The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 24, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 27, 1998
Hiroshi Kaneda, Nagano-ken, JP;
Masatoshi Okamura, Saku, JP;
Akio Momoi, Saku, JP;
Kenji Hashizume, Miyota-machi, JP;
TDK Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
When a guide wall formed in the lower casing of a tape cassette housing for guiding a brake release member is extended upward into the upper casing, the corresponding part of the upper casing must be cut off to provide a recess. The recess, located in the central part of the upper casing, reduces the structural strength of the upper casing. Also there are problems of deformation of the cassette wall parts subject to the urging of the spring member and development of a gap between the mating edges of the upper and lower casings during storage at elevated temperature. The present invention is directed to the solution of the problems. In a tape cassette which includes a housing comprised of upper and lower casings, a pair of tape reels turnably held in the housing, and a brake mechanism comprising reel brake members and a brake release member all of which are located in the front part of the housing and between the pair of tape reels, in an arrangement such that, when the cassette is not in use, the brake members are urged by a spring member in directions where they are in mesh with serrated flange peripheries of the reels and, when the cassette is used, the release member is forced upward against the spring force by a brake release pin and the brake members cooperatively swing out of mesh with the serrated flange peripheries of the reels, setting the tape reels free to turn; a guide wall for guiding the release member for upward and downward movement is formed in one piece with the lower casing, with the upper part of the guide wall being overlapped with a corresponding part of the upper casing. A solid joint part for securing the upper and lower casings together is provided in the vicinity of the region where the release lever moves upward and downward along the front wall.