Balanced reel hub for tape cassette reels
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsVincent P. Teuber, Jeffrey T. Gibbs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A videocassette tape reel hub includes an outer cylinder having a receptacle formed as a recessed portion of the outer surface on the inside of the outer cylinder. A clamp is receivable in the receptacle to fasten tape to the reel hub. A balancing mass is formed within the outer cylinder to balance the increased mass of the clamp and receptacle.
Claims22
A videocassette tape reel hub which is locatable between first and second flanges to form a reel, wherein the hub comprises:
- an outer cylinder which has a top, a bottom, and an outer surface which forms a tape winding surface, which is extendable from the plane of the first flange at the bottom, and which is connectable to the second flange at the top, wherein the outer cylinder has a receptacle formed as a recessed portion of the outer surface as part of the outer cylinder, wherein the receptacle is adapted to receive a locking member to lock one end of tape to the hub, wherein when the locking member is received in the receptacle, the hub is inherently unbalanced, and wherein the hub is formed of a material having a different density than that of the locking member;
- and
- means, comprising one of increasing material and decreasing material, for compensating for the mass and weight of the receptacle and for the mass and weight of the locking member which would otherwise unbalance the hub, and for balancing the mass and weight of the hub to reduce wobble when the hub rotates.
A videocassette tape reel comprising a cylindrical hub having first and second ends, and first and second flanges, each connected at a respective end of the hub, wherein the hub comprises:
- an outer cylinder which has a top, a bottom, and an outer surface which forms a tape winding surface, which is extendable from the plane of the first flange at the bottom, and which is connectable to the second flange at the top, wherein the outer cylinder has a receptacle formed as a recessed portion of the outer surface as part of the outer cylinder, wherein the receptacle is adapted to receive a locking member to lock one end of tape to the hub, wherein when the locking member is received in the receptacle, the hub is inherently unbalanced, and wherein the hub is formed of a material having a different density than that of the locking member;
- and
- means, comprising one of increasing material and decreasing material, for compensating for the mass and weight of the receptacle and for the mass and weight of the locking member which would otherwise unbalance the hub, and for balancing the mass and weight of the hub to reduce wobble when the hub rotates.
A videocassette comprising a housing, a pair of tape reels, and a length of tape connected at each end to a respective tape reel, wherein at least one tape reel comprises a cylindrical hub having first and second ends, and first and second flanges, each connected at a respective end of the hub, and wherein the hub comprises:
- an outer cylinder which has a top, a bottom, and an outer surface which forms a tape winding surface, which is extendable from the plane of the first flange at the bottom, and which is connectable to the second flange at the top, wherein the outer cylinder has a receptacle formed as a recessed portion of the outer surface as part of the outer cylinder, wherein the receptacle is adapted to receive a locking member to lock one end of tape to the hub, wherein when the locking member is received in the receptacle, the hub is inherently unbalanced, and wherein the hub is formed of a material having a different density than that of the locking member;
- a locking member made of a material having a density different from that of the hub;
- and
- means, comprising one of increasing material and decreasing material, for compensating for the mass and weight of the receptacle and for the mass and weight of the locking member which would otherwise unbalance the hub, and for balancing the mass and weight of the hub to reduce wobble when the hub rotates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.