There is provided a leader tape which is capable of preventing breakage of a tape body when the tape body is pulled out, and a tape cartridge incorporating the leader tape. A leader tape includes a tape body having one end fixed to a tape, for enabling the tape to be pulled out of a cartridge body, and a pin attached to the tape body, for pulling out the tape therewith. The tape body has a portion on a side of another end opposite to the one end, the portion being folded such that the folded portion surrounds the periphery of the pin and that the folded portion has a leading end portion thereof welded to a tape surface of the tape body opposed to the folded portion. The welding is effected non-densely in at least one of a pin-side boundary portion of a welded area where the leading end portion and the tape surface opposed thereto are welded to each other and a one end-side boundary portion of the welded area.
A disc cartridge includes a cartridge main body composed of a lower shell, in which a first opening that enables disc access for a disc-like recording medium in a housed state is formed, and an upper shell, a disc tray that is rotatably provided inside the cartridge main body and formed so that the recording medium can be mounted thereon, and a single shutter member disposed between the lower shell and the disc tray. A second opening, which enables disc access for the recording medium when the second opening overlaps the first opening in a thickness direction of the disc cartridge, is formed in the disc tray. The disc tray closes part of the first opening in a restricted state where the disc access is restricted, and is capable of opening the part of the first opening in a disc access state by being rotated inside the cartridge main body and causing the shutter member to slide. The shutter member closes another part of the first opening in the restricted state so as to close the first opening in concert with the disc tray, and in the disc access state the shutter member is caused to slide by the disc tray so as to be capable of opening the other part of the first opening.
A method and apparatus is provided to protect head elements on a head of a head guide assembly, having a magnetic tape, and a leader coupled to the magnetic tape at a first end, such that the height of the leader is less than the height of the magnetic tape.
