Magnetic tape cassette casing

Abstract: A rectangular tape cassette case for carrying a plurality of tape cassettes, comprising: a base member having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls; and a cover member having a top wall and a pair of side walls, slidably mounted on the base member in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular tape cassette case, wherein the base member has ribs for separating spaces for each of the tape cassettes to be carried.

Description: This invention relates to a case suitable for carrying tape cassettes each of which encloses a pair of reel hubs with a tape form recording medium wound thereon. Tape cassettes such as compact cassettes and DAT (digital audio tape) cassettes are in wide use now. In using such tape cassettes, it is common practice to store or carry each of the tape cassettes in a case which is formed, for example, of plastic. For very small sized (or micro) tape cassettes which have been developed in recent years, however, it is not always preferable to provide one case for each tape cassette. It is rather convenient, for storing or carrying the micro tape cassettes, to prepare a case which accommodates a predetermined number (e.g., three or four) of the tape cassettes. Besides, a case having a plurality of storage portions or spaces for each of a plurality of tape cassettes to be carried is required to have such a construction that each of the storage spaces can be set into a suitable position for easy storage and pick-up of the tape cassette. DE-U-8 531 981 3 discloses such a tape cassette casing. Further FR-A-2 610 605 discloses a CD cassette casing having engaging means provided on the base member and cover member, for cooperating to hold the cover member in the closed position. A storage case for a plurality of micro-cassettes is shown in document WO 83/00768. The preamble of claim 1 is based upon the disclosure of this document. It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a tape cassette case which has a plurality of storage portions and in which each of the storage portions in an opened condition is suitable for easy storage and pick-up of a tape cassette. According to this invention, there is provided a rectangular tape cassette case for carrying a plurality of tape cassettes, comprising: a base member having a bottom wall, a front wall and a rear wall and for receiving therein the tape cassettes to be carried; a cover member having a top wall and a pair of side walls, said cover member being slidable relative to the base member in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular tape cassette case to open the case to provide access to tape cassettes carried in the base member; characterised in that said base member further has a pair of side walls and ribs for separating spaces for each of the tape cassettes to be carried; said cover member is mountable on said base member; and by further comprising engaging means provided on the base member and cover member, for co-operating to hold the cover member in at least one partially open position relative to the base member, said at least one partially open position providing access to only a selected one or ones of said separated spaces. In one specific aspect, the engaging means comprise braking means for controlling the sliding e.g. toothed, e.g. saw-tooth like-shaped, portions disposed along the sliding direction, namely, in the longitudinal direction of the tape cassette case. The toothed portions may be continuous or comprise several spaced toothed portions. In a further specific aspect, the side walls of the base member have cutout portions for easy pick-up of tape cassettes from the base member. The tape cassette case according to this invention, constructed as above, ensure that each of the storage spaces can be set into a suitable position for easy storage and pick-up of the tape cassette, while preventing easy sliding of the cover member on the base member. The present invention will be further described by way of example only in the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the tape cassette case according to this invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the tape cassette case of the first embodiment, with a cover member in a slid condition; Figures 3a to 3d show respectively a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a side view of the cover member in the first embodiment; Figures 4a to 4d show respectively a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a side view of a base member in the first embodiment; Figure 5a to 5c illustrate various click stops for slidable movement of the cover member in the first embodiment; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a tape cassette to be stored in the embodiment of the tape cassette case according to the invention; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the tape cassette case according to this invention; Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the tape cassette case of the second embodiment, with a cover member in a slid condition; Figures 9a to 9d show respectively a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a side view of the cover member in the second embodiment; Figures 10a to 10d show respectively a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a side view of a base member in the second embodiment; Figure 11 is a bottom plan view of the second embodiment; Figure 12a to 12c illustrate various click stops for slidable movement of the cover member in the second embodiment; Figure 13 is a bottom plan view showing a modification of the second embodiment; and Figure 14 illustrates modifications of portions for engagement to prevent unintentional sliding of the cover member in the second embodiment. This invention will now be explained more in detail with reference to some preferred embodiments thereof. A first embodiment of the tape cassette case according to this invention will now be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Besides, Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a tape cassette to be carried in the tape cassette case of this invention, the tape cassette 90 being formed in a very small size, for example, on the order of 30 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm. The tape cassette 90 has upper and lower cassette-halves 91 and 92 fitted to each other to form a casing, in which are encased a pair of reel hubs 93 with a magnetic tape wound thereon. A portion of the magnetic tape, led out to the front side of the casing between the reel hubs 93 by an internal tape path mechanism, is normally covered by a lid 94 operably mounted on a front face of the casing, as shown in the figure. The tape cassette is described, for example, in US pending application Serial No. 837,908, filed February 20, 1992. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tape cassette case 1 capable of carrying four such tape cassettes 90 therein, and Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the tape cassette case 1 with its cover member in a slid condition. The case 1 comprises the cover member 10 and a base member 20. Figures 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d respectively show a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a right side view of the cover member 10, while Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d respectively show a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a right side view of the base member 20. For each of the cover member 10 and the base member 20, a rear view and a left side view are identical or symmetrical with the front view and the right side view, respectively. As seen from these figures, the base member 20 comprises four storage portions or spaces 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d for containing one tape cassette 90 each, and an internal wall portion 22 for partition between the storage portions 21a and 21b. The storage portion 21a is provided on its inner bottom surface with a pair of projections 23 to be engaged with into the reel hubs 93 of the tape cassette 90 for guiding of the tape cassette 90 to the storage position. The storage portions 21b, 21c and 21d are separated only by ribs 25 adjunct to side walls 24, but the tape cassettes 90 are kept stored appropriately in each of the storage portions 21b, 21c and 21d by contact with the ribs 25. The side walls 24 each comprise a curved cutout portion 24a corresponding to the storage portion 21a, and a curved cutout portion 24b corresponding to the storage portions 21b to 21d as a whole. The cutout portions 24a and 24b provided in the side walls 24 ensure easy pick-up of the tape cassettes 90 out of the storage portions 21a to 21d. The storage portion 21d has a circular hole 26 formed at a bottom portion thereof, and the base member 20 is provided on its bottom side with an anti-slip portion 27 having a rugged surface. Further, each of the side walls 24 of the base member 20 is provided with a rail 28 extending on the outer surface and over the entire length thereof, and with dents 29a, 29b and 29c in its outer surface at positions other than the cutout portions 24a, 24b. On the other hand, the cover member 10, mounted on the base member 20 slidably and detachably, comprises a top wall 11 and a pair of side walls 12 so as to be roughly U-shaped in cross section, and is molded from a transparent plastic. The top wall of the cover member 10 is sized to cover entirely the storage potions 21a to 21d of the base member 20. Each of the side walls 12 of the cover member 10 is provided with a groove 13 in the inner surface and along the entire length thereof. The cover member 10 is mounted on the base member 20, with the rails 28 on the base member 20 fitted in the grooves 13 of the cover member 10, as shown in Figure 1. Therefore, the cover member 10 can be slid relative to the base member 20 in the direction as indicated in Figure 2 or in the opposite direction. The sliding motions enable the storage portions 21a to 21d of the base member 20 to be opened and closed on the upper side. The side walls 12 of the cover member 10 have projections 14a, 14b on the inner side thereof. The projections 14a, 14b are so positioned and shaped as to fit in the dents 29a, 29c of the base member 20 when the tape cassette case 1 is closed as shown in Figure 1. In addition, a predetermined number of projections 15 are provided on the flat surface of the top wall 11 of the cover member member 10. The projections 15 ensure that when, for example, a plurality of tape cassette cases 1 according to this embodiment are stacked, the surface of the cover member 10 of an underlying case 1 does not make scratching contact with the bottom surface of the base member 20 of an overlying case 1. Thus, the cover member 10 is protected from being marred or stained. In the tape cassette case 1 as above, sliding the cover member 10 in a desired amount and direction relative to the base member 20 opens one or more of the storage portions 21a to 21d, to enable very eacy storage and pick-up of tape cassettes 90. Furthermore, the case 1 according to this embodiment, designed for storing four micro tape cassettes 90, has a suitable size for use (on the order of 35 × 90 × 7 mm) and is convenient for putting the tape cassettes 90 in order or for carrying the tape cassettes 90. In particular, according to this embodiment, the projections 14a and 14b provided on the cover member 10 and the dents 29a, 29b and 29c provided in the base member 20 offer a better convenience in use. That is, when the storage portions 21a to 21d are wholly closed by the cover member 10, the projections 14a and 14b are fitted respectively in the dents 29a and 29c, as shown in Figure 5a, thereby keeping the closed condition. This prevents unintentional sliding of the cover member 10, which would result, for example, in flying-out or falling-off of the tape cassettes 90 stored in the tape cassette case 1. When it is desired to open only the storage portion 21a, for example, the cover member 10 is slid in the direction of arrow A, as shown in Figure 5b. Then, a click stop for slidable movement of the cover member 10 on the base member 20 is achieved at the position where the projection 14a of the cover member 10 is fitted in the dent portion 29b of the base member 20. Namely, an optimum opening for the storage portion 21a is attained. When it is desired to open the storage portions 21b to 21d, on the other hand, the cover member 10 is slid in the direction of arrow B, as shown in Figure 5c. This causes a click stop in the slidable movement of the cover member 10 on the base member 20 at the position where the projection 14b of the cover member 10 is fitted in the dent portion 29b of the base member 20. Thus, an optimum opening for the storage portions 21b to 21d is achieved. Because the cover member 10 can thus be set into and maintained in a desired opened condition, the tape cassettes 90 can be stored and picked up easily. In addition, the cover member 10 will not be opened to such a large extent as to come off or become hard to deal with. Further, unintentional fall-off of the stored tape cassette 90 or the like troubles are obviated. Besides, according to this embodiment as described above, the storage portions 21b to 21d are not separated from each other by internal walls or the like. This construction ensures that in use of the tape cassette case 1 for sale of the tape cassette 90, the storage portion 21a may be used to store the tape cassette 90 while the storage portions 21a to 21d may be used for other purpose, for instance, for storing a paper mount printed with the trade name, trademark or the like of the tape cassette 90. In such instance, the hole 26 serves for easy pick-up of the paper mount or the like. The tape cassette case according to this embodiment may, of course, be provided with inner walls for separation of the storage portions 21b to 21d from each other and further with dents in the side walls 24 at positions corresponding to the inner walls, whereby a greater number of click stops can be achieved for slidable movement of the cover member 10 on the base member 20. The projections and dents may be formed on the rails 28 and grooves 13 or may be formed below the rails 28 and grooves 13. Besides, the cover member 10 may have dents and the base member 20 may have projections. Furthermore, either or both of the dents and the projections may be provided in a greater number than the above-described. In the next place, a second embodiment of the tape cassette case according to this invention will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 14. The components identical with those shown in Figures 1 to 5 above are denoted by the same reference characters as used in Figures 1 to 5, and explanation of such components will be omitted. Figure 7 is a perspective view of a tape cassette case 1 according to the second embodiment, and Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the case 1 with a cover member 10 in a slid condition. Figures 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d respectively show a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a right side view of the cover member 10, and Figures 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d respectively show a front view, a top plan view, a bottom plan view and a right side view of a base member 20. In this embodiment, the base member 20 does not have the dents 29a to 29c as appearing in the above first embodiment. Instead, side walls 24 of the base member 20 have saw-tooth like-shaped portions 30 extending uninterruptedly along the entire length of the side walls 24, below rails 28 on the side walls 24. Similarly, the cover member 10 does not have the projections 14a, 14b as appearing in the above first embodiment; instead, side walls 12 of the cover member 10 have saw-tooth like-shaped portions 16 extending uninterruptedly along the entire length of the side walls 12, below grooves 13 formed in the inner surfaces of the side walls 12. As seen in Figure 11, which shows a bottom plan view of the tape cassette case 1 with the cover member 10 in the closed condition as illustrated in Figure 7, the saw-tooth like-shaped portions 16 of the cover member 10 are just in gentle engagement with the saw-tooth like-shaped portions 30 of the base portion 20. The engagement prevents the cover member 10 from unintended sliding. Because the saw-tooth like-shaped portions 16 and 30 extend uninterruptedly in the longitudinal direction of the tape cassette case 1, the degree of opening (or slide amount) of the cover member 10 can be set as desired, with a greater number of click stops for slidable movement of the cover member 10 on the base member 20 than in the above first embodiment. This ensures a higher convenience in use of the tape cassette case, and easier storage and pick-up of tape cassettes from the storage portions 21a-21d. The click stops for slidable movement of the cover member 10 provided by the engagement between the uninterruptedly extending saw-tooth like-shaped portions 16 and 30 offer a sufficiently firm hold for preventing an unintentional come-off of the cover member 10, a sliding movement of the cover member 10 due to a shock upon fall of the tape cassette case, etc. Thus, the storing and protective function for tape cassettes 90 is improved. In this embodiment as described above, the uninterrupted saw-tooth like-shaped portions are provided on both the cover member 10 and the base member 20. However, an alternative construction as shown in Figure 13 may be adopted, in which at least one of the cover and base members, for example, the base member 20 has the uninterrupted saw-tooth like-shaped portions 30, while the other of the cover and base members, namely, the cover member 10 has one or more projections 17 for engagement with the saw-tooth like-shaped portion 30. Also, the uninterruptedly extending portions for preventing unintended sliding of the cover member 10 are not limited to the saw-tooth like-shaped ones as shown in Figure 14a, and may be circularly shaped ones as shown in Figure 14b, trapezoid-shaped ones as shown in Figure 14c, or the like. The position of the uninterruptedly extending portion is not limited to the above-described, but may be, for example, on the rails 28 of the base portion 20 and in the grooves 13 of the cover member 10. Various modifications may be made as to the shape of the tape cassette case, the number of tape cassettes to be carried, etc. within the scope of this invention. Furthermore, the tape cassette case according to the invention is not limited to cases for micro tape cassettes but is applicable to cases for any type of tape cassettes. As has been described above, the tape cassette case according to this invention has a plurality of storage portions, and comprises a base member and a cover member which have means for engagement to achieve click stops for slidable movement of the cover member on the base member. In the tape cassette case, therefore, the storage portions can be set into an open position convenient for intended storage or pick-up of tape cassettes, and the cover member can be prevented from unintentional sliding or coming-off. The tape cassette case of this invention is convenient for storing tape cassettes in order and carrying the tape cassettes, and is particularly useful as a case for micro tape cassettes.

Claims: A rectangular tape cassette case (1) for carrying a plurality of tape cassettes, comprising: a base member (20) having a bottom wall, a front wall and a rear wall and for receiving therein the tape cassettes to be carried; a cover member (10) having a top wall (11) and a pair of side walls (12), said cover member being slidable relative to the base member in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular tape cassette case (1) to open the case (1) to provide access to tape cassettes carried in the base member (20); characterised in that said base member (20) further has a pair of side walls (24) and ribs (22,25) for separating spaces (21a,21b,21c,21d) for each of the tape cassettes to be carried; said cover member (10) is mountable on said base member (20); and by further comprising engaging means (14a,14b,29a,29c;16,30;17,30), provided on the base member (20) and cover member (10), for co-operating to hold the cover member (10) in at least one partially open position relative to the base member (20), said at least one partially open position providing access to only a selected one or ones of said separated spaces. A tape cassette case (1) according to claim 1, wherein each of said side walls (24) of said base member (20) has a guide rail (28) extending in the longitudinal direction of the tape cassette case (1) near the bottom wall of said base member (20), and each of said side walls (12) of said cover member (10) has a guide groove (13) corresponding to said guide rail (28) of said base member (20) for slidably guiding said cover member (10) on said base member (20). A tape cassette case (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said engaging means comprise: projections (14a,14b) provided in the side walls (12) of one of said base member (20) and cover member (10), and indented portions (29a,29b,29c) provided in the side walls (24) of the other of said base member (20) and cover member (10) to provide click stops in the sliding movement of said cover member (10) on said base member (20). A tape cassette case (1) according to claim 3 wherein the click stop positions are asymmetric on the base member (20). A tape cassette case (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said engaging means comprise: toothed portions (16,30) on the side walls (12,24) of both said cover member (10) and said base member (20) in facing relation to each other and extending in the longitudinal direction of the tape cassette case (1) for preventing easy sliding of said cover member (10) on said base member (20). A tape cassette case (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said engaging means comprise: toothed portions (30) extending on the side walls (12,24) of one of the base member (20) and cover member (10) in the longitudinal direction of said tape cassette case (1), and at least one projection (17) provided on said side walls (12,24) of the other of the cover member (10) and base member (20) in facing relation to said toothed portions (30) in order to prevent easy sliding of said cover member (10) on said base member (20). A tape cassette case (1) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a wall (22) is provided in the base member (20) to divide the base member (20) asymmetrically into a larger (21b,21c,21d) and a smaller (21a) storage space. A tape cassette case (1) according to claim 4 wherein a wall (22) is provided asymmetrically of the base member (20) in correspondence with the asymmetric click stop positions. A tape cassette case (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said side walls (24) of the base member have cutout portions in order to allow easy pick-up of tape cassettes from said base member (20). A tape cassette case (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, from a position in which the cover member (10) prevents access to the interior of said base member (20), said cover member (10) is slidable in either of the two opposing longitudinal directions of the case (1), to allow access to the interior of either end of the base member (20).

Inventors: OZAKI HIROSHI, OZAKI, HIROSHI, OZAKI, HIROSHI, C/O SONY CORPORATION
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G11B23
IPC codes: B65D85, G11B23