# US 5,348,243 A · Tape cartridge with corner case notch to prevent inadvertent writing of data on tape

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- Number: US 5,348,243 A
- Document ID: US5348243A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/018,569
- Filed: 1993-02-17
- Granted: 1994-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 1992-02-24
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Junya Ohmachi; Kengo Saitou; Kazuo Sasaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5348243A

## CPC

- G11B 23/08714: {Auxiliary features (sensing such features G11B15/06)}
- G11B 23/08778: {Driving features, e.g. belt}
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

A tape cartridge having a housing structure. The housing structure includes a base plate and a cover having an open-ended box shape and secured to the base plate. The cover includes a top wall, a front wall and a side wall which extend substantially perpendicular to each other to define a corner portion of the cover. A notch is formed at the corner portion of the cover to be thereby prevented from failing to be detected.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tape cartridge including a housing accommodating therein two rotatable tape reels, a magnetic recording tape wound on the tape reels, a plurality of tape guides, an endless drive belt engaging the tape, a belt driving roller around which the drive belt is wrapped, said housing comprising:
a base plate;
a cover secured to said base plate, said cover having an open-ended box shape and including therein first, second and third plane walls which extend substantially perpendicular to each other to define a corner portion of said cover; and
means for preventing inadvertent writing on the magnetic recording tape by a tape recording/reproducing apparatus comprising a notch defined at the corner portion of said cover by:
a first wall portion which is mutually perpendicular to said first and second plane walls, and
a second wall portion which is mutually perpendicular to said first and third plane walls, said second wall portion intersecting said first wall portion at a predetermined angle to form a corner line of said notch which is normal to said first plane wall and parallel with said second and third plane walls.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetic recording tape is adapted for exclusive use for reproducing data stored thereon.

### Claim 3

A tape cartridge including a housing accommodating therein two rotatable tape reels on which a magnetic recording tape is wound and which are driven by an endless drive belt, comprising:
a box-shaped cover secured to a base plate, said box-shaped cover including a top plane wall and first and second side walls which extend substantially perpendicular to each other and which meet to define a corner portion of said cover; and
means for preventing inadvertent writing on the magnetic recording tape by a tape recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising a constantly exposed notch which removes a portion of each of said top wall and said first and second walls respectively, and which is so configured as to prevent ready masking.