Tape cassette having reel locking means therein

Claim 2

A cassette including, in combination: a cassette housing having a pair of reels journalled therein; a pair of couplers journalled in said cassette housing; a pair of endless means intercoupling said couplers with respective ones of said reels; flexible, elongate media means routed through said cassette and wound upon said reels; a pair of spring-locks carried by said cassette and respectively spring-biased toward releasable locking engagement with respective ones of said couplers; and means for urging said spring-locks out of engagement with said couplers when said cassette is disposed in an operative condition relative to external equipment.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said cassette includes a pair of apertures, said urging means comprising protrusions proceeding through said apertures and extending from respective ones of said spring-locks.

Claim 4

In a cassette construction having a cassette housing, a pair of reels journalled within said cassette housing, a pair of externally accessible and driveable couplers rotatably carried by said cassette housing, endless means intercoupling a respective coupler to a respective reel, and flexible elongate media means operatively routed through said cassette housing and wound upon said reels: an improvement comprising plural, spring-lock means movably secured to said cassette housing, releasably locking engaging a respective one of said couplers, and each having outwardly accessible actuatable means for positioning its spring-lock means out of engagement with respect to said respective couplers.

Claim 5

In a cassette construction having a cassette housing, a pair of reels journalled within said cassette housing, a pair of externally accessible and driveable couplers rotatably carried by said cassette housing, endless means intercoupling a respective coupler to a respective reel, and flexible elongate media means operatively routed through said cassette housing and wound upon said reels: an improvement comprising plural, spring-lock means movably secured to said cassette housing, releasably locking engaging a respective one of said couplers, and each having outwardly accessible actuatable means for positioning its spring-lock means out of engagement with respect to said respective couplers.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 3 wherein said couplers each carry a peripherally toothed surface, each of said spring lock means having a locking finger operatively engaging said toothed surface and constructed for positionment between adjacent teeth thereof.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 3 wherein said spring-lock means respectively comprise elements having a locking finger, a resilient spring finger interiorly engaging said cassette housing, a base portion interposed between and integral with said locking finger and said spring finger, a transverse pin portion integral with said base portion and journalled to said cassette housing, and actuatable protrusion means transversely extending from said locking fingers.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 3 wherein each of said reels include mutually spaced reel flanges joined by a first hub portion, leader tape forming opposite extremities of said media means and passing over each of said hub portions; and a separate, second hub portion snap-locked to a respective first portion, whereby to secure said leader tape between said first and second hub portions of each of said reels.