Continuous loop cartridge

Claim 2

In a continuous tape cartridge of the type including a housing and a turntable rotatable in the housing for supporting a coiled, annular tape mass, a length of the tape leaving the tape mass proximate the inner diameter thereof and returning to the tape mass proximate the outer diameter thereof, an improved brake responsive to the movement of the length of tape for unlocking the turntable, said brake comprising the combination of a plurality of holes formed in said turntable proximate the periphery thereof and a balanced lever pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said housing, a first end of said lever being positioned in the path of and adapted to be displaced through the tension in the moving tape, a second end of said lever being positioned in alignment with the holes in said turntable and normally in registration with one of said turntable holes when the tape is not moving.

Claim 3

The cartridge in accordance with claim 1 further including spring means norMally biasing said second end of said lever into registration with the holes in said turntable when the length of tape is not moving.

Claim 4

An improved, continuous loop tape cartridge, particularly for use with a miniature, relatively high tape capacity, low-power tape transport system, and including a transducer head, said cartridge comprising: a. a housing defining a recess for the tape, said housing having a wall portion adjacent which the tape is adapted to move in engagement with the transducer head; b. means for supporting the tape in a coiled, annular mass in said housing a length of the tape leaving the tape mass proximate the inner diameter thereof and returning to the tape mass proximate the outer diameter thereof after traversing the transducer head; c. a flexible, resilient hub hingedly secured to said means for supporting the tape at a hinge point, supporting the inside diameter of the tape mass, said hub extending between spaced ends along an arc of less than 360* and, responsive to the tension in the moving tape, being arranged to collapse in an amount proportional to the tape tension force, said hub being substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section, the two spaced legs of said U-shaped cross section having a plurality of slots formed therein to define segments, the ends of said hub being positioned approximately diametrically opposed to said hinge point of said hub; and d. a first guide member positioned intermediate the ends of said hub proximate the position at which the tape leaves the inside diameter of the tape mass and a second guide member positioned upstream of the transducer head, said first and second guide members and said hinge point of said hub member being substantially colinear.

Claim 5

An improved, continuous loop tape cartridge, particularly for use with a miniature, relatively high tape capacity, low-power tape transport system, and including a transducer head, said cartridge comprising: a. a housing defining a recess for the tape, said housing having a wall portion adjacent which the tape is adapted to move in engagement with the transducer head; b. means for supporting the tape in a coiled, annular mass in said housing a length of the tape leaving the tape mass proximate the inner diameter thereof and returning to the tape mass proximate the outer diameter thereof after traversing the transducer head; c. a flexible, resilient hub hingedly secured to said means for supporting the tape at a hinge point, supporting the inside diameter of the tape mass, said hub extending between spaced ends along an arc of less than 360* and, responsive to the tension in the moving tape, being arranged to collapse in an amount proportional to the tape tension force, said hub being substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section, the two spaced legs of said U-shaped cross section having a plurality of slots formed therein to define segments, the ends of said hub being positioned approximately diametrically opposed to said hinge point of said hub; and d. a first guide member positioned intermediate the ends of said hub proximate the position at which the tape leaves the inside diameter of the tape mass and a second guide member positioned upstream of the transducer head, said first and second guide members and said hinge point of said hub member being substantially colinear.

Claim 6

In a continuous loop tape cartridge particularly adaptable to a miniature, low-power tape transport with a relatively high tape capacity, wherein the tape is coiled in an annular mass, a length of the tape leaving the tape mass proximate the inner diameter thereof and returning to the tape mass proximate the outer diameter thereof, the improvement comprising a flexible, resilient hub supporting the inside diameter of the tape mass, said hub extending between spaced ends along an arc of less than 360* and, responsive to the tension in the moving tape, being arranged to collapse about a hinge point that is substantially diametrically opposed to the position where the length of tape leaves the inner diameter of the tape mass whereby the turn-to-turn friction between adjacent layers of the coiled tape mass is minimized while simultaneously achieving a controlled and uniform state of tape tension throughout the system thereby permitting a higher state of system performance, said hub being substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section, the two spaced legs of said U-shaped cross section having a plurality of slots formed therein to define segments, the ends of said hub being positioned approximately diametrically opposed to said hinge point of said hub.

Claim 7

In a continuous loop tape cartridge particularly adaptable to a miniature, low-power tape transport with a relatively high tape capacity, wherein the tape is coiled in an annular mass, a length of the tape leaving the tape mass proximate the inner diameter thereof and returning to the tape mass proximate the outer diameter thereof, the improvement comprising a flexible, resilient hub supporting the inside diameter of the tape mass, said hub extending between spaced ends along an arc of less than 360* and, responsive to the tension in the moving tape, being arranged to collapse about a hinge point that is substantially diametrically opposed to the position where the length of tape leaves the inner diameter of the tape mass whereby the turn-to-turn friction between adjacent layers of the coiled tape mass is minimized while simultaneously achieving a controlled and uniform state of tape tension throughout the system thereby permitting a higher state of system performance, said hub being substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section, the two spaced legs of said U-shaped cross section having a plurality of slots formed therein to define segments, the ends of said hub being positioned approximately diametrically opposed to said hinge point of said hub.

Claim 8

The cartridge in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of said segments includes a roller journaled between the two spaced legs of said hub, said rollers bearing against and supporting at least a portion of the inside diameter of the tape mass.

Claim 9

The cartridge in accordance with claim 3 wherein said means for supporting the coiled tape comprises a turntable and wherein there is further included a turntable brake for locking and unlocking said turntable, said brake being responsive to the movement of the tape to unlock said turntable, said brake otherwise locking said turntable for preventing rotation thereof in the absence of tape movement.

Claim 10

The cartridge in accordance with claim 6 wherein said brake comprises a plurality of holes formed in said turntable proximate the periphery thereof and a balanced lever pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said housing a first end of said lever being positioned in the path of and adapted to be dIsplaced through the tension of the moving tape, a second end of said lever being positioned in alignment with the holes in said turntable and normally in registration with one of said turntable holes when the tape is not moving.

Claim 11

The cartridge in accordance with claim 7 further including spring means normally biasing said second end of said lever into registration with the holes in said turntable when the length of tape is not moving.

Claim 12

The cartridge in accordance with claim 4 wherein there is further included a first transition piece for turning the length of tape from its plane within said tape mass to a plane substantially perpendicular thereto, said first transition piece being positioned downstream of said first guide member.

Claim 13

The cartridge in accordance with claim 9 wherein said first transition piece is an angularly oriented roller positioned immediately downstream of said first guide member.

Claim 14

The cartridge in accordance with claim 9 wherein there is included a second transition piece downstream of said first transition piece for returning the length of the tape from said perpendicular plane to its original plane.

Claim 15

The cartridge in accordance with claim 11 wherein said second transition piece is a plastic block having a compoundly curved slot of restricted clearance formed therein, the length of tape being arranged to move through the slot immediately upstream of said second guide member.

Claim 16

The cartridge in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of said segments includes a roller journaled between the two spaced legs of said hub, said rollers bearing against and supporting at least a portion of the inside diameter of the tape mass.