Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cassette case for accommodating a magnetic tape cassette.  
           [0002]    Conventionally, there has frequently been used a magnetic tape cassette as a record medium. In a computer or the like, for use of backup or the like for recorded data, there is used a constitution in which a single tape reel wound with a magnetic tape is pivotably held at inside of a cassette case (one reel type).  
           [0003]    The magnetic tape cassette is carried out and stored by being put into an accommodating case in order to protect the magnetic tape cassette against dust, impact in dropping or the like. There also is the case in which a bar code or the like is provided at an accommodating case. The content of information recorded to the magnetic tape cassette at inside of the accommodating case can be referred by way of the bar code or the like.  
           [0004]    There is a magnetic tape cassette of the one reel type referred to as DLT cassette as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 188520/1998.  
           [0005]    Further, there has been used a cassette of a type as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-23337, in which although an outer shape thereof is substantially the same as that of the above-described DLT cassette, a specification thereof differs therefrom.  
           [0006]    Generally, the latter is referred to as Linear-Tape Open (LTO) cassette.  
           [0007]    Outer shape dimensions of the DLT cassette and the LTO cassette slightly differ from each other. There is requested a magnetic tape cassette case capable of accommodating the both without play.  
         SUMMARY OF THE-INVENTION  
         [0008]    The invention has been carried out in view of such a situation and it is an object thereof to provide a magnetic tape cassette case capable of compatibly accommodating a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes having different sizes without play.  
           [0009]    The above-described object of the invention can be achieved by a magnetic tape cassette case capable of compatibly accommodating a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes having different sizes. The case comprises an accommodating portion, a lid portion and a connecting portion for connecting the accommodating portion and the lid portion. The case also includes movement preventing member that is provided at least one of the accommodating portion, the lid portion and the connecting portion for preventing a small one of the magnetic tape cassettes from moving at inside of the case.  
           [0010]    In addition, the above-described object of the invention can also be achieved by a magnetic tape cassette case capable of compatibly accommodating a first magnetic tape cassette and a second magnetic tape cassette smaller in size than the first magnetic tape cassette. The case includes an accommodating portion, a lid portion, a connecting portion for connecting the accommodating portion and the lid portion, and a rib member provided at least one of the accommodating portion, the lid portion and the connecting portion. The rib member is located at position where the rib member is not brought in engagement with an outer surface of the first magnetic tape cassette when the first magnetic tape cassette is accommodated in the case and also where the rib member is brought in engagement with an outer surface of the second magnetic tape cassette when the second magnetic tape cassette is accommodated in the case.  
           [0011]    In the above-mentioned magnetic tape cassette case according to the present invention, it is advantageous to further include a protrusion provided at least one of the accommodating portion, the lid portion and the connecting portion, wherein the protrusion is located at position where the rib member is entered into a recess provided on the first magnetic tape cassette when the first magnetic tape cassette is accommodated in the case and also where the protrusion is entered into a recess provided on the second magnetic tape cassette when the second magnetic tape cassette is accommodated in the case.  
           [0012]    With the above-mentioned magnetic tape cassette case according to the present invention, a large magnetic tape cassette and also a small magnetic tape cassette can be contained without play. A user is capable of arbitrarily accommodating the large magnetic tape cassette as well as the small magnetic tape cassette at inside of the case and the way of use of the case is excellent. It is also facilitated to grub the case by transfer mechanism of a robot or the like.  
           [0013]    According to a user having a large-sized library system, there also is a case of simultaneously using DLT and LTO and when accommodating cases for them differ from each other, a size of a accommodating shelf of unused products cannot be unified or when a case and a cassette do not coincide with each other, the cassette cannot be put into the cassette to thereby deteriorate operability. Although when cases are transported or conveyed to somewhere, it is necessary to prepare tools (boxes or containers) in compliance with respective cases, according to the devised case, the problem can be resolved.  
           [0014]    Although the movement preventing member according to the present invention is not limited, there can be exemplified a constitution capable of widening or narrowing a accommodating space partitioned by the accommodating portion, the lid portion and the connecting portion. Further, there can be exemplified a support piece or the like which is brought into contact with a wall face of a small magnetic tape cassette and is not brought into contact with a wall face of a large magnetic tape cassette. Although the movement preventing means may be provided with the constitution of preventing a small magnetic tape cassette from moving at inside of a case, the movement preventing means may be provided with a constitution for preventing a large magnetic tape cassette from moving at inside of the case. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an essential portion of the first embodiment; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    A detailed explanation will be given of an embodiment of the invention in reference to the drawings as follows. A magnetic tape cassette case  10  according to a first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, is capable of accommodating magnetic tape cassettes having at least two kinds of sizes. The accommodating case  10  is capable of accommodating a DLT cassette  80  constituting a large cassette shown by bold lines in the drawing and an LTO cassette  90  constituting a small cassette shown by two-dotted chain lines in the drawing.  
         [0019]    A height dimension of the LTO cassette  90  is smaller than that of the DLT cassette  80 . Further, the LTO cassette  90  is smaller than the DLT cassette  80  in a dimension thereof in a direction of inserting the cassette. The DLT cassette  80  and the LTO cassette  90  are formed with recessed portions at the same position when reference faces are constituted by predetermined faces. In this case, recessed portions  80   a  and  90   a  are formed at the same position of side faces thereof when reference faces thereof are constituted by bottom faces and rear end faces of the cassettes in inserting the cassettes. The recessed portions  80   a  and  90   a  are inserted with positioning means of a hardware apparatus or the like.  
         [0020]    The accommodating case  10  is provided with a accommodating portion  11  having an opening  12  capable of bringing in and out the magnetic tape cassettes  80  and  90  and a lid portion  15  connected to the accommodating portion  11  foldably by way of a connecting portion  20 .  
         [0021]    The accommodating portion  11  is provided with a bottom wall  11   a  substantially in a rectangular shape (substantially in a square shape), a pair of side walls  11   b  and  11   c  erected at sides of the bottom wall  11   a  opposed to each other and an end wall  11   d  erected at a side of the bottom wall  11   a  and extended in a direction orthogonal to the side walls  11   b  and  11   c . A first locking portion  11   e  is provided at aside of the bottom wall  11   a  opposed to the side provided with the end wall  11   d.    
         [0022]    At an inner face of the side wall  11   c  on one side, there is provided a positioning projected portion  13  to be fitted to the recessed portion  80   a  of the DLT cassette  80  and the recessed portion  90   a  of the LTO cassette  90 . Further, at an inner face of the end wall  11   d , there is provided an auxiliary positioning projected portion  14  which is brought into a recessed portion (not illustrated) provided at a front end face of the DLT cassette  80  in the direction of inserting the cassette and is brought into contact with a front end face of the LTO cassette  90  in the direction of inserting the cassette.  
         [0023]    The lid portion  15  is provided with a ceiling wall  15   a  having a shape and an area the same as those of the bottom wall  11   a  of the accommodating portion  11 . A side of the ceiling wall  15   a  is connected to a front end (upper end) of the end wall lid of the accommodating portion  11  via the connecting portion  20 . There is provided an end wall, not illustrated, at a side of the ceiling wall  15   a  opposed to the side connected to the connecting portion  20 . The end wall is provided with a second locking portion (not illustrated) in correspondence with the first locking portion  11   e  of the accommodating portion  11 . There are provided side walls  15   b  and  15   c  at a pair of sides of the ceiling wall  15   a  extended in-directions orthogonal to the end wall.  
         [0024]    Further, there is no restriction in modes of the first locking portion lie of the accommodating portion  11  and the second locking portion of the lid portion  15  but there can be exemplified a constitution in which recesses and projections thereof are engaged with each other, a constitution of using a piece of Velcro™ or the like. It is preferable to constitute the first locking portion lie and the second locking portion such that the accommodating portion  11  and the lid portion  15  are capable of being provided with a plurality of engaging portions. For example, there can be constructed a constitution in which at least one of the first locking portion  11   e  and the second locking portion is provided with two or more of projected portions and recessed portions.  
         [0025]    In this case, the connecting portion  20  is formed in a shape of a long strip constituting a long side by a side thereof along an upper end side of end wall  11   d  of the accommodating portion  11 . The connecting portion  20  functions as a thin-walled hinge foldable at a plurality of positions thereof.  
         [0026]    For example, as shown by FIG. 2, there can be formed two pieces of folding lines  20   a  and  20   b  extended in directions along the long side.  
         [0027]    When the DLT cassette  80  is contained in the accommodating case  10  having the above-described constitution, the positioning projected portion  13  of the accommodating portion  11  is fitted to the recessed portion  80   a  of the DLT cassette  80  to thereby prevent the DLT cassette from playing at inside of the case. Meanwhile, the auxiliary positioning projected portion  14  of the accommodating portion  11  is not brought into contact with the surface of the DLT cassette  80 . When the lid portion  15  is folded to the accommodating portion  11 , a folding line is constituted at a portion of the connecting portion  20  on the side of the lid portion  15 . That is, the lid portion  15  is folded by using the folding line  20   a  on the side of the lid portion  15  in the folding lines  20   a  and  20   b  shown in FIG. 2. Then, the ceiling wall  10   a  of the lid portion  15  is brought into contact with a ceiling face of the DLT cassette  80 . In this way, by sandwiching the DLT cassette  80  by the ceiling wall  15   a  and the bottom wall  11   a , the DLT cassette  80  is restricted from being moved in a height direction (Z direction) at inside of the case. The DLT cassette  80  is restricted from moving at inside of the case in X-Y plane by the positioning projected portion  13 , the side walls  11   b  and  11   c  and the end wall  11   d  of the accommodating portion  11 .  
         [0028]    Meanwhile, when the LTO cassette  90  is contained in  10  the accommodating case  10 , the positioning projected portion  13  of the accommodating portion  11  is fitted to the recessed portion  90   a  of the cassette  90  and the auxiliary positioning projected portion  14  of the accommodating portion  11  is brought into contact with a surface of the LTO cassette  90  to thereby prevent the LTO cassette from playing at inside of the case. Further, when the lid portion  15  is folded to the accommodating portion  11 , a folding line is constituted at a portion of the connecting portion  20  on the side of the accommodating portion  11 . That is, the lid portion  15  is folded by using the folding line  20   b  on the side of the accommodating portion  11  in the folding lines  20   a  and  20   b  shown in FIG. 2. Then, the ceiling wall  15   a  of the lid portion  15  is brought into contact with the ceiling face of the LTO cassette  90 . In this way, the LTO cassette  90  is sandwiched by the ceiling wall  15   a  and the bottom wall  11   a  to thereby restrict the LTO cassette  90  from moving in the height direction (Z direction) at inside of the case. The LTO cassette  90  is restricted from moving at inside of the case in X-Y plane by the positioning projected portion  13 , the side walls  11   b  and lic and the auxiliary positioning projected portion  14  of the accommodating portion  11 .  
         [0029]    According to a accommodating case  30  of a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, there is provided an expandable and contractable support piece at an inner face of a ceiling wall  35   a . When the DLT cassette is contained at inside of the accommodating case  30 , the ceiling face of the DLT cassette is supported by the support piece  36  in a state of being pressed to contract. When the LTO cassette is contained at inside of the accommodating case  30 , the ceiling face of the LTO cassette is supported by the support piece  36  in a state of being expanded.  
         [0030]    A mode of the support piece  36  is not restricted but there can be exemplified a mode comprising an elastic member, or a mode using an expandable and contractable member of a spring or the like. A leaf spring or the like can also be used.  
         [0031]    Further, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments but can be modified or changed pertinently.  
         [0032]    For example, there can be constructed a constitution capable of accommodating three kinds or more of magnetic tape cassettes having different sizes.  
         [0033]    Further, the invention is applicable also to a accommodating case of a magnetic cassette pivotably holding a pair of tape reels at inside of a cassette case.  
         [0034]    While there has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art -that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the present invention, and it is aimed, therefore, to cover in the appended claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0035]    As has been explained above, according to a magnetic tape cassette case for accommodating a magnetic tape cassette of the invention, there can be provided the accommodating case for a magnetic tape capable of accommodating the magnetic tape cassettes having different sizes without play.

Technology Category: 3