Low-friction magnetic tape cartridge

Claim 2

A magnetic recording tape cartridge including an outer casing for enclosing the magnetic tape and a tape reel supported within said casing which consists only of a hub having a cylindrical outer rim without radial side flanges, wherein said casing has substantially parallel inner sUrfaces spaced apart by a dimension substantially greater than the width of the magnetic tape, said casing including integral guide means for the magnetic tape to center the tape as it is wound upon the outer rim of said hub so that the wound tape is spaced away from said parallel inner surfaces, said casing including means for radially centering the hub, the axial dimension of a predetermined annular portion of said hub being only slightly smaller than the dimension between the portions of the inside surfaces of said casing adjacent to said predetermined annular portion of said hub to provide a loose supporting fit for said hub, said dimension between the portions of the inside surfaces of said casing adjacent to said predetermined annular portion of said hub being substantially equal to said dimension between said substantially parallel inner surfaces of said casing, said predetermined annular portion of said hub having an axial dimension substantially greater than the width of the magnetic tape and only slightly smaller than said dimension between said substantially parallel inner surfaces of said casing.

Claim 3

A tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said predetermined annular portion of said hub is the portion having the largest axial dimension of said hub.

Claim 4

A tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said predetermined annular portion of said hub comprises the outer rim portion thereof.

Claim 5

A tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for radially centering said hub comprise inwardly extending annular flange portions of said casing, said hub having enlarged rim portions engaging with said annular flange portions of said casing.

Claim 6

A tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein portions of said parallel inner surfaces of said casing include narrow ribs generally radially extending towards the space to be occupied by said tape to provide a low friction limited area bearing surface for said tape whenever said tape becomes telescoped on said hub.

Claim 7

A magnetic recording tape cartridge including an outer casing for enclosing the magnetic tape and a tape reel supported within said casing which consists only of a hub having a cylindrical outer rim without radial side flanges, wherein said casing has substantially parallel inner surfaces spaced apart by a dimension substantially greater than the width of the magnetic tape, said casing including integral guide means for the magnetic tape to center the tape as it is wound upon the outer rim of said hub so that the wound tape is spaced away from said parallel inner surfaces, said casing including means for radially centering the hub, the axial dimension of a predetermined annular portion of said hub being only slightly smaller than the dimension between the portions of the inside surfaces of said casing adjacent to said predetermined annular portion of said hub to provide a loose supporting fit for said hub, said predetermined annular portion of said hub being provided with a curved edge portion when viewed in radial cross section to thereby provide a small area of contact with the adjacent portions of the inner surface of said casing.

Claim 8

A magnetic recording tape cartridge including an outer casing for enclosing the magnetic tape and a tape reel supported within said casing which consists only of a hub having a cylindrical outer rim without radial side flanges, wherein said casing has substantially parallel inner surfaces spaced apart by a dimension substantially greater than the width of the magnetic tape, said casing including integral guide means for the magnetic tape to center the tape as it is wound upon the outer rim of said hub so that the wound tape is spaced away from said parallel inner surfaces, said casing including means for radially centering the hub, the axial dimension of a predetermined annular portion of said hub being only slightly smaller than the dimension between the portions of the inside surfaces of said casing adjacent to said predetermined annular portion of said hub to provide a loose supporting fit for said hub, said predetermined annular portion of said hub being provided with a curved edge portion when viewed in radial cross section to thereby provide a small area of contact with the adjacent portions of the inner surface of said casing.

Claim 9

A magnetic recording tape cartridge including an outer casing for enclosing the magnetic tape, a pressure pad and a tape reel supported within said casing, which consists only of a hub having a cylindrical outer rim without radial side flanges, wherein said casing has substantially parallel inner surfaces spaced apart by a dimension substantially greater than the width of the magnetic tape, said casing including integral guide means for the magnetic tape to center the tape as it is wound upon the outer rim of said hub so that the wound tape is spaced away from said parallel inner surfaces, said casing including means for radially centering the hub, the axial dimension of a predetermined annular portion of said hub being only slightly smaller than the dimension between the portions of the inside surfaces of said casing adjacent to said predeterMined annular portion of said hub to provide a loose supporting fit for said hub, said pressure pad consisting of a body of resilient solidified organic foam material having an appreciable thickness and having a tip portion arranged for engagement with the magnetic tape, said body of foam material being arranged to be deformed in compression to provide a resilient force to bias the magnetic tape against a magnetic transducer, said body of foam material including a base portion opposite to said tip portion, said base portion being larger than said tip portion, said casing including means for supporting and securing said body of foam material therein comprising opposed pins within said casing for engaging and confining the outer margins intermediate of said base and tip portions and spaced together by a dimension less than the uncompressed dimension of the base of said body to compress said body.

Claim 10

A magnetic recording tape cartridge including an outer casing for enclosing the magnetic tape, a pressure pad and a tape reel supported within said casing, which consists only of a hub having a cylindrical outer rim without radial side flanges, wherein said casing has substantially parallel inner surfaces spaced apart by a dimension substantially greater than the width of the magnetic tape, said casing including integral guide means for the magnetic tape to center the tape as it is wound upon the outer rim of said hub so that the wound tape is spaced away from said parallel inner surfaces, said casing including means for radially centering the hub, the axial dimension of a predetermined annular portion of said hub being only slightly smaller than the dimension between the portions of the inside surfaces of said casing adjacent to said predeterMined annular portion of said hub to provide a loose supporting fit for said hub, said pressure pad consisting of a body of resilient solidified organic foam material having an appreciable thickness and having a tip portion arranged for engagement with the magnetic tape, said body of foam material being arranged to be deformed in compression to provide a resilient force to bias the magnetic tape against a magnetic transducer, said body of foam material including a base portion opposite to said tip portion, said base portion being larger than said tip portion, said casing including means for supporting and securing said body of foam material therein comprising opposed pins within said casing for engaging and confining the outer margins intermediate of said base and tip portions and spaced together by a dimension less than the uncompressed dimension of the base of said body to compress said body.