Special receptacle or package – For holding a machine readable recording medium – For holding a grooved phonograph disc
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-01-30
Gehman, Bryon P. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For holding a machine readable recording medium
For holding a grooved phonograph disc
C206S308100, C206S425000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179121
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Definitions
Removable storage media is defined as any of a number of devices that store digital information for potential playback, re-use, or re-recording. Examples of removable storage media are any rotating media without a permanently connected protective shell housing such as compact disks (CDs), recordable compact disks (CD-R), re-writable compact disks (CD-W), or digital video disks (DVDs). Removable storage media is defined to also include cartridge-format devices, which are systems where rotating or non-rotating media is permanently contained within a protective shell housing. Examples include floppy disks, Zip disks, and Jaz disks. Non-rotating systems include such as devices as digital audiotapes (DAT).
Removable media case is defined as a protective, reusable container in which removable storage media is usually sold, often referred to as a “jewel case.” Removable media cases are usually made of molded plastic, some large majority of which is transparent so that the user may observe the presence of the media, or a descriptive or decorative label.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Removable storage media for computer applications, audio, and video playback is a rapidly growing product category, and are used for a variety of purposes. For example, because computers are known to “crash” periodically, that is, to cease functioning unexpectedly, and subsequently lose or corrupt data, users frequently have the need to back up important information on a medium other than the hard drive of their computer. Many removable media storage alternatives are currently available on the market. These include: floppy disks, HiFD (high-density floppy disks), DAT (digital audio tape), CDR (writable compact discs), optical discs, cartridge-format solutions such as the Zip, Jazz, and Ditto cartridges manufactured by Iomega of Roy, Utah, and the Superdisk manufactured by Imation of Oakdale, Minn. Because of their inherent portability, removable storage media also provide a convenient and efficient means for transferring files between users or from one location of use to another. In many cases, transporting files in a physical medium such as these circumvents problems posed by attempting to send them electronically. For instance, companies commonly set up their computer server in such a way as to limit the size of files being sent or received. The amount of time required to upload or download large files can also be a significant problem, as the computer remains unusable in the interim. Furthermore, the use of compression utilities to reduce the size of files being sent can cause data corruption. As the computing industry grows, the increasing use of removable storage media underscores the need for a means to transport and display multiple removable media storage devices.
Aside from computing applications, one sees equivalent needs for transporting removable storage media in the audio and video realms. The audio CD media format has replaced virtually all other audio storage and playback formats. Today one commonly finds CD players in homes, offices, and automobiles. Portable CD players are commonly used by people traveling, commuting, or engaging in sports. The emergence of new compact media standards such as CDR and DVD (digital videodisc) ensures further need for transporting removable storage media. The proliferation of computers into the home, as well as the widespread adoption of new technologies such as compressed audio file formats, and digital still and movie cameras, is increasing the production of large data files that users want to store indefinitely for future access. As applications for removable storage media continue to grow, the need to transport media will accordingly increase. However, the need to transport media devices brings about data protection issues and underscores the need for a safe method for transporting them. At the same time, the means for transport ideally should not impede easy access to any of the media devices contained therein. Current art is biased in favor of either displaying media for access or in favor of protecting it for transport. What is needed is a means to securely transport a number of removable media in their original jewel cases, but with the ability to quickly view and access the individual cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,058 to Hu (1993) is an example of a device that partially addresses this need. Hu discloses a disc holder assembly comprised of front and back cartridges and one or more intermediate cartridges detachably and pivotally secured to the front and back cartridges or to each other. This assembly permits the insertion into or removal from each intermediate cartridge of a floppy diskette or compact disc when the assembly is pivoted into an open position. However, the design of this assembly provides no means for automatically splaying the enclosed contents for increased access, which means the entire assembly must be handled to open a cartridge and extract a disc. Conversely, the design incorporates no means for positively latching the assembly shut for transport, and instead relies upon a plastically deformable detente mechanism to achieve this end. The problem with this design is that the assembly may inadvertently open during transport and thereby expose the contents to the possibility of being damaged. Furthermore, the design disclosed by Hu does not allow a user to remove media with its corresponding protective case. Instead, any media removed from the assembly is unprotected, thereby presenting a problem when a user has a need to separate the enclosed media. This device also offers a problematic solution for the labeling of the media it contains. The top-most surface of each cartridge offers only a small fraction of the surface area for labeling, while the rest of the surface is characterized by lateral grooves which aid in opening the device for content display or access. Using the labeling sleeve from a common compact disc case would result in the labeling spine residing on the underside of the assembly, opposite the side of access. Finally, the assembly disclosed by Hu comprises many separate and interlocking pieces (always one piece more than the number of disks contained), leading to high manufacturing and assembly costs. At the same time, this complexity would likely make the assembly more prone to malfunction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,681 to Li (1998), U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,260 to Jaw (1989), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,730 to Wu (1985) all exhibit some form of splaying action to facilitate the viewing and access of the media they contain. However, in each of these inventions, the device offers no benefit of a tapered lead-in to facilitate placement of media into the device. Although the media bays splay open, offering a tapered space between each media slot, the actual media-locating features do not reap any benefit from this geometry, as they remain dimensionally constant. For instance, in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,681 to Li, the elastically deformable holding element requires a pressure fit for media insertion, even when the device is splayed. Similarly, Jaw and Wu disclose devices in which the media-retaining bags retain their slender profile regardless of the splay action which the assemblies experience when opened. Furthermore, each of these designs has a similar shortcoming in terms of data protection. Specifically, when any of these devices are splayed into their open configurations, the contained media are directly exposed. Leaving these assemblies in their open positions is therefore undesirable, as the media are exposed to dust and the possibility of being scratched. As a result, the convenience and accessibility offered when these devices are in their splayed configurations is counterpoised by the resulting compromise in media protection. Furthermore, none of these devices allow a user to extract media without forfeiting its protective case. This can be problematic, such as when a user needs to transfer a portion of the contained media to another person. None of these devices provide space fo
Ferguson Josh W.
Rohrbach Matthew
Gehman Bryon P.
Limbach George C.
Speculative Incorporated
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