Brake device for tape reel in magnetic tape cassette

Claim 2

A reel brake device for a magnetic tape cassette including a tape reel with a reel flange, the tape reel being disposed within a cassette housing, comprising: at least a rectangular pawl-engaging cut-out formed on the outer periphery of said reel flange; a brake assembly having a body and a blade-like braking pawl; means for guiding said brake assembly for movement between a locking position, at which said brake assembly is adjacent to said tape reel and said braking pawl engages with said cut-out for restricting rotation of said tape reel, and an unlocking position, at which said entire brake assembly is farther from said tape reel than in said locking position and said braking pawl is positioned away from said cut-out for allowing rotation of said tape reel; said braking pawl comprising a generally flat rectangular-shaped member having a first end fixed to said body and a second end engaging said cut-out when in said locking position, said member having a narrow groove extending across the width thereof intermediate said first and second ends forming a first reduced thickness section, and a second reduced thickness section formed in said member adjacent said first end, said first and second reduced thickness sections allowing resilient deformation of said braking pawl at pre-selected locations for absorbing forces exerted on said brake assembly through said braking pawl engaging with said cut-out that would tend to force the latter from said locking to said unlocking position, so that said brake assembly can be maintained at said locking position.

Claim 3

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises means for restricting the magnitude of resilient deformation of said braking pawl.

Claim 4

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said deformation restricting means comprises a stopper means for restricting deformation of said pawl in at least a predetermined direction.

Claim 5

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said stopper means comprises a first component restricting lateral deformation of said braking pawl in a first direction and a second component restricting lateral deformation of said braking pawl in a second direction opposite to said first direction.

Claim 6

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said means for guiding comprises means for defining a longitudinally extending guide path for said brake assembly, in which said brake assembly moves between said locking and unlocking positions, said guide path defining means including guide walls extending along said guide path.

Claim 7

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said guide walls include a portion working as a retainer for retaining said brake assembly within said guide path.

Claim 8

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said retainer portion of said guide walls serves as said first component of said stopper member.

Claim 9

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 1, further including a second tape reel in said housing and a second braking pawl, said second braking pawl extending from said brake body towards said second tape reel and having a groove therein, said braking pawls being joined to said brake body at a distance closer than the ends of said pawls which engage said tape reels.

Claim 10

A reel brake device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for guiding said brake assembly comprises means for guiding said brake assembly for rectilinear movement between the locking position and the unlocking position.

Claim 11

A reel brake device for a magnetic tape cassette which includes a tape reel with a reel flange, said tape reel being disposed within a cassette housing, comprising: a brake body; at least one resilient braking pawl in the form of a blade-like extension projecting from said brake body towards a periphery of said tape reel said periphery including a plurality of rectangular braking pawl rests at spaced locations therealong; means for guiding said brake body for movement between a locking condition, at which said brake body is adjacent to said tape reel and said braking pawl engages said periphery, and an unlocking condition, at which said entire brake body is farther from said tape reel than in said locking condition and said braking pawl is positioned away from said periphery; said braking pawl comprising a generally flat rectangular-shaped member having a first end fixed to said body and a second end engaging a braking pawl rest of the tape reel when in said locking condition, said member having a narrow groove extending across the width thereof intermediate said first and second ends forming a first reduced thickness section, and a second reduced thickness section formed in said member adjacent said first end, said first and second reduced thickness sections allowing resilient deformation of said pawl at pre-selected locations so that rotation of said tape reel is inhibited in said locking condition even when rotational torques and/or lateral forces are exerted on the tape reel; and a second tape reel in said housing and a second braking pawl, said second braking pawl extending from said brake body towards said second tape reel and having a groove therein, said braking pawls being joined to said brake body at a distance closer than the ends of said pawls which engage said tape reels, said pawls being positioned between said tape reels, said grooves of the first and second pawls located on inner surfaces of said pawls to provide resilient flexibility for the braking pawls in maintaining braking engagement with the periphery of the tape reels, and stopper means oriented adjacent said pawls for restricting the magnitude of deformation of said braking pawls in a plurality of directions.

Claim 12

A reel brake device for a magnetic tape cassette which includes a tape reel with a reel flange, said tape reel being disposed within a cassette housing, comprising: a brake body; at least one resilient braking pawl in the form of a blade-like extension projecting from said brake body towards a periphery of said tape reel said periphery including a plurality of rectangular braking pawl rests at spaced locations therealong; means for guiding said brake body for movement between a locking condition, at which said brake body is adjacent to said tape reel and said braking pawl engages said periphery, and an unlocking condition, at which said entire brake body is farther from said tape reel than in said locking condition and said braking pawl is positioned away from said periphery; said braking pawl comprising a generally flat rectangular-shaped member having a first end fixed to said body and a second end engaging a braking pawl rest of the tape reel when in said locking condition, said member having a narrow groove extending across the width thereof intermediate said first and second ends forming a first reduced thickness section, and a second reduced thickness section formed in said member adjacent said first end, said first and second reduced thickness sections allowing resilient deformation of said pawl at pre-selected locations so that rotation of said tape reel is inhibited in said locking condition even when rotational torques and/or lateral forces are exerted on the tape reel; and a second tape reel in said housing and a second braking pawl, said second braking pawl extending from said brake body towards said second tape reel and having a groove therein, said braking pawls being joined to said brake body at a distance closer than the ends of said pawls which engage said tape reels, said pawls being positioned between said tape reels, said grooves of the first and second pawls located on inner surfaces of said pawls to provide resilient flexibility for the braking pawls in maintaining braking engagement with the periphery of the tape reels, and stopper means oriented adjacent said pawls for restricting the magnitude of deformation of said braking pawls in a plurality of directions.

Claim 13

A reel brake device according to claim 10, wherein said means for guiding said brake body comprises means for guiding said brake body for rectilinear movement between the locking condition and the unlocking condition.

Claim 14

A tape cassette including a pair of tape reels disposed within a cassette housing, with each of said tape reels having a reel flange, comprising: a brake guide structure located in said cassette housing generally between said pair of tape reels; a brake body, the entire brake body being slidable within said brake guide in a direction generally toward said tape reels to establish a locking condition for said tape reels and generally away from said tape reels to establish an unlocking condition for said tape reels; a pair of resilient braking pawls in the form of blade-like extensions extending obliquely outward from said brake body to form an essentially V-shaped configuration projecting generally toward said tape reels, each of said braking pawls has a free end for engaging a plurality of rectangular braking pawl rests located at spaced locations along a periphery of each of said tape reels during said locking condition and for disengaging said braking pawl rests during said unlocking condition; and each of said braking pawls comprising a generally flat rectangular-shaped member having a first end fixed to said brake body and a second end engaging a braking pawl rest of the tape reel when in said locking condition, said member having a narrow groove extending across the width thereof intermediate said first and second ends forming first reduced thickness section, a second reduced thickness section formed in said member adjacent said first end, said first and second reduced thickness sections allowing resilient deformation of said braking pawls at pre-selected locations so that rotation of said tape reels is inhibited in said locking condition even when rotational torques and/or lateral forces are exerted on the tape reels.

Claim 15

A tape cassette including a pair of tape reels disposed within a cassette housing, with each of said tape reels having a reel flange, comprising: a brake guide structure located in said cassette housing generally between said pair of tape reels; a brake body, the entire brake body being slidable within said brake guide in a direction generally toward said tape reels to establish a locking condition for said tape reels and generally away from said tape reels to establish an unlocking condition for said tape reels; a pair of resilient braking pawls in the form of blade-like extensions extending obliquely outward from said brake body to form an essentially V-shaped configuration projecting generally toward said tape reels, each of said braking pawls has a free end for engaging a plurality of rectangular braking pawl rests located at spaced locations along a periphery of each of said tape reels during said locking condition and for disengaging said braking pawl rests during said unlocking condition; and each of said braking pawls comprising a generally flat rectangular-shaped member having a first end fixed to said brake body and a second end engaging a braking pawl rest of the tape reel when in said locking condition, said member having a narrow groove extending across the width thereof intermediate said first and second ends forming first reduced thickness section, a second reduced thickness section formed in said member adjacent said first end, said first and second reduced thickness sections allowing resilient deformation of said braking pawls at pre-selected locations so that rotation of said tape reels is inhibited in said locking condition even when rotational torques and/or lateral forces are exerted on the tape reels.

Claim 16

A tape cassette as set forth in claim 12, wherein said brake guide includes a pair of bent front ends for limiting movement of said brake body toward said tape reels and for limiting outward deformation of said braking pawls when rotational torque and lateral force are exerted on the tape reels in the locking condition.

Claim 17

A tape cassette as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a stopper projecting from said cassette housing and located at an intermediate position between said bent front ends of said brake guide to limit deformation of said braking pawls toward one another.

Claim 18

A tape cassette as set forth in claim 14, wherein said stopper includes rounded lateral end portions which mate with said inner surfaces of said braking pawls to limit said deformation.

Claim 19

A tape cassette as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of said bent front ends of said brake guide is bifurcated to define two contact points to restrict outward deformation of said braking pawls.

Claim 20

A tape cassette according to claim 12, wherein said brake body is slidable rectilinearly within said brake guide between said locking condition and said unlocking condition.

Claim 21

A reel brake device for a magnetic tape cassette including a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in the cassette in a side-by-side relation, the tape reels including reel flanges having outer peripheries, comprising: pawl-engaging cut-outs formed on the outer peripheries of said reel flanges; a brake body; a pair of resilient braking pawls in the form of blade-like extensions projecting from the brake body; means for guiding said brake body for rectilinear sliding movement between a locking position, in which said brake body is adjacent to said reels and said braking pawls engage the peripheries of the tape reels, and an unlocking position, in which the entire brake body is farther from said tape reels than in said locking condition and said braking pawls are positioned away from the peripheries of the tape reels, said guiding means comprising parallel guide walls in the cassette, the brake body being positioned between the guide walls, said braking pawls extending at an oblique angle relative to the direction of the rectilinear sliding movement of the brake body and toward the peripheries of the tape reels, each said braking pawl having an inner surface facing toward the other braking pawl and an outer surface facing away from the other braking pawl; means for absorbing a force exerted on the reel brake device as a result of engagement of said braking pawls with said pawl-engaging cut-outs on the outer peripheries of said reel flanges, said force absorbing means comprising narrow vertical grooves defined on the inner surfaces of the braking pawls and extending transverse to the directions in which said braking pawls project from said brake body, at least one a first of said narrow grooves on each braking pawl located intermediate a first mounting end and a second free end of the pawl, and a second one of said narrow grooves on each braking pawl located near said first mounting end of the pawl, said narrow grooves allowing resilient deformation of said pawls at pre-selected locations so that rotation of said tape reels is inhibited in said locking condition even when rotational torques and/or lateral forces are exerted on the tape reels; means for biasing said brake body toward said locking position; structural formations positioned adjacent the ends of the guide walls adjacent to the tape reels and adjacent to the outer surfaces of the pawls facing away from one another for limiting outward deformation of the braking pawls away from one another; and a stopper member positioned on said cassette between said braking pawls for limiting deformation of the braking pawls toward one another.

Claim 22

A reel brake device for a magnetic tape cassette including a pair of tape reels rotatably mounted in the cassette in a side-by-side relation, the tape reels including reel flanges having outer peripheries, comprising: pawl-engaging cut-outs formed on the outer peripheries of said reel flanges; a brake body; a pair of resilient braking pawls in the form of blade-like extensions projecting from the brake body; means for guiding said brake body for rectilinear sliding movement between a locking position, in which said brake body is adjacent to said reels and said braking pawls engage the peripheries of the tape reels, and an unlocking position, in which the entire brake body is farther from said tape reels than in said locking condition and said braking pawls are positioned away from the peripheries of the tape reels, said guiding means comprising parallel guide walls in the cassette, the brake body being positioned between the guide walls, said braking pawls extending at an oblique angle relative to the direction of the rectilinear sliding movement of the brake body and toward the peripheries of the tape reels, each said braking pawl having an inner surface facing toward the other braking pawl and an outer surface facing away from the other braking pawl; means for absorbing a force exerted on the reel brake device as a result of engagement of said braking pawls with said pawl-engaging cut-outs on the outer peripheries of said reel flanges, said force absorbing means comprising narrow vertical grooves defined on the inner surfaces of the braking pawls and extending transverse to the directions in which said braking pawls project from said brake body, at least one a first of said narrow grooves on each braking pawl located intermediate a first mounting end and a second free end of the pawl, and a second one of said narrow grooves on each braking pawl located near said first mounting end of the pawl, said narrow grooves allowing resilient deformation of said pawls at pre-selected locations so that rotation of said tape reels is inhibited in said locking condition even when rotational torques and/or lateral forces are exerted on the tape reels; means for biasing said brake body toward said locking position; structural formations positioned adjacent the ends of the guide walls adjacent to the tape reels and adjacent to the outer surfaces of the pawls facing away from one another for limiting outward deformation of the braking pawls away from one another; and a stopper member positioned on said cassette between said braking pawls for limiting deformation of the braking pawls toward one another.