Tape cartridge having a shutter with self locking function

A record medium cartridge having top and bottom walls joined by a peripheral wall having front, rear and first and second side wall portions, one of said wall portions having an aperture for enable access to the interior of said cartridge from outside said cartridge, said front wall portion adapted to be a leading portion when the cartridge is being moved to a operating position in a cartridge utilization device;

• the improvement characterized in that:
• said first side wall portion having a longitudinal recess of a first longitudinal length;
• longitudinally extending guide means in said recess and extending across said aperture in said one side wall portion;
• a shutter longitudinally movably disposed in said recess for movements between a closed position whereat said aperture is closed by said shutter and a opened position whereat said aperture is exposed;
• and
• an operating member on said shutter disposed substantially within said recess for actuating said shutter for movements between said opened and closed positions and releasable restraining means on said operating member cooperating with said first wall portion for inhibiting movement of said shutter from one of said positions.

In combination;

• a tape cartridge comprising a hollow container with a tape receiving cavity for storing a tape herein, a peripheral wall having at least one aperture means for receiving an external tape operating member for tape in said container, a shutter guide extending across said aperture means along edges of said peripheral wall, and a shutter slidable in said shutter guide along said peripheral wall between a closed position where said aperture means is covered and an opened position where said aperture means is exposed and a tape cartridge player adapted to receive said cartridge in a fixed playing position,
• characterized in that;
• said tape cartridge includes a flexible bifurcated member attached to an outer surface of said shutter such that its bifurcated ends form free ends and the longitudinal axis of the bifurcated member being parallel with the direction of sliding movement of said shutter, bifurcated member guide means formed in said peripheral wall for guiding said bifurcated member along the edges of said peripheral wall as said shutter slides, pawls disposed at the free ends of said bifurcated member and projecting towards said bifurcated member guide means, and said bifurcated member guide means having recesses for engagingly receiving said pawls to inhibit movements of said shutter towards said opened position when said shutter is in said closed position;
• and
• said tape cartridge player having an actuator positioned for engaging said bifurcated member when said cartridge is inserted into a cartridge housing of said tape cartridge player, said actuator comprising a stationary outwardly facing "V" notch for engaging said bifurcated member to flex said free bifurcated ends inwardly to unlock the pawls of the bifurcated member whereby the shutter automatically opens as the cartridge is inserted into said cartridge housing.