Special receptacle or package – For holding a machine readable recording medium – For holding a grooved phonograph disc
Patent
1997-04-30
1998-08-04
Gehman, Bryon P.
Special receptacle or package
For holding a machine readable recording medium
For holding a grooved phonograph disc
2063081, 206493, B65D 8557
Patent
active
057880689
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to apparatus for holding a compact disk, to disk storage containers and video style library boxes incorporating such apparatus, and to a method of manufacturing such apparatus, containers and boxes.
By "compact disk", in the context of this specification, is meant not only the relatively common standard 120 mm diameter laser-readable disk such as are currently sold carrying, for example, pre-recorded music, computer software and data, and similar recordable disks, but also similar disks of various sizes such as are known or proposed for recording video, films, interactive games and other information or data.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, when not in use, such compact disks are stored in clear polystyrene boxes, known as "jewel cases", wherein the disk is held on a separate tray fitted in the case and having seven or eight tines arranged to form a boss or "rosette" with which the aperture in the centre of a compact disk may be releasably engaged.
The legs or tines of the rosette are shaped such that they extend upwardly from the tray, curve outwardly, such that they can grip a compact disk, and then, towards their ends, curve inwardly to provide a boss over which the hole in the compact disk may be manually pushed.
It has long been recognised that such apparatus for holding a compact disk is not very satisfactory because it requires two hands to release a disk and lift it from the rosette; consequently many people do not attempt to push the centre of the rosette but instead use just one hand to grasp an outer edge of a compact disk and wrench it off the rosette thereby bending the disk, sometimes scoring the recorded surface of the disk on the tines, and eventually distorting or even breaking the tines.
Such bending and scoring of the disk can be especially critical when, as is now often the case, the disk carries compressed, or "stacked", computer software, or computer readable data.
There have been many attempts to overcome the above problems and provide a more reliable and readily releasable disk-holding apparatus.
For example, EPA-0356539 proposed apparatus in which the rosette was provided with a central pushing part having cranked flap pieces arranged such that pressing down the pushing part would cause the cranked flap pieces to push a disk up and off the disk-engagement tines. EPA-0429195 proposed the use of resilient means to urge the disk out of engagement with the central boss. PCT WO-A-93/01598 proposed a release button arranged to engage all the inner ends of the legs of the rosette and a spring designed to remain with no tension during disk storage but to "pop-up" the disk should the button be pressed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,750 proposes linking the inner ends of all the tines by a "live" or "living" hinge produced by a reduced thickness in the moulded material whilst also suggesting linking the button to four cranked ejection arms arranged such that depressing the button causes the ejection arms to push a compact disk off the rosette.
DE-A3425579 discloses a disk storage cassette having a spigot arrangement for holding a disk. The spigot arrangement comprises spigot tongues which are connected by a pressure plate so that the spigot reduces in diameter when a load is applied to the pressure plate. The spigot tongues are provided with retaining or locking cams for engaging the central hole of the disk. The disk is held by the spigot in contact with a raised support on the base of the cassette.
Such poor art is of relatively complex construction so is difficult and hence expensive to manufacture and/or does not operate easily or as reliably as may be desired.
An object of this invention is to improve on the prior art to provide apparatus for holding a compact disk, suitable for incorporating in a tray of a disk storage container and in a video style library box, which is reliable and easily operable to release a compact disk stored thereon. Other potential advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTI
REFERENCES:
patent: 5251750 (1993-10-01), Gelardi
patent: 5377825 (1995-01-01), Sykes et al.
Farrar Peter Antony
Fraser Anthony Henry Joseph
Pijanowski Stefan Alexander
DuBois Limited
Gehman Bryon P.
LandOfFree
Apparatus for holding a compact disk does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for holding a compact disk, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for holding a compact disk will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1168552