US3712559A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tape cassette and improvements therefor
Assignee: INFORMATION TERMINALS CORP
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Filing: 1969-11-05
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Granted: 1973-01-23
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Expires: 1989-11-05
Abstract
Abstract A tape cassette having improvements including a hub having means for securely adapting a tape leader thereto, a slip sheet for assuring uniformity of the winding of a tape pack on a hub, an idler post having anti-friction means on its outer periphery, means for distinguishing a pair of tape hubs in a tape cassette, and identification means on the cassette to provide an interlock structure when the cassette is used with a transport apparatus. The improvements are especially adapted for use with a Phillips type cassette and are utilized without changing the standards established for such a cassette.
Inventors
- 👤 V Schwartz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:48
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B23/00; G11B23/02; G11B23/04; G11B23/08; G11B23/087
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
333 words
A tape cassette comprising: a housing including a pair of spaced sidewalls defining a tape-receiving space therebetween, each sidewall having a generally planar inner surface and a pair of spaced openings therethrough; a pair of spaced hubs rotatably mounted within the housing in alignment with respective openings and adapted to receive a flexible tape in wrapped relationship on the outer peripheries thereof to form respective tape packs thereon with an intermediate stretch of the tape extending between the tape packs, each hub having means on its outer periphery for coupling a corresponding end of the tape thereto; and a pair of slip sheets within the housing, the major portion of each slip sheet being generally planar, one face of said major portion normally engaging the inner surface of a respective sidewall, each slip sheet having a pair of holes therethrough with the holes being axially aligned with the axes of respective hubs, each slip sheet having a group of resilient, hollow ribs for each hole, respectively, the ribs of each slip sheet projecting laterally from the opposite face of said major portion and disposed in alignment with, spaced from and normally out of contact with respective portions of the inner surface of the respective sidewall, whereby the ribs extend into and can flex relative to said space for yieldably engaging respective tape packs therein at circumferentially spaced locations on said tape packs, each rib having a width less than the diameter of the corresponding hub, each slip sheet having a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed end edges, each end edge being adjacent to and spaced outwardly from a respective hole, only one of the ribs of each group extending from a respective hole to the adjacent end edge, the remaining ribs of each group extending from the respective hole to respective side edges of the slip sheet with at least a pair of the remaining ribs of each group being substantially radial with respect to the corresponding hole.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
333 words
A tape cassette comprising: a housing including a pair of spaced sidewalls defining a tape-receiving space therebetween, each sidewall having a generally planar inner surface and a pair of spaced openings therethrough; a pair of spaced hubs rotatably mounted within the housing in alignment with respective openings and adapted to receive a flexible tape in wrapped relationship on the outer peripheries thereof to form respective tape packs thereon with an intermediate stretch of the tape extending between the tape packs, each hub having means on its outer periphery for coupling a corresponding end of the tape thereto; and a pair of slip sheets within the housing, the major portion of each slip sheet being generally planar, one face of said major portion normally engaging the inner surface of a respective sidewall, each slip sheet having a pair of holes therethrough with the holes being axially aligned with the axes of respective hubs, each slip sheet having a group of resilient, hollow ribs for each hole, respectively, the ribs of each slip sheet projecting laterally from the opposite face of said major portion and disposed in alignment with, spaced from and normally out of contact with respective portions of the inner surface of the respective sidewall, whereby the ribs extend into and can flex relative to said space for yieldably engaging respective tape packs therein at circumferentially spaced locations on said tape packs, each rib having a width less than the diameter of the corresponding hub, each slip sheet having a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed end edges, each end edge being adjacent to and spaced outwardly from a respective hole, only one of the ribs of each group extending from a respective hole to the adjacent end edge, the remaining ribs of each group extending from the respective hole to respective side edges of the slip sheet with at least a pair of the remaining ribs of each group being substantially radial with respect to the corresponding hole.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ribs of one of the slip sheets are in substantial alignment with the corresponding ribs of the other slip sheet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A tape cassette as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one rib is substantially parallel to a diametral center line of the respective hole.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
254 words
An anti-friction device for a tape cassette of the type having guide means and a pair of sidewalls with each sidewall having a generally planar, protuberance-free inner surface comprising: a generally planar slip sheet having a pair of spaced holes therethrough and adapted to be inserted into an operative position in the tape-receiving space of the tape cassette on one side of a tape pack therein with the major portion of one face of the slip sheet being in engagement with the inner surface of a respective sidewall of the cassette, said slip sheet having a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed end edges, each end edge being adjacent to and spaced outwardly from a respective hole, said slip sheet having a group of resilient, hollow ribs for each hole, respectively, each rib having a width less than the diameter of its corresponding hole, said ribs projecting laterally from the opposite face of said slip sheet, whereby the ribs extend into said space for yieldably engaging said tape pack at circumferentially spaced locations thereon when the slip sheet is in said operative position, only one of the ribs of each hole extending between the latter and the adjacent end edge of the slip sheet, the remaining ribs of each group extending between the hole and respective side edges of the slip sheet, said one rib being the only rib engaging the tape between the tape pack and guide means as the tape enters onto or exits from the tape pack.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
254 words
An anti-friction device for a tape cassette of the type having guide means and a pair of sidewalls with each sidewall having a generally planar, protuberance-free inner surface comprising: a generally planar slip sheet having a pair of spaced holes therethrough and adapted to be inserted into an operative position in the tape-receiving space of the tape cassette on one side of a tape pack therein with the major portion of one face of the slip sheet being in engagement with the inner surface of a respective sidewall of the cassette, said slip sheet having a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed end edges, each end edge being adjacent to and spaced outwardly from a respective hole, said slip sheet having a group of resilient, hollow ribs for each hole, respectively, each rib having a width less than the diameter of its corresponding hole, said ribs projecting laterally from the opposite face of said slip sheet, whereby the ribs extend into said space for yieldably engaging said tape pack at circumferentially spaced locations thereon when the slip sheet is in said operative position, only one of the ribs of each hole extending between the latter and the adjacent end edge of the slip sheet, the remaining ribs of each group extending between the hole and respective side edges of the slip sheet, said one rib being the only rib engaging the tape between the tape pack and guide means as the tape enters onto or exits from the tape pack.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
In a tape cassette as set forth in Claim 4, wherein at least a pair of said remaining ribs are substantially radial with respect to the respective hole.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
An anti-friction device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said one rib is substantially parallel to a diametral center line of the respective hole.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
An anti-friction device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said ribs are integral with said sheet, the inner surface of each rib being a continuation of said one face of said slip sheet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of said groups includes three ribs, each of said remaining ribs extending to a respective side edge of the slip sheet, said remaining ribs of each group being substantially radial with respect to the corresponding hole, said one rib of each group being substantially parallel to a diametral center line of the adjacent hole.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
316 words
A tape cassette comprising: a housing including a pair of spaced sidewalls defining a tape-receiving space therebetween, each sidewall having a pair of spaced openings therethrough; a pair of spaced, rotatable hubs within the housing in alignment with respective openings and adapted to receive a flexible tape in wrapped relationship on the outer peripheries thereof to form respective tape packs thereon with an inter-mediate stretch of the tape extending between the tape packs; and a pair of slip sheets within the housing, each sheet being between the hubs and a respective sidewall, the major portion of each slip sheet being generally planar, one face of the slip sheet being normally in engagement with the inner surface of the adjacent sidewall, each slip sheet being provided with a pair of opposed side edges, a pair of opposed end edges, and a pair of holes therethrough with the holes being axially aligned with the axes of respective hubs, there being an end edge adjacent to and spaced outwardly from each hole, respectively, each slip sheet having a group of resilient, hollow ribs for each hole, respectively, the ribs projecting laterally from the opposite face of the slip sheet and into the space occupied by the hubs for yieldably engaging respective tape packs at circumferentially spaced locations thereon, only one of the ribs of each group extending from a respective hole to the adjacent end edge of the slip sheet, the remaining ribs of each group extending from the corresponding hole to respective side edges of the slip sheet, each rib having a width less than the diameter of each hub, each sidewall having a generally flat inner surface portion aligned with each rib of the adjacent slip sheet, each rib being spaced inwardly from and normally out of contact with the corresponding inner surface portion and being free to flex relative thereto toward and away from the same.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
316 words
A tape cassette comprising: a housing including a pair of spaced sidewalls defining a tape-receiving space therebetween, each sidewall having a pair of spaced openings therethrough; a pair of spaced, rotatable hubs within the housing in alignment with respective openings and adapted to receive a flexible tape in wrapped relationship on the outer peripheries thereof to form respective tape packs thereon with an inter-mediate stretch of the tape extending between the tape packs; and a pair of slip sheets within the housing, each sheet being between the hubs and a respective sidewall, the major portion of each slip sheet being generally planar, one face of the slip sheet being normally in engagement with the inner surface of the adjacent sidewall, each slip sheet being provided with a pair of opposed side edges, a pair of opposed end edges, and a pair of holes therethrough with the holes being axially aligned with the axes of respective hubs, there being an end edge adjacent to and spaced outwardly from each hole, respectively, each slip sheet having a group of resilient, hollow ribs for each hole, respectively, the ribs projecting laterally from the opposite face of the slip sheet and into the space occupied by the hubs for yieldably engaging respective tape packs at circumferentially spaced locations thereon, only one of the ribs of each group extending from a respective hole to the adjacent end edge of the slip sheet, the remaining ribs of each group extending from the corresponding hole to respective side edges of the slip sheet, each rib having a width less than the diameter of each hub, each sidewall having a generally flat inner surface portion aligned with each rib of the adjacent slip sheet, each rib being spaced inwardly from and normally out of contact with the corresponding inner surface portion and being free to flex relative thereto toward and away from the same.
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) | 1976-01-23 | 1976-07-24 | 1977-01-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-23 | 1980-07-24 | 1981-01-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-23 | 1984-07-24 | 1985-01-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |