U.S. Philips Corporation

Paul J Van Weele

Peter J Doodson

Cornelis Ouwerkerk

Wilhelmus J Rath

Pieter G Markus

Cornelis M Van Beijersbergen

A holder for a rectangular cassette such as a magnetic-tape cassette comprises two parallel main walls and, three interconnecting transverse walls, and one short open side through which a cassette can be inserted into or removed from a cassette-receiving space defined by said walls. One of the main walls of the holder has a window which exposes a cassette main wall, provided with a label. The window of the holder is at least partly open, thereby enabling the cassette, when the holder is held in the palm of one hand, to be pushed out at least partly with a thumb, from which position the cassette can be loaded into a player/recorder by a loading mechanism.

Holder for a rectangular cassette

A system for recording and/or reading signals on/from information carriers (4) accommodated in cassettes (2) composed of cassettes (2-3A) of a first type and cassettes (2-3B) of a second type, which two types of cassettes have substantially identical dimensions and shapes apart from local identifying distinctive features (22-3A, 26-3A; 22-3B, 26-3B) of a first type and of a second type respectively. Drive apparatus constructed to cooperate with a cassette of the system when inserted in a correct orientation. Drive apparatus of the first type, is constructed for cooperation with cassettes (2-3A) of the first type but not for cooperation with cassettes (2-3B) of the second type, and drive apparatus of a second type, is constructed for cooperation with cassettes (2 3B) of the second type but not for cooperation with cassettes (2 3A) of the first type. The drive apparatus further comprise a physical blocking mechanism (30; 52) of a first type and a second type respectively, which are constructed to cooperate with the distinctive features of the different cassette types wherein the drive apparatus of the first type accept cassettes of a first type but do not accept cassettes of the second type and the drive apparatus of the second type accept cassettes of the second type but do not accept cassettes of the first type, at least when that the cassettes are inserted in a correct orientation and in other cases block the cassettes.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Paul J Van Weele