Tape cassette

Claim 2

A tape cassette comprising a housing of generally rectangular configuration containing a supply of tape and having top and bottom walls and a peripheral wall extending between said top and bottom walls along three of the sides of the latter so as to leave an opening along the fourth side of the housing through which the tape can be withdrawn, a lid pivoted on said housing for movement between a closed position covering said opening and an opened position exposing said opening, and guide means on said bottom wall extending in a direction parallel to said fourth side and on said peripheral wall along at least one of the sides of the housing extending in a direction at right angles to said fourth side for slidably guiding the tape cassette into a cassette holder in either of said directions without requiring the exertion of pressure on said lid.

Claim 3

A tape cassette according to claim 1; in which said guide means are constituted by elongated grooves formed in outer surfaces of said housing.

Claim 4

A tape cassette according to claim 2; in which said groove constituting the guide means on said bottom wall is off-center in respect to the distance between said fourth side and the opposed side of said housing, and said groove constituting the guide means on said peripheral wall is off-center in respect to the distance between said top and bottom walls.

Claim 5

A tape cassette according to claim 1; in which said bottom wall has a cutout therein contiguous with said opening along the fourth side of the housing.

Claim 6

A tape cassette comprising a housing of generally rectangular configuration containing a supply of tape and having top and bottom walls and a peripheral wall extending between said top and bottom walls along three of the sides of the latter so as to leave an opening along the fourth side of the housing through which the tape can be withdrawn, guide means on said housing respectively extending in directions parallel to said fourth side and at right angles to the latter for guiding the tape cassette into a cassette holder in either of said directions a lid pivoted on said housing for movement between a closed position covering said opening and an opened position exposing said opening, and latching means disposed in said housing adjacent said peripheral wall near a corner of the housing between said fourth side and a contiguous side of said housing; and in which said latching means is yieldably urged toward said peripheral wall to engage said lid and lock the latter in said closed position thereof, and said peripheral wall has apertures therein adjacent said corner and respectively opening in said directions parallel to said fourth side and at right angles to the latter and through which said latching means can be selectively released from said lid to permit movement of the latter to said opened position.

Claim 7

A tape cassette comprising a housing of generally rectangular configuration containing a supply of tape and having top and bottom walls and a peripheral wall extending between said top and bottom walls along three of the sides of the latter so as to leave an opening along the fourth side of the housing through which the tape can be withdrawn, guide means on said housing respectively extending in directions parallel to said fourth side and at right angles to the latter for guiding the tape cassette into a cassette holder in either of said directions a lid pivoted on said housing for movement between a closed position covering said opening and an opened position exposing said opening, and latching means disposed in said housing adjacent said peripheral wall near a corner of the housing between said fourth side and a contiguous side of said housing; and in which said latching means is yieldably urged toward said peripheral wall to engage said lid and lock the latter in said closed position thereof, and said peripheral wall has apertures therein adjacent said corner and respectively opening in said directions parallel to said fourth side and at right angles to the latter and through which said latching means can be selectively released from said lid to permit movement of the latter to said opened position.

Claim 8

The combination of a tape cassette comprising a housing of generally rectangular configuration containing a supply of tape and having top and bottom walls and a peripheral wall extending between said top and bottom walls along three of the side of the housing so as to leave an opening along the fourth side of the housing through which the tape can be withdrawn, a lid pivoted on said housing for movement between a closed position covering said opening and an opened position exposing said opening, latching means within said housing adjacent said peripheral wall near a corner of the housing between said fourth side and a contiguous side of said housing, said latching means being yieldably urged toward said peripheral wall for engaging said lid and thereby locking the lid in said closed position thereof, and apertures in said peripheral wall adjacent said corner and opening respectively in directions parallel to said fourth side and at right angles to the latter; and a cassette holder adapted to said cassette inserted therein in a selected one of said directions, and a latch releasing member fixed relative to said holder and having a free end portion extending parallel to said one direction and positioned to enter the one of said apertures opening in said one direction upon the insertion of the cassette in said holder for releasing said latching means from said lid and thereby permitting movement of the latter to said opened position.

Claim 9

The combination of a tape cassette comprising a housing of generally rectangular configuration containing a supply of tape and having top and bottom walls and a peripheral wall extending between said top and bottom walls along three of the side of the housing so as to leave an opening along the fourth side of the housing through which the tape can be withdrawn, a lid pivoted on said housing for movement between a closed position covering said opening and an opened position exposing said opening, latching means within said housing adjacent said peripheral wall near a corner of the housing between said fourth side and a contiguous side of said housing, said latching means being yieldably urged toward said peripheral wall for engaging said lid and thereby locking the lid in said closed position thereof, and apertures in said peripheral wall adjacent said corner and opening respectively in directions parallel to said fourth side and at right angles to the latter; and a cassette holder adapted to said cassette inserted therein in a selected one of said directions, and a latch releasing member fixed relative to said holder and having a free end portion extending parallel to said one direction and positioned to enter the one of said apertures opening in said one direction upon the insertion of the cassette in said holder for releasing said latching means from said lid and thereby permitting movement of the latter to said opened position.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 6; in which said housing of the tape cassette has guide means thereon respectively extending in said directions parallel to said fourth side and at right angles thereto, and said holder has cooperative guide means extending parallel to said one direction in which the cassette is inserted in the holder and being selectively engageable with one of said guide means on said housing for guiding the cassette into the cassette holder.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 7; in which said guide means on the housing are constituted by elongated grooves formed in outer surfaces of said housing, and said guide means of the holder is constituted by an elongated ridge for each of said grooves extending in said one direction of insertion and being slidably received in the respective groove.