US3666203A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tape cassette
Assignee: Olympus Corp
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Filing: 1970-04-15
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Granted: 1972-05-30
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Expires: 1990-04-15
Abstract
Abstract The two guide rollers which guide tape in a cassette along the narrow, apertured front wall of its casing are of conductive material and conductively connected with contacts accessible from outside the cassette. When the cassette is installed on a recorder, the contacts are engaged by corresponding contact elements in the control circuit of the recorder. A conductive coating on each end of the tape in the cassette is long enough to bridge the distance between the two guide rollers and thereby to close a circuit in the recorder which arrests the drive in the recorder for the tape reels in the cassette. Each tape end is secured to a reel in the cassette by means of a locking plate releasably engaging a circumferential recess in the drum portion of the reel, the film end being clamped between the plate and the body of the drum portion. Friction between the reels and the top and/or bottom plates of the cassette is reduced by a creased liner sheet whose crease forms a straight narrow ridge radial relative to the reel axis and resiliently engaging the reel. The recorded material may be indicated on a sheet of paper, plastic, or metal releasably retained on an outer surface of the top or bottom wall.
Inventors
- 👤 Masaaki Sato
- 👤 Shoichi Saito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 05:57
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B23/00; G11B23/02; G11B23/04; G11B23/08; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S242/00; Y10S242/906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite top and bottom walls and an elongated front wall connecting said top and bottom walls and provided with a plurality of longitudinally offset openings for receiving respective operating elements of an associated tape recorder when the cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in said casing and adapted to be driven by the associated tape recorder, and guide means for guiding a tape from one of the reels to the other reel in a path extending along said front wall and past said openings for cooperation with said elements, the improvement in the guide means which comprises: a. two shafts secured in said casing adjacent respective longitudinal end portions of said front wall, said shafts having respective axes extending between said top and bottom walls; b. a roller having aN electrically conductive outer surface portion mounted on each shaft for rotation about the axis of the corresponding shaft; c. two contacts on said casing respectively adjacent said rollers and accessible from outside the cassette; and d. conductive means respectively connecting said contacts to said outer surface portions, whereby a circuit is closed between said contacts when a length of conductive tape simultaneously engages the outer surface portions of said rollers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
222 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite top and bottom walls and an elongated front wall connecting said top and bottom walls and provided with a plurality of longitudinally offset openings for receiving respective operating elements of an associated tape recorder when the cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in said casing and adapted to be driven by the associated tape recorder, and guide means for guiding a tape from one of the reels to the other reel in a path extending along said front wall and past said openings for cooperation with said elements, the improvement in the guide means which comprises: a. two shafts secured in said casing adjacent respective longitudinal end portions of said front wall, said shafts having respective axes extending between said top and bottom walls; b. a roller having aN electrically conductive outer surface portion mounted on each shaft for rotation about the axis of the corresponding shaft; c. two contacts on said casing respectively adjacent said rollers and accessible from outside the cassette; and d. conductive means respectively connecting said contacts to said outer surface portions, whereby a circuit is closed between said contacts when a length of conductive tape simultaneously engages the outer surface portions of said rollers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, an axially terminal portion of each of said shafts being received in an opening extending through one of said top and bottom walls, the portion of said top or bottom wall bounding said opening consisting of insulating material,said shafts and said rollers essentially consisting of electrically conductive material, said terminal portions respectively constituting said two contacts, and respective parts of said shafts and of said rollers conductively interposed between said terminal parts and said surface portions constituting said conductive means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, at least one of said top and bottom walls consisting of electrically insulating material and being integral with said shafts, a sleeve member of conducting material coaxially interposed between each shaft and the associated roller, said roller essentially consisting of electrically conductive material, said wall of insulating material being formed with two openings therethrough, and two conductive members having respective first portions received in said openings and constituting said contact, and respective second portions conductively connected to said sleeve members, said second portions and said sleeve members constituting said conductive means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 3, means securing said sleeve member against rotation about said axis, the associated roller being rotatably mounted on said sleeve member, and said second portion conductively engaging said sleeve member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
148 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, the further improvement in at least one of said reels, which comprises said one reel including a drum portion having an axis, defining a substantially cylindrically arcuate, outer, tape-engaging face about said axis, and being formed with a recess therein having a bottom wall offset from said tape-engaging face in a radially inward direction and two circumferentially spaced end walls connecting said bottom wall with said face, said end walls being each formed with an axially elongated groove open toward said recess,a tape locking member having two end portions shaped and spaced from each other for being simultaneously received in said grooves with sufficient clearance for clamping an end portion of said tape in each groove, and securing means on said drum portion for axially securing said locking plate when said end portions are received in said grooves.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 5, said retaining means including a radial projection on said drum portion mating a recess in said locking member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 6, said locking member having an outer face located substantially in the cylindrical surface defined by said tape-engaging face when said end portions of the locking member are received in said grooves.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, wherein said top wall and said bottom wall are substantially rectangular, the further improvement which comprises sheet retaining means for releasably retaining a piece of sheet material on an outer face of said casing on one of said top and bottom walls,and a piece of sheet material releasably retained by said sheet retaining means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 8, said sheet material being paper, plastic, or metal, and having an exposed mat surface of plastic or metal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 8, said one of said top and bottom walls being formed with a plurality of spAced openings flaring inward of said casing, and respective integral tong portions of said piece being received in said openings and constituting said sheet retaining means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 8, said sheet retaining means defining a plurality of receptacles located in spaced relationship on said outer face, each receptacle being closed in a direction transverse to said outer face and open in a direction toward another one of said receptacles.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, which includes a resilient liner sheet interposed in said casing between one of said top and bottom walls and at least one of said reels, the further improvement which comprises said liner sheet being formed with a crease therein constituting a raised ridge on one face of said sheet, said ridge engaging said one reel under resilient pressure.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in claim 12, which further includes means securing said one reel for rotation about an axis thereof in said casing, said ridge extending along a straight line contiguously transverse to said axis of the one reel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
250 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite top and bottom walls and a front wall connecting said top and bottom walls and provided with a plurality of openings for receiving respective operating elements of an associated tape recorder when the cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in said casing and adapted to be driven by the associated tape recorder, securing means for securing respective terminal portions of a tape to the reels of said pair, and guide means for guiding a tape from one of the reels to the other reel in a path extending along said front wall, at least one of said reels including a drum portion having an axis and defining a substantially cylindrically arcuate,outer,tape-engaging face about said axis, the improvement which comprises said drum portion being formed with a recess therein having a bottom wall offset from said tape-engaging face in a radially inward direction and two circumferentially spaced end walls connecting said bottom wall with said face, said end walls being each formed with an axially elongated groove open toward said recess, a tape locking member having two end portions shaped and spaced from each other for being simultaneously received in said grooves with sufficient clearance for clamping an end portion of said tape in each groove, and securing means on said drum portion for axially securing said locking plate when said end portions are received in said grooves.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
250 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite top and bottom walls and a front wall connecting said top and bottom walls and provided with a plurality of openings for receiving respective operating elements of an associated tape recorder when the cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in said casing and adapted to be driven by the associated tape recorder, securing means for securing respective terminal portions of a tape to the reels of said pair, and guide means for guiding a tape from one of the reels to the other reel in a path extending along said front wall, at least one of said reels including a drum portion having an axis and defining a substantially cylindrically arcuate,outer,tape-engaging face about said axis, the improvement which comprises said drum portion being formed with a recess therein having a bottom wall offset from said tape-engaging face in a radially inward direction and two circumferentially spaced end walls connecting said bottom wall with said face, said end walls being each formed with an axially elongated groove open toward said recess, a tape locking member having two end portions shaped and spaced from each other for being simultaneously received in said grooves with sufficient clearance for clamping an end portion of said tape in each groove, and securing means on said drum portion for axially securing said locking plate when said end portions are received in said grooves.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
108 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite, approximately rectangular top and bottom walls and a front wall provided with a plurality of openings, a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in said casing, and guide means for guiding a tape from one of the reels to the other reel in a path extending along said front wall, the improvement which comprises sheet retaining means for releasably retaining a piece of sheet material on an outer face of said casing on one of said top and bottom walls, and a piece of sheet material releasably retained by said sheet retaining means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
108 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite, approximately rectangular top and bottom walls and a front wall provided with a plurality of openings, a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in said casing, and guide means for guiding a tape from one of the reels to the other reel in a path extending along said front wall, the improvement which comprises sheet retaining means for releasably retaining a piece of sheet material on an outer face of said casing on one of said top and bottom walls, and a piece of sheet material releasably retained by said sheet retaining means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
131 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite top and bottom walls and a front wall connecting said top and bottom walls and provided with a plurality of openings for receiving respective operating elements of an associated tape recorder when the cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, a pair of tape reels mounted in said casing for rotation about respective axes and adapted to be driven by said associated tape recorder, the improvement which comprises a creased, resilient liner sheet interposed in simultaneous engagement with one of said top and bottom walls and one of said tape reels, the crease in said liner sheet constituting a raised ridge in one face of said sheet, said ridge engaging said one reel under resilient pRessure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
131 words
In a tape cassette for a tape recorder, said cassette including a casing having opposite top and bottom walls and a front wall connecting said top and bottom walls and provided with a plurality of openings for receiving respective operating elements of an associated tape recorder when the cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, a pair of tape reels mounted in said casing for rotation about respective axes and adapted to be driven by said associated tape recorder, the improvement which comprises a creased, resilient liner sheet interposed in simultaneous engagement with one of said top and bottom walls and one of said tape reels, the crease in said liner sheet constituting a raised ridge in one face of said sheet, said ridge engaging said one reel under resilient pRessure.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-30 | 1975-11-29 | 1976-05-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-30 | 1979-11-29 | 1980-05-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-30 | 1983-11-29 | 1984-05-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |