Case-type storage box for sound and/or video recording tape

Claim 1

A storage box for a tape cassette having two reels with hubs and hub openings, said storage box comprising: an inner case comprising spaced parallel major walls and three side walls joining said major walls at three side edges thereof, a fourth side being open, said major walls being spaced apart to receive flat-wise between them a cassette inserted through said open side in a direction parallel to said major walls, an outer case having spaced parallel major walls and at least two side walls joining said major walls of said outer case at their edges, at least one side of said outer case being open, said major walls of said outer case being spaced apart to receive said inner case between them, means pivotally connecting said inner case with said outer case at one corner for pivotal movement of said inner case between a closed position in which it is in said outer case and an open position in which it is mostly outside said outer case, spring arms each in the plane of and defined by a cut-out in a major wall of said inner case, each of said arms extending from a position near a side edge of said major wall to a position overlying the hub of a reel of a cassette positioned in said inner case, and an integral projection at the end of each of said arms projecting inwardly into the interior of said inner case in position to be received in the hub opening of a reel of said cassette when positioned in said inner case to hold said hub against rotation, said projection having an apex, a forward ramp sloping from the plane of said arm to said apex in a direction away from said open side of said inner case and a rearward ramp sloping from the plane of said arm to said apex in a direction toward said open side of said inner case, whereby a cassette inserted into said inner case, when in open position, through the open side thereof engages said forward ramp to spring said resilient arm outwardly to permit entry of the cassette into said inner case in a direction parallel to said major walls, said arm springing back when the cassette reaches a position in said inner case to move said projection into a hub opening of a reel of the cassette to hold said reel against rotation, and said cassette being engageable with said rearward ramp to spring said resilient arm outwardly to permit removal of said cassette through said open side of said inner case by a force exerted on said cassette in a direction parallel to said major walls and toward said open side of said inner case.