Tape cassette

Claim 2

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resiliently flexible element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, at least the surface of said free end of said resiliently flexible element engaged with said tape having a coating which has a relatively low coefficient of friction with respect to said tape, and means engageable by said tape portion in said relatively tortuous path for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape there along at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to permit the latter to follow a realtively less tortuous path in qhich said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said one reel.

Claim 3

A cassette according to claim 1, in which said braking means further includes another resiliently flexible element fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and having its other free end engaged with said tape at the portion of the latter between said run and the other of said reels for urging the last mentioned portion of the tape into a relatively tortuous path, and means engageable by said last mentioned tape portion in said relatively tortuous path thereof for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape therealong at least in the direction toward said run, said other resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said last mentioned tape portion to permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which the respective resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said other reel.

Claim 4

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resiliently flexible element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, said resiliently flexible element having a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene on said free end to provide a relatively low coefficient of friction in respect to the tape, and means engageable by said tape portion in said relatively tortuous path for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape there along at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said one reel.

Claim 5

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resiliently flexible element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, said resiliently flexible element having a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene on said free end to provide a relatively low coefficient of friction in respect to the tape, and means engageable by said tape portion in said relatively tortuous path for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape there along at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said one reel.

Claim 6

A cassette according to claim 1, in which there are guide members in said housing at opposite sides of said opening for directing said run of the tape across said opening.

Claim 7

A cassette according to claim 4, in which Said means for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of the tape is constituted by the surface of at least one of said guide members.

Claim 8

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resiliently flexible element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, guide members in said housing at opposite sides of said opening for directing said run of the tape across said opening, and means engageable by said tape portion in said relatively tortuous path for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape therealong at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said one reel, said means for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of the tape being constituted by the surface of a fixed braking member engaged by the tape when in said tortuous path at a location between said one reel and one of said guide members at an adjacent side of said opening.

Claim 9

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resiliently flexible element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, guide members in said housing at opposite sides of said opening for directing said run of the tape across said opening, and means engageable by said tape portion in said relatively tortuous path for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape therealong at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said one reel, said means for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of the tape being constituted by the surface of a fixed braking member engaged by the tape when in said tortuous path at a location between said one reel and one of said guide members at an adjacent side of said opening.

Claim 10

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resiliently flexible element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, at least one guide member in said housing at one side of said opening for directing said run of the tape across said opening, the tape, when in said tortuous path, being wrapped about a substantial portion of the surface of said guide member to impose an increased resistance to the movement of tape therealong at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to at least reduce the portion of said surface of said guide member about which the tape is wrapped and thereby permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced and the tape is free for movement between said run and said one reel.

Claim 11

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resiliently flexible element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, at least one guide member in said housing at one side of said opening for directing said run of the tape across said opening, the tape, when in said tortuous path, being wrapped about a substantial portion of the surface of said guide member to impose an increased resistance to the movement of tape therealong at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to at least reduce the portion of said surface of said guide member about which the tape is wrapped and thereby permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced and the tape is free for movement between said run and said one reel.

Claim 12

A cassette according to claim 7, in which said resiliently flexible element has said other free end portion thereof extending across a line that is tangential to said one reel from said guide so that said free end portion of said element normally diverts said tape portion from said line and tension in said tape portion urges the latter toward said line and thereby deflects said element.

Claim 13

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resilientLy flexible plastic sheet element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, and means engageable by said tape portion in said relatively tortuous path for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape there along at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said one reel.

Claim 14

In a cassette for use in a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus and which comprises a housing containing freely rotatable reels having magnetic tape wound thereon with the tape extending between the reels being guided to direct a run thereof across an access opening in the housing; tape braking means for avoiding slackening of said run as a result of free turning of at least one of said reels, said braking means including at least one resilientLy flexible plastic sheet element which is fixedly mounted at one end in said housing and has its other free end engaged with said tape at a portion of the tape between said run and said one reel for urging said tape portion into a relatively tortuous path, and means engageable by said tape portion in said relatively tortuous path for imposing an increased resistance to the movement of tape there along at least in the direction toward said run, said resiliently flexible element deflecting in response to tension in said tape portion to permit the latter to follow a relatively less tortuous path in which said resistance to movement of the tape is reduced to substantially free the tape for movement between said run and said one reel.