Integrated compact disc cleaning and labeling device

Details Integrated compact disc cleaning and labeling device Integrated compact disc cleaning and labeling device

2001-06-19

2004-04-06

Heinz, A. J. (Department: 2653)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

With storage medium cleaning or electrostatic chanrge...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06717900

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an integrated compact disc cleaning and labeling device operative to selectively clean and/or label a compact disc depending on actual need.
A compact disc includes a signal side and a print side opposite to the signal side. The signal side tends to be dirtied with dust after being used for a long time and therefore requires periodic or non-periodic maintenance and cleaning to protect its quality and usable life, just as any other products. The print side of the compact disc could be imprinted with text and design or attached with a label to show information about the contents of the compact disc.
Since the compact disc is provided at the signal side with specially structured grooves formed with laser beams, it could be wiped clean only in a substantially radial direction, that is, from a center of the disc toward an outer periphery thereof or from an outer periphery of the disc toward a center thereof. More specifically, a cleaning element must be moved in a direction normal to a circumference of the disc. Any cleaning done in a direction parallel to the circumferential direction of the disc would destruct the laser formed grooves on the disc to largely adversely affect the quality and the usable life of the compact disc.
Concerning the print side of the compact disc, it is usually directly imprinted with information about the contents of the disc if the disc is mass-produced. For other compact discs that are produced at limited small volume or recorded by users, specific labels are separately attached to the print side of the discs. There are also users preferring to label compact discs with specially selected or customized text or design to replace the originally imprinted text or design. However, it is not easy to smoothly attach a very thin label over the print side of the compact disc with hands. A labeling device is usually required to do this.
Many attempts have been made to develop devices for cleaning compact discs. There are also devices available in the markets for smoothing a label on the print side of the compact disc. However, there is not any device currently available in the markets to provide both the functions of cleaning and labeling a compact disc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an integrated compact disc cleaning and labeling device that could be used to perform two functions, that is, cleaning and labeling, depending on a user's actual need.
To achieve the above and other objects, the integrated laser disc cleaning and labeling device of the present invention mainly includes pivotally connected top and bottom covers, a turning plate rotatably fitted in the top cover, a CD cleaning means rotatably mounted to one side of the turning plate, a sleeve barrel vertically slidably received in a barrel portion of the bottom cover, and a return spring mounted between the bottom cover and the sleeve barrel.
The cleaning means includes a handling knob and a round member respectively located above and below the turning plate. The round member is provided at a bottom surface with a cleaning element and at an outer peripheral wall surface with a circle of continuous and radially outward projected teeth adapted to mesh with a circle of continuous radially inward projected teeth at an inner surface of the top cover.
The bottom cover includes an annular seat portion surrounding the barrel portion for supporting a label thereon and is provided on the barrel portion with a plurality of vertically extended guide slots. An internal base is provided inside the barrel portion.
The sleeve barrel is provided at a vertical wall thereof with pawls having position and number corresponding to that of the guide slots of the bottom cover, and each of the pawls is provided at a lower end with a radially outward projected hook adapted to slide up and down in one of the guide slots. When the sleeve barrel is at a fully lifted position, the hooks of the pawls press against a top of the guide slots. The sleeve barrel also includes an annular flat top portion and a central shaft portion raised from a center of the flat top portion, so that a compact disc may be supported on the flat top portion with a central hole of the disc aligned with the central shaft portion.
When a compact disc is removably supported on the flat top portion of the sleeve barrel with a print side facing downward and the top cover is closed onto the bottom cover, the label positioned on the seat portion of the bottom cover is attached to the print side of the compact disc. Meanwhile, the handling knob of the CD cleaning means could be moved for the turning plate and the cleaning means to revolve about a center of the bottom cover, and for the round member of the cleaning means to mesh with the top cover and thereby rotate about the handling knob at the same time. The revolving and rotating cleaning means could therefore effectively clean a signal side of the compact disc and ensures a firm attachment of the label to the print side of the compact disc.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5208795 (1993-05-01), Lavinsky et al.
patent: 5416761 (1995-05-01), Lee
patent: 5584089 (1996-12-01), Huang
patent: 5822822 (1998-10-01), Weng
patent: 5963526 (1999-10-01), Lee
patent: 6000085 (1999-12-01), Weng
patent: 6243345 (2001-06-01), Kwang

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