Shape Corporation

Other

Robert B MacLeod, Jr

Paul J Gelardi

Anthony L Gelardi

John A Gelardi

Vincent E Landry

Tape cassette

An assembly tray is injection molded with an open bottom to provide access to articles supported by the tray during manufacturing. Gear teeth are included on the bottom of the tray in the shape of a timing belt for indexing the tray during manufacturing. Stacking ledges are provided in the rim on top of the tray so that one tray can be stacked on top of another without sticking. A torsion box is provided on the sides of the tray to provide torsional stability. The assembly tray can be selected from a stack of other trays, used in automated manufacturing and stacked in another stack. The assembly tray is particularly suited for assemblying components of tape cassettes.

Tape cassette assembly tray

Cassette storage container

A tape cassette pressure flap and pressure flap/cassette housing assembly and related methods for manufacturing the pressure flap and for assembling the pressure flap in the cassette housing. The pressure flap is substantially flat and made of a flexible material. The flap has a first free end with a low coefficient of friction for normally urging a tape portion into contact with a support member of the cassette housing so as to minimize slackness of the tape, and a second end for being fixedly attached to the cassette housing. A piece is formed at the fixed end to form a flange. The fixed end is then inserted between a pair of walls and the support member formed in the cassette housing. The inserted fixed end of the pressure flap terminates at an area formed by the second wall positioned substantially at an angle to the first wall, so that the pressure flap cannot be pushed out of position relative to the tape upon which it resiliently abuts. The angled flange cut in the fixed end of the pressure flap abuts a columnar supporting member. This pressure flap and pressure flap/cassette housing assembly eliminates slackness and the disadvantages of the prior art adhesive-type and non-adhesive-type pressure flaps. Moreover, it provides a more efficient manufacturing process using a relatively simple stamping, bending and inserting procedure and increased efficiency during automated insertion of the pressure flap into the cassette housing.

Tape cassette pressure flap assembly

A tape cassette pressure flap and pressure flap/cassette housing assembly and related methods for manufacturing the pressure flap and for assembling the pressure flap in the cassette housing. The pressure flap is generally flat and made of a flexible material. The flap has a first free end with a low coefficient of friction for normally urging a tape portion into contact with a guide member of the cassette housing so as to minimize slackness of the tape, and a second end for being fixedly attached to the cassette housing. At least one angled rectangular flange is formed at the fixed end. The fixed end is then inserted between at least one wall and a columnar support member formed in the cassette housing such that the pressure flap cannot be pushed out of position relative to the tape upon which it resiliently abuts. The at least one angled flange formed in the fixed end of the pressure flap abuts a columnar supporting member. This pressure flap and pressure flap/cassette housing assembly eliminates slackness and the disadvantages of the prior art adhesive-type and non-adhesive-type pressure flaps. Moreover, it provides a more efficient manufacturing process and inserting procedure and increased efficiency during automated insertion of the pressure flap into the cassette housing.

A transparent tape cassette storage container having a cover and a base and using a latching mechanism employing a projection on the cover and an interference recess in the base for receiving the projection. The interference in the latch is just enough so that it holds the base and cover securely, but also unsnaps easily when the user wishes to open the container. There is also used a pivoting mechanism to hinge the cover relative to the base. Finally, the front of the cover includes indentations and the base includes serated projections for aiding handling of the cassette storage container during opening and closing.

A tape cassette dust door polar member, a dust door spring assembly and a related method for manufacturing and assembling the dust door spring assembly. The dust door polar member has a fixed end and a rounded free end. The rounded free end has a wide slit and a narrower slit extending therefrom toward the fixed end. The dust door spring assembly comprises this polar member and a spring having a short first leg and a long second leg angled relative to each other. The short first leg of the spring is positioned within the second slit of the polar member and the second leg of the spring is urged against the dust door to effect torsion of the spring. In the method of assembly, the wide and narrow slits of the dust door polar member sequentially receive the first short leg of the spring and twist the spring in a clockwise direction, to urge the second long leg against the dust door to effect torsion. This dust door polar member, dust door spring assembly and method for manufacturing and assembling the dust door spring assembly provide more efficient production and automated assembly of tape cassettes.

Tape cassette dust door spring assembly and method for assembling same

A tape cassette dust door latch, a dust door latch spring assembly and a related method for assembling the dust door latch into the tape cassette. The dust door latch has a lock plate with a boss projecting perpendicularly therefrom and a coil spring with first and second ends, the first end of the spring surrounding the boss and the second end of the spring being a free end. The cassette has an upper half case and a lower half case, the upper half case having an abutment member located in the vicinity of the lock plate, and the lower half case having a means for rotatably receiving the dust door latch. In the method of assembling, first, the dust door latch is inserted into the receiving means in the lower half case, and then the upper half case is assembled onto the lower half case such that the abutment member receives the free end of the coil spring, directs it downwardly, and holds the coil spring in a biased position. This dust door latch, dust door latch spring assembly and the method for assembling the dust door latch into the tape cassette provide more efficient production and automated assembly of tape cassettes.

Tape cassette dust door latch spring assembly

A bracket for mounting a cassettebox that includes a flat substantially thin rectangular plate member attachable to a table, shelf or other like surface. Integrally formed on the flat plate member are alignment and locking elements formed along the side edges of the flat plate member for positioning a flat plate member of another bracket in side engaging alignment thereto, so that cassetteboxes mounted on adjacent brackets are aligned with each other in side-by-side relationship. In addition, there are provided male beveled side edges integrally formed along the front portion of the flat plate member for insertion into female dovetail grooves formed along the bottom side edges of the cassettebox. Flanges are formed along the non-beveled rear portions of the side edges of the flat plate member for aligning engagement with and positioning thereon track members formed along bottom side edges of the cassettebox that is to be mounted onto the bracket. At least one female notch is formed in the front edge of the flat plate member for engagement with at least one male nodule formed at the front bottom edge of the cassettebox that is to be connected to the bracket. All of the above elements can be formed of a single piece of molded material to provide an inexpensive mass-produced mounting bracket of a simple and small configuration, but one that is versatile and ensures a proper mounting function for the cassettebox.

Plate bracket for mounting a cassette box

A container for holding a cassette that includes a rectangular casing and a spring-biased drawer reciprocally and slidably received in the casing for holding a cassette in either of the short directions of the cassette, wherein the drawer has a front portion which extends downwardly to expose the cassette when the drawer is in its partially outwardly-extended cassette-exposing position from the casing. Hub-lock projections are formed on the pivotal front portion of the drawer to engage the hub-openings of a stored cassette only when the drawer is in its cassette-storing position. The hub-lock projections disengage or drop away from the cassette when the forward portion of the drawer bottom wall extends downwardly in the cassette-exposing position. The drawer is formed either of a single piece of molded material having a reduced thickness to form a hinge line between forward and front sections of the drawer, of two pieces of molded material comprising the front and rear portions of the drawer wherein the front section is mechanically hinged to the rear section, or of a single piece of flexible molded material wherein the drawer bottom wall is molded in the open cassette-exposing position for providing a natural downward bias in the forward portion of the molded material and flexibly upwardly to form a horizontal drawer bottom wall when the cassette is in the cassette-storing position. The container has a stop means and a locking means for limiting the movement of the drawer.

Cassette container with flexible and hinged drawers

The video cassette storage box is of two-piece modular construction having a storage compartment slightly larger than the normal size video cassette and provided with interlocking dovetail structure at each of the four corners so that a plurality of storage boxes may be interlocked together, either vertically or horizontally. The box construction is of elongated rectangular shape, with an overall thickness substantially less than that of the width and length and open along one portion thereof. Mounted within the storage box is a slidable tray provided with an opening tab at one end connected to the tray by a living hinge, and provided at the other end with a tongue for engagement with the edge of a video cassette for the purpose of engaging and pulling same out of the box along with the tray. The front tab with living hinge permits the label area of the video cassette to be clearly visible at all times when the cassette is being stored within the storage box. A limit projection on the tray in association with a slot in the storage box determines the normal opening range of the slidable tray while detent balls on the front tab and depressions in the inner walls of the storage box reasonably secure the front tab in a closed position.

Video cassette storage box

A cassette shell modification and method of assembly and use thereof comprises providing apertures in each cassette half shell adjacent support structure for tape spool hubs as normally provided within a completed cassette. These apertures, added to what is basically a conventional cassette assembly, provide for better and easier assembly of the overall cassette, and also the loading thereof with desired tape material after completion of assembly. By applying vacuum to a washer mounted internally of a cassette half shell during initial assembly of the overall cassette, the washer can be secured against the inner side of the shell. This is especially desirable if and when the washer is of textured configuration, either convexly or concavely curved, of varying thickness and weights, or is a creased or otherwise damaged normally smooth and flat washer. Thus, the overall assembly of the cassette can be effected quicker and easier. Then again after the cassette is completely assembled and ready for loading of magnetic tape onto the tape spool hubs mounted in the cassette and between the associated washer structure, air under pressure can be applied to either one or both sides of the cassette, and thus exert pressure of the washers against the tape spool hubs and the tape material being wound thereupon. This applies with the cassette being loaded in both the horizontal and vertical position. In the horizontal position, air under pressure need only be applied to the upper side of the cassette, while in the vertical position, air is preferably applied to both sides thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Biddeford, ME, United States of America

Robert B MacLeod, Jr