Abstract: A cassette houses a first and a second tape-like recording medium. The cassette is provided with a first and a second reel, at least a first tape guide provided between the first and second reels, a third and a fourth reel and at least a second tape guide provided between the third and fourth reels. The first tape-like recording medium is wound around the first and second reels via the first tape guide. The second tape-like recording medium is wound around the third and fourth reels via the second tape guide. The first and second reels may be arranged in a first direction in the cassette. And the third and fourth reels may be arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in the cassette. The cassette may have a first side face formed in the first direction and a second side face formed in the second direction, each side face having an opening through which data is recorded on or reproduced from the first or the second tape-like recording medium by a recording and reproducing apparatus.

Abstract: The tape cassette comprises a case body for containing a pair of tape reels wound with a tape-shaped medium and an openable lid member provided in front of the cassette where the tape-shaped medium is exposed to an exterior. In an area adjacent to a joint portion P1 between a front plate 8 and a side plate 10 of a front lid constituting the lidmember, at least either one of the plates, for example, the side plate 10 is made thinner in thickness in a form of a slanted face 24, etc. Also in an area adjacent to a joint portion P2 between a top plate 14 and a side plate 15 of an upper lid 6, at least either one of the plates, for example, the top plate 14 is made thinner in thickness in a form of a concave 25. With this structure, the areas adjacent to the joint portions P1, P2 are hardened earlier than the other areas when the resin is set at the injection molding and the side plates 10 and 15 will not be inclined inwardly.

Abstract: A cartridge for a data storage disk drive has a thin retroreflective marker. Light from a source is reflected from the marker almost exactly on its incident path. A planar light shaping optical structure such as a holographic light shaping diffuser (LSD) ruled or blazed diffraction grating, holographic diffraction grating, binary optics or holographic diffraction grating directs light to the detector. The LSD has degrees of angular diffusion in different orthogonal axes. This property makes possible unique identification of different types of cartridges.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge includes a cartridge casing formed by upper and lower casing halves and a single reel around which a magnetic tape with a leader pin fixed to its leading end is wound and which is contained in the cartridge casing for rotation. A spring member removably holds upper and lower end portions of the leader pin on the cartridge casing. The spring member includes upper and lower holding portions which are respectively brought into abutment against the upper and lower end portions of the leader pin and are connected to each other.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge has a cartridge casing, a single reel around which a magnetic tape is wound and which is contained in the cartridge casing for rotation and a leader pin fixed to the leading end portion of the magnetic tape. The leader pin is provided at its opposite ends with engagement portions which are brought into engagement with a tape drawing mechanism of a recording and reproducing system when the magnetic tape cartridge is loaded in the recording and reproducing system. The end face of each engagement portion is provided with a recess at which the tape drawing mechanism chucks the leader pin.

Abstract: The magnetic tape cassette 20 wherein a closing lid unit 27 which covers a front side of the cassette main body 24 consists of three lid plates, an outer lid 29, a top lid 30 and an inner lid 31 has a structure wherein top ends of the inner lid guide grooves 35 open wide to an upper surface of the cassette main body 24 so that the inner lid slide pins 31c of the inner lid 31 can be fitted-in the inner lid guide grooves 35 from the upper side of the cassette main body 24. Slits 40a and 40b are provided at both ends of the top lid plate 30a of the top lid 30 so as to facilitate flexibility of the outer lid linking portions 30b and arm portions 30c to be bent outward.

Abstract: A lifter device, and a method of maintaining contact between a magnetic tape in a tape cartridge and an external read/write device using the lifter device that provides tension on the tape sufficient to maintain contact between the tape and a read/write device that physically contacts the tape within a bay portion of the tape cartridge.

Abstract: A tape cartridge has a front face sized for compatibility with an industry standard tape drive, and has sides longer than the sides of some industry standard cartridges. The sides and top of the housing extend outwardly in width to form a back portion of the cartridge that is wider than the front portion and prevent the cartridge from being inserted into non-compatible tape drives. Two large diameter tape hubs improve the empty hub to full pack diameter ratios, and improve the resulting tangential drive force and tape tension profiles as the tape moves between the hubs. Flanges are permanently bonded to the hubs to prevent the tape packs from shifting and a spring biases the hubs against the baseplate. A back set of rollers includes a high-drag roller that engages the drive belt at a fixed wrap angle and produces a relatively constant drag. A front set of rollers includes a drive roller and has rollers mounted to form substantially equal geometries with rollers in the back set respective to the tape hubs.

Abstract: A tape cartridge comprising a base plate and a cover fixed to the base plate to define a closed space housing first and second hubs, first and second tape guides, a drive roller and first and second corner rollers all of which are mounted on the base plate. A magnetic tape is unwound from one of the first and second hubs, guided by the first and second tape guides and wound on the other hub. The drive roller is located between the first and second tape guides for driving a drive belt looped on its tape winding surface. The drive belt is also looped on the tape winding surfaces of the first and second corner rollers. The first corner roller is located to hold the drive belt in contact with a peripheral surface of the first hub and the second corner roller is located to hold the drive belt in contact with a peripheral surface of the second hub.

Abstract: A limited use tape cassette comprising a housing enclosing a tape spooled to pass from a rotatable supply reel to a rotatable take-up reel during tape play, and from the take-up reel to the supply reel during tape rewind. A follower arm is pivotally mounted on the housing and is biased to engage spooled tape on the one of the reels, preferably the supply reel. An erase arm is pivotally mounted on the housing and is movably and releasably connected to the follower arm. The erase arm has a tape erase head thereon and is biased toward the take-up reel. Upon predetermined movement of the follower arm which results from predetermined tape movement between the reels, the erase arm is released from the follower arm to move the erase head into engagement with the tape on the take-up reel to erase it as it is being rewound onto the supply reel. After the erased tape is rewound onto the supply reel, the erase arm moves the erase head to an inoperative position to enable the erased tape to be reused.

Abstract: A data storage tape drive system includes a data storage tape cartridge and a tape drive mechanism. The data storage tape cartridge includes a tape reel including a circular ring of teeth projecting in a direction generally parallel to an axis of rotation thereof and an engagement surface spaced radially from the circular ring of teeth. The tape drive mechanism includes a drive hub including a circular ring of teeth projecting in a direction generally parallel to an axis of rotation thereof and an engagement feature spaced radially from the circular ring of teeth of the drive hub. When the drive hub is operatively engaged with the tape reel, the teeth of the drive hub are engaged with the teeth of the tape reel and the engagement feature of the drive hub is engaged with the engagement surface of the tape reel so as to control operative engagement between the data storage tape cartridge and the tape drive mechanism.

Abstract: A tape transport system includes two tape reels, each having a pair of flanges between which the tape is held. The parallel flange pairs position the tape in a direction normal to tape travel across the tape head contact surface. A cam guide is associated with each reel. Each cam guide has a curved surface over which the magnetic tape travels. The curved surface is positioned between the reel flange pair based on the amount of tape wound on the tape reel. The cam is positioned so that magnetic tape contacts the tape head contact surface at substantially the same location for any amount of tape wound on the tape reel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a break-resistant tape cartridge. Reinforcing ribs on the housing and door of the cartridge protect against breakage. The reel and brake of the cartridge employ short teeth with widened roots that strengthen the teeth and reduce shear forces which might cleave the teeth from the reel or the brake. An extra lobe on the hinge of the door reinforces the hinge. The door and the housing are made of a plastic that lacks glass fibers or has a reduced glass fibers content. Furthermore, the plastic without glass fibers improves wear-resistance, and reduces production of debris that can damage the tape and devices that read the tape. The result is a cartridge which is less prone to breakage and wear. The reel may be used in applications other than tape cartridges.

Abstract: A tape cartridge and cartridge drive system for controlling the compatibility of first and second tape cartridges having the same form factor in first and second tape drives. The system permits backward compatibility of the first tape cartridge in the second tape drive, while prohibiting the second tape cartridge from being used in the first tape drive. The second tape cartridge includes a tab projecting distally from a recess. The tab is positioned to contact the door actuator surface on the first tape drive so as to prevent insertion of the second tape cartridge into the first tape drive. The tab defines a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the insertion direction smaller than a gap in the door actuator assembly of the second tape drive to permit the second tape cartridge to be inserted into the second tape drive, whereby the second tape cartridge is compatible only with the second tape drive.

Abstract: A cartridge system using a wide recording tape disposed in the tape cartridge. The cartridge system includes a tape drive for moving the tape along a tape transport path, and a positioning mechanism for positioning a recording head relative to the recording tape. The wide tape cartridge includes a housing having a height which is smaller than both the length and the width of the housing. A tape assembly which has at least one supply tape reel and at least one take-up tape reel is disposed in the housing. The recording tape has a tape width which is substantially equal to the width of the housing. The rotation axes of the reels extend substantially parallel to the width of the housing.

Abstract: A tape cartridge having a housing formed of upper and lower casings, a single tape reel around which a length of tape is wound and which is turnably held within the housing, the lower casing having an opening through which a drive shaft of a recorder is to be inserted, the tape reel having an upper flange, a lower flange, and a hub which is open at top and closed at bottom, the hub having a hole formed at its bottom in engagement with a brake release plate, a metal disk disposed on the outer side of the bottom of the hub, teeth formed on the bottom around the disk for engagement with the drive shaft of a recorder, the hub having teeth provided on the inner side of its bottom in mesh with a brake lock, a brake release plate mounted in the hub in engagement with its hole, a brake lock mounted further on the brake release plate, the brake lock having brake teeth on the outer periphery of its bottom and follower projections on its top, the hub teeth and the brake teeth of the brake lock being engageable to preven

Abstract: Copying, dubbing or reproducing copyrighted digital data can be inhibited or restricted to properly protect a copyright. AV data recorded on a pre-recorded tape is output from a reproducing unit of a first digital VCR with protective information indicating whether the copy of the AV data is inhibited or not. The protective information is input with the A/V data to a second digital VCR. Copy permission information of a blank tape loaded in the second digital VCR is discriminated and the second digital VCR records the AV data supplied from the first digital VCR based on the protective information and the copy permission information.

Abstract: A data cartridge (10) includes a yoke (30) on which the tape packs are mounted around hubs (46 and 47). Idler rollers (44 and 45) are also mounted on the yoke (30). The yoke (30) has a slot (40) through which a fixed pin (41) is positioned. The fixed pin (41) is connected to the housing (11) of the cartridge (10). The yoke has a spring (43) has one end attached to the yoke (33), connecting pin (42) and the second end is connected to the fixed pin (41). Therefore the yoke (30) is urged by the spring tension in a direction toward the hubs (46 and 47). The yoke (30) is free to move in two degrees of freedom as the tape packs move from one hub (46) to the other hub (47).

Abstract: A magnetic media tape cartridge has a housing with a spool of magnetic tape wound on the spool. The tape is two-sided so that information can be recorded on both sides. The sides of the tape maintain an orthogonal planar orientation relative to the axis of the spool at all times. The housing has separate openings for accessing each side of the tape. A leading end of the tape protrudes through a third opening in the housing for offloading the tape onto a take-up reel. A door is pivotally mounted to the housing at each of the first two openings for covering and uncovering each side of the tape. The tape cartridge also has an indicator for indicating which side of the tape is being recorded or accessed.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge includes a cartridge casing formed by upper and lower casing halves and a single reel around which a magnetic tape with a leader pin fixed to its leading end is wound and which is contained in the cartridge casing for rotation. A spring member removably holds upper and lower end portions of the leader pin on the cartridge casing. The spring member includes upper and lower holding portions which are respectively brought into abutment against the upper and lower end portions of the leader pin and are connected to each other.

Abstract: A tape cartridge is provided with reliable reel lock and motor/reel coupling mechanisms whose functions are both accomplished during a single motion of the cartridge relative to the drive motor. The motor/reel coupling includes a circular set of gear teeth on the bottom of the tape reel which meshes with a complementary set of gear teeth on a motor coupling rotated by the motor when the cartridge is loaded into the tape drive and the cartridge and motor are moved towards each other. An engagement force to maintain the coupling is provided by an engagement spring in the cartridge which biases the reel towards the motor. Reel locking is accomplished by providing a second circular set of gear teeth on a top side of the tape reel which meshes with a complementary set of gear teeth provided on a slidably mounted locking bracket inside the tape cartridge. A lock spring normally biases the locking bracket towards the top of the tape reel, thus locking the reel when the cartridge is not engaged with the motor.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge includes a cartridge casing formed by upper and lower casing halves and a single reel around which a magnetic tape with a leader pin fixed to its leading end is wound and which is contained in the cartridge casing for rotation. A spring member removably holds upper and lower end portions of the leader pin on the cartridge casing. The spring member includes upper and lower holding portions which are respectively brought into abutment against the upper and lower end portions of the leader pin and are connected to each other.

Abstract: A data storage cassette includes an upper cassette half and a lower cassette half and containing therein a tape for storing data. The cassette has an outer shape of a predetermined dimension, and the lower cassette half is formed with a reel lock release hole. A discrimination hole is formed through the lower cassette half at a location adjacent to the reel lock release hole for discriminating the data storage cassette from another cassette having an outer shape of a dimension substantially identical with the abovementioned predetermined dimension of the outer shape of the data storage cassette. A data recording and reproducing device has a discrimination switch or a fixed pin for identifying the presence of the discrimination hole during a loading operation of the data storage cassette into the device and enabling only the data storage cassette to be loaded and set in the device.

Abstract: A mechanism for retaining one tape deck (12), of a double cassette tape player (14), into a temporal inoperative position, which comprises a trigger arm (40) rotatable about a first pivot (41) on a chassis (15) of the tape deck; a first spring (42) for biasing the trigger arm to rotate in a predetermined direction; a pause lever (50) slideable on the chassis of the tape deck; a second spring (54) for urging the pause lever to move in a predetermined direction; and actuating structure or a push lever (38) that is made operative in response to rotation of the motor to urge the trigger arm to rotate in an opposite direction against the first spring. The pause lever is allowed to be slid in the predetermined direction by the second spring when the trigger arm is caused by the push lever to rotate in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A magnetic tape drive cartridge includes a housing and a capture material such as double-backed adhesive tape secured to an inner surface of the housing. The capture material can capture debris such as wear particles, dust and dirt within the housing.

Abstract: A problem with the assembling of tape cassettes has been the possibility of erroneous fitting of the upper end of a coil spring that presses a release lever onto one of cylindrical bosses that cover reel brake posts.

Abstract: A tape reel for a tape cassette capable of substantially preventing deformation thereof, even when it is thin-walled to substantially reduce a cycle time required for a molding step of the tape reel. The tape reel includes a reel hub and a disc-like flange. Reinforcing ribs include an annular rib arranged on an outer periphery of a disc-like flange and a plurality of linear ribs arranged on an outer surface of the disc-like flange so as to extend from a core stabilizing surface rib to the annular rib. The linear ribs are so arranged that each of the linear ribs intersects at least one of the other linear ribs at a position which is further than a midpoint between the core stabilizing surface rib and the annular rib.

Abstract: A cartridge for cleaning read/write heads and associated tape path in a magnetic tape system includes a brush arranged to loosen debris, and an impeller driven by a tape drive mechanism to create a vacuum within the cartridge housing to facilitate capture of the loosened debris within a removable filter. In one embodiment, the brush is attached to a wiper arm driven by either the same or a second tape drive mechanism in the tape system. The wiper arm can be driven in a direction orthogonal to the direction of tape movement to allow efficient cleaning of magnetic heads having bleed slots or gutters which extend orthogonal to the tape path. In addition, the wiper arm can be made of electrically conductive material, and the cartridge can include a conductive base plate arranged to provide a ground path between the brush and a ground potential in the tape system, thereby safely dissipating any buildup of static electricity.

Abstract: A multi-tape cartridge has a number of tapes therein which are either wound in common on a single hub, or are wound individually on respective hubs, and proceed in the housing along respective tape paths from the commonly wound hub, or the individual hubs, to respective take-up hubs also disposed in the housing. One of the sidewalls of the housing has openings therein so as to expose the respective tape paths, followed by the tapes, to an exterior of the housing, thereby allowing data transfer heads to be inserted into the opening so as to engage the magnetic tapes to read data therefrom or write data thereon.

Abstract: A data storage tape cartridge having a misinsertion notch. The data storage tape cartridge includes a housing, a tape reel and a storage tape. The housing includes a base and a cover, each defining a front, a back, a first side and a second side. The misinsertion notch is defined in the base, extending from the front of the base and along the first side of the base. The misinsertion notch has a length less than approximately one-half a length of the first side of the base for facilitating proper insertion into a receiving frame.

Abstract: The data cartridge drive belt of this invention comprises a layer of a low stiffness belt material and a layer of a high stiffness belt material. By inserting the belt into the tape cartridge so that the high stiffness belt material is adjacent to the tape pack and the low stiffness material is away from the tape pack the neutral axis in the belt is shifted toward the tape pack.

Abstract: A tape cassette comprising a housing made up of upper and lower casings, a pair of reels around which a tape is wound and contained altogether in the housing, and a pair of cylindrical resin tape guides having a height greater than the width of the tape, said tape guides being securely fitted to corresponding tape guide posts also having a height greater than the width of the tape and provided in the lower casing. Each tape guide post has a press-fit rib formed in one piece with it on the side where the tape does not come in contact with the tape guide on it. The rib has a vertical height greater than half that of the tape guide and serves to make the dimensions of the tape guide post surface on the tape-contacting side greater than the inside diameter of the tape guide before being press-fitted.

Abstract: A tape cassette capable of preventing detachment of a lid structure from a casing and reducing a manufacturing cost thereof while being simplified in structure. A lid structure including a front lid, an upper lid and a rear lid is arranged in a manner to open and close with respect to a casing including an upper casing member and a lower casing member. The rear lid is provided on opposite sides thereof with a pair of guide pins, which are movably fitted in guide grooves of the lower casing member, respectively. The rear lid is formed with projections, which are abutted against an upper end of the front lid when the rear lid upwardly opens in association with the front lid, resulting in disengagement of the guide pins from the guide grooves being prevented.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing tape cassette attached with an improved lid is provided. The cassette comprises a cassette body accommodating therein a cassette tape a part of which is exposed outside and a rotatable lid mechanism for clamping the exposed part of the tape. The lid mechanism is provided with a rotary shaft including a guide portion eccentric therewith and a torsion coil spring fitted on the guide portion. When the rotary shaft rotates, the guide portion rotates eccentric therewith and the torsion coil spring moves in a direction in which it does not interfere with a tape end detecting optical path located near the rotary shaft so that the torque on the torsion coil spring can be increased to smoothly open and close the lid. Further, the rotary shaft may be provided with a rib so that a lid spring for constantly urging the lid toward a direction in which the lid is closed may engaged the rib without bending thereby reducing the space to be occupied by the spring.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge having an integral key is provided for use within a magnetic tape drive having a tape cartridge guide assembly adapted for use with the integral key. The integral key is defined on the exterior of the cartridge housing and comprises a raised fixture or tab. The tape cartridge guide assembly includes at least one slit portion. During use, the tape cartridge having the integral key is inserted into the tape drive, the integral key is aligned and permitted to traverse the slit portion for enabling the cartridge to enter the subsystem.

Abstract: In a magnetic tape cartridge, the tape is transported so as to be wound and unwound from two hubs disposed in a housing by direct contact of said tape with a drive puck. A roller wheel is disposed on an opposite side of said drive puck, with the tape disposed between the drive puck and the roller wheel, so as to maintain the tape in contact with the drive puck during rotation of the drive puck. A braking force can be applied to one or both hubs during winding and unwinding, so as to tension the tape. The components can be dimensioned to make the cartridge compatible with various existing drives for existing cartridge formats.

Abstract: A recording medium device including a cartridge body within which a tape-shaped recording medium on which information signals are recorded is accomodated, wherein a cartridge discrimination opening (hole) indicating the specification of the recording medium device is provided at the bottom surface side of the cartridge body and positioned in the corner of the portion of the back (face) side opposite to the front side of the cartridge body from which the tape shaped recording medium is drawn out. In addition, a recording and/or reproducing apparatus with a detection mechanism for detecting the cartridge discrimination opening (hole) is provided. The cartridge discrimination opening (hole) is provided in the area where it was previously known to provide plural recording medium specification openings (holes) but which are not provided in the cartridge body.

Abstract: A limited-use tape cassette includes a follower arm pivotally secured to the housing at one end while abutting the spooled tape of a cassette reel at a distal end. A use-limiting mechanism is provided by the follower arm or another inter-related arm to control rewinding and/or playback of the tape based on follower arm position and/or positional history. In one embodiment, a second rotatable arm is located in controlled interference with the follower arm so as to cause it to "lock up" after a predetermined number of unfettered play back/rewind cycles have taken place. In other embodiments, the arrangement utilizes existing brake teeth of a tape cassette reel to prevent rewinding after a predetermined amount of the video has been viewed. In other arrangements, an over-center follower arm position is utilized together with a stop abutment to bind the tape against complete rewinding only after the video has been substantially completely once viewed.

Abstract: A data storage tape cartridge having a reinforcing tape reel lock. The data storage tape cartridge includes a housing defined by a first housing section and a second housing section, a hub pin extending from an interior surface of the first housing section, a tape reel assembly rotatably maintained by the hub pin and a storage tape wrapped about the tape reel assembly. The tape reel assembly includes a hub, opposing tape flanges and a brake body. The hub includes a tape receiving portion interiorly secured to a post, the post defining an axial bore sized to receive the hub pin. The brake body is retractably associated with an axial end of the hub and includes a braking surface and an interior support surface. The braking surface is configured for selective engagement with the second housing section. The interior support surface is configured to abut the post of the hub.

Abstract: On the upper surface of a cartridge case 4, there are formed a pair of press protrusions 4a situated on both sides thereof, a recess 4b situated between the two press protrusions 4a, first and second swelled portions 4c and 4d situated at the front and rear ends of the recess 4b of the cartridge case 4 and stopper protrusions 4e formed so as to continuously extend from both sides of the rear end of the second swelled portion 4d, the configurations of the front and rear end surfaces with respect to the direction in which the disc cartridge 3 is inserted being different from each other.

Abstract: A tape cassette having such a structure that a pattern is printed on a surface of a transparent or semi-transparent cassette housing, a scale display portion which becomes a yardstick for a remaining volume for a tape is formed on the lowest layer of this pattern printing portion and this scale display portion can penetratingly be seen from a surface of an opposite side of the cassette housing.

Abstract: A drive slot guard device for the drive slot of an electronic apparatus includes a first planar portion attachable to media cartridge and insertable with the media cartridge into the drive slot of an electronic device, and a second portion for blocking access to the slot when the first portion of the slot guard device has been inserted into the drive slot. The first portion extends normal to and laterally of the second portion. The first portion of the slot guard is preferably secured to a disk or cartridge member that can be secured in the drive slot of the electronic device. The disk or cartridge member can be a functional disk or cartridge or a dummy, non-functional, disk or cartridge.

Abstract: Tape partially curves around a one-way tape brake for a cassette. The brake has a cylindrical roller with a side extension. When the tape advances, a smooth cylindrical side of the roller allows tape forward movement. When the tape tends to reverse the tape pulls a friction surface rearward, turning the roller and frictionally engaging the tape and pinching it against a tape guide. Rearward tape motion is prevented.

Abstract: A compliant tape guide having a compliant member with optimized planar stiffness. The compliant tape guide includes a top support plate, a bottom support plate, a bearing piece, the compliant member and a biasing member. The bearing piece extends between the top and bottom support plate in a generally perpendicular fashion. The compliant member is associated with an inner surface of the bottom support plate and includes a base, opposing legs, an edge receiving surface and a planar stiffness body. The opposing legs extend from the base. The edge receiving surface is attached to the opposing legs opposite the base to define an opening. The planar stiffness body is disposed within the opening and is configured to increase an in-plane stiffness of the compliant member in a plane substantially parallel to a plane of the base. Finally, the biasing member is associated with the compliant member to bias the edge receiving surface into engagement with a storage tape during use.

Abstract: A fragrance dispersion system that includes a multi-scent scent dispensing assembly having multiple electronically gateable scent dispensing ports for dispensing a scent in response to a control signal. The gateable scent dispensing ports are controllable through an interface cord by a broadcast signal such that key scents are released as desired. The multi-scent scent dispensing assembly also includes multiple separate scent reservoirs each in connection with a separate electronically gateable scent dispensing port that is interfaceable with audio-video equipment to dispense scents from one or more of the separate scent reservoirs in response to signals transmitted along with the audio or video program. The scent is ejected onto an absorbent scent mixing tape for mixing more than one scent.

Abstract: In an information signal recording method for recording one information signal on slant tracks formed on a magnetic tape housed in tape cassette usable in a conventional magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus capable of reproducing another information signal by using a plurality of rotary heads and recording a control signal used as a reference in a tracking control during reproducing operation on the magnetic tape, a digital information signal is recorded by shifting rotation phase of the rotary head which is determined on the basis of a control signal 21a by about 180 degrees with respect to rotation phase of the rotary head during the recording of an analog information signal.

Abstract: A tape cartridge contains a spool of tape with a leader block on one end that inserts into a tape storage reel. The tape has a leader segment that is attached to the leader block and a media segment that is attached to the leader segment with a small piece of adhesive tape. The leader tape is much thicker and stiffer than the media segment, but is only a few meters long. The media segment is a thin, high capacity magnetic tape that fills the remainder of the cartridge. The leader block is loaded into the reel and the leader segment is wound around the hub to create several protective layers prior to winding the magnetic tape on the reel. The leader tape reduces the wear on the magnetic tape during loading and unloading, and reduces the effect of any discontinuity formed between the leader block and the hub.

Abstract: When a guide wall formed in the lower casing of a tape cassette housing for guiding a brake release member is extended upward into the upper casing, the corresponding part of the upper casing must be cut off to provide a recess. The recess, located in the central part of the upper casing, reduces the structural strength of the upper casing. Also there are problems of deformation of the cassette wall parts subject to the urging of the spring member and development of a gap between the mating edges of the upper and lower casings during storage at elevated temperature. The present invention is directed to the solution of the problems.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus adapted for use of a cassette having a first recording medium and a second recording medium which differs from the first recording medium includes a detecting circuit arranged to detect whether the cassette is provided with the second recording medium and an ejecting circuit arranged to eject the cassette if the cassette is found by the detecting circuit to be not provided with the second recording medium.

Abstract: Apparatus for recording/reproducing digital information to/from a memory device is for use with a memory device which has plural memories at least one of which stores digital information corresponding to information stored in at least one other of the plural memories. The apparatus include reproducing structure for reproducing digital information from only the part of the memory device which stores the digital information. The apparatus also includes processing circuitry for performing predetermined signal processing on the digital information reproduced by the reproducing structure. Preferably, the memory is a magnetic tape cassette having a magnetic memory and a semiconductor memory. Preferably, the reproducing apparatus is a wireless remote control capable of contacting the tape cassette semiconductor memory to read the digital information stored therein.