MAGNETIC TAPE CARTRIDGE WITH SECOND GENERATION LEADER BLOCK AND LEADER BLOCK PIN

摘要

A NEW GENERATION MAGNETIC TAPE CARTRIDGE(20) OF THE TYPE HAVING A LEADER BLOCK(22) IS PROVIDED ALONG WITH A NEW GENERATION LEADER BLOCK PIN(24) SO AS TO PREVENT INTERLOCKING WITH RESPECT TO PRIOR ART LEADER BLOCKS AND LEADER BLOCK PINS. THE MAGNETIC TAPE CARTRIDGE IS A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONTAINER(20C) WHICH HAS FOUR CORNERS. ONE OF THE CORNERS OF THE CONNTAINER IS BEVELED AND IS PROVIDED WITH A WELL TO RECEIVE THE NEW GENERATION LEADER BLOCK IN A NESTED POSITION. THE NEW GENERATION LEADER BLOCK HAS A NOTCH(41) WHICH HAS TOP(52). BOTTOM(54) AND MIDDLE(56) PORTIONS. A CROSS SECTION OF THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE NOTCH IS SMALLER THAN THE CROSS SECTION OF THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE NOTCH, AND THE CROSS SECTION OF THE TOP PORTION OF THE NOTCH IS SMALLER THAN THE CROSS SECTION OF THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE NOTCH. THE CROSS SECTION OF THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE NOTCH IS DEFINED BY A CIRCULAR ARC OF MORE THAN 180° FOR RECEIVING AND CAPTURING A NEW GENERATION LEADER BLOCK PIN. THE TOP PORTION OF THE NOTCH IN THE BLOCK IS FASHIONED TO CONFINE THE NEW GENERATION LEADER BLOCK PIN TO A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF LATERAL MOVEMENT. THE CONFIGURATION OF THE NOTCH OF THE NEW GENERATION LEADER BLOCK AND THE NEW GENERATION LEADER BLOCK PIN ARE FASHIONED TO PREVENT INTERLOCK WITH PRIOR ART LEADER BLOCKS AND LEADER BLOCK PINS. (FIG.7)