Patent ID: 7142386

Claim:
A tape drive adapted to interact with a magnetic tape cartridge having a recess therein selectively closed or opened by a sliding element movable back and forth in said recess, said tape drive comprising: a drive housing; a read/write control unit that enables or disenables a recording function relative to said cartridge, dependent on whether said recess is opened or closed by said sliding element; said read/write control unit comprising a microswitch mounted in said drive housing having a biased plunger movable in a detection direction substantially perpendicular to the back and forth movement of said sliding element, to detect when said recess is opened and when said recess is closed; and a plunger protector having a first end pivotably mounted in said housing and a second end disposed between said plunger and said sliding element, said second end being adapted to smoothly engage said sliding element as said sliding element is moved back and forth in said recess and in response to allow movement of said plunger in said detection direction while preventing breakage of said plunger by the back and forth movement of the sliding element.