Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Vincent P Teuber

Ramon F Hegel

Robert L Hanson

John A Heveron

Qing Cai

Jeffrey T Gibbs

A videocassette tape reel hub includes an outer cylinder having a receptacle formed as a recessed portion of the outer surface on the inside of the outer cylinder. A clamp is receivable in the receptacle to fasten tape to the reel hub. A balancing mass is formed within the outer cylinder to balance the increased mass of the clamp and receptacle.

Balanced reel hub for tape cassette reels

The present invention provides a magnetic recording tape cassette comprising: a housing having an access area; two reels, rotatably mounted within the housing; a length of magnetic tape having opposite end portions wound around each of the reels and a portion extending therebetween; a tape guiding surface for guiding the tape portion in extension between the reels, across the access area, and along a predefined path between at least one of the reels and the access area; at least one slack limiting tab having a contact end portion and a mounting region; the slack limiting tab comprising a flexible, resilient polymeric material having a T.sub.g of greater than about 140.degree. C.; and mounting means in said housing for mounting said slack limiting tab in the housing such that the mounting region engages the mounting means, and the contact end portion is biased against the tape to press the tape against the tape guiding surface.

Slack limiting tab for a magnetic tape cassette

A reel pressure button assembly is used in a magnetic tape reel cassette for applying pressure to a tape reel. The reel pressure button assembly includes a substantially cylindrical reel pressure button and a portion of the cassette housing. The reel pressure button is formed as an integral, one-piece member and includes a central horizontal portion which is disposed within an opening in the cassette housing portion. A cylindrical portion of the button has a plurality of recesses and terminates in a flange. The housing portion includes a plurality of tabs which are received in respective recesses to secure the reel pressure button to the housing portion. A compression spring is mounted between the housing portion and the reel pressure button flange.

Reel pressure button for tape reels

An erasure preventing button for preventing recording on a magnetic tape cassette slides within a cavity in a side wall of the cassette between a released position and a depressed position. The erasure preventing button includes a base, which interacts with the tape recorder when the button is released, and a front wall. The front wall includes an arm with a shoulder which is biased toward an opening formed in the side wall of the cavity. The shoulder extends into the opening when the erasure preventing button is released and includes a planar inclined surface which frictionally engages one corner of the opening to prevent the button from sliding from the released position to the depressed position. A rear arm extending from the base prevents the erasure preventing button from being removed from the cavity.

Erasure preventing button with a planar surface to control inadvertent

The present invention concerns a magnetic tape cassette housing comprising a polymeric cassette box having an interior surface. The interior surface of the cassette box has been irradiated with an amount of ultraviolet radiation sufficient to impart a priming effect to the interior surface of the cassette box. A wear pad is adhered to the interior surface of the cassette box. The wear pad comprises a low-friction, wear-resistant polyolefin sheet. The wear pad also comprises a polyamide adhesive layer coated on one side of the polyolefin sheet and adhering the polyolefin sheet to the interior surface of the cassette box. In another aspect, the present invention concerns a method of applying a polyolefin sheet to an interior surface of a polymeric cassette box.

Tape cassette with wear pad comprising polyolefin sheet and polyamide

A hinge assembly for an access door of a videocassette is formed of intergral interlocking projections of the housing and the door, which projections are grooved to accept a straight portion of a torsion spring and thereby provide a knuckle joint of the hinge assembly.

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Hastings, MN, United States of America

Vincent P Teuber