Endless loop tape cartridge for use with tape extraction systems

Claim 1

An improved tape cartridge comprising a housing having an access opening and partition means dividing the interior of the housing into a main compartment which opens to the exterior of the housing at said access opening and a storage compartment which communicates with said main compartment at an entry and an exit defined by said partition means, an endless loop of tape having its major portion wound to form a coil, means rotatably supporting said coil within said main compartment, a drive roller rotatably mounted within said main compartment adjacent said entry to the storage compartment and adapted to be rotated from the exterior of said housing, guide means within said housing including guide members adjacent the opposite sides of said access opening for guiding said tape in a run that extends from the innermost winding of said coil across said access opening and from the latter into said entry of the storage compartment and out of said exit of the latter back to the outermost winding of said coil, a substantial portion of said run of the tape being normally disposed in loose serpentine folds within said storage compartment, the tape in said run between said guide members being withdrawable from said housing through said access opening for the recording and reproducing of signals on the withdrawn tape at the exterior of said housing, a freely rotatable pinch roller in said main compartment adjacent said drive roller, means supporting said pinch roller for movement of the latter generally toward and away from said drive roller, said pinch roller engaging said run of the tape at the portion thereof between onE of said guide members and said entry to the storage compartment and forming a bend in said portion of the tape run with the tape between said one guide member and said pinch roller being directed so that tension therein tends to move said pinch roller away from said drive roller and with the tape engaged by said pinch roller facing toward said drive roller, and spring means yieldably urging said pinch roller against said drive roller for driving by the latter of the tape therebetween into said entry of the storage compartment, the force of said spring means being selected to be overcome by an increased tension in said tape between said one guide member and said pinch roller in response to the withdrawal of tape through said access opening for moving said pinch roller away from said drive roller and permitting the tape constituting said loose serpentine folds to run out of said storage compartment through said entry.