Tape unit cassette holder

Claim 2

A tape unit for use with a rectangular tape cassette comprising a frame; support means on said frame for supporting and positioning the lower portion of the cassette in both loading and operating planes; a recording head mounted on said frame in the operating plane for engagement with the tape transported adjacent to the bottom edge of the cassette; a pair of spindle assemblies mounted on said frame, having drive hubs positioned in the operating plane for driving engagement with the cassette spools; latch means hingedly mounted on said frame for movement between latch and unlatch positions; said latch means having at least one positioning arm for engagement, in the unlatch position thereof, with the cassette to position the cassette in the loading plane; and said latch means having a latching arm for engagement, in the latch position thereof, with the upper portion of the cassette to retain the cassette in the operating plane.

Claim 3

A tape unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means comprises common means for supporting and positioning the lower portion of the cassette in both the loading and operating planes.

Claim 4

A tape unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said recording head is mounted for engagement with the cassette tape in both the operating and loading planes.

Claim 5

A tape unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes means for engaging the cassette side edges for lateral positioning thereof.

Claim 6

A tape unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein said support means includes bracket means defining a bottom edge support, means for holding the lower edge in spaced relation to the frame, and means for engaging the cassette side edges for lateral positioning thereof.

Claim 7

A tape unit as set forth in claim 1 including overcenter spring means for urging and maintaining said latch means in both said latch position and said unlatch position.

Claim 8

A tape unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latch means includes arm means for engagement with the cassette top edge in the operating plane to urge said cassette into engagement with the bottom edge support means.

Claim 9

A tape unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spindle assembly driving hubs are normally urged into the operating plane and are movable axially out of the operating plane.

Claim 10

A tape unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein said spindle assemblies include drive shafts mounted on said frame for axial movement relative thereto; and yieldable spring means for normally urging said drive shafts to position said drive hubs in the operating plane.

Claim 11

A tape unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein said spindle assemblies each include a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said frame, a drive shaft extending through said wheel being axially slidable and nonrotatably coupled thereto, and a drive hub being nonrotatably coupled to said shaft; and spring means yieldably urging said shaft to position said hub in the operating plane.

Claim 12

A tape unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lateral positioning means includes a spring plate mounted on said frame having resilient confronting end walls for engagement with the cassette side edges.

Claim 13

A tape unit as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lateral positioning means includes rigid arm means on said frame for engagement with said side edge of said cassette and resilient means mounted on said frame for engagement with the other side edge of said cassette to urge said cassette towards said first side edge engaging means.

Claim 14

A tape unit as set forth in claim 10 wherein each drive hub includes a tapered front portion and a number of side splines equal to the number of teeth in the bore of each spool of the cassette, the width of each spline being only slightly less than the spacing between the teeth whereby substantially no relative rotation is permitted between the drive hub and the spool when the hub is received in the bore of the spool.

Claim 15

A tape unit for use with a flat rectangular tape cassette comprising: a frame member defining an upright mounting face; a pair of drive spindle assemblies rotatably mounted on said frame member, including drive hubs extending from said face; a support member mounted on said frame member face for supporting the lower edge of a cassette; said support member including means for mounting a tape-recording head, first means for engaging or locating the bottom edge of the cassette, second means for engaging and locating the lower inner wall of the cassette, and third means for engaging the lower outer wall of the cassette and urging the cassette against said second means; said support member supporting the cassette bottom edge in both loading and supporting planes; latch means hingedly mounted on said frame member about a horizontal axis, for supporting the upper portion of the cassette; said latch means including fourth means for engaging the cassette inner wall, fifth means for engaging the top edge of the cassette, and sixth means for engaging the upper outer wall of the cassette; means urging said latch means to a first position, wherein said fourth means extends outwardly from the frame face to engage the cassette inner wall to position the cassette in the loading plane at an angle relative to said frame face; means urging said latch means to a second position wherein said fifth means urges the cassette downward into engagement with said first means and wherein said sixth means retains the cassette in the operating plane parallel to said frame face with the spindle assembly hubs received in the cassette spools.

Claim 16

A tape unit for use with a flat rectangular tape cassette comprising: a frame member defining an upright mounting face; a pair of drive spindle assemblies rotatably mounted on said frame member, including drive hubs extending from said face; a support member mounted on said frame member face for supporting the lower edge of a cassette; said support member including means for mounting a tape-recording head, first means for engaging or locating the bottom edge of the cassette, second means for engaging and locating the lower inner wall of the cassette, and third means for engaging the lower outer wall of the cassette and urging the cassette against said second means; said support member supporting the cassette bottom edge in both loading and supporting planes; latch means hingedly mounted on said frame member about a horizontal axis, for supporting the upper portion of the cassette; said latch means including fourth means for engaging the cassette inner wall, fifth means for engaging the top edge of the cassette, and sixth means for engaging the upper outer wall of the cassette; means urging said latch means to a first position, wherein said fourth means extends outwardly from the frame face to engage the cassette inner wall to position the cassette in the loading plane at an angle relative to said frame face; means urging said latch means to a second position wherein said fifth means urges the cassette downward into engagement with said first means and wherein said sixth means retains the cassette in the operating plane parallel to said frame face with the spindle assembly hubs received in the cassette spools.