Cassette holder comprising a plurality of compartments, each intended for receiving a magnetic-tape cassette

Claim 1

A cassette holder having a plurality of cassette compartments, each compartment being configured to receive a magnetic-tape cassette inserted therein, the cassette being of a type having two parallel substantially rectangular major walls, two short side walls and two parallel long side walls, said side walls being substantially perpendicular to said major walls; each major wall having a base surface, and a raised housing portion extending in a longitudinal direction adjoining one of said long side walls, each compartment having two parallel holder walls, each having an outer edge, said edges defining a cassette insertion opening; a guide channel formed in at least one of said holder walls extending from said opening in an insertion direction, said guide channel being arranged to guide the raised housing portion of a cassette when the cassette is inserted along said longitudinal direction into the compartment; a stop arranged to engage a cassette which is inserted fully into the compartment; and a clamping element projecting from an inner surface of a holder wall to clamp a cassette which has been inserted so as to engage said stop, characterized in that the holder consists of two mirror-image portions formed of a plastic sheet material, said clamping elements formed by dimples in the sheet material, said each holder wall of each compartment has a guide channel and a clamping element formed therein, and said holder walls are mirror-symmetrical; at an end remote from the insertion opening, each guide channel has an end wall which forms said stop, each clamping element is disposed near an end of the compartment remote from the insertion opening, arranged such that, when one of said cassettes inserted into the respective compartment has a central surface recessed with respect to said major wall base surface, and an edge parallel to the cassette short wall between said central and base surface, the clamping element acts against and engages a portion of the respective major wall of the cassette adjacent the short side wall remote from the insertion opening, behind said edge of the one cassette, and each holder comprises two rows of compartments, each row having its respective insertion openings in line, said rows being spaced from each other; and a raised flat central portion disposed on each side of the holder, said holder walls and flat central portions being substantially parallel.