JP2010073234A - Cartridge case and information medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cartridge case which prevents an error from occurring when loading or taking the cartridge case to or from a recording and reproducing apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The cartridge case includes: a case body 2 which includes an upper case 12 and a lower case 11 fitting in each other with the end faces of the lateral plates abutting on each other and internally contains a single tape reel, and in which a pull-out opening 2a for pulling out a magnetic tape wound on the tape reel is formed by partially notching the lateral plates 22 and 42; and a slide door 7 which is disposed at the case body 2, and opens and closes the pull-out opening 2a. On the end face of the lateral plate 22 of the lower case 11, a convex section 32 projecting toward the end face of the lateral plate 42 of the upper case 12 is formed, while both of the cases 11 and 12 fit in each other. In the end face of the lateral plate 42 of the upper case 12, a concave section 52 into which the convex section 32 is fitted while both of the cases 11 and 12 fit in each other is formed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information medium cartridge case in which a single tape reel is accommodated, and an information medium including the cartridge case.

As this type of information medium, a magnetic tape cartridge disclosed in JP-A-11-328922 is known. This magnetic tape cartridge includes a case main body constituted by upper and lower cases, and a single reel disposed inside the case main body and wound (wound) by a magnetic tape. In this case, a drawer port (opening) for drawing out the magnetic tape is provided on the side wall of the case body. A shutter that opens and closes the drawer opening is slidably disposed between the side wall and the guide wall disposed opposite to the inner surface of the side wall. When this magnetic tape cartridge is loaded into a recording / reproducing apparatus (tape drive), the receiving portion provided at the end of the shutter comes into contact with the protrusion in the tape drive and the shutter is slid. As a result, the drawer opening is opened, and the magnetic tape can be pulled out by the recording / reproducing apparatus.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-328922 (page 5-6, FIG. 1)

  However, the conventional magnetic tape cartridge has the following problems. That is, when this type of magnetic tape cartridge (for example, the magnetic tape cartridge 201 shown in FIG. 15) is loaded into the recording / reproducing apparatus, or when the magnetic tape cartridge 201 is taken out from the recording / reproducing apparatus, FIG. As shown, the contact roller 121a of the loading device is brought into contact with the side wall (for example, the side wall 242 of the upper case 212) provided with the outlet, and the other side wall facing the side wall 242 is pressed with a pressing member. In this state, the magnetic tape cartridge 201 is moved by rotating the contact roller 121a. On the other hand, in the conventional magnetic tape cartridge 201, as shown in the figure, the cases 211 and 212 are screwed with the end face of the side wall 222 of the lower case 211 and the end face of the side wall 242 of the upper case 212 abutting each other. By doing so, the case main body is configured. In this case, in the conventional magnetic tape cartridge 201, since the end surfaces of the side walls 222 and 242 of the cases 211 and 212 are generally not connected to each other, the magnetic tape cartridge 201 is pressed against the contact roller 121a by the pressing member. As a result, as shown in the figure, the side wall 242 may be relatively pressed by the contact roller 121a in contact with the side wall 242, and the side wall 242 may bend (fall down) inward. In FIG. 15, the lower case 211 is arranged on the upper side and the upper case 212 is arranged on the lower side.

  In this case, the side walls 222 and 242 provided with the outlets are less rigid than the other side walls with respect to pressing by the contact roller 121a. For this reason, in the conventional magnetic tape cartridge 201, the frictional force with the contact roller 121a is reduced due to the inward bending of the side wall 242 during loading into the recording / reproducing apparatus and removal from the recording / reproducing apparatus, The movement of the magnetic tape cartridge 201 becomes difficult, which may cause an error in the recording / reproducing apparatus. In addition, as shown in FIG. 15, the shutter 207 and the side wall 242 come into contact with each other due to the inward bending of the side wall 242, and it becomes difficult to slide the shutter 207, which may cause an error in the recording / reproducing apparatus. There is also. In this case, for example, a method of preventing the side wall 242 from being bent by connecting the end surfaces of the side walls 222 and 242 of the lower case 211 and the upper case 212 that are brought into contact with each other by fusion is also conceivable. However, in this method, the melted resin sometimes protrudes to the inside or outside of the side walls 222 and 242, and in this case, the friction of the resin protruding to the inside and the shutter 207 causes friction of the shutter 207. It is difficult to open and close, or the magnetic tape cartridge 201 is difficult to move due to the frictional resistance between the resin protruding outside and the contact roller 121a, which may cause an error in the recording / reproducing apparatus. Still exists.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and provides a cartridge case and an information medium that can prevent the occurrence of errors in loading and unloading from a recording / reproducing apparatus. Main purpose.

  In order to achieve the above object, the cartridge case according to the present invention has a main plate and a side plate erected on the outer peripheral portion of the main plate, and is an upper case that can be fitted to each other in a state where the end surfaces of the side plates are butted together. And a lower case, in which a single tape reel is housed and a drawer opening for drawing out the magnetic tape wound around the tape reel is formed by cutting out a part of the side plate And the drawer body is slidably disposed in the case main body so as to be slidable in a door accommodating portion formed by a side plate with the part cut away and a counter plate erected at a position facing the side plate of the main plate. An information medium cartridge case having a sliding door that opens and closes an end face of the side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in one of the two cases Is formed with a projecting portion projecting toward the end surface of the side plate in the other of the two cases that collide in the fitted state of the two cases, and the end surface of the side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in the other of the two cases Is formed with a concave portion into which the convex portion is fitted in the fitted state of the two cases.

  In this case, the convex portion is formed in a continuous stripe shape along the length direction of the side plate on which the convex portion is formed, and the groove shape is continuous along the length direction of the side plate on which the concave portion is formed. The concave portion can be formed.

  Further, the predetermined portion on the end surface of the side plate in which the convex portion is formed from the predetermined portion on the end surface of the side plate on which the convex portion is formed to the end portion on the drawer port side on the end surface, and the concave portion is formed. The concave portion can be formed from the end surface of the end surface to the end portion on the outlet side.

  An information medium according to the present invention includes the above cartridge case and a tape reel on which the magnetic tape is wound.

  In the cartridge case and the information medium according to the present invention, the end surface of the side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in one of the lower case and the upper case faces the end surface of the side plate in the other of the two cases that collide in the fitted state of both cases. A protruding convex portion is formed, and a concave portion into which the convex portion is fitted in the fitted state of both cases is formed on the end surface of the side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in the other of the two cases. Therefore, in the cartridge case and the information medium, in the fitted state of the lower case and the upper case, the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion, and the side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in the lower case and the door accommodating portion in the upper case are configured. The side plates to be connected are connected to each other through the convex portion and the concave portion. Therefore, according to the cartridge case and the information medium, each side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in both cases as compared with the configuration not including the convex portion and the concave portion (the cartridge case and the tape cartridge having such a configuration). As a result of sufficiently increasing the rigidity against the pressing force of the recording / reproducing apparatus, it is possible to suppress the bending of each side plate constituting the door accommodating portion when pressed by the loading roller in the recording / reproducing apparatus. Therefore, according to the cartridge case and the information medium, the frictional force between the roller of the recording / reproducing apparatus and each side plate constituting the door accommodating portion is reduced, and it becomes difficult to move the information medium. As a result of reliably preventing the sliding door from being difficult to slide due to contact between each side plate and the sliding door, there is an error in the recording / reproducing device when loading and unloading the information medium. Can be reliably prevented.

  Further, according to the cartridge case and the information medium according to the present invention, the convex portion is formed in a continuous stripe shape along the length direction of the side plate, and the concave portion is formed in a groove shape continuous along the length direction of the side plate. Thus, for example, in comparison with a configuration in which the convex portion is formed in a columnar shape and the concave portion is formed in a hole shape (the cartridge case and the tape cartridge having such a configuration), the convex portion in each side plate constituting the door accommodating portion and Since the lengths of the portions connected to each other through the recesses are long, the rigidity of each side plate against the pressing force can be further increased.

  Further, in the cartridge case and the information medium according to the present invention, a convex portion is formed from a predetermined portion on the end surface of the side plate to an end portion on the drawing port side on the end surface, and from the predetermined portion on the end surface of the side plate to the drawing port side on the end surface. A recess is formed up to the end. Therefore, according to the cartridge case and the information medium, the recording / reproducing apparatus is compared with the configuration in which the convex portion and the concave portion are not formed up to the end portion on the drawer opening side (the cartridge case and the tape cartridge having such a configuration). The bending of each side plate constituting the door housing portion when pressed by the loading roller can be further reduced.

  Hereinafter, the best mode of a cartridge case and an information medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, the configuration of a tape cartridge 1 as an example of an information medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A tape cartridge 1 shown in FIG. 1 is, as an example, a one-reel (single reel) type cartridge type information medium used for backing up data recorded in an electronic computer, as shown in FIG. The case body 2, the tape reel 3, the brake release plate 4, the lock member 5, the spring 6, the slide door 7, and the magnetic tape T wound around the tape reel 3 are configured. In this case, the cartridge case according to the present invention is constituted by the components excluding the tape reel 3 and the magnetic tape T.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the case main body 2 includes a lower case 11 and an upper case 12 that can be fitted to each other, and an internal reel housing portion 2 c that is formed when both the cases 11 and 12 are fitted. The tape reel 3 can be accommodated. The lower case 11 corresponds to one of the two cases in the present invention, and the upper case 12 corresponds to the other of the two cases in the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lower case 11 includes a main plate 21, four side plates 22 to 25, three partition plates 26 to 28, and four columnar protrusions 29, and has a shallow square shape in a plan view. It is configured. The main plate 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and a circular opening 21a for inserting a drive shaft (not shown) of the drive device 103 (see FIG. 9) in the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 is formed at the center thereof. Has been. The side plates 22 to 25 are erected on the outer peripheral portion of the main plate 21. In this case, when the lower case 11 and the upper case 12 are fitted, the side plates 22 to 25 have their respective end surfaces 22a to 25a and the respective end surfaces 42a to 45a of the side plates 42 to 45 of the upper case 12 described later. Collide.

  Further, the side plate 22 is formed with a notch 31 that constitutes a drawer opening 2a (see FIGS. 6 and 7) for pulling out the magnetic tape T wound around the tape reel 3 to the outside. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the end surface 22 a of the side plate 22 faces the end surface 42 a of the side plate 42 of the upper case 12 that abuts in the fitted state of the lower case 11 and the upper case 12 (upward in the same figure). And protruding protrusions 32 are formed. In this case, the convex portion 32 continues for a predetermined length along the length direction of the side plate 22 from a predetermined portion of the end surface 22a of the side plate 22 to an end portion of the end surface 22a on the notch 31 (drawing port 2a) side. It is formed in a streak shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 8, the convex portion 32 has a thickness that gradually decreases toward the distal end in the protruding direction (for example, the cross section is elliptical, parabolic, and rounded at the distal end). It is formed so as to have a shape such as an isosceles triangle. 6 to 8 and FIGS. 11 and 14 described later, the lower case 11 is disposed on the upper side and the upper case 12 is disposed on the lower side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the partition plates 26 to 28 are erected at portions inside the side plates 22 to 25 in the main plate 21 to partition the reel storage region 11 a that constitutes a part of the reel storage portion 2 c. Moreover, each partition plate 26-28 is mutually connected with each end surface 46a-48a in the partition plates 46-48 of the upper case 12 which each end surface 26a-28a mentions later when the lower case 11 and the upper case 12 are fitted. Match or approach. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the partition plate 26 (corresponding to the opposing plate in the present invention, hereinafter, this portion is also referred to as “opposing portion 26 b”) is located on the inner side of the side plate 22 with respect to the side plate 22. The sliding door 7 is accommodated by the facing portion 26b and a portion adjacent to the notch 31 in the side plate 22 (hereinafter, this portion is also referred to as “tip portion 22b”). A part of the door accommodating portion 2b (see FIGS. 6 and 7) is formed. Each columnar protrusion 29 is erected at four corners (or in the vicinity of the corners) of the main plate 21. Each columnar protrusion 29 is formed with a screw hole at the center for screwing the lower case 11 and the upper case 12 in the fitted state.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper case 12 includes a main plate 41, four side plates 42 to 45, three partition plates 46 to 48, and four columnar protrusions 49, and has a shallow square shape in a plan view. It is configured. The main plate 41 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and is formed with four guide protrusions 41a that restrict the rotation of the lock member 5 and hold the lock member 5 in a vertically movable manner at the center. The side plates 42 to 45 are erected on the outer peripheral portion of the main plate 41.

  Further, the side plate 42 is formed with a notch 51 that constitutes the outlet 2 a (see FIGS. 6 and 7) together with the notch 31 of the lower case 11. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a convex portion 32 formed on the end surface 22a of the side plate 22 in the lower case 11 is fitted into the end surface 42a of the side plate 42 as shown in FIG. A possible recess 52 is formed. In this case, the recess 52 is a groove that continues for a predetermined length along the length direction of the side plate 42 from a predetermined portion of the end surface 42a of the side plate 42 to an end portion of the end surface 42a on the notch 31 (drawing port 2a) side. It is formed in a shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 8, the recess 52 has a shape in which the protrusion 32 can be fitted, that is, a cross section having an elliptical shape, a parabolic shape, an isosceles triangular shape with a rounded tip, or the like. Is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the partition plates 46 to 48 are erected on the inner side of the side plates 42 to 45 in the main plate 41, and constitute a reel accommodating portion 2 c together with the reel accommodating region 11 a of the lower case 11. Section 12a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, a part of the partition plate 46 (corresponding to the opposing plate in the present invention, hereinafter, this portion is also referred to as “opposing portion 46 b”) is located on the inner side of the side plate 42 with respect to the side plate 42. A part of the door accommodating portion 2b is formed by the facing portion 46b and a portion adjacent to the notch 51 in the side plate 42 (hereinafter, this portion is referred to as the “tip portion 42b”). Is done. Each columnar protrusion 49 is erected at four corners (or in the vicinity of the corners) of the main plate 41. Each columnar protrusion 49 is formed with a screw hole at the center for screwing the lower case 11 and the upper case 12 in the fitted state.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the tape reel 3 includes a hub 61, a lower flange 62, an upper flange 63, and a metal plate 64. The hub 61 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape that is open on the upper end side and closed on the lower end side. The lower flange 62 is formed integrally with the lower end portion of the hub 61, and the upper flange 63 is attached to the upper end portion of the hub 61. The metal plate 64 is formed in a disc shape and is attached to the lower end surface of the hub 61. The tape reel 3 configured as described above is rotatably accommodated in the reel accommodating portion 2c in the case body 2 in a state where the magnetic tape T is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the hub 61 sandwiched between both flanges 62 and 63. Is done.

  The brake release plate 4 is disposed at the bottom of the hub 61 of the tape reel 3 and releases the lock of the tape reel 3 by the lock member 5. The lock member 5 is disposed between the main plate 41 of the upper case 12 and the brake release plate 4 in a state in which the lock member 5 is biased toward the bottom of the hub 61 by the spring 6, so that the tape cartridge 1 is not used. The tape reel 3 is locked in a non-rotatable state. As shown in FIG. 1, the spring 6 is configured by a coil spring, and is disposed between the upper case 12 and the lock member 5, and biases the lock member 5 toward the tape reel 3 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the slide door 7 is formed in a thin plate shape capable of closing the drawer opening 2a, and is attached by a spring 71 in a direction for closing the drawer opening 2a (direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 6). It is energized. The slide door 7 slides in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 7 against the urging force of the spring 71 when the tape cartridge 1 is loaded into the drive device 103 (see FIG. 9) of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100. It is made to open the drawer opening 2a. In this case, as shown in the figure, the slide door 7 is accommodated in the door accommodating portion 2b in a state where the drawer opening 2a is opened. Further, when the tape cartridge 1 is taken out from the drive device 103 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100, the slide door 7 is slid in the direction of the arrow A by the urging force of the spring 71 to close the drawer port 2a.

  Next, an example of a method for assembling the tape cartridge 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, each component is assembled to the lower case 11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, after the tape reel 3 around which the magnetic tape T is wound is assembled to the reel accommodating area 11 a of the lower case 11, the brake release plate 4 is assembled to the bottom of the tape reel 3. Next, the lock member 5 is assembled on the brake release plate 4, and the spring 6 is further assembled thereon.

  Next, the end surfaces 22a to 25a of the side plates 22 to 25 of the lower case 11 assembled (arranged) and the end surfaces 42a to 45a of the side plates 42 to 45 of the upper case 12 face each other, And each end surface 26a-28a in each partition plate 26-28 and each end surface 46a-48a in the partition plates 46-48 of the upper case 12 collide or adjoin each other, and the lower case 11 and the upper case 12 are attached. Fit. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the convex portion 32 formed on the side plate 22 of the lower case 11 is fitted into the concave portion 52 formed on the side plate 42 of the upper case 12. Further, the tip of the columnar protrusion 29 in the lower case 11 and the tip of the columnar protrusion 49 in the upper case 12 abut (engage).

  Subsequently, both the cases 11 and 12 are screwed by screwing fixing screws into the screw holes of the columnar protrusions 29 in the lower case 11. Thus, the assembly of the tape cartridge 1 is completed.

  Next, movement of each component when recording data on the tape cartridge 1 and reproducing data recorded on the tape cartridge 1 using the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  When the tape cartridge 1 is removed from the recording / reproducing apparatus 100, that is, when not in use, the lock member 5 is urged by the spring 6 to press the brake release plate 4 while the hub 61 of the tape reel 3 is pressed. The tape reel 3 is locked to the non-rotatable state by the lock member 5 by being moved to the bottom side. As shown in FIG. 6, the slide door 7 is urged in the direction of arrow A by a spring 71 to close the outlet 2a.

  On the other hand, when recording data on the tape cartridge 1 or reproducing data recorded on the tape cartridge 1, the tip side (side plates 24, 44 side) is the loader of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. The tape cartridge 1 is set in the magazine 101 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 so as to face the apparatus 102, and then the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 is instructed to execute data recording and reproduction. In response to this, an ejection mechanism (not shown) of the magazine 101 pushes the front end side of the tape cartridge 1 toward the loader device 102. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the contact rollers 121 a and 121 a in the loader mechanism 121 of the loader device 102 in which the leading end side of the tape cartridge 1 pushed out by the loader device 102 is located at the movement start position on the magazine 101 side. And the pressing member 122 of the loader device 102 biased by the spring 123. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, the contact rollers 121 a and 121 a are in contact with the side plate 42 of the upper case 12 in the tape cartridge 1.

  Subsequently, the contact rollers 121a and 121a rotate in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. At this time, the tape cartridge 1 is pressed against the contact rollers 121a and 121a by the pressing member 122, so that the side plate 42 is relatively pressed by the contact rollers 121a and 121a, and the friction force generated by the pressing force causes the tape cartridge. 1 is taken out (moved) from the magazine 101. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, in the tape cartridge 1, the convex portion 32 formed on the end surface 22 a of the side plate 22 in the lower case 11 is formed on the end surface 42 a of the side plate 42 in the upper case 12. The side plate 22 and the side plate 42 are connected to each other through the convex portion 32 and the concave portion 52 by being fitted into the concave portion 52. For this reason, in this tape cartridge 1, the rigidity of the side plates 22 and 42 with respect to the pressing force is enhanced as compared with a tape cartridge (magnetic tape cartridge) that does not include the convex portion 32 and the concave portion 52. Therefore, bending of the side plate 42 pressed by the contact rollers 121a and 121a is suppressed to a small extent. As a result, a situation in which an error occurs in the loader device 102 due to the frictional force between the side plate 42 and the contact rollers 121a and 121a being reduced due to the bending of the side plate 42 and the movement of the tape cartridge 1 becomes difficult. Is reliably prevented.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, when the tape cartridge 1 is moved (taken out) until the contact rollers 121a and 121a are located in the center of the side plate 42 in the length direction (left-right direction in the figure), the contact rollers 121a, 121a stops its rotation. Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the load roller mechanism 121 moves to the drive device 103 side of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 as the moving roller 121 b of the loader mechanism 121 rotates in the direction of arrow C. As a result, the tape cartridge 1 sandwiched between the pressing member 122 and the contact rollers 121a and 121a is moved to the drive device 103 side. Next, as shown in the figure, when the loader mechanism 121 is located at the movement end position on the drive device 103 side, the moving roller 121b stops its rotation.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 13, the contact rollers 121a and 121a rotate in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. At this time, the tape cartridge 1 is loaded (pushed in) into the drive device 103 by the frictional force generated between them by the pressing force of the contact rollers 121a and 121a against the side plate 42. As shown in FIG. 14, when the tape cartridge 1 is loaded into the drive device 103, the opening protrusion 131 disposed on the drive device 103 engages with the protrusion 7 a of the slide door 7. For this reason, as shown in the figure, the slide door 7 is slid in the direction of the arrow B against the biasing force of the spring 71 and accommodated in the drawer port 2a, thereby opening the drawer port 2a. .

  In this case, in the tape cartridge 1, as described above, the contact roller 121 a is formed by the presence of the convex portion 32 formed on the side plate 22 of the lower case 11 and the concave portion 52 formed on the side plate 42 of the upper case 12. , 121a, the side plate 42 being pressed is suppressed from being bent. As a result, an error occurs in the loader device 102 or the drive device 103 when the tape cartridge 1 is loaded because the sliding of the sliding door 7 becomes difficult due to the contact between the side plate 42 and the sliding door 7. Is reliably prevented.

  Next, when the drive device 103 moves the tape cartridge 1 toward the tip of the driving shaft (not shown), the brake release plate 4 is pressed by the driving shaft. At this time, the lock member 5 is pushed toward the main plate 41 side of the upper case 12 by the brake release plate 4, so that the locked state of the tape reel 3 is released. Further, the metal shaft 64 of the tape reel 3 is attracted to the tip of the driving shaft by the magnetic force, so that the driving shaft and the tape reel 3 are chucked.

  Subsequently, the drive device 103 pulls out the magnetic tape T wound around the tape reel 3 to the outside of the case body 2 from the pull-out opening 2a. Next, a tape reel (not shown) in the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 winds the magnetic tape T, and the drive shaft of the drive apparatus 103 rotates at a rotation speed corresponding to the drawing speed of the magnetic tape T. Along with this, the tape reel 3 rotates. Subsequently, the drive device 103 executes recording of data on the magnetic tape T and reproduction of data recorded on the magnetic tape T.

  On the other hand, when data recording or reproduction is completed, the drive shaft of the drive device 103 rotates in the direction of rewinding the magnetic tape T, whereby the magnetic tape T is rewound onto the tape reel 3. Next, when the rewinding of the magnetic tape T is completed, the drive device 103 separates the tape cartridge 1 from the tip of the drive shaft. At this time, the lock member 5 biased by the spring 6 is moved to the bottom side of the hub 61 while pressing the brake release plate 4, and the tape reel 3 is locked.

  Subsequently, an eject mechanism (not shown) of the drive device 103 pushes the rear end side (side plate 25, 45 side) of the tape cartridge 1 toward the loader device 102. At this time, the rear end side of the tape cartridge 1 is sandwiched between the contact rollers 121 a and 121 a of the loader mechanism 121 and the pressing member 122. Next, the contact rollers 121a and 121a rotate in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow C (see FIG. 13). At this time, the tape cartridge 1 is taken out from the drive device 103 by the frictional force between the side plate 42 and the contact rollers 121a and 121a. Further, when the tape cartridge 1 is taken out from the drive device 103, as shown in FIG. 6, the slide door 7 is slid in the direction of arrow A by the urging force of the spring 71, and the drawer port 2a is closed. .

  In this case, in the tape cartridge 1, as described above, the contact roller 121 a is formed by the presence of the convex portion 32 formed on the side plate 22 of the lower case 11 and the concave portion 52 formed on the side plate 42 of the upper case 12. , 121a, the side plate 42 being pressed is suppressed from being bent. For this reason, it is certain that an error will occur in the loader device 102 or the drive device 103 when the tape cartridge 1 is taken out due to the sliding of the slide door 7 becoming difficult due to the contact between the side plate 42 and the slide door 7. Has been prevented.

  Subsequently, when the tape cartridge 1 is moved (taken out) until the contact rollers 121a and 121a are located at the center in the length direction of the side plate 42, the contact rollers 121a and 121a stop rotating, and then As the moving roller 121b rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow C described above and the loader mechanism 121 moves to the magazine 101 side, the tape cartridge 1 is moved to the magazine 101 side. Also in this case, the side plate 42 pressed by the contact rollers 121a and 121a due to the presence of the convex portion 32 formed on the side plate 22 of the lower case 11 and the concave portion 52 formed on the side plate 42 of the upper case 12. As a result, the load force on the loader device 102 is reduced due to the frictional force between the side plate 42 and the contact rollers 121a and 121a being lowered and the movement of the tape cartridge 1 becoming difficult. Is reliably prevented.

  Subsequently, when the loader mechanism 121 is positioned at the movement start position, the moving roller 121b stops its rotation, and then the contact rollers 121a and 121a rotate in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow C described above. At this time, the tape cartridge 1 is set (pushed in) in the magazine 101 by the frictional force between the two generated by the pressing force of the contact rollers 121a and 121a against the side plate 42.

  As described above, in the cartridge case and the tape cartridge 1, the convex portion 32 protruding toward the end surface 42 a of the side plate 42 in the upper case 12 that abuts in the fitted state of the lower case 11 and the upper case 12 has the side plate in the lower case 11. A recess 52 is formed on the end surface 42 a of the side plate 42 of the upper case 12. The recess 52 is formed on the end surface 22 a of the upper case 12 and can be fitted with the protrusion 32 in the fitted state of the cases 11 and 12. Therefore, in the cartridge case and the tape cartridge 1, in the fitted state of the lower case 11 and the upper case 12, the convex portion 32 of the side plate 22 is fitted into the concave portion 52 of the side plate 42, and the distal end portion 22 b of the side plate 22 and the side plate 42. Are connected to each other through the convex portion 32 and the concave portion 52. Therefore, according to the cartridge case and the tape cartridge 1, the side plates 22 and 42 with respect to the pressing force are compared with the configuration not provided with the convex portion 32 and the concave portion 52 (the cartridge case and the tape cartridge having such a configuration). As a result of sufficiently increasing the rigidity, it is possible to suppress the bending of the side plate 42 when pressed by the contact rollers 121a and 121a of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100. Therefore, according to the cartridge case and the tape cartridge 1, the frictional force between the contact rollers 121 a and 121 a and the side plate 42 is reduced and it becomes difficult to move the tape cartridge 1, or the side plate 42 and the slide door 7 are not moved. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the sliding door 7 from being difficult to slide due to the contact. As a result, the tape cartridge 1 is loaded into the drive device 103 and the tape cartridge 1 is removed from the drive device 103. In this case, it is possible to reliably prevent an error from occurring in the drive device 103.

  Moreover, according to this cartridge case and the tape cartridge 1, the convex part 32 was formed in the streak shape which followed the length direction of the side plate 22, and the recessed part 52 was formed in the groove shape along the length direction of a side plate. Thus, for example, compared to a configuration in which the convex portion 32 is formed in a column shape and the concave portion 52 is formed in a hole shape (the cartridge case and the tape cartridge having such a configuration), the convex portion 32 and the concave portion 52 are connected to each other. Since the lengths of the distal end portion 22b and the distal end portion 42b are longer, the rigidity of the side plates 22 and 42 against the pressing force can be further increased.

  Further, in the cartridge case and the tape cartridge 1, a convex portion 32 is formed from a predetermined portion on the end surface 22a of the side plate 22 to an end portion on the drawing port 2a side on the end surface 22a, and on the end surface 42a from the predetermined portion on the end surface 42a of the side plate 42. A recess 52 is formed up to the end on the drawer opening 2a side. For this reason, according to this cartridge case and the tape cartridge 1, compared with the configuration in which the convex portion 32 and the concave portion 52 are not formed up to the end on the side of the outlet 2a (the cartridge case and the tape cartridge having such a configuration). Further, the bending of the distal end portion 22b of the side plate 22 and the distal end portion 42b of the side plate 42 when pressed by the contact rollers 121a and 121a of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 can be further reduced.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to said structure. For example, the example in which the convex portion 32 is formed on the side plate 22 of the lower case 11 and the concave portion 52 is formed on the side plate 42 of the upper case 12 has been described above, but the convex portion 32 is formed on the side plate 42 of the upper case 12 and the lower case. The structure which forms the recessed part 52 in the 11 side plates 22 is also employable. Moreover, although it mentioned above about the example which formed the convex part 32 in the streak shape which becomes thin as it goes to a front-end | tip part, the shape of the convex part 32 is not limited to this. For example, the convex portion 32 can be formed in a streak shape having a rectangular cross section in which the base end portion and the tip end portion have the same thickness. Further, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the convex portions 32 are formed in a columnar shape (a prismatic shape and a cylindrical shape), and one or a plurality of the convex portions 32 are formed on the end surface 22 a of the side plate 22. Further, the shape of the concave portion 52 can be arbitrarily changed so that the convex portion 32 having each shape described above can be fitted.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the tape cartridge 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lower case 11. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an upper case 12. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration of a side plate 22 in the lower case 11. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a configuration of a side plate 42 in the upper case 12. FIG. It is a side view of the tape cartridge 1 with which the drawer opening 2a is obstruct | occluded. It is a side view of the tape cartridge 1 with the drawer opening 2a opened. 2 is a sectional view of the tape cartridge 1 with the side plates 22 and 42 as the center. FIG. FIG. 3 is a first explanatory diagram for explaining how to use the tape cartridge 1. FIG. 6 is a second explanatory diagram for explaining a method of using the tape cartridge 1. FIG. 10 is a third explanatory diagram for explaining a method of using the tape cartridge 1. FIG. 10 is a fourth explanatory diagram for explaining a method of using the tape cartridge 1. FIG. 10 is a fifth explanatory diagram for explaining a method of using the tape cartridge 1. FIG. 10 is a sixth explanatory diagram for describing a method of using the tape cartridge 1. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional magnetic tape cartridge 201. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tape cartridge 2 Case main body 2a Drawer port 2b Door accommodating part 2c Reel accommodating part 3 Tape reel 7 Slide door 11 Lower case 12 Upper case 21 Main plate 22-25 Side plate 22a End surface 22b Front end part 26 Partition plate 26b Opposing part 31 Notch 32 Convex part 41 Main plate 42-45 Side plate 42a End face 42b Tip part 46 Partition plate 46b Opposing part 52 Concave part T Magnetic tape

Claims (4)

A main tape and a side tape erected on the outer periphery of the main plate, each of which is composed of an upper case and a lower case that can be fitted to each other in a state where the end surfaces of the side plates are butted together, and a single tape reel inside A case main body in which a drawer opening for pulling out a magnetic tape wound around the tape reel is formed by cutting out a part of the side plate, and the side plate and the main plate cut out of the part Cartridge for information medium comprising a sliding door that is slidably disposed in the case main body and that opens and closes the drawer opening in a door housing portion formed by a counter plate standing at a position facing the side plate A case,
On the end surface of the side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in one of the two cases, a convex portion is formed that protrudes toward the end surface of the side plate in the other of the two cases that abuts in the fitted state of the two cases. ,
A cartridge case in which a concave portion into which the convex portion is fitted in the fitted state of the two cases is formed on an end surface of the side plate constituting the door accommodating portion in the other of the two cases. The convex portion is formed in a streak shape that continues along the length direction of the side plate on which the convex portion is formed,
The cartridge case according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is formed in a groove shape continuous along a length direction of the side plate in which the concave portion is formed. The convex part is formed from a predetermined part on the end face of the side plate on which the convex part is formed to an end part on the drawer port side on the end face,
3. The cartridge case according to claim 2, wherein the recess is formed from a predetermined portion on the end surface of the side plate in which the recess is formed to an end of the end surface on the outlet side.   An information medium comprising the cartridge case according to claim 1 and a tape reel on which the magnetic tape is wound.

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