Magnetic disk cartridge with erasure-preventing device

Claim 2

In a magnetic disk cartridge (1) of the type which comprises a cassette (2) having a cover (4,5) and a recording medium (3) mounted therein, said cassette (2) being structurally adapted to cooperate with a data recording and reproducing apparatus for recording data upon said recording medium (3) and reproducing data recorded upon said recorded medium (3), said cassette and said apparatus further cooperating to permit data to be recorded on said recording medium (3) when said cassette (2) is in a write-enable state and inhibiting recording of data on said recording medium (3) when said cassette (2) is in a write-inhibited state, characterized in a disk state indicator means (21) including an opening (22) formed in said cassette cover (4,5) for receiving at least a portion of a means for detecting the recordable state of said recording medium (3); sliding means (35) cooperating with said disk state indicator means (21) for selectively covering and uncovering said opening (34) to permit and inhibit respectively said opening (22) from receiving said portion of said detecting means in said opening; and means provided as a portion of said cassette cover for retaining said sliding means (35) in a sliding relationship within said opening (22).

Claim 3

The improvement as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said cassette cover (4,5) comprises a first component and a second component secured together to constitute said cover (4,5), one (5) of said components integrally defining said retaining means so that said sliding means (35) is retained on said one component (5) prior to securing said one component (5) to said second component (4).

Claim 4

A magnetic disk cartridge characterized in a cartridge casing (2) including first and second components (4,5) separately formed and assembled together to form said cartridge casing (2); a magnetic disk (3) rotatably housed within an internal space defined within said cartridge; a disk state indicator opening (22) formed in said first component (5) of said cartridge casing (2) for receiving a disk state detector of a recording and reproducing apparatus when exposed, said disk state indicator opening (22) opening (23) onto the periphery of said first component (5); a slider (35) movably received within said disk state indicator opening (22) for selectably exposing and covering said disk state indicator opening (22) so as to allow and deny entry of said disk state detector into said disk state indicator opening (22); and a slider retaining means, integrally formed with said first component (5), for retaining said slider (25) within said disk state indicator opening (22) when said slider (25) is being assembled to said first component (5) before said first component (5) is assembled to said second component (4).

Claim 5

A magnetic disk cartridge characterized in a cartridge casing (2) including first and second components (4,5) separately formed and assembled together to form said cartridge casing (2); a magnetic disk (3) rotatably housed within an internal space defined within said cartridge; a disk state indicator opening (22) formed in said first component (5) of said cartridge casing (2) for receiving a disk state detector of a recording and reproducing apparatus when exposed, said disk state indicator opening (22) opening (23) onto the periphery of said first component (5); a slider (35) movably received within said disk state indicator opening (22) for selectably exposing and covering said disk state indicator opening (22) so as to allow and deny entry of said disk state detector into said disk state indicator opening (22); and a slider retaining means, integrally formed with said first component (5), for retaining said slider (25) within said disk state indicator opening (22) when said slider (25) is being assembled to said first component (5) before said first component (5) is assembled to said second component (4).

Claim 6

The magnetic disk cartridge as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said slider retaining means comprises a first member incorporated in said slider (35) and a second member incorporated in said first component (5), said first and second members structurally cooperating to retain said slider (35) in said disk state indicator opening (22).

Claim 7

The magnetic disk cartridge as set forth in claims 3 or 4, characterized in a click mechanism (26,27,37) associated with said slider (35) for restricting movement of said slider (35) to among a plurality of predetermined slider positions, which slider positions include a first position at which slider (35) fully covers said disk state indicator opening (22) and a second position at which said slider (35) fully exposes said disk state indicator opening (22).

Claim 8

The magnetic disk cartridge as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that said click mechanism comprises a first member (37) incorporated with said slider (35) and a second member (26,27) incorporated in said first component (5) of said cartridge casing (2) and engageable to said first member (37) for establishing a click engagement therewith.

Claim 9

The magnetic disk cartidge as set forth in any one of claims, characterized in that said slider (35) comprises first and second horizontal leg portions (35a,35b) extending substantially in parallel relationship to each other and a third vertical portion (35c) extending between said first and second leg portions (35a,35b), said first and second horizontal leg portions (35a,35b) of said slider (35) forming said first member of said slider retaining means, said second member of said slider retaining means comprising a thinner section (25,28) integrally formed with said first component (5), which thinner section (25,28) is adapted to be resiliently pinched by said first and second horizontal leg portions (35a,35b) of said slider (35).

Claim 10

The magnetic disk catridge as set forth in claim 7, characterized in that said slider retaining means further comprises a vertical extension (24) vertically extending from the peripheral edge of said first component (5) and structurally adapted to restrict movement of said slider (35) along said thinner section (25).

Claim 11

The magnetic disk cartridge as set forth in claim 7 or 8, characetrized in a click mechanism (26,27,37) associated with said slider (35) for restricting movement of said slider (35) to among a plurality of predetermined slider positions, which slider positions include a first position at which said slider (35) fully covers said disk state indicator opening (22) and a second position at which said disk state indicator opening (22) is fully exposed, said click mechanism (26,27,37) forming a part of said slider retaining means for restricting movement of said slider (35).

Claim 12

The magnetic disk cartridge as set forth in any one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in a closure strip (30) formed with said second component (4), which closure strip (30) is structurally adapted to form part of an outer periphery of the assembled cartridge casing (2) and to close the opening end of said indicator opening (22) opening (23) to the periphery of said first component (5).

Claim 13

The magnetic disk cartridge as set forth in any one of claims 3 to 10, characterized in that said second component (4) is formed with a detent (32-34) located opposite said first horizontal leg portion (35b) of said slider (35) for allowing resilient vertical displacement of said first horizontal leg portion (35b) when said slider (35) is shifted between said first and second positions (12).

Claim 14

The magnetic disk cartridge as set forth in claim 11, characterized in that said second component (4)has a major plane formed with a through opening (34) through which a disk state indicator strip is exposed while said slider (35) is placed at said first position.

Claim 15

An indicator for representing a selectable recording state of a magnetic disk cassette (1) characterized in a lower cassette half (5) having an opening (22) near one edge and a thin flat part (25) contiguous with said opening; an upper cassette half (4) accommodating rotatably a flexible magnetic disk (3) in conjunction with said lower cassette half (5); and a sliding piece (35) slidably fitted over said thin part (25) of said lower cassette half (5), having a pair of parallel plates (35a,35b) connected along one edge by an integral part (35c), a hooking part (37) capable of hooking protuberances (26,27) projecting form said thin part (25) of said lower cassette half (5) and an indicating part (36) selectively visible through a window (34) through said upper cassette half (4).

Claim 16

An indicator for representing a selectable recording state of a magnetic disk cassette (1) characterized in a lower cassette half (5) having an opening (22) near one edge and a thin flat part (25) contiguous with said opening; an upper cassette half (4) accommodating rotatably a flexible magnetic disk (3) in conjunction with said lower cassette half (5); and a sliding piece (35) slidably fitted over said thin part (25) of said lower cassette half (5), having a pair of parallel plates (35a,35b) connected along one edge by an integral part (35c), a hooking part (37) capable of hooking protuberances (26,27) projecting form said thin part (25) of said lower cassette half (5) and an indicating part (36) selectively visible through a window (34) through said upper cassette half (4).

Claim 17

The indicator for representing a selectable state of a magnetic disk cassette (1) as set forth in claim 13, characterized in that said lower cassette half (5) includes a cut-out (23) between said opening (22) and an edge (6,6a) of said cassette (1), and wherein said integral part (35c) of said sliding piece (35) fits through said cut-out (23).

Claim 18

The indicator for representing a selectable state of a magnetic disk cassette (1) as set forth in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that said upper cassette half (4) has a projection (31) which fits into said cut-out (23).

Claim 19

The indicator for representing a selectable state of a magnetic disk cassette (1) as set forth in any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that an undersurface (28) of said thin part is surrounded on three sides by a thicker part of said lower cassette half (5), whereby said sliding piece (35) is slidably guided in the direction perpendicular to said integral part (35c) of the piece (35) by the surrounding thicker part of said lower cassette half (5).

Claim 20

The indicator for representing a selectable state of a magnetic disk cassette (1) as set forth in any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that a part of said lower cassette half (5) between said thin part and the near edge (6,6a) has a slanting surface (29) contiguous with said cut-out (23) of said lower cassette half (5) for guiding said sliding piece (35) during assembly.

Claim 21

In a magnetic disk cartridge of the type which comprises a cassette having a cover (2) and a recording medium (3) mounted therein, said cassette being structurally adapted to cooperate with a data recording and reproducing apparatus for recording data upon said recording medium (3), said cassette and said apparatus further cooperating to permit data to be recorded on said recording medium when said cassette is in a write-enabled state and to inhibit data from being recorded on said recording medium when said cassette is in a write-inhibited state (5), characterized in a means (21) for indicating a recording state of said cassette, said status indicating means (21) being actuatable at least between said write-inhibited state and said write-enabled state, said status indicating means (21) comprising: a slider member (35), structurally adapted to slide in a structurally related opening (22,23,25) in said cassette between said write-enabled and said write-inhibited states, said slider member (35) including an upper horizontal leg (35b) having a thickness which is structurally related to an upper recess (25) in a wall (6,6a) of said cassette cover (2), said recess (25) having a length which permits said upper horizontal leg (35b) to laterally slide in said upper recess (25) between said states, said upper horizontal leg (35b) further defining at an upper surface thereof a projection (36) which visually displays the position of the slider member (35) and thus indicates the recording state of the cassette, said upper horizontal leg (35b) further defining a downwardly-extending projection (37) which structurally mates with a transversely-extending recess in said cassette adjacent to a click rib (37) so that lateral movement of said slider member (35) between said states is resiliently restrained in one of said states, said horizontal leg portion (35b) further being resiliently deformable and shape-retentive to facilitate assembly; a lower horizontal leg portion (35a) substantially parallel to said upper horizontal leg portion (35b) and having a thickness not greater than a thickness of a lower laterally-extending recess (28) in said wall (6,6a) of said cassette opposite said upper laterally--extending recess (25), said upper and lower laterally-extending recesses (25,28) being separated by a wall portion of said cassette cover (2) defining a thickness not greater than the distance between said upper and lower horizontal leg portions (35b,35a), said thickness being thinner than the thickness of the normal wall portion (6,6a) of said cassette; and a connecting portion (35c) connecting said upper and lower horizontally-extending leg portions (25b,35a) at about one end thereof, the width of said connecting portion (35c) being structurally adapted to pass through a transverse opening (23) in said cassette during assembly.

Claim 22

In a magnetic disk cartridge of the type which comprises a cassette having a cover (2) and a recording medium (3) mounted therein, said cassette being structurally adapted to cooperate with a data recording and reproducing apparatus for recording data upon said recording medium (3), said cassette and said apparatus further cooperating to permit data to be recorded on said recording medium when said cassette is in a write-enabled state and to inhibit data from being recorded on said recording medium when said cassette is in a write-inhibited state (5), characterized in a means (21) for indicating a recording state of said cassette, said status indicating means (21) being actuatable at least between said write-inhibited state and said write-enabled state, said status indicating means (21) comprising: a slider member (35), structurally adapted to slide in a structurally related opening (22,23,25) in said cassette between said write-enabled and said write-inhibited states, said slider member (35) including an upper horizontal leg (35b) having a thickness which is structurally related to an upper recess (25) in a wall (6,6a) of said cassette cover (2), said recess (25) having a length which permits said upper horizontal leg (35b) to laterally slide in said upper recess (25) between said states, said upper horizontal leg (35b) further defining at an upper surface thereof a projection (36) which visually displays the position of the slider member (35) and thus indicates the recording state of the cassette, said upper horizontal leg (35b) further defining a downwardly-extending projection (37) which structurally mates with a transversely-extending recess in said cassette adjacent to a click rib (37) so that lateral movement of said slider member (35) between said states is resiliently restrained in one of said states, said horizontal leg portion (35b) further being resiliently deformable and shape-retentive to facilitate assembly; a lower horizontal leg portion (35a) substantially parallel to said upper horizontal leg portion (35b) and having a thickness not greater than a thickness of a lower laterally-extending recess (28) in said wall (6,6a) of said cassette opposite said upper laterally--extending recess (25), said upper and lower laterally-extending recesses (25,28) being separated by a wall portion of said cassette cover (2) defining a thickness not greater than the distance between said upper and lower horizontal leg portions (35b,35a), said thickness being thinner than the thickness of the normal wall portion (6,6a) of said cassette; and a connecting portion (35c) connecting said upper and lower horizontally-extending leg portions (25b,35a) at about one end thereof, the width of said connecting portion (35c) being structurally adapted to pass through a transverse opening (23) in said cassette during assembly.

Claim 23

The status-indicating means according to claim 18 in combination with a cassette, characterized in that said cassette (1) defining a slider member receiving opening (22)adjacent said transverse opening (23) for receiving said slider member (35) therein, said member receiving opening (22) having a lateral extent sufficient to permit said slider member (35) to move between said states.

Claim 24

The status-indicating means according to claim 18 or 19 in combination with a cassette, characterized in that said cassette defining a transversely-extending recess (between 26 and 27) for receiving said downwardly-extending projection (37) therein.

Claim 25

The status-indicating means according to any one of claims 18 to 20 in combination with a cassette, characterized in that said cassette (1) defining a transversely-extending click rib (27).

Claim 26

The status-indicating means of claim 21 in combination with a cassette, characterized in that said click rib (27) includes beveled edges (27a) to facilitate passage of said downwardly extending projection (37).

Claim 27

In a magnetic disk cartridge of the type which comprises a cassette (1) having a cover (2) and a recording medium (3) mounted therein, said cassette (1) being structurally adapted to cooperate with a data recording and reproducing apparatus for recording data upon said recording medium (3), said cassette (1) and said apparatus further cooperating to permit data to be recorded on said recording medium (3) when said cassette (1) is in a write-enabled state and to inhibit data from being recorded on said recording medium (3) when said cassette (1) is in a write-inhibited state, characterized in a means on said cassette (1) for receiving a sliding member (35) therein for indicating a recorded state of said cassette, said slider member receiving means including: a wall (6,6a) of said cassette (1) having a normal thickness and defining an upper recess (25) and a lower recess (28) separated by a portion of said wall thinner than the thickness of said wall (6,6a) said thinner portion being adjacent to a transverse opening (23) in said cassette (1) which permits the slider member (35) having a connecting portion (35c) connecting an upper horizontal leg (35b) and a lower horizontal leg (35a) to pass transversely therethrough; said cassette (1) further defining a slider member receiving opening (22) therein which permits said slider member (35) to be manually laterally actuatable between a first position and a second position; a transversely-extending click plate (26) adjacent to said slider member receiving opening (22); a transversely-extending recess (between 26 and 27) interior to said thinner wall portion receiving a downward projection (37) on the upper horizontal leg (35b) of said slider member (35) to secure said slider member (35) in one of said states; and a transversely-extending click rib (27) structurally adapted to permit said downwardly extending member (37) to move laterally relative to said click rib (27) when said slider member (35) is moved from one state to another.

Claim 28

In a magnetic disk cartridge of the type which comprises a cassette (1) having a cover (2) and a recording medium (3) mounted therein, said cassette (1) being structurally adapted to cooperate with a data recording and reproducing apparatus for recording data upon said recording medium (3), said cassette (1) and said apparatus further cooperating to permit data to be recorded on said recording medium (3) when said cassette (1) is in a write-enabled state and to inhibit data from being recorded on said recording medium (3) when said cassette (1) is in a write-inhibited state, characterized in a means on said cassette (1) for receiving a sliding member (35) therein for indicating a recorded state of said cassette, said slider member receiving means including: a wall (6,6a) of said cassette (1) having a normal thickness and defining an upper recess (25) and a lower recess (28) separated by a portion of said wall thinner than the thickness of said wall (6,6a) said thinner portion being adjacent to a transverse opening (23) in said cassette (1) which permits the slider member (35) having a connecting portion (35c) connecting an upper horizontal leg (35b) and a lower horizontal leg (35a) to pass transversely therethrough; said cassette (1) further defining a slider member receiving opening (22) therein which permits said slider member (35) to be manually laterally actuatable between a first position and a second position; a transversely-extending click plate (26) adjacent to said slider member receiving opening (22); a transversely-extending recess (between 26 and 27) interior to said thinner wall portion receiving a downward projection (37) on the upper horizontal leg (35b) of said slider member (35) to secure said slider member (35) in one of said states; and a transversely-extending click rib (27) structurally adapted to permit said downwardly extending member (37) to move laterally relative to said click rib (27) when said slider member (35) is moved from one state to another.

Claim 29

The cassette as set forth in claim 23, characterized in that said cassette (1) comprises a lower casing (5) and an upper casing (4), one of which defines said slider receiving opening and said opening in the side wall thereof.

Claim 30

The cassette as set forth in claim 23 or 24, characterized in that said slider receiving opening is located transversely offset from the center axis of said cassette (1) between said side wall (6,6a) and an outer periphery of an annular projection (9) in said cassette (1) for defining a space for receiving said recording medium (3), said slider receiving opening (22) and said opening (23) in the side wall (6,6a) being structurally adapted for receiving said slider member (35) from outside the cartridge (2) after the cartridge (2) is assembled.

Claim 31

The cassette as set forth in any one of claims 23 to 25, characterized in further defining a vertically-extending rib (24) extending along the peripheral edge of said slider receiving opening (22), said rib (24) being generally L-shaped and connected to said annular projection (9) at one end thereof and to the side wall (6,6a) at the other.

Claim 32

The cassette as set forth in any one of claims 23 to 26, characterized in that said click plate (26)and said click rib (27) extend between said annular projection (9) and the thin portion of said side wall (6,6a), the upper edges of said click plate (26) and said click rib (27) lying flush with the upper horizontal plane of the recess (25) defining a cutout (25a) in the side wall (6,6a) of said cassette (1).

Claim 33

The cassette as set forth in any one of claims 23 to 27, characterized in that said upper casing (4) includes a strip (30) projecting slightly downwardly from an edge at the upper casing (4) and a projection (31), said strip (30) filling said upper horizontal recess (25) and said projection (31) filling said opening (22) in the lower casing (5) when said upper and lower casings (4,5) are connected after said slider member (35) is retained in said opening (22).

Claim 34

The cassette as set forth in anyone of claims 23 to 28, characterized in that the upper casing (4) further defines a rectangular recess (32) which overlies the click plate structure (26,27) so that an upwardly extending status indicating projection (36) on said slider member (35) is visible from outside of the cartridge (2).