TAPE CASSETTE

A TAPE CASSETTE GENERALLY COMPRISES A CASE BODY (2) COMPOSED OF UPPER AND LOWER CASE HALVES (2A),(2B), A FRONT LID (7) MOUNTED TO THE CASE BODY, A MECHANISM MOUNTED IN THE CASE BODY FOR LOCKING THE FRONT LID (7), AND A CHAMBER (12) IN WHICH THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS MOUNTED. THE LOCKING MECHANISM INCLUDES A LOCK PLATE (20) WHICH IS MOUNTED IN THE CHAMBER (12) SO AS TO BE SWINGABLE. THE LOCK PLATE (20) IS PROVIDED WITH A LOCKING CLAW (20A), A PROJECTION (20B) ON THE FRONT SURFACE THEREOF SO AS TO OUTWARDLY EXTEND THEREFROM, AND A POSITION LIMITING MEMBER (20E) FORMED OF AN ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE MATERIAL AND SECURED ON A REAR SURFACE OF THE LOCK PLATE (20) SO AS TO EXTEND THEREFROM. THE POSITION LIMITING MEMBER (20E) HAS AN EXTENDED END (20E1) WHICH ABUTS AGAINST A PROJECTION (7C) FORMED TO ONE OF THE PIVOT PINS (7B) ROTATABLY SUPPORTING THE FRONT LID (7) AT BOTH SIDE ENDS TO LIMIT AN OUTWARD LOCKING POSITION OF THE LOCK PLATE (20). THE LOCKING CLAW (20A) AND THE PROJECTION (20) OF THE LOCK PLATE (20) EXTEND OUTWARDLY THROUGH HOLES (12D), (12E) FORMED IN THE FRONT WALL (7A) OF THE FRONT LID (7) IN A MANNER THAT THE FRONT LID (7) IS CLOSED IN THE ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT OF THE LOCKING CLAW (20A) WITH AN INNER SURFACE OF ONE OF SIDE ENDS OF THE FRONT LID, THAT THE PROJECTION (20B)IS INWARDLY PRESSED TO RETRACT THE LOCK PLATE (20) TO A LOCK RELEASING POSITION AGAINST AN URGING FORCE OF THE POSITION LIMITING MEMBER (20E), AND THAT THE PIVOT PINS (7B) OF THE FRONT LID (7) ARE PIVOTED TO RELEASE THAT ENGAGEMENT TO RETURN THE POSITION LIMITING MEMBER (20E) WHEN THE FRONT LID (7) IS OPENED. (FIG.1)