Patent ID: 6680819
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A tape cassette comprising:a pair of tape containers; a tape wound around a pair of reels and contained in the pair of tape containers, the tape consisting of a magnetic recording layer tape part and high light transmittance leader tape parts added to both ends of the tape, respectively; a first wall portion forming an insertion hole through which a first light emission element of a recording and reproducing apparatus is inserted while said tape cassette is installed into the recording and reproducing apparatus, the first wall portion having a first hole that introduces light from the first light emission element out of the insertion hole; a second wall portion forming part of a tape container and having a second hole that introduces the light from the first light emission element into the tape container; a third wall portion forming another part of the tape container and having a third hole that introduces the light from the first light emission element introduced into the tape container out of the tape container; a fourth wall portion forming part of a cover lock member container that contains a cover lock member for locking a cover of said tape cassette, the fourth wall portion having a fourth hole that introduces the light from the first light emission element introduced out of the tape container into the cover lock member container; a fifth wall portion forming another part of the cover lock member container and having a fifth hole that introduces the light from the first light emission element introduced into the cover lock member container out of said tape cassette and then to a first light reception element of the recording and reproducing apparatus; a first light shielding member provided in the vicinity of at least one of the third wall portion and the fourth wall portion and formed separately from said tape containers, said first light shielding member having a hole through which the light from the first light emission element passes; and a second light shielding member provided in the vicinity of at least one of the third wall portion and the fourth wall portion and formed separately from said tape containers, said second light shielding member blocking light from a second light emission element of the recording and reproducing apparatus for detecting presence and absence of said tape cassette to prevent the light from the second light emission element from reaching a second light reception element of the recording and reproducing apparatus.