Abstract: A tape cassette with a separate, plastic, molded, elongated, tape guide subassembly is described. The tape guide subassembly incorporates two bearing extensions integrally molded at the left and right ends thereof. Each bearing extension is a pair of opposing, parallel, planar members extending from support members, each of which is parallel to the planar top and bottom of the tape guide subassembly. Each planar member includes a roller receiving means integrally formed therein and the rotational axles for the tape rollers are either integrally molded as part of the bearing extension or the tape roller itself. The planar members in each pair have the ability to flex only in the direction perpendicular to their planes, allowing the rollers to be easily snapped into place during assembly. Once the rollers are inserted into the tape guide subassembly, the latter is assembled into the front of the tape cassette, wherein the rollers form part of the central tape support area of the tape cassette.

Abstract: A tape cassette is described having top and bottom cassette halves, tape reels and low friction washers between the tape reels and the cassette halves. Each tape reel is made of a plastic hub connected to two plastic flanges, each flange having intentionally curved circumferential edges. Each flange also has a raised, annular centering ring abutting and rotating only on the washers for rotatably supporting the tape reels relative to the tape cassette. These centering rings minimize friction, prevent skewing of the tape reels relative to each other and, along with the curved edges of the flanges, permit the tape to be wound without damage.

Abstract: A tape cassette dust door latch, a dust door latch spring assembly and a related method for assembling the dust door latch into the tape cassette. The dust door latch has a lock plate with a boss projecting perpendicularly therefrom and a coil spring with first and second ends, the first end of the spring surrounding the boss and the second end of the spring being a free end. The cassette has an upper half case and a lower half case, the upper half case having an abutment member located in the vicinity of the lock plate, and the lower half case having a means for rotatably receiving the dust door latch. In the method of assembling, first, the dust door latch is inserted into the receiving means in the lower half case, and then the upper half case is assembled onto the lower half case such that the abutment member receives the free end of the coil spring, directs it downwardly, and holds the coil spring in a biased position.