Cartridge tape player door mounting assembly

Claim 2

A mounting arrangement for a manually operable door member covering the cartridge receiving opening in a tape player housing, including in combination: a first housing member having a pair of side walls spaced from each other by a predetermined distance and connected to top and bottom walls extending between said side walls, and having a front open end through which a cartridge is received in said tape player, each of said side walls including a lip portion formed at an end thereof at the front of said housing member, said lip portions extending in opposing relation a predetermined distance into said front opening, a second housing member dimensioned for and received in said first housing, said second housing member including a pair of spaced guide rail members, each said guide rail member being aligned with one of said lip portions to form a guide channel therebetween and a flexible door member having a width equal substantially to the distance between said side walls of said first housing member, opposite side edges of said door member being received in said guide channels, respectively, said door member being captured therein between said lip portions and guide rail members, respectively, and being movable to open and closed positions with respect to the front tape cartridge receiving opening of said first housing member.

Claim 3

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flexible door member is of the roll top type including a plurality of hingedly joined longitudinal segments providing flexibility thereto.

Claim 4

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the longitudinal segments of said door member includes an enlarged portion at each end thereof, said enlarged portions at common ends of said door member forming runners received in corresponding guide channels, on which said door is carried upon movement thereof between open and closed positions.

Claim 5

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said lip portions includes, at a predetermined location along the surface thereof facing a corresponding guide rail member, a raised portion for frictionally engaging said door member when the latter is moved to a closed position for maintaining said door member in said closed position.

Claim 6

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein said lip portions and guide rail members are complementarily shaped to provide predeterminedly contoured guide channels therebetween.

Claim 7

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein each said guide channel is contoured to include a first substantially straight section extending from the top wall of said first housing member toward the bottom wall thereof, a second curved section defined by a predetermined arc, adjacent said first straight section, a second substantially straight section adjacent said first curved section and a second curved section defined by a predetermined arc, between said second substantially straight section and the lower wall of said first housing member.

Claim 8

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner surface of each side wall of said first housing member includes a horizontal slot formed therein and wherein said second housing member includes a substantially horizontAl plate member formed therewith, the side edges of said plate member extending outwardly beyond said guide rail members on opposite sides of said second housing members and being received in said slots for aligning said guide rail members with corresponding lip portions.

Claim 9

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second housing member includes a pair of substantially vertical wall members defining a passageway therebetween through which a cartridge received in said tape player passes, the free ends of said guide members extending downwardly toward the bottom wall of said first housing member and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom, wherein said door member includes, along an inwardly facing surface thereof, means defining a guide track, and wherein one of said vertical wall members is received in said guide track means upon movement of said door member to a fully opened position between the free ends of said guide members and the bottom wall of said first housing member.

Claim 10

A door mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein said guide track means is defined by a plurality of predeterminedly spaced tabs formed along the inner surface of said door member.

Claim 11

A mounting arrangement for a manually movable flexible door member covering the cartridge receiving opening in a tape player housing, including in combination: an escutcheon having a pair of side walls spaced from each other by a predetermined distance and connected to top and bottom walls extending between said side walls, and having a front, cartridge receiving opening and a rear opening, each of the side walls of said escutcheon including a lip portion provided at an end thereof at the front of said escutcheon, said lip portions extending in opposing relation a predetermined distance into said front opening to block off a portion thereof at each side, a sub-escutcheon dimensioned for receipt in said escutcheon through said rear opening, including a pair of guide rail members each extending in a substantially vertical plane, said guide rail members being spaced a predetermined distance from each other so that upon receipt of said sub-escutcheon in said escutcheon, corresponding guide rail members and lip portions are aligned to form guide tracks therebetween and a flexible door member including a plurality of longitudinal hingedly joined segments each having a width substantially equal to the distance between said side walls of said escutcheon, and being receivable therein between said lip portions and guide rail members of said escutcheon and sub-escutcheon, respectively, for mounting in said guide tracks, said door member being movable in said guide tracks between open and closed positions with respect to said front cartridge receiving opening of said escutcheon.

Claim 12

A mounting arrangement for a manually movable flexible door member covering the cartridge receiving opening in a tape player housing, including in combination: an escutcheon having a pair of side walls spaced from each other by a predetermined distance and connected to top and bottom walls extending between said side walls, and having a front, cartridge receiving opening and a rear opening, each of the side walls of said escutcheon including a lip portion provided at an end thereof at the front of said escutcheon, said lip portions extending in opposing relation a predetermined distance into said front opening to block off a portion thereof at each side, a sub-escutcheon dimensioned for receipt in said escutcheon through said rear opening, including a pair of guide rail members each extending in a substantially vertical plane, said guide rail members being spaced a predetermined distance from each other so that upon receipt of said sub-escutcheon in said escutcheon, corresponding guide rail members and lip portions are aligned to form guide tracks therebetween and a flexible door member including a plurality of longitudinal hingedly joined segments each having a width substantially equal to the distance between said side walls of said escutcheon, and being receivable therein between said lip portions and guide rail members of said escutcheon and sub-escutcheon, respectively, for mounting in said guide tracks, said door member being movable in said guide tracks between open and closed positions with respect to said front cartridge receiving opening of said escutcheon.

Claim 13

A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein said flexible door member includes on an inwardly facing surface thereof a plurality of spaced tabs, said tabs forming a guide channel along said segments, and wherein said sub-escutcheon includes a pair of descending substantially vertical walls defining a cartridge passageway, one of said walls being receivable in said guide channel on the inner surface of said door member for guiding the latter upon movement of said door member toward an open position.

Claim 14

A mounting arrangement as claimed in claim 11 wherein each of the side walls of said escutcheon includes on the inner surface thereof, a horizontal slot and wherein said sub-escutcheon includes a substantially horizontal plate member to which said guide rail members and said vertically descending walls are attached, the side edges of said horizontal plate member extending outwardly beyond said guide rail members for receipt in corresponding slots in the side walls of said escutcheon upon receipt of said sub-escutcheon therein, thereby to align said guide rail members with said lip portions to form said guide tracks.