Patent ID: 6587306
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
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 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 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 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 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 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 light emission element introduced into the cover lock member container out of said tape cassette and then to a light reception element of the recording and reproducing apparatus; and a light shielding member provided in the vicinity of at least one of the third wall portion and the fourth wall portion and being a flat laminar board-shaped member formed separately from said tape containers, said member having a hole through which the light from the light emission element passes.