JP2001202739A - Magnetic tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic tape cassette wherein a front lid is prevented from receiving a force for pushing it open during conveying by an automatic loader, by preventing the hooking of the detection roller of the automatic loader in the front lid of the magnetic tape cassette. SOLUTION: In the upper surface of a main body case, a recess is formed which is engaged with a detecting member provided in an automatic loader and having a positioning/stopping roller and a spring member, a front lid for opening/closing a tape drawing opening is provided so as to be freely swung in the front face part of the main body case, a slider movable back and forth is provided in the lower surface side of the main body case, a projecting part is formed in the upper surface position of a part corresponding to at least the recess of the front lid, and a recessed notched part is provided in the upper surface (upper half) of the main body case corresponding to the projecting part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cassette, and more particularly, to a magnetic tape cassette with improved attachment / detachment to an automatic cassette transporter (hereinafter referred to as an autoloader).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various large-capacity storage devices have been used as storage devices for computer systems. However, due to the large storage capacity, magnetic tape media are often used especially for large-scale users. Among them, in recent years, cassette-type magnetic tape media, that is, magnetic tape cassettes, are widely used because of their large capacity and easy handling.

[0003] A magnetic tape cassette accommodates a hub around which magnetic tape is wound on the left and right sides of a case. An opening for drawing out a tape is formed on the front of the case. The slider is provided so as to be swingable in the portion, and provided with a slider movable in the front-rear direction on the lower surface side of the case. On the other hand, the above-described autoloader is a device that accommodates a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes and sequentially conveys them by a conveying mechanism, and is connected so that the magnetic tape cassettes are automatically and continuously supplied to a magnetic head portion of a recording / reproducing device.

In this autoloader, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a magnetic tape cassette 1 is inserted into an upper portion of a frame 11 formed in a box shape as a whole, and circulated so as to be sent out from a lower portion. The formula is configured. The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7 is capable of accommodating seven magnetic tape cassettes 1 as a whole, and has two magnetic tape cassettes 1 mounted on an upper guide member 12 formed in a side wall in a rail shape. Can be placed, and three magnetic tape cassettes 1 can be stored in the back storage section 13 in a stacked state.
Further, two magnetic tape cassettes 1 can be stored in the lower transporting section 14.

[0005] The two magnetic tape cassettes 1 inserted on the upper guide member 12 are the next magnetic tape cassettes 1.
Is inserted into the rear storage unit 13, falls by its own weight, and is sequentially stacked. The lowermost magnetic tape cassette 1 in the rear storage unit 13 is indicated by an arrow by a transport mechanism (not shown). In this direction, the sheet is conveyed from the back to the near side, and is sent out by moving the lower conveying section 14 forward. In the lower transport section 14, the magnetic tape cassette 1 to be sent out is moved so that the rear portion of the case 2 opposite to the front cover 5 is pushed forward with the transport direction forward. In addition,
The details of the transport mechanism and the opening of the frame 11 to and from which the transport mechanism enters and exits are not shown.

In the above-mentioned circulating autoloader 10, the upper wall 16 of the lower conveying section 14 is provided with a pressing engagement member 15 for positioning and stopping the magnetic tape cassette 1 to be fed. As shown in FIG. 8, the pressing engagement member 15 includes a leaf spring 15b having a thin roller 15a on the lower surface side, and one end of the leaf spring 15b is fixed to the above-described upper wall 16. The roller 15a is a leaf spring 1
The urging force of 5b makes pressure contact with the upper surface of the case 2 of the magnetic tape cassette 1. The magnetic tape cassette 1 has a concave portion 31 formed on the front side of the upper surface of the case 2, and the roller 15 a is engaged with the concave portion 31 to perform positioning.

The basic structure of the magnetic tape cassette 1 is the same as that shown in FIG. 1 to be described later, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following description, the loading direction of the magnetic tape cassette 1 (the direction of the arrow A in the figure) is referred to as the front, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear.

[0008]

In the case where the magnetic tape cassette 1 is loaded into the circulation type autoloader 10 having the above-described configuration and is sequentially transported, the pressing member for positioning is moved in accordance with the transport movement. Roller 1 of composite member 15
When the roller 5a moves while pressing the upper surface of the magnetic tape cassette 1, the roller 15a is caught by the front lid 5,
This is an obstacle to obtaining a stable transport operation, and also causes an unreasonable (excessive) force to act on the front cover 5 to cause a curved deformation such as pushing the front cover 5 open or to cause damage. Having.

That is, as shown in FIG.
From the state in which the roller 15a pressed by the urging force is engaged with the concave portion 31 on the upper surface of the case 2 of the magnetic tape cassette 1, the magnetic tape cassette 1 is moved rightward (in the direction of arrow D) in the figure by the transport mechanism. When transported, the roller 1
5a moves the upper surface of the case 2 relatively to the front side from the concave portion 31, and as shown by the dashed line 15a ',
It enters into the gap 7 formed between the front end of the upper surface of the case 2 and the upper rear end of the front lid 5, is caught on the upper rear end of the front lid 5, and is transported by the central portion of the lid 51 of the front lid 5. May be elastically deformed so as to bend forward, and may be subjected to a push-open force (51 ′ shown by a dashed line in FIG. 8).
In particular, there is a problem that the central portion of the front lid 5 has low rigidity, is deformed even by a small force to expand the gap 7, and the roller 15a is easily caught.

The pressing force of the roller 15a is 1-2.
The force is about N, which is enough to press and position the small magnetic tape cassette 1, but as described above, it is also caught on the front lid 5 and causes a force to open. When the pressing force of the roller 15a is reduced, the occurrence of the catch on the front cover 5 is reduced, but there is a problem that the positioning force is insufficient and the positioning becomes unstable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to solve the problems in the prior art and to prevent the detection roller of the autoloader from being caught on the front lid of the magnetic tape cassette. It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic tape cassette which does not receive a force for pushing and opening the front cover during conveyance in an autoloader.

[0012]

To achieve the above object, a magnetic tape cassette according to the present invention accommodates a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes and is loaded into an automatic cassette transporter that sequentially transports the cassettes by a transport mechanism. In the upper surface of the main body case, a concave portion is formed in which a pressing engagement member having a spring and a positioning stop roller provided in the automatic cassette transfer device is locked, and a tape pull-out portion is provided on the front surface of the main body case. A front lid that opens and closes the opening is swingably provided, and a slider that is movable in the front-rear direction is provided on the lower surface side of the main body case. The front lid protrudes at an upper surface position of at least a portion corresponding to the concave portion of the front lid. And a concave notch is provided on the upper surface of the main body case corresponding to the projection.

[0013] In the magnetic tape cassette according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, it is preferable that a concave notch is further provided on the upper surface of the main body case corresponding to the protrusion formed on the front lid.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a magnetic tape cassette 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic tape cassette 1 shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along a vertical plane along the moving direction of the magnetic tape cassette 1, and FIG.
Is a cross-sectional view taken along a vertical plane along a moving direction that does not pass through the concave portion 31.

As described above, the magnetic tape cassette 1 has a flat box-shaped case 2 in which the upper half 3 and the lower half 4 are combined.
And a front lid 5 attached to the front end of the case 2 so as to be able to swing open and close, and a slider 6 slidably mounted on the lower surface side of the case 2.

Although not shown, a magnetic tape is wound around and accommodated in the hubs on both sides, and the front and bottom surfaces of the case 2 are notched. An opening for tape loading to the device is formed. The front cover 5, which opens and closes the tape pull-out opening on the front surface of the case 2, is unlocked in accordance with the moving distance when the slider 6 moves backward with the loading of the recording / reproducing apparatus. It is opened and closed.

The slider 6 opens and closes the bottom opening of the lower half 4 as the slider 6 advances and retreats along the loading direction A. The lower half 4 and the slider 6 include:
Drive shaft insertion holes are opened on both sides. Further, a lock mechanism for locking the slider 6 between the open position and the closed position is provided. The lock mechanism is released when the recording / reproducing apparatus is loaded, and the slider 6 is moved rearward to open the bottom opening. Open and lock the open position in the retracted position. A tape loading device is inserted into the opened opening, the tape is pulled out forward, and the front cover 5 is opened to enable recording and reproduction.

In the magnetic tape cassette 1 configured as described above, the front portion of the upper surface of the upper half 3 has
A concave portion 31 is formed at a substantially central portion, and the roller 15a of the positioning pressing engagement member 15 in the autoloader 10 as shown in FIG. The recess 31 is also called a changer grip.

The front cover 5 has a lid portion 51 for covering the front portion of the main body case 2 and side walls 52 extending in the front-rear direction and connected to both ends thereof. 53 is rotatably supported on the side surface of the upper half 3. The lid portion 51 has an upper wall portion 54 bent rearward at the upper end portion.
4 is configured to be continuous with the upper surface of the upper half 3.

At the front end of the upper surface of the upper half 3, a notch 32 is provided with a width corresponding to the recess 31 (changer grip) described above, and the notch 32 is provided so as to correspond to the notch 32. A projection 54a is provided on the upper wall 54 of the front lid 5. The convex portion 54a of the upper wall portion 54 of the front lid 5 and the cutout portion 32 at the front end of the upper surface of the upper half 3 are configured to have dimensions such that the convex portion 54a fits within the cutout portion 32. To form a smooth continuous surface.

FIG. 2 shows a projection 5 on the upper wall 54 of the front lid 5.
4 shows an engagement state between the upper half 4 and the notch 32 at the front end of the upper surface of the upper half 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the structure of the upper front end portion of the upper half 3 of the magnetic tape cassette 1 according to the present embodiment (particularly, the engagement portion between the upper wall portion 54 of the front cover 5 and the upper front end of the upper half 3). The structure of the same part as the conventional structure (this is shown in FIG.
It can be seen that the step between the upper wall portion 54 of the front lid 5 and the front end of the upper surface of the upper half 3 is smaller.

The width of the convex portion 54a of the upper wall portion 54 of the front lid 5 does not necessarily need to be the width corresponding to the concave portion 31 (changer grip) as described above, and may be slightly smaller. Also, the width of the concave portion 31 is 1 mm to
It may be as wide as 5 mm. The width of the notch 32 provided in the upper half 3 may be any width as long as it corresponds to the protrusion 54 a of the upper wall 54 of the front lid 5.

Further, the convex portion 54 of the upper wall portion 54 of the front lid 5 is provided.
The height a (height of the protrusion) is about 0.5 mm to 3 mm, preferably about 1 mm to 2.5 mm. In this case, the notch 3 provided in the upper half 3
The depth of 2 may be determined to correspond to this. However, in consideration of the processing accuracy, a slightly deeper direction is preferable.

Further, the convex portion 54 of the upper wall portion 54 of the front lid 5 is provided.
FIG. 2 shows an example in which the entire convex portion 54a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in FIG. 2, but may have a shape like a truncated inverted pyramid with one surface inclined. In this case, if the engagement surface with the notch 32 provided in the upper half 3 is also formed as an inclined surface that becomes narrower as it goes down, there is an advantage that the engagement becomes smoother. An example is shown in FIG.

Further, the convex portion 5 of the upper wall portion 54 of the front lid 5 is provided.
The shape of the engagement surface between the notch 32 provided in the upper half 4 and the cutout 32 may be a curved surface as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to make the shape curved in the width direction (see FIG. 6). In any case, the curved surface has a cylindrical shape, which facilitates processing, but is not limited to this.

According to the above embodiment, in the magnetic tape cassette 1, the roller 15a is prevented from being caught on the front cover 5, and the magnetic tape cassette 1 receives a force for pushing and opening the front cover 5 when the magnetic tape cassette 1 is transported by the autoloader. And the magnetic tape cassette 1 can be protected from accidents such as breakage.

The above embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0029]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the detection roller of the autoloader is prevented from being caught on the front lid of the magnetic tape cassette, and the front end of the magnetic tape cassette is transported in the autoloader. It is possible to realize a magnetic tape cassette in which the lid is not subjected to a force that is deformed by being pushed open.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a magnetic tape cassette 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic tape cassette 1 shown in FIG. 1 cut along a vertical plane passing through a central portion of a concave portion 31 and along a moving direction of the magnetic tape cassette 1.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic tape cassette 1 shown in FIG. 1 cut along a vertical plane along a moving direction that does not pass through a recess 31. FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a magnetic tape cassette 1 according to another embodiment,
The magnetic tape cassette 1 passes through the central portion of the concave portion 31.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view cut along a vertical plane along the moving direction of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a magnetic tape cassette 1 according to still another embodiment, taken along a vertical plane passing through a central portion of a concave portion 31 thereof and along a moving direction of the magnetic tape cassette 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a magnetic tape cassette 1 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an autoloader.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an outline of a magnetic tape cassette detection mechanism in the autoloader.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Magnetic tape cassette 2 Case 3 Upper half 31 Depression 32 Notch part 4 Lower half 5 Front lid 51 Lid part 52 Side wall 53 Pivot support part 54 Upper wall part 54a Convex part 6 Slider 7 Gap between front lid 5 and upper half 3 10 Autoloader 15 Pressing and engaging member 15a Roller of pressing and engaging member 15

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A magnetic tape cassette which accommodates a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes and is loaded into an automatic cassette transporter which sequentially transports the cassettes by a transport mechanism, wherein the cassette is provided on an upper surface of a main body case. A concave portion is formed for engaging a positioning engagement roller and a pressing engagement member having a spring, and a front lid for opening and closing an opening for pulling out a tape is provided on the front surface of the main body case so as to be swingable. The front cover has a slider that is movable in the front-rear direction. A convex portion is formed at an upper surface position of at least a portion corresponding to the concave portion of the front cover, and a concave portion is formed on the upper surface of the main body case corresponding to the convex portion. A magnetic tape cassette having a notch.