JP2006053963A - Tape cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tape cartridge that can contribute to thinning of a cartridge and can sufficiently cope with a high speed rotation of a tape reel.
SOLUTION: In a tape cartridge 21 to which a coil spring 58 is applied as a reel spring for urging a pair of tape reels 26 toward the lower shell 23 inside the cartridge case 24, the coil diameter of the reel spring 58 is set to the tape reel 26. The diameter of the cylindrical portion (first tubular portion) 55 that forms the drive shaft insertion hole 54 is made larger, and the lower end of the reel spring 58 is connected to the cylindrical portion 55 of the tape reel 26 and the core portion 51 (second tubular portion). ) In the annular gap 56 between the first and second).
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a tape cartridge in which a tape reel around which a tape-shaped recording medium is wound is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case. More specifically, the present invention relates to a reel spring that biases the tape reel toward a reel drive shaft and a coil spring. The present invention relates to a tape cartridge using

  In general, a tape cartridge has a configuration in which a tape reel around which a magnetic tape is wound as a tape-like recording medium is rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case formed by combining a pair of upper and lower shells. For example, a video tape recorder cartridge, a data recording cartridge, and the like are loaded into a recording / reproducing apparatus such as a video tape recorder, thereby performing a tape loading operation in which a magnetic tape is drawn from a cartridge case to a recording / reproducing unit.

  A tape reel used in this type of tape cartridge has a cylindrical core portion (hub) around which a magnetic tape is wound, and a reel drive shaft of a recording / reproducing apparatus is inserted therein. A drive shaft engagement hole is provided. The tape reel has a flange with a lower flange that is integrally formed at the lower end of the core, and an upper flange that is fixed to the upper end of the core by ultrasonic welding or heat caulking. There is a flangeless type that is configured.

  In this type of tape cartridge, the tape reel is urged toward the lower shell by a reel spring inside the cartridge case. Thereby, the movement of the tape reel inside the cartridge case is restricted by vibrations in the non-use state such as when the cartridge is transported, and the tape reel is driven in the use state when loaded into the recording / reproducing apparatus. By energizing the tape reel, the rotation position of the tape reel is maintained. The reel spring is constituted by a coil spring in addition to a leaf spring (see Patent Document 1 below).

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of a conventional tape cartridge in which the reel spring is a coil spring.

  A conventional tape cartridge 1 includes a pair of tape reels (only one side is shown in the figure) 6 in which a magnetic tape 5 is wound inside a cartridge case 4 formed by joining an upper shell 2 and a lower shell 3. Is configured to be rotatable. A drive shaft insertion hole 8 into which a reel drive shaft 7 of a recording / reproducing apparatus (not shown) is inserted is formed at the center of the lower surface of the tape reel 6, and through an opening 9 formed in the lower shell 3. The central portion of the lower surface of the tape reel 6 including the drive shaft insertion hole 8 is exposed to the outside.

  The drive shaft insertion hole 8 is formed at the inner peripheral portion of the first cylindrical portion 10 formed at the center portion of the tape reel 6, and a plurality of engagements with the reel drive shaft 7 are formed on the inner peripheral wall surface thereof. A gear portion 8a is formed so as to protrude radially inward. A second cylindrical portion 11 is provided concentrically with the first cylindrical portion 10 at a radially outward position of the first cylindrical portion 10. The second cylindrical portion 11 corresponds to the core portion (hub) of the tape reel 6, and the outer peripheral surface thereof is a winding surface of the magnetic tape 5.

  In this conventional tape cartridge 1, a reel spring 12 that biases the tape reel 6 toward the lower shell 3 (reel drive shaft 7) is formed of a coiled spring member. The coil-shaped reel spring 12 has an upper end supported on the inner surface side of the upper shell 2, and a lower end elastically contacting a reel plate 14 that closes the drive shaft insertion hole 8 of the tape reel 6 via a spring receiving member 13.

  The spring receiving member 13 is movable up and down with respect to the upper shell 2 by a predetermined distance and is in contact with the upper surface of the reel plate 14 formed in a dome shape. The contact portion between the spring receiving member 13 and the reel plate 14 forms a sliding contact when the tape reel 6 is rotated by the reel drive shaft 7. Then, the rotating posture of the tape reel 6 is held by the biasing force of the reel spring 12.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-247372 JP-A-6-267231

  In recent years, in this type of magnetic tape cartridge, the entire cartridge has been reduced in size and thickness, and the tape reel has been required to be rotated at a high speed in order to increase the access speed.

  However, in the conventional tape cartridge 1 described above, the reel spring 12 made of a coil spring is disposed above the reel plate 14 of the tape reel 6, so that the reel spring 12 is interposed between the reel plate 14 and the inner surface of the upper shell 2. There is a problem that a space for housing the cartridge case 4 is required, and this makes it impossible to further reduce the thickness of the cartridge case 4.

  Since the reel spring 12 is disposed in a limited space between the reel plate 14 and the inner surface of the upper shell 2, there is a limitation on the wire diameter and coil diameter of the coil spring constituting the reel spring 12, and the spring of the reel spring 12 is limited. It is difficult to increase power. Further, the coil diameter of the reel spring 12 cannot be made larger than the hole diameter of the drive shaft insertion hole 8 of the tape reel 6. Therefore, depending on the reel spring 12, it is difficult to obtain a stable rotation posture holding action of the tape reel 6, and it becomes difficult to sufficiently cope with the high-speed rotation of the tape reel 6.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tape cartridge that can contribute to thinning of the cartridge and can sufficiently cope with high-speed rotation of the tape reel.

  In solving the above-described problems, the tape cartridge of the present invention includes a first cylindrical portion in which a tape reel rotatably accommodated in a cartridge case has a drive shaft insertion hole therein, and the first cylindrical portion. And a second cylindrical portion that is positioned on the radially outer side and forms a core portion, and is formed between the outer peripheral portion of the first cylindrical portion and the inner peripheral portion of the second cylindrical portion. A support member that supports one end of the coiled reel spring is disposed in the gap.

  In the present invention, the coil diameter of the coiled reel spring is made larger than that of the first cylindrical part that forms the drive shaft insertion hole of the tape reel, and one end of the reel spring is connected to the first cylindrical part of the tape reel and the second cylindrical part. It is made to support by a support member in the cyclic | annular space | gap part between cylindrical parts.

  With this configuration, the tape cartridge of the present invention does not require a space for accommodating the entire length of the coiled reel spring between the upper portion of the tape reel and the inner surface of the upper wall of the cartridge case. It will be able to plan.

  In addition, since the coil diameter of the reel spring is made larger than that of the first cylindrical part, the spring force of the reel spring can be made more appropriate, and the rotation posture of the tape reel can be held more stably. Therefore, it will be possible to sufficiently cope with further higher speed rotation of the tape reel in the future.

  In the present invention, the support member is configured to support one end of the reel spring in an annular gap between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion. The support member is disposed at the upper end portion of the first cylindrical portion, and in particular, is suspended from the main body portion slidably contacting the upper end of the first cylindrical portion, and from the periphery of the main body portion toward the annular gap portion. The drooping portion and a locking portion that is formed on the periphery of the lower end of the drooping portion and supports one end of the reel spring are provided.

  As described above, according to the tape cartridge of the present invention, the first cylindrical portion having the drive shaft insertion hole and the second cylindrical portion forming the core portion are provided on the tape reel, and the first Since the support member for supporting one end of the coiled reel spring is disposed in the annular gap formed between the outer peripheral part of the cylindrical part and the inner peripheral part of the second cylindrical part, the upper part of the tape reel and the cartridge It is possible to reduce the thickness of the cartridge case by eliminating the need to secure a space for accommodating the entire length of the coiled reel spring between the upper wall inner surface of the case.

  In addition, since the coil diameter of the reel spring is made larger than that of the first cylindrical portion, the spring force of the reel spring can be made more appropriate, and thereby the tape reel rotation posture can be held more stably. It becomes possible to cope with further higher speed rotation of the tape reel in the future.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a tape cartridge 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The tape cartridge 21 of the present embodiment is a pair of tapes in which a magnetic tape 25 is wound inside a cartridge case 24 in which an upper shell 22 and a lower shell 23 are coupled to each other via a plurality of screw members 47. Each of the reels 26 and 26 is rotatably housed.

  A pair of tape drawer portions 27, 27 are formed on the left and right front portions of the lower shell 23, and a space 28 for tape loading is formed between the left and right tape drawer portions 27, 27. The magnetic tape 25 wound around the tape reel 26 is stretched between the tape guides 29 and 29 of the tape drawing portions 27 and 27 so as to cross the space portion 28.

  The magnetic tape 25 that traverses the space 28 is protected by a lid structure 30 that opens and closes the space 28. The lid structure 30 includes a front lid 31 that protects the front side of the magnetic tape 25, a back lid 32 that protects the back side of the magnetic tape 25, and a top lid 33 that covers the upper portion of the space 28. . The front lid 31 and the back lid 32 are pivotally supported with respect to the top lid 33, respectively.

  The lid structure 30 has a pair of rotating shafts 34 formed so as to protrude from both inner surface portions of the front lid 31 in support holes 35 and 35 formed in the outer peripheral portions of the tape drawing portions 27 and 27 of the lower shell 23, respectively. By being fitted, it is rotatably assembled to the front surface portion of the lower shell 23. At this time, the guide protrusions 36 at both ends of the back lid 32 engage with the guide grooves 37 formed on the inner outer peripheral wall of the tape lead-out portion 27 and guide protrusions (illustrated) formed on the inner surface portions at both ends of the top lid 33. Is substantially engaged with a guide groove 38 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall of the upper shell 22.

  In addition, lid lock members 39 and 39 are accommodated on the outer surface sides of the tape drawer portions 27 and 27 on the left and right sides of the lower shell 23, respectively. The front lid 31 is always urged to a position where the space 28 is closed by a lid spring 40, and the closing position is locked by lid lock members 39, 39. The lid lock members 39 and 39 are always urged to the position where the front lid 31 is locked by the lid lock springs 41 and 41.

  On the other hand, inside the cartridge case 24, a reel lock mechanism for restricting the rotation of the pair of tape reels 26, 26 is provided. The reel lock mechanism includes a pair of reel lock members 43 and 43 that engage with the outer peripheral edge of the tape reel (lower flange) 26, and a double torsion spring 44 that urges the reel lock members 43 and 43 to the engagement position. A reel lock slider 45 that moves the reel lock members 43 in the front-rear direction of the cartridge, and a reel lock spring 46 that biases the reel lock slider 45 forward of the cartridge.

  In addition, the contents of the information signal or control signal recorded on the magnetic tape 25 and the lamp cap 48 for closing the hole 42 into which the light source unit for detecting the end of the tape is inserted are written in the cartridge case 24. An IC substrate 49 on which a memory element is mounted and a safety tab 50 for preventing erroneous recording / erase are disposed at predetermined positions.

  Next, details of the configuration of the tape reel 26 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the tape cartridge 21, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the tape reel 26.

  Each of the pair of tape reels 26 and 26 has the same configuration, and includes a cylindrical core portion (hub) 51 serving as a winding core of the magnetic tape 25, and a lower flange 52 integrally formed at the lower end of the hub 51. The upper flange 53 is integrally joined to the upper end of the core portion 51 by ultrasonic waves or heat caulking.

  A drive shaft insertion hole 54 into which the reel drive shaft 57 of the recording / reproducing apparatus is inserted is provided on the radially inner side of the core portion 51. The drive shaft insertion hole 54 is formed in the inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical portion 55 concentric with the rotation axis of the tape reel 26 (hub portion 51), and through the opening 68 formed in the lower shell 23. A central portion of the lower surface of the tape reel 26 including the drive shaft insertion hole 54 is exposed to the outside. The cylindrical portion 55 has a bottomed cylindrical shape having a bottom portion 55a at an upper end portion, and a plurality of engaging claws 55b that engage with the reel drive shaft 57 are formed to protrude radially inward on the inner peripheral portion thereof. ing.

  The cylindrical portion 55 corresponds to the “first cylindrical portion” of the present invention. The core portion 51 corresponds to the “second cylindrical portion” of the present invention located on the radially outward side of the cylindrical portion 55 described above. The cylindrical portion 55 and the core portion 51 are formed at a predetermined distance from each other, and an annular gap portion 56 is formed between them.

  The tape reel 26 is urged toward the lower shell 23 by a reel spring 58. The reel spring 58 is made of a spring steel material and is constituted by a coil spring having a predetermined inner diameter. The coil diameter of the reel spring 58 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 55 (FIG. 2).

  The upper end of the reel spring 58 is locked to the inner wall surface of the upper shell 22, and the lower end of the reel spring 58 is supported by the sliding block 59. A groove or rib for locking the reel spring 58 can be formed on the inner wall surface of the upper shell 22 that supports the upper end of the reel spring 58, but this is not essential. The sliding block 59 is disposed at the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 55 and supports one end (lower end) side of the reel spring 58 in the annular gap portion 56. The sliding block 59 corresponds to the “support member” of the present invention.

  The sliding block 59 is formed as an injection molded body of a synthetic resin material, for example, a highly slidable material such as polyacetal (POM). The sliding block 59 includes a main body portion 60 that is in sliding contact with the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 55, a drooping portion 61 that is suspended from the periphery of the main body portion 60 toward the annular gap portion 56, and a lower end of the drooping portion 61. And a locking portion 62 formed on the periphery.

  The main body portion 60 has a disk shape, and a convex portion 63 that is in sliding contact with the upper end of the cylindrical portion 55 is provided on the lower surface side thereof. Therefore, the tape reel 26 can be rotated relative to the sliding block 59 via the convex portion 63. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the convex part 63 is not specifically limited, It can set in the range in which desired sliding resistance is obtained, such as circular arc shape, triangular shape, or trapezoid shape.

  In addition, a metal plate 64 made of an aluminum plate, a stainless steel plate, or the like is disposed on the upper surface of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 55, and the convex portion 63 is brought into sliding contact with the upper surface of the metal plate 64. . Thereby, sliding wear of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 55 is prevented, and the stable rotation posture of the tape reel 26 is maintained.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the metal plate 64 has a substantially circular shape and is disposed in the accommodating portion 65 that is recessed at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 55. A plurality of notches 67 that respectively engage with a plurality of positioning ribs 66 protruding from the periphery of the accommodating portion 65 are formed at the peripheral edge of the metal plate 64, thereby An anti-rotation action in the accommodating portion 65 is obtained and is rotated integrally with the tape reel 26.

  The metal plate 64 is not limited to a circular shape but may be a polygonal shape. In this case, if the shape of the accommodating portion 65 is also a shape corresponding to the metal plate, a detent action of the metal plate on the accommodating portion is automatically obtained.

  On the other hand, on the upper surface side of the main body 60, there is an engagement rib 70 (FIGS. 2 and 3) that engages with a rotation restricting rib 69 (FIG. 2) provided on the inner wall surface of the upper shell 22 facing the main body portion 60. Is provided. In the present embodiment, the engagement rib 70 has a substantially cross shape and can be moved up and down by a predetermined distance in the engagement state with the rotation restricting rib 69, but relative movement is prohibited in the rotation direction. ing. Thereby, the rotation of the sliding block 59 during the rotation operation of the tape reel 26 is prohibited.

  The hanging part 61 of the sliding block 49 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the upper peripheral surface of the cylindrical part 55, and is concentric with the cylindrical part 55 from the periphery of the main body part 60 toward the inside of the gap part 56. It is suspended to the height position. A constant gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the hanging portion 61 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 55, and interference between the hanging portion 61 and the cylindrical portion 55 is prevented when the tape reel 26 rotates. Has been.

  In the present embodiment, the drooping portion 61 is formed in a continuous cylindrical shape with respect to the circumferential direction of the main body portion 60, but is not limited thereto, and a range in which the desired strength of the sliding block 59 is ensured. The hanging part 61 may be intermittently formed in the circumferential direction of the main body part 60.

  The locking portion 62 is formed to project from the lower end of the hanging portion 61 toward the core portion 51, and supports the lower end of the reel spring 58 inside the gap portion 56. The protruding end of the locking portion 62 forms a certain gap between the inner peripheral surface of the core portion 51 and prevents interference between the locking portion 62 and the core portion 51 when the tape reel 26 rotates. To do.

  In addition, in this Embodiment, although the latching | locking part 62 is continuously formed in the lower end circumferential direction of the hanging part 61, it is not restricted to this, The range by which the intended intensity | strength of the latching | locking part 62 is ensured. In this case, the locking part 62 may be formed intermittently in the circumferential direction of the hanging part 61.

  In the tape cartridge 21 of the present embodiment configured as described above, when not in use, the pair of tape reels 26 and 26 within the cartridge case 24 receive the urging force of the reel springs 58 and 58, respectively. Pressed by the inner surface side of the shell 23, the openings 68 and 68 are closed by the lower surfaces of the tape reels 26 and 26. As a result, movement of the tape reels 26 and 26 at the time of conveyance or the like is restricted, and entry of foreign matter into the cartridge case 24 through the opening 68 is avoided.

  On the other hand, when the tape cartridge 21 is loaded into a recording / reproducing apparatus (not shown), the lid lock members 43 and 43 are operated to open the lid structure 30 and the reel lock slider 45 is moved to the back side of the cartridge. This releases the reel lock function. A pair of reel drive shafts 57 and 57 are inserted into the drive shaft insertion holes 54 and 54 of the tape reels 26 and 26 through the openings 68 and 68, respectively, and resist the biasing force of the reel springs 58 and 58, The tape reels 26 and 26 are lifted up to a substantially central portion of the cartridge case 24 in the thickness direction. Through the above operation, the magnetic tape 25 is loaded into the recording / reproducing apparatus through the space 28.

  During the tape fast-forward operation or rewinding operation associated with recording / reproduction of the magnetic tape 25, the tape reels 26 and 26 are rotated by driving the reel drive shafts 57 and 57. In the rotation operation of the tape reels 26 and 26, each tape reel 26 receives the urging force of the reel spring 58 and is pressed against the reel drive shaft 57 side to maintain the rotation posture. Each tape reel 26 rotates relative to the sliding block 59 via its sliding contact (sliding contact portion between the convex portion 63 and the metal plate 64).

  According to the present embodiment, the coil diameter of the coiled reel spring 58 is made larger than that of the cylindrical part 55 that forms the drive shaft insertion hole 54 of the tape reel 26, and the lower end of the reel spring 58 is connected to the cylindrical part 55. In the annular space portion 56 between the tape reel 26 and the core portion 51, the reel spring 58 is supported between the upper portion of the tape reel 26 and the inner surface of the upper wall of the cartridge case 24. It is no longer necessary to secure a space for accommodation, and the cartridge case 24 can be made thinner. Further, the drive shaft insertion hole 54 can be formed deeper, and the engaging force with the reel drive shaft 57 can be increased.

  In addition, since the coil diameter of the reel spring 58 is made larger than that of the cylindrical portion 55, the degree of freedom in designing the reel spring 58, such as the wire diameter and coil diameter, can be increased as compared with the related art. As a result, it becomes easy to optimize the spring force of the reel spring 58, so that the holding operation of the rotation posture of the tape reel 26 can be performed more stably, and the tape reel 26 can be sufficiently rotated at a high speed. Will be able to.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the substantially disc-shaped metal plate 64 is provided between the sliding block 59 as a support member that supports the lower end of the reel spring 58 and the cylindrical portion 55 that forms the drive shaft insertion hole 54. The convex portion 63 of the sliding block 59 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the metal plate 64 to constitute a sliding contact portion between the cylindrical portion 55 and the sliding block 59. The same effect can be obtained by forming the metal plate 64 in a dome shape that protrudes upward instead of forming the convex portion 63 and bringing the lower surface of the main body portion 60 of the sliding block 59 into contact with the top. Can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the description has been given by taking the double reel type tape cartridge having a pair of tape reels 26 as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a single reel type tape cartridge. .

  Further, in the above embodiment, the sliding block 59 is configured as a support member that supports the lower end of the reel spring 58 formed of a coil spring. Instead, the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion (cylindrical portion 55). It is also possible to form an annular protrusion so as to protrude into the gap 56 and to support the reel spring 58 with the upper shell 22 via a bearing disposed on the upper surface of the protrusion.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the tape cartridge 21 by embodiment of this invention. 3 is a side sectional view of the tape cartridge 21. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the tape reel 26. FIG. It is a sectional side view of the conventional tape cartridge.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Tape cartridge, 22 ... Upper shell, 23 ... Lower shell, 24 ... Cartridge case, 25 ... Magnetic tape, 26 ... Tape reel, 51 ... Core part (2nd cylindrical part), 52 ... Lower flange, 53 ... Upper flange, 54 ... drive shaft insertion hole, 55 ... cylindrical portion (first cylindrical portion), 56 ... annular gap portion, 58 ... reel spring, 59 ... sliding block (support member), 60 ... main body portion, 61 ... hanging part, 62 ... locking part, 63 ... convex part, 64 ... metal plate, 65 ... accommodating part, 70 ... engaging rib.

Claims (4)

A tape reel having a core portion around which a tape-shaped recording medium is wound, a cartridge case that rotatably accommodates the tape reel, and a drive that is formed on the lower surface of the tape reel and into which a reel drive shaft of a recording / reproducing apparatus is inserted In a tape cartridge comprising: a shaft insertion hole; and a coil-shaped reel spring disposed between the tape reel and the inner surface of the upper wall of the cartridge case for biasing the tape reel toward the reel drive shaft.
The tape reel includes a first cylindrical portion having the drive shaft insertion hole therein, and a second cylindrical portion that is located on the radially outer side than the first cylindrical portion and forms the core portion. And
A support member that supports one end of the reel spring is disposed in an annular gap formed between the outer peripheral portion of the first cylindrical portion and the inner peripheral portion of the second cylindrical portion. A featured tape cartridge. The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the support member is disposed at an upper end portion of the first cylindrical portion. The support member includes a main body portion that is in sliding contact with the upper end portion of the first cylindrical portion, a hanging portion that is suspended from the periphery of the main body portion toward the annular gap portion, and a lower end periphery of the hanging portion. The tape cartridge according to claim 2, further comprising a locking portion that is formed and supports one end of the reel spring. The tape cartridge according to claim 3, wherein a metal plate that is in sliding contact with the main body portion is disposed at an upper end portion of the first cylindrical portion.

Images