# US 5,708,546 A · Tape cartridge

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- Number: US 5,708,546 A
- Document ID: US5708546A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/769,002
- Filed: 1996-12-18
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1995-12-21
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Osamu Taguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708546A

## CPC

- G11B 23/08735: {Covers}
- 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 housing a tape for recording information signals has a cover plate and a pull-in inlet portion. The cover plate is rotatably supported by an opening/closure mechanism and rotated in association with movement of the opening/closure mechanism. The opening/closure mechanism, in turn, is rotatably supported by a main cartridge portion having on its front side a recess into which is intruded a tape pull-out mechanism adapted to pull out the tape. The opening/closure mechanism is adapted to open or close the recess, and the free end of the cover plate has an engagement protrusion. When the engagement protrusion is disengaged from a rotation guide groove provided on the main cartridge portion, the engagement protrusion is pull-in guided by the pull-in inlet portion into engagement with the rotation guide groove.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tape cartridge comprising:
a main cartridge portion for rotatably housing a pair of tape reels around each of which a tape is wound, said main cartridge portion having on a front side a recess into which is intruded a tape pull-out mechanism for pulling out said tape from said main cartridge portion;
an opening/closure mechanism rotatably supported on said main cartridge portion for opening/closing said recess;
a cover plate rotatably supported by said main cartridge portion and rotated in response to movement of said opening/closure mechanism for covering a backside of said tape pulled out into said recess; and
pull-in inlet means formed on at least one of mutually facing sidewall sections of said main cartridge portion at said recess, said pull-in inlet means having a rotation guide groove engaged by an engagement protrusion formed on a free end of said cover plate, said rotation guide groove for guiding a rotational locus of movement of said cover plate and said pull-in inlet means having an inclined surface for guiding the engagement protrusion of said cover plate into engagement with the rotation guide groove.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said opening/closure mechanism includes a first lid rotatably supported by said cartridge main portion for opening/closing said recess and a second lid rotatably supported by said first lid for opening/closing an upper side of said recess.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotation guide groove is formed as a meandering curve having a plurality of points of inflection with respective variable radii of curvatures and wherein
one end of said inclined surface of said pull-in inlet means facing an opening edge of said rotation guide groove is formed between one of said rotation guide groove facing the front side of the cartridge main portion and one of said points of inflection adjacent to said end.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotation guide groove is formed with a secondary groove for preventing sink from being formed during molding of the cartridge main portion from synthetic resin, said secondary grove being formed in continuation to one end of said rotation guide groove.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotation guide groove has a plurality of inclined surfaces having different respective directions of inclination.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The tape cartridge as claimed in claim 5 wherein said inclined surfaces include a first inclined surface inclined substantially toward the front side of the cartridge main portion and a second inclined inwardly toward said recess of said cartridge main portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The tape cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pull-in inlet means comprises movement restricting means for restricting movement of the engagement protrusion of the cover plate in a direction substantially normal to the direction of the movement thereof on said inclined surface.