Shape Corporation

John Gelardi

Anthony L Gelardi

Alan B Lowry

Craig S Lovecky

Vincent E Landry

Diane C Pruneau

Richard Rolfe

Dick Rolfe

Diane C Purneau

Vincent F Landry

Tape cassette

An integral actuator/reel lock/spring for a video cassette is described, including: (a) a lock body having a first end and a second end, an inclined opening at the first end to receive a tape player/recorder pin, lateral wings, angled grooves and a lead in for a self-centering rib in the cassette base; and (b) a spring bar connected centrally at the second end of the lock body, the spring bar including a pawl and a lower dog leg combination formed at each end. The lock body is received in the cassette base in an area defined by: (a) a first, elongated, central portion having parallel side walls, between which is formed a self-centering rib; and (b) a pair of lateral, substantially triangular walled portions, each spaced from the central portion. The lock body fits substantially within the central portion with the wings extending above the parallel walls, the grooves resting on the parallel walls, the spring bar extending across the parallel walls, the pawls pivotably mounted against the lateral portions and the dog legs underlaying the reels. In the 'locked' position, the biasing spring bar normally urges the lock body inward in the central portion. The pawls contact by ratchet action teeth formed on the circumference of each bottom reel flange. During the locked condition, the reel lock has the ability to pivot to each side of a center line of the central portion to move with shifting reels. When the cassette is placed in the player/recorder, a pin of the tape player/recorder enters the inclined opening and forces the lock body against the forece of the spring arm. Only at this time does the lead-in receive the selt-centering rib to direct the lock body backwardly along the center line. Also, the spring arm becomes more curved, pulling the pawls toward the center line and out of ratchet engagement with the teeth so that the lock body enters the unlocked position.

Video cassette integral actuator/reel lock/spring

A storage container for a recording medium and related methods of manufacturing and assembling same are described. The storage container includes: a base; a recording medium holder having a compact disc clamp and being pivotally attached at a first end thereof to a first end of the base and the other end being a free end for movement relative to the base; a cover pivotally attached at a first end thereof to the first end of the base; and an actuator for moving the holder relative to the base. When the cover is lifted relative to the base, the actuator causes the holder to move from the first position to the second position and to automatically present the recording medium away from the base for facilitated removal and replacement. In one embodiment, the clamp can include two portions, one of which is a semicircular portion formed on the holder and the other of which is a raised semicircular portion formed on a tongue pivotally attached to the holder. The tongue is movable relative to the holder such that the raised portion is capable of engaging the compact disc aperture for storage or releasing the aperture for removal of the disc. The methods include at least the steps of: forming a base; forming and pivotally attaching a recording medium holder at a first end thereof to a first end of the base and having its other end free for movement relative to the base; forming and pivotally attaching a cover at a first end thereof to the first end of the base; and forming an actuator to move the holder from the first position to the second position when the cover is raised.

Storage container for a recording medium with a pivotally mounted tongue

A tape cassette with a separate, plastic molded, elongated, tape guide subassembly is described. The tape guide subassembly incorporates two bearing extensions integrally molded at the left and right ends thereof. Each bearing extension is a pair of opposing, parallel, planar members extending from support members, each of which is parallel to the planar top and bottom of the tape guide subassembly. Each planar member includes a roller receiving means integrally formed therein and the rotational axles for the tape rollers are either integrally molded as part of the bearing extension or the tape roller itself. The planar members in each pair have the ability to flex only in the direction perpendicular to their planes, allowing the rollers to be easily snapped into place during assembly. Once the rollers are inserted into the tape guide subassembly, the latter is assembled into the front of the tape cassette, wherein the rollers form part of the central tape support area of the tape cassette.

Tape cassette with separate tape guide having integrated rollers and

An internal, self-locking hub assembly for a compact, audio, tape cassette is described, including a locking member with at least one movable portion and a spring. The cassette includes at least one receptacle formed in the raised annular rings thereof. The spring normally forces the movable portion radially inward in a direction parallel to the plane of the hub, wherein the movable portion engages the at least one receptacle in the raised annular ring, and locks the hub against rotation. On the other hand, when the tape cassette is placed into a tape player/recorder, the spindle thereof enters the center of the hub, abuts and moves the at least one movable portion radially outward against the force of the spring, thereby unlocking the at least one movable portion from the at least one receptacle and permitting normal rotation of the hub. A related method includes the steps of: forming the locking member to include at least one movable portion, a spring and a locating member; picking up the locking member; forming a hub to include a mounting member corresponding to the locating member; advancing the locking member to the hub; inserting the locking member into the hub such that the locating member is fixedly received by the mounting member; mounting the hub into a cassette base; forming a cassette cover to include the at least one receptacle; and positioning the cassette cover on the base, such that the at least one receptacle receives the at least one movable portion.

Self-locking hub assembly for a compact audio tape cassette and method

A tape cassette for use with an external tape player/recorder apparatus having upper and lower cassette halves and an independent tape guide for insertion between the cassette halves. The independent tape guide is a subassembly comprising an elongated bridge molded of plastic and having a top planar surface, a bottom planar surface, a front, a back, a left end and a right end, two pairs of corner posts located substantially centrally of the front and a plurality of lateral projections extending from the front in relatively perpendicular relation to the planes of the top and bottom of the bridge. Each pair of corner posts has holes formed therein to receive a stainless steel pin therethrough also in perpendicular relation to the planes of the top and bottom of the bridge, which together with the plurality of lateral projections define the tape sliding surface. In addition, there is provided behind the stainless steel pins a flexible leaf spring having a relatively soft facing member thereon for exerting an even pressure on the running tape as it crosses the magnetic head of the external tape player/recorder apparatus.

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Cape Porpoise, ME, United States of America

John Gelardi