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US 2002/0170998 A1Published application
Tape cartidge
AssigneeTDK Corporation
InventorsMotohiko Shima, Akio Momoi, Hiroshi Kaneda
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTDK Corporation
InventorsMotohiko Shima, Akio Momoi, Hiroshi Kaneda
Estimating the term…
This invention aims at providing a spring member exhibiting excellent function in pushing a door member covering a tape outlet towards the closed position, while occupying smaller space. A tape cartridge comprising: a housing; a single tape reel tumably held within the housing, said tape reel carrying a length of tape wound thereon, the outer end of the tape being fixed to a leader member in the form of pin, which can be taken out of the cartridge through an outlet formed in the housing by a tape draw-out member of a recording-reproducing apparatus; a door member covering said outlet; and a spring member pushing said door member towards the dosed position; wherein: said spring member is a torsion coil spring comprising: two coil portions; a connecting portion linking said two coil portions; a first arm portion that extends from one coil portion, forms a first angle with said connecting portion, and has the end abutting said housing; and a second arm portion that extends from the other coil portion, forms a second angle with said connecting portion, said second angle pointing in opposite direction to said first angle, and has the end fixed to said door member.
1] A tape cartidge including a housing, a single tape reel tumably held within the housing, said tape reel carrying a length of tape wound thereon, the outer end of the tape being fixed to a leader member in the form of pin, which can be taken out of the cartridge through an outlet formed in the housing by a tape draw-out member of a recording-reproducing apparatus, a door member covering said outlet, and a spring member pushing said door member towards the dosed position,
2] The tape cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said first arm portion is longer than said second arm portion, such that when the door member is opened, said first arm portion abutting the housing is deformed at first, and then said second arm portion fixed to the door member is deformed.
3] The tape cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the end of the first arm portion abutting the housing is in the form of a coil.
4] The tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of the door member to which the spring member is fixed is provided with a hood that prevents the spring member from being brought into contact with the upper wall of the housing.
5] The tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said housing has a second abutting portion which functions, during the late stage of the deformation of said first arm portion, as a fulcrum at a position apart from the abutting portion of the housing for said first arm portion, said fulcrum shortening the effective length of the first arm portion so as to allow the second arm portion to be deformed as the door member opens.