Cassette Case

Abstract

A storage container for a tape cartridge having a separate bottom section and a separate pouch-like cover hinged to the bottom part and swingable between an open and closed position. The bottom part carries each pivot pin on which the separate pouch-like part swings. Each pivot pin is carried on oppositely disposed side walls and guided, during assembly, by a complemental tapering groove into a pin hole formed in the respective side wall of the cover, spreading the side walls of the bottom section so that when the pins and pin holes are registered the pins will snap into the respective pin hole. The cover side walls are provided with outwardly projecting ribs adjacent the pin holes which engage in groove in the side wall when the cover is in the closed position to retain the cover closed and against the end edges of the side wall to support the cover in a substantially horizontal plane when held in a person's hand.

Description

LIST OF PARTS

10 -- cover wall

11 -- CONFIGURED WALL

12 -- BACK COVER WALL

13 -- COVER SIDE WALLS

14 -- COVER SIDE WALLS

15 -- SIDE WALLS OF PART A

16 -- side walls of part A

17 -- front wall

18 -- BOTTOM WALL

19 -- PIVOTS

20 -- PIVOTS

21 -- PIVOT HOLES

22 -- PIVOT HOLES

23 -- TAPERED SLOTS

24 -- TAPERED SLOTS

25 -- SLOTS

26 -- SLOTS

27 -- TAPERED RIB

28 -- TAPERED RIB

The invention relates to a storage case for a cartridge or cassette of film, magnetic tape or the like of the type disclosed in Canadian Patent 765,271 dated Aug. 15, 1967 to Schoenmakers and its corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,325 dated Sept. 16, 1966.

Because of the nature of the construction of the aforesaid storage case, the bottom section and the pouch-like cover have to be hand assembled to form the storage case. It is an object of the present invention to provide the bottom section and the pouch-like cover with a construction that can be readily machine assembled immediately following the molding step or by hand in a much faster manner than the aforesaid construction.

When the pouch-like part of the prior case is moved to open the case, the cover can drop to a position, when the hand releases its hold on the cover, which will allow the cassette to drop out onto the floor.

A further object is to provide a structure which will prevent the cover so dropping and thus avoid the ejection of the cassette under the conditions mentioned.

In a storage container for a tape cartridge having a first open bottom section having a pair of side walls of equal length, an end wall connected with each said side wall at one end thereof, a bottom wall connected with said end wall and said side walls at one edge thereof, said bottom wall extending for only a portion of the length of said side walls defining a cut-away in said first receptacle portion whereby said walls extend freely beyond said bottom wall; a pouch-like cover having a cover wall substantially overlying said side walls over the entire length thereof in the closed position of said first and second container portions, a configured wall in spaced substantially parallel relation with said lid wall, said configured wall having the same shape as said cut-away and being dimensioned for closely fitting within said cut-away in the said closed position, side wall means connected with both said lid wall and configured wall at the aligned edges thereof defining a pouch, said side wall means fitting between the freely extending portions of the side walls, each side wall having a pivot pin hole, means hingedly connecting the cover to the bottom section for pivotal movement between open and closed positions, said means comprising an inwardly projecting hinge pin mounted on the freely extending portion of the side wall and a tapered lead-in-slot formed in each side wall, means in registration with the respective pin, said lead-in-slot being formed in the outside face of the respective wall means and extending from the respective hole to the free edge of the said wall means, whereby the bottom section and the cover are assembled by sliding the cover onto the bottom with the two oriented to the closed position.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a storage container in which the two halves of the case are separated;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 in which the two halves of the case are shown assembled with the cover in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the case taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 4 but partly separated to show details of constructions;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the case in closed position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, with the cover in closed position but with cover and bottom section partly separated;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation with the cover in closed position but completely assembled; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-section on the line 8--8 of FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawing, a storage case consisting of synthetic material comprises two parts, A and B, the part A being the bottom section and the part B being the pouch-like cover. The pouch-like cover consisting of cover wall 10, a configured wall 11 in spaced parallel relationship to the cover wall 10, back cover wall 12 and cover side walls 13,14. The part A, the bottom section of the storage case has three upstanding side walls, 15,16, front wall 17, and a bottom wall 18 which is relieved or cut away so that wall 11 of the lid will lie in the relief and thus in the plane of the wall 18 when the case is closed. The wall 11 of the part B therefore becomes a portion of the bottom wall of the case when it is closed.

The part A and part B are hingedly connected together by means of pivots 19,20 formed on the extending portions of the side walls 15,16 and holes 21,22 formed in the side walls 13,14 respectively which receive the pivots 19,20. The outside face of the side walls 13,14 are formed with tapered lead-in-slots 23,24 which run from the free front edge of the side walls 13,14 respectively to the respective pivot holes 21,22. The bottom of the slots are tapered so that the thick end is adjacent the respective slot while the opposite end is shallower than the height of the respective pin. The walls of the slot are not parallel but are spaced wider at the open end and narrower at the end adjacent the pivot pin.

This structure makes it possible to place the parts A and B in the position shown in FIG. 1 and then slide them together whereupon the pivot pins 19,20 will be guided into the slots 23,24 and these tapered slots will spread the free ends of the side walls 15,16 and as soon as the pivot pins 19,20 register with the holes 21,22, they will drop thereinto and the two parts will be hingedly connected together. Separation of the parts is accomplished by spreading the extending portion of one of the walls 15,16 until one of the pivot pins are withdrawn from its respective hole. The parts can then be separated.

A means is also provided for retaining the pouch-like cover in the closed position and for holding the cover in its open position at approximately 180.degree. from the closed position. To this end, the extending portions of the side walls 15,16 are each provided with a transversely extending slot 25,26 positioned so that the pivots 19,20 are centered in the portion between the slots and the free end of the respective side walls 15,16. Projecting out from the outer face of each side wall is a tapered rib 27,28 located to register with slots 25,26 respectively when the cover is in the closed position, see FIG. 4, and abut against the free end of the side walls when in the open position shown in FIG. 2. The ribs 27,28 are tapered so that when the cover is swung from the open to the closed position, the free ends of the side walls 15,16 will be spread slightly to allow the ribs to be moved into registration with the slots 25,26 without interference from the side walls and when in registration with the slots, will be held therein by the slight biasing effect obtained through the flexibility of the extending portions of the side walls. In the open position the ribs 27,28 retain the cover wall 10 in substantially the same plane as the bottom wall 18. In other words, the part B can only rotate about 180.degree. relative to the part A. This feature is of particular advantage since the case can be held in one hand, opened by the other hand and the lid or cover retained in a fixed coplanar position relative to the part A while the said other hand is removed and used to withdraw the cassette from the pouch-like cover.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. In a storage container for a tape cartridge having a first open bottom section having a pair of side walls of equal length, an end wall connected with each said side wall at one end thereof, a bottom wall connected with said end wall and said side walls at one edge thereof, said bottom wall extending for only a portion of the length of said side walls defining a cut-away in said first receptacle portion whereby said walls extend freely beyond said bottom wall; a pouch-like cover having a cover wall substantially overlying said side walls over the entire length thereof in the closed position of said first and second container portions, a configured wall in spaced substantially parallel relation with said lid wall, said configured wall having the same shape as said cut-away and being dimensioned for closely fitting within said cut-away in the said closed position, side wall means connected with both said lid wall and configured wall at the aligned edges thereof defining a pouch, said side wall means fitting between the freely extending portions of the side walls, each side wall having a pivot pin hole, means hingedly connecting the cover to the bottom section for pivotal movement between open and closed positions, said means comprising an inwardly projecting hinge pin mounted on the freely extending portion of the side wall and a tapered lead-in-slot formed in each side wall, means in registration with the respective pin, said lead-in-slot being formed in the outside face of the respective wall means and extending from the respective hole to the free edge of the said wall means, whereby the bottom section and the cover are assembled by sliding the cover onto the bottom with the two oriented to the closed position.

2. A storage container in accordance with claim 1 in which the inside face of each freely extending portion of each side wall is formed with a groove running inwardly from the free edge of each of the side walls and at right angles thereto and a complemental rib on and projecting outwardly from the outside face of each wall means and extending from the cover towards sait slot, said rib being located to engage in the groove when the cover is in closed position and to abut against the end of the freely extending side walls to restrain the cover pivoting on its axis more than 180.degree. from the closed position.