Fastener for magnetic tape cartridge and method of use thereof
AssigneeAthana Incorporated
InventorGerhard Rotter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a tape cartridge (20), a snap pin fastener (100) is provided for securing the cover (88) and base plate (90) while permitting therebetween differential expansion in a longitudinal direction (108) of the base plate. One dimension (112) of the snap pin is chosen small enough to flex under a force induced by differential thermal expansion of the cover and base plate. Thus the base plate remains flat, insuring registration between the tape and a transducer head. The second dimension (114) is chosen great enough to provide, with the first dimension, a cross section (115) sufficient to resist operational forces placed on the cover and base.
Claims9
A tape cartridge, comprising:
- a base plate;
- a cover;
- and
- one or more fasteners for securing said cover to said base plate in spaced parallel relationship and for permitting therebetween differential expansion in a first direction extending parallel to said base plate, each of said fasteners comprising an elongated pin connected at a first end to said cover and at a second end to said base plate, said pin having a smaller cross sectional dimension in a first direction than in a second direction extending perpendicular to said first direction to provide greater flexibility in said first direction to avoid bowing said cover and/or base plate when subjected to differential expansion;
- and
- a slot extending through said pin in said first direction to define first and second spaced legs.
In combination with a cover and a base plate, one or more fasteners for securing said cover to said base plate in spaced parallel relationship and for permitting therebetween differential expansion in a first direction extending parallel to said base plate, each of said fasteners comprising:
- an elongated pin connected at a first end to said cover and at a second end to said base plate, said pin having a smaller cross sectional dimension in a first direction than in a second direction extending perpendicular to said first direction to provide greater flexibility in said first direction to avoid bowing said cover and/or base plate when subjected to differential expansion;
- and
- a slot extending through said pin in said first direction to define first and second spaced legs.
A method of securing a cover to a base plate in spaced parallel relationship thereto while allowing for differential expansion therebetween without bowing said cover or base plate, said method comprising:
- providing a pin elongated between first and second ends, and having a smaller cross sectional dimension extending in a first direction than in a second direction extending perpendicular to said first direction;
- securing said pin first end to said cover with said pin elongation oriented perpendicular to said cover;
- forming a slot in said pin extending from said second end toward said first end and extending through said pin in said first direction to define first and second spaced legs capable of limited resilient movement relative to one another;
- providing a hole in said base plate;
- installing said pin second end in said hole by first compressing said spaced legs toward one another to permit insertion of said legs into said hole, and then releasing said legs to permit them to resiliently part and engage the wall of said hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.