US 4,399,912 AGranted

Tape cassette holder

AssigneePatent Investment Associates

InventorsAlfred Mollen, Zelman Levine

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A tape cassette holder for use with automobile and home tape systems includes a base and a plurality of partitioning members dimensioned to define channels therebetween which slideably engage the surface trapezoidal enlargements of a tape cassette inserted into the channel, in a manner which allows the cassette to move lengthwise but effectively prevents movement laterally or in a direction normal to the base. In the preferred embodiment, the tape cassette holder has backstopping means and resilient locking means for restraining lengthwise movement as well, whereby the cassette is held firmly in place regardless of the orientation of the holder, the cassettes being removable by application of sufficient force to overcome the resilient locking means.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A tape cassette holder comprising a base;

a plurality of substantially parallel partitioning members projecting from the base, said partitioning members defining therebetween a plurality of channels dimensioned to slideably engage in the lengthwise direction only the trapezoidal enlargements of a tape cassette and being adapted and positioned on said base so that each channel shares at least one partitioning member with an adjacent channel;
a backstopping means for limiting the path of travel of the tape cassette in the channels defined by said partitioning members and a resilient locking means on at least one of the partitioning members defining each channel, said resilient locking means being adapted to engage the top edge of the trapezoidal enlargement of a tape cassette and to resiliently deflect in an upward direction from said top edge as a tape cassette is inserted into the channel and to resiliently return to a position of overlapping engagement with the corner of the top edge of said trapezoidal enlargement when the tape cassette is fully inserted.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.