Electrostatic-free tape cassette

Claim 2

In a standard magnetic tape cartridge of the type having two coplanar hubs supported for independent rotation in a case having means for defining a tape path from a coil around one hub past apertures along an end wall of said case to a coil around the other hub, said path defining means including at least one pin against which one side of the tape is continually in contact, the improvement comprising means for rendering said pin conductive on at least that portion of its outer surface in contact with said tape; contact means for continually maintaining an electrical contact with the other side of said tape opposite said one side; and means for providing a low impedance current path between the conductive part of said pin and said contact means.

Claim 3

The improvement as defined in claim 1 having two pins in said path defining means at opposite ends of said end wall, and means for rendering the second pin conductive on at least that portion of its outer surface in contact with said tape, and wherein said contact means comprises a conductive band of resilient material supported as a leaf spring between said two pins, said band being sufficiently longer than a straight line distance between said two pins and arched in a direction toward said two coils of tape with a portion of said band bearing at all times against said other side of said tape on the outside of at least one of said coils of tape.

Claim 4

The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for rendering each of said two pins conductive comprises said material of said conductive band wrapped around each of said two pins through at least that portion in contact with said tape.

Claim 5

The improvement as defined in claim 3 wherein said resilient material of said conductive band comprises a double length of polyester film coated with a thin film of conductive material on at least one side and looped once around both of said two pins with the thin film of conductive material on the outside, and adhesive means for cementing together the inside surfaces of the polyester film loop between said two pins.

Claim 6

The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said contact means comprises a spring made of conductive resilient material supported in said case in a position between said coils of tape to bear at all times against said other side of said tape on the outside of both of said two coils of tape.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 5 wherein said spring is U-shaped and is supported with its two arms extending between said coils, each arm bearing against said other side of said tape on the outside of a different one of said two coils and wherein said spring is held in place by a holding pin secured to said case in a position between said two arms, said holding pin being in contact with the inside of said spring between said two arms, and a backing element secured to said case in a position close to said holding pin, said element having a surface against which the outside surface of said spring between said two arms may bear, whereby the position of that portion of said spring between said two arms will adjust as tape is transferred from one hub to the other.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 6 wherein said spring is O-shaped and supported between said two hubs by a holding pin secured to said case in a position offset from a line between said two hubs with sides of said O-shaped spring in contact with both of said two coils, said holdiNg pin being in contact with the inside of said O-shaped spring, and a backing element secured to said case in a position close to said holding pin, said element having a surface against which the outside surface of said O-shaped spring may bear, whereby the position of said O-shaped spring will adjust as tape is transferred from one hub to the other.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 7 including a retaining pin parallel to said holding pin secured to said case in a position offset from a line between said two hubs in a direction opposite the offset of said holding pin, said position being inside said O-shaped spring.

Claim 10

The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said tape path defining means comprises at least one pulley secured to said case, said one pulley being secured in a position on one side of said one pin remote from said apertured end wall to guide tape passing over said given pin to and from a coil of tape on a hub, said one pulley and said one side against which said one pin is in contact being on the outside of said two coils with some deflection of said given path at said one pin, and said contact means comprises at least one other pin secured to said case and means for rendering said other pin conductive.

Claim 11

In combination: a tape cartridge case having apertures along an end wall thereof; two hubs supported by said case for rotation in common plane within said case; a supply of tape having two opposing flat surfaces and two ends, one end secured to each of said two hubs, said tape being wound in a coil around at least one of said two hubs with one flat surface of said tape in a given turn of a coil overlaying the opposing flat surface of said tape in a preceding turn of the same coil; means secured to said case for defining a tape path for reversibly transferring tape past said apertures along said end wall of said case from one coil around one of said two hubs to a second coil around the other of said two hubs; first conductive means within said case secured to said case and in continual contact with one of said two flat surfaces of said tape in said path between said two coils for conducting electrical current; second conductive means within said case and in continual contact with the other of said two flat surfaces of said tape for conducting electrical current; and means for providing electrical continuity between said first and second conductive means, whereby any static change produced on said two surfaces of said tape upon transferring tape from a coil around one of said two hubs to a coil around the other of said two hubs is discharged.

Claim 12

In combination: a tape cartridge case having apertures along an end wall thereof; two hubs supported by said case for rotation in common plane within said case; a supply of tape having two opposing flat surfaces and two ends, one end secured to each of said two hubs, said tape being wound in a coil around at least one of said two hubs with one flat surface of said tape in a given turn of a coil overlaying the opposing flat surface of said tape in a preceding turn of the same coil; means secured to said case for defining a tape path for reversibly transferring tape past said apertures along said end wall of said case from one coil around one of said two hubs to a second coil around the other of said two hubs; first conductive means within said case secured to said case and in continual contact with one of said two flat surfaces of said tape in said path between said two coils for conducting electrical current; second conductive means within said case and in continual contact with the other of said two flat surfaces of said tape for conducting electrical current; and means for providing electrical continuity between said first and second conductive means, whereby any static change produced on said two surfaces of said tape upon transferring tape from a coil around one of said two hubs to a coil around the other of said two hubs is discharged.