 72 and 74 and the other projections 106 and 108 are in contact with the reel springs 26 and 28, respectively, and press the tape reel against the base. Lock it by some other means to prevent rotation. The detachable dust door 50 or member 100 covers the openings 42 and 44 around the reel springs 26 and 28 to prevent debris and the like from entering the cassette 10.

As can be seen from the above description, one embodiment of the present invention is to combine a conventional, separate, multi-part, reel spring deflected dust door and dust door latch into one member. This one member is effectively manufactured by plastic molding, and assembly is also significantly easier than conventional products. The non-uptime problem during assembly of existing products is also solved.

This relatively simple design allows automatic assembly of the detachable dust door of the tape cassette during the manufacturing process. This design allows the user to easily remove the dust door to load and use the tape player / recorder, and to easily remove the dust door from the tape after use.

It also eliminates the need for major changes to the design or operation of a cassette or tape player / recorder, or to a standard set.

Furthermore, since making a cassette and inserting the tape therein is a common operation, the present invention provides a process in which the dust door is added after the tape is raised and the cassette is assembled.

Moreover, the overall cassette assembly is facilitated, especially since the dust door latches are removed and no spring installation is required on the dust door. In addition, the existing work had to hold the dust door when combining the base of the cassette and the cover, but it is also unnecessary. As a result, the dust door and reel leaf spring have no moving parts in the combination, which improves reliability of operation.

What has been described above is only a description of the principles of the present invention and moreover, various modifications and changes can be made by the skilled artisan not limited to the structure and operation of the present invention shown and described. For example, although the tape cassette described above has been shown to be used in video tape players / recorders, the present invention may be similarly used in audio or other player / recorder devices. Although reel springs are specified to be made on the cover, they can also be made on the cassette base if necessary. As a result, as long as one part of the spring is biased against the tape reel hub, many other forms are possible, such as bent or triangular. The spring may also be bent in a direction parallel to the axis by bending the bow with both ends connected to the cassette in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and the like shall be included within the scope of the invention and the dependent claims.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS 1. A tape cassette comprising: a) a cover 14; b) a base portion 12 connected with the cover 14; c) at least one tape reel (16) 18 (18) located in the base (12) and the cover (14) and movable between a first position and a second position, and d) at least one molded into the cover (14). Consisting of reel springs 26 and 28 adapted to deflect the tape reels 16 and 18 from the second position to the first position, the first position being in contact with the base 12 and the second position being Tape cassette, characterized in that the base portion 12 and the separation distance formed. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dust door (50) adjacent and detachable from the reel springs (26) and (28) secures one or more tape reels (16) (18) in the first position and removes the load of the reel springs. A tape cassette characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The reel spring as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a pair of spaced apart and flat reel springs (26) (28), which extend from the cover (14) and are biased relative to the tape reels (16) (18). Tape cassette. 4. Tape cassette according to claim 3, characterized in that each reel spring comprises bilateral sides (32, 34) facing the free end (36) opposite the first end connected to the cover (14). 5. A detachable member for covering openings (42) and (44) formed in reel springs (26) and (28) in the cover (14), and adjacent devices in contact with the reel springs (26) and (28). A tape cassette, characterized in that it comprises a device which secures the tape reel (16) (18) in position and which can remove the load on the reel spring. 6. The tape cassette of claim 5, wherein the tape cassette comprises a dust door (50). 6. The tape cassette of claim 5, wherein the detachable member comprises a portion that is a dust door (50). 6. Abutment means according to claim 5, wherein the abutting means comprises a protrusion ending with a hook made on a detachable member, and a reel spring 26 which is hooked to and contacts the openings 42 and 44 located in the cover 14. A tape cassette comprising (28). CLAIMS 1. A tape cassette comprising: a) a cover 14; b) a base portion 12 connected with the cover 14; c) two tapes in contact with the base 12 at the first position and spaced between the first and second positions, spaced from the base 12 at the second position, and positioned between the base 12 and the cover 14 Reels 16 and 18; d) a pair of spaced apart and flat reel springs 26, 28 integrally formed from the cover 14 to push the tape reels 16, 18 from the second position to the first position; e) a detachable dust door; f) The protrusion ending with the hook formed on the detachable dust door is removed so that the reel spring in contact with the protrusion removes the load of the reel spring while holding the tape reel in the first position and hooks the opening made in the cover 14. Tape cassette comprising a projection ending with a hook formed on the dust door as possible. CLAIMS 1. A method of deflecting a tape reel of a tape cassette, comprising: a) 1) a cover 14 comprising an integrally molded reel spring; 2) base 12; 3) forming a tape cassette consisting of a pair of tape reels 16, 18 positioned on said base 12 and movable between a first position and a second position; b) combining the cover 14 and the base 12, wherein the first position is in contact with the base 12, the second position is formed a distance from the base 12 A method of deflecting a tape reel to be used. 11. The method of claim 10, comprising engaging the dust door with the projection to the cover so that the projection abuts the reel spring and secures the tape reels 16 and 18 in the second position, and removing the load of the reel spring. And deflecting the tape reel.