Magnetic tape backing leaf spring particularly for magnetic tape cassettes

A magnetic tape backing leaf spring, particularly for a magnetic tape cassette with a magnetic head acting on a magnetic tape and fixed elements of the casette positioned to support the leaf spring in the cassette, the leaf spring comprising:

• a reed element presenting a prevalent longitudinal dimension and a first side facing the magnetic tape and a second side parallel to said first side, with said reed element deformed when in operational position by pressure of the magnetic head pressing the magnetic tape against said reed element;
• said reed element formed of an elastically flexible material, the elasticity of said flexible material varying with the difference in transverse width and weakened structure of said reed element, the greater the transverse width, the less the elasticity and greater the rigidity;
• said reed element including:
• an elastically deformable working portion having a working surface directly engageable with the magnetic tape, said working surface having a low frictional coefficient thereby presenting a low frictional coefficient surface to the magnetic tape pressed to said working surface;
• two supporting portions extending with decreasing transverse width in a longitudinal direction from said working portion and having end portions, each extending around one of the fixed elements of the cassette;
• two symmetrically opposed stepped zones on opposite sides of said working surface, connecting said working surface to said supporting portions and having a transverse width comparable to the maximum transverse width of said reed element with said stepped zones thus forming areas of maximum rigidity on said reed element;
• said reed element separated from the magnetic head in non-working position unitarily formed with said working portion in substantially a first longitudinal plane, said supporting portions in substantially a second longitudinal plane, said stepped zones extending in planes at an angle to said first and second longitudinal planes, and said supporting portions being substantially parallel to said working portion;
• said reed element in operational position engageable with the magnetic tape, deforming said reed element with the magnetic head, said stepped zones retaining their initial angles relative to said working portion while deforming said working portion into a substantially arcuate configuration with said working portion between the magnetic tape and said supporting portions.