Tape cassette container casing

• US 5,499,714 A
• Filed: 08/02/1994
• Issued: 03/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Konno, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): FIDEI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US08/284,173
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 206/387.1, 206/387.13, 206/45.14, 206/493
• US Class Current: 206/387.13
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0233 Containers for a single cassette

Abstract

A tape cassette container casing includes a casing main member having a tape cassette housing recess for housing a tape cassette and a lid formed as one with the casing main member via a hinge. The tape cassette housing recess has a reel holding protrusion formed on its bottom surface. The reel holding protrusion is engaged in a reel hole of a tape cassette for inhibiting idle rotation of a tape reel having a magnetic tape wound on it. A protrusion is formed at a position on the bottom surface of the tape cassette housing recess of the casing main member registering with a mouth portion of the tape cassette for delimiting the loading direction of the tape cassette. With the tape cassette container casing, the lid may be closed onto the casing main member only when the tape cassette is housed in the correct position for preventing damages to the magnetic tape.

Claims

1. A tape cassette container casing comprising:

a casing main member having a first tape cassette housing recess having an opening size substantially equal to a size of a tape cassette;

a reel holding protrusion, formed on the bottom surface of the tape cassette housing recess of the casing main member, which is engaged in a reel hole of the tape cassette for inhibiting idle rotation of a tape reel having a magnetic tape wound thereon;

a mistaken housing inhibiting protrusion formed at a position on the bottom surface of the tape cassette housing of the casing main member registering with a mouth portion of the tape cassette for delimiting the loading direction of the tape cassette;

a lateral surface section formed as one with said casing main member via a first hinge;

a lid formed as one with said lateral surface section via a second hinge and comprising a second tape cassette housing recess having an opening size substantially equal to a size of a tape cassette;

an engagement section formed as one with the casing main member via a third hinge and having a wedge shaped free edge;

a mating engagement section having a wedge-shaped cross section formed as one with the lid for connecting with said engagement section when the casing is sealed closed; and

an outer peripheral wall section with a double wall construction.

2. The tape cassette container casing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mistaken housing inhibiting protrusion formed on the bottom surface of the tape cassette housing recess is similar in profile to the mouth portion of the tape cassette.

3. The tape cassette container casing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mistaken housing inhibiting protrusion is integrally formed on the bottom surface of the tape cassette housing recess.

4. The tape cassette container casing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mistaken housing inhibiting protrusion comprises a base block portion substantially similar in profile to the opening of the mouth portion and a portion adapted to be intruded into said mouth portion.

5. The tape cassette container casing as claimed in claim 4 wherein said portion adapted to be intruded is of a width substantially equal to the width of the mouth portion.