Tape cartridge with a gate member slidably mounted an access door

An optical tape cartridge adapted to contain a spirally wound strip of optical recording media for use in an optical tape drive, said cartridge comprising:

• (a) wall means defining an enclosure for said strip, said enclosure having an opening through which said strip is accessible from the exterior of said enclosure;
• (b) an access door movably mounted on said wall means for movement between a closed position in which said access door overlies said opening and thereby denies access to a strip within said enclosure, and an open position in which said access door is spaced from said opening and thereby enables access to a strip within said cartridge;
• (c) a door-locking member movably mounted on said access door, said door-locking member being movable, by contact with a door-unlocking structure associated with an optical tape drive, from a locking position in which said member cooperates with a portion of said wall means to lock said door in its closed position, and an unlocking position spaced from said portion which enables movement of said door to its open position;
• (d) biasing means for biasing said door-locking member towards its locking position;
• and
• (e) safety means for normally preventing contact between said door-locking member and said door-unlocking structure associated with the optical tape drive, said safety means comprising a gate member slidably mounted on said access door and movably mounted on said cartridge from a first position in which gate member overlies said door-locking member and blocks contact between said door-locking member and said door-unlocking structure, and a second position in which said gate member is sufficiently displaced from said door-locking member to enable contact between said door-locking member and said door-unlocking structure.