Patent ID: 6519827
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: G11B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for assembling a magnetic tape cartridge, the magnetic tape cartridge comprising:a reel (3) including a reel hub (42) around which a magnetic tape is wound and a flange portion (43) projected in a radial direction of said reel from an outer periphery of an upper portion of said reel hub, wherein said reel hub (42) is provided at its bottom portion with a driving engaging portion which is engageable with a driving mechanism for rotationally driving said reel, and said flange portion is provided at its outer peripheral edge portion with a restricting gear (43a) restricting the rotation of said reel; a cartridge case (2) rotatably storing said reel therein and including, a lower case (2b) having in a bottom portion thereof a driving opening (2c) through which said driving engaging portion of said reel hub is brought in engagement with said driving mechanism, an upper case (2a) superimposed on an upper portion of said lower case, a reel spring (8) interposed between said upper case and said reel for energizing said reel toward said lower case, a reel brake (50, 51) rotatably journaled on said upper case, including a locking gear portion meshingly engageable with said restricting gear of said reel, said locking gear portion being energized in a meshingly engaging direction thereof by a brake spring (12, 13), and a lid (30) mounted openably and closably in a magnetic tape pull-out opening formed in said cartridge case for pulling out said magnetic tape, said lid being energized in a closing direction thereof by a lid spring (15) having a lid engaging portion (15a), and the magnetic tape cartridge assembling method comprising the steps of: sequentially delivering a pallet (200) on which said upper case is placed within a plurality of assembling stations, which are respectively arranged in a straight line manner and each of which includes an assembling robot (130) for assembling respective parts of said magnetic tape cartridge, wherein said pallet comprises: a reel brake hold mechanism (210, 220) capable of holding said locking gear portion of said reel brake (50, 51) against an energizing force of said brake spring in such a manner that said reel brake retreats from an installation area of said reel, a lid spring hold mechanism (230) capable of holding said lid engaging portion (15a) of said lid spring (15) in such a manner that said lid engaging portion (15a) is not in engagement with said lid (30), and a reel hold mechanism (240) capable of holding said reel (3) on said upper case side against an energizing force of said reel spring (8); and driving a drive mechanism which is provided in each of said assembling stations and drives at least one of said reel brake hold mechanism, said lid spring hold mechanism and said reel hold mechanism, to thereby assemble respective parts of said magnetic tape cartridge onto said upper case by said respective assembling robots.