Patent US4311286A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4311286A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fixed reel type endless tape cassette
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1979-12-17
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Granted: 1982-01-19
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Expires: 1999-12-17
Abstract
Abstract An endless tape cassette including a stationary reel having a slit communicating the inner and outer peripheral sides and carrying an endless tape wound on the outer periphery, guide plates for guiding the endless tape wound on the stationary reel such that it is pulled out from the inner periphery of the tape roll through the slit and taken up on the outer periphery of the tape reel, and a housing accommodating and supporting the stationary reel and guide plates. The housing includes a bottom plate formed with an opening for permitting a tape drive mechanism to be inserted therethrough into housing for operative coupling to said endless tape, a top plate facing said bottom plate, a pair of side plates, a front end plate and a rear end plate. A flexible lid member is provided on the housing to be movable between a first position at which it extends along the bottom plate for closing the opening in the bottom plate and a second position at which it extends along the top plate for opening the opening in the bottom plate.
Inventors
- 👤 Morio Akino
- 👤 Seiichi Yanagida
- 👤 Hiroshi Yamashita
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 16:43
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/675; G11B23/00; G11B23/02; G11B23/04; G11B23/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
363 words
An endless tape cassette to be loaded for driving an endless tape accommodated therein on a tape drive system having a tape drive mechanism and a tape support mechanism for supporting said endless tape cassette such that the tape is driven by the tape drive mechanism, comprising: a stationary reel having a communicating path communicating inner and outer peripheral sides thereof and carrying the endless tape wound on the outer peripheral side; guide means for guiding the endless tape wound on said stationary reel such that it is pulled out from the inner peripheral side of the wound tape through said communicating path and taken up on the outer peripheral side of said wound tape; a housing accommodating and supporting said stationary reel and said guide means, wherein the housing comprises: a bottom plate formed with an opening for permitting said tape drive mechanism to be inserted therethrough into said housing at a position on said inner peripheral side of said wound tape for operatively coupling to said endless tape, a top plate facing said bottom plate, a pair of side plates, a front end plate and a rear end plate, a lid member comprising a flexible plate provided on said housing to be movable between a first position at which said flexible plate extends along said bottom plate for closing said opening in said bottom plate and a second position at which said flexible plate extends along said top plate for opening said opening in said bottom plate; and means for moving said flexible plate from said first position to said second position in cooperation with the support mechanism when said housing is supported by said support mechanism, wherein said moving means comprises: a first engaging member located on a tip edge portion of said flexible plate, and a second engaging member pivotally mounted on a front edge portion of said support mechanism to engage said first engaging member when said housing is initally inserted into said support mechanism and to allow forward movement of said housing within said support mechanism and relative movement of said flexible plate toward said second position upon further insertion of said housing into said support mechanism.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
363 words
An endless tape cassette to be loaded for driving an endless tape accommodated therein on a tape drive system having a tape drive mechanism and a tape support mechanism for supporting said endless tape cassette such that the tape is driven by the tape drive mechanism, comprising: a stationary reel having a communicating path communicating inner and outer peripheral sides thereof and carrying the endless tape wound on the outer peripheral side; guide means for guiding the endless tape wound on said stationary reel such that it is pulled out from the inner peripheral side of the wound tape through said communicating path and taken up on the outer peripheral side of said wound tape; a housing accommodating and supporting said stationary reel and said guide means, wherein the housing comprises: a bottom plate formed with an opening for permitting said tape drive mechanism to be inserted therethrough into said housing at a position on said inner peripheral side of said wound tape for operatively coupling to said endless tape, a top plate facing said bottom plate, a pair of side plates, a front end plate and a rear end plate, a lid member comprising a flexible plate provided on said housing to be movable between a first position at which said flexible plate extends along said bottom plate for closing said opening in said bottom plate and a second position at which said flexible plate extends along said top plate for opening said opening in said bottom plate; and means for moving said flexible plate from said first position to said second position in cooperation with the support mechanism when said housing is supported by said support mechanism, wherein said moving means comprises: a first engaging member located on a tip edge portion of said flexible plate, and a second engaging member pivotally mounted on a front edge portion of said support mechanism to engage said first engaging member when said housing is initally inserted into said support mechanism and to allow forward movement of said housing within said support mechanism and relative movement of said flexible plate toward said second position upon further insertion of said housing into said support mechanism.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein said rear end plate of said housing has a rearwardly convex curved sectional profile, and wherein said side plates have respectively U-shaped guide members extending along the underside of said bottom plate, the inner side of said rear end plate and the underside of said top plate, movement of said flexible plate being achieved with a leading end portion of said flexible plate guided by said guide members.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 2, wherein said guide members comprise grooves formed on the inner side of said side plates.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 2, wherein said housing comprises a flat casing for insertion from a front end plate side thereof into said support mechanism.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 4, further comprising a first lock mechanism for holding said flexible plate in said first position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
111 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 5, wherein said first lock mechanism comprises said bottom plate having an opening formed therein, said flexible plate having an opening formed therein and in register with said opening formed in said bottom plate when said flexible plate is in said first position, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said bottom plate and biasing means for pivotally biasing said lever in one direction such that a portion of said lever is received in said opening in said flexible plate through said opening in said bottom plate to lock said flexible plate to said bottom plate when said flexible plate is in said first position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 5, further comprising a releasing mechanism for releasing said first lock mechanism upon initial insertion of said housing into said support mechanism and a second lock mechanism for locking said flexible plate to said second engaging member simultaneously with releasing of said first lock mechanism.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 7, wherein said second lock mechanism comprises said first engaging member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein said first engaging member comprises a ridge member formed on said tip edge portion of said flexible plate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 1 or 9, wherein said second engaging member comprises a U-shaped member having first and second lock arms.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
An endless tape cassette according to claim 1, further including means for rotatably biasing said second engaging member in one direction.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-01-18 | 1985-07-20 | 1986-01-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-01-18 | 1989-07-20 | 1990-01-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-01-18 | 1993-07-20 | 1994-01-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |