Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Wiping
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-27
2004-07-27
Purvis, Sue A. (Department: 1734)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Wiping
C015SDIG001, C369S072000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06766550
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to compact disks, and more particularly, to compact disk labeling, cleaning and repairing systems for use in labeling, cleaning and repairing a readable surface of a compact disk.
A number of patents have been issued relating to compact disk labeling systems for applying compact disk labels. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,950, 5,783,033, 5,783,031, 5,902,446, and European Patent No. 0855713.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,950 discloses an “applicator tool for adhering a gummed label to a circular disk in concentric alignment with a center hole through the disk. The applicator tool has a blade portion and a handle portion. An alignment hub having a raised circular shoulder is disposed on one side of the blade portion and a projecting hub is disposed on the other blade surface. The shoulder and hub are aligned along an axis and the hub and are sized for insertion into the disk center hole”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,033 discloses a “compact disc labeling device for manually applying a label to a compact disc. The device includes an assembly having a circumferential flange with an upper flange surface, a piston, a first rod having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the label's central aperture and that extends from the upper surface of the piston, and a second rod having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the disc's central aperture and that extends from the first rod. In use, a label is placed on the flange with the first rod projecting through its central aperture and the disc positioned on the second rod through its central aperture. When the piston is moved from an upper first position to a lower second position, the disc is applied to the label”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,031 discloses a “device and a process for applying a label to a compact disk. The device is comprised of a two-level base with a post in the center of the base. A compact disc is slipped over the post and rests on the upper level of the base. A cap is then placed over the post which allows an annular paper label to be centered on the disc”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,446 discloses a “labeler for manually placing self-adhesive labels onto compact disks. The labeler has a positioning cone with an elongated stock member, a flat surface with a diameter greater than that of the elongated stock member, and a point on an end of the positioning cone opposed from the elongated stock member. The labeler also has a positioning plate with a positioning hole in the center, a surface area upon which a self-adhesive label can be placed and a side area to add strength to the positioning plate. The labeler further has a cylindrical base with a flat lip member upon which the positioning plate can rest substantially flat, a flat bottom to keep the cylindrical base substantially flat when used on a substantially flat surface, a wall to keep the flat lip member lifted substantially off of the substantially flat surface and a hollow cavern into which a substantial portion of the positioning cone can fit”.
European Patent No. 0855713 discloses a “device having a sleeve with a reception element for the compact disc. A fixing element positions the compact disc and a cover element which is pivoted to the reception element and provided with a carrier element for a label on its inside. The carrier element has an adhesive layer for temporarily securing the label and is secured to the inside of the cover element via an adhesion element, with transfer of the label to the surface of the compact disc, upon closure of the sleeve”.
The device disclosed in European Patent No. 0855713 has a sticky surface that holds the label prior to contact with the CD. The label is placed by hand around a target circle to locate the label, and the sticky surface holds the label, and then the lid is closed to apply the label to the CD.
Companies by the name of Stomper and Press-it market almost identical label applicators, and these applicators function in a manner similar to the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,446, although they are made differently. The Stomper and Press-it devices have a base with a surface that holds an adhesive-backed label with the adhesive surface facing upward. A spring loaded central alignment member has a larger diameter lower portion, whose diameter matches that of the label. An upper portion has a smaller diameter that matches the diameter of the opening in the CD. The CD is placed over the upper portion and rests on a shelf (or shoulder region per U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,446) formed between the upper and lower portions of the alignment member. The CD is pressed downward against the tension of the spring, forcing the alignment member downward until the CD contacts the adhesive surface of the label.
Dynosys AG markets a Labelle™ CD labeling system. This system has a bottom casing (or base) containing a centered depressible knob referred to as a movable swimming centering knob. A lid that closes on the bottom casing contains a CD hub and a depressible button that moves the hub and CD towards the bottom casing. A label is placed in the casing bottom, and the movable swimming centering knob automatically aligns with the top centering core when the lid is closed. This aligns the label with the CD. When the lid is closed on the bottom casing and the depressible button in the center of the lid is pressed, the CD-ROM is lowered onto the aligned label disposed in the bottom casing. The movable swimming centering knob in the bottom casing is moved below the label when the depressible button in the center of the lid is pressed to contact the CD with the label.
A number of patents have been issued relating to compact disk cleaning systems that were uncovered in a computer-search of the US Patent and Trademark Office patent database. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,706 entitled “Compact disk cleaning system for cleaning multiple compact disks”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,870 entitled “Compact disk cleaner”, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,022 entitled “Battery operated compact disk cleaner”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,706 discloses a “compact disk cleaning system comprising a housing further comprising a base with a closeable cover, the base having a hollow interior and a plurality of circular apertures formed thereon, the cover having a plurality of cleaning plates coupled thereto and extended downwards therefrom with each cleaning plate alignable with a separate aperture when the cover is closed; a plurality of revolvable disk pedestals each disposed within the interior of the base and extended upwards within a separate aperature to define a seat adapted for holding a compact disk; an energizable disk pedestal actuation mechanism having an activated orientation for revolving the disk pedestals and a deactivated orientation for preventing such revolving; and a plurality of cleaning pads each securable over a cleaning plate; whereby when compact disks are placed upon the disk pedestals and the cover is closed to place the cleaning pads in contact with the compact disks, placing the actuation mechanism in the activated orientation allows the compact disks to be revolved and cleaned”.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,870 discloses “cleaning apparatus for a compact disc” that comprises “a housing having a hingedly coupled base and cover; a drive wheel disposed in the base of the housing rotatably supporting the compact disc and having a first axis of rotation, a rotatable carrier fixed to the cover and having a second axis of rotation and further having a cleaning pad fastened thereto which is adapted to contact the surface of the compact disc to clean the same, and a drive element coupled to the drive wheel and the carrier for rotating the compact disc and cleaning pad at approximately the same speed”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,022 discloses a compact disk cleaner which includes “a base (
12
), a support table (
14
) rotatably mounted within the base for supporting a compact disk (
16
) thereon, an electric motor (
18
) having a shaft for rotating the support table and the compact disk within the base, a cover (
22
) hinged
Float Kenneth W.
Labelwhiz.com
Purvis Sue A.
LandOfFree
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