Tape cassette with reel locking member supported for sliding movement by converging ribs

Abstract

A tape cassette includes a case body consisting of an upper half case and a lower half case, a pair of hubs contained in the case body and holding a magnetic tape thereon, and a locking member placed in a recess formed in the inner surface of the lower half case so as to be brought into engagement with the respective circumferences of the hubs to lock the hubs and to be disengaged from the respective circumferences of the hubs to unlock the hubs. The locking member having a tail portion having a surface consisting of convex, curved working surfaces, and the unlocking pin of a recording/reproducing apparatus engaging either of the convex, curved working surfaces to shift the locking member to the unlocked position when the tape cassette is inserted in the recording/reproducing apparatus. Ribs formed on the bottom surface of the recess to support the locking member for smooth sliding movement thereon and the ribs including two ribs formed at a position corresponding to the tail portion of the locking member and inclined in opposite directions at an angle to the direction of sliding movement of the locking member, substantially conforming to the shape of the tail portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.