Magnetic-tape cassette with a flexible latch for a cover

Claim 1

A magnetic-tape cassette comprising: a housing having major walls, first and second substantially parallel side walls, and a front with a front aperture or recess between the major walls, a magnetic tape which has a portion which extends across said front aperture or recess in the housing to cooperate with parts of a magnetic-tape cassette apparatus; a cover pivot which is perpendicular to the side walls of the housing, at least one front cover which is pivotable about said cover pivot from an open position to a closed position which front cover at least partly covers the front aperture or recess in the housing in the closed position; a lever pivot which is connected to the housing, a least one latching lever which is pivotable about said lever pivot, situated near one of the side walls, from an inoperative position to a latching position in which the latching lever latches the front cover in the closed position; and spring means for biasing said lever from the inoperative position toward the latching position, characterized in that the latching lever comprises two arms of different lengths arranged in the form of an L, the longer arm being elastically deflectible over at least part of its length and comprising a latching portion at an end which is remote from the shorter arm; and the shorter of said arms is connected to the pivot for the latching lever at an end which is remote from the longer arm, the pivot of the latching lever extends substantially parallel to the pivot of the front cover and is connected to said one of the side walls of the housing, and the cassette further comprises guide means disposed near the latching portion for guiding said portion during the pivotable movement of the latching lever.