Low-profile compact disk case

Details Low-profile compact disk case Low-profile compact disk case

2000-03-17

2001-09-04

Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)

Special receptacle or package

For holding a machine readable recording medium

For holding an optical disc

C206S310000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06283282

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a compact disk (CD) case, and more particularly to a low-profile CD case that has reduced overall height and can be produced with less material, assembling and transport costs while maintaining good packing quality thereof.
With the production of digital compact disks that provide large storage volume and precise signals, a variety of storage structures are developed for safely holding and storing such compact disks. An earliest and most common type of CD case mainly includes a bottom seat having a top cover pivotally and openably connected thereto, and a CD deck disposed in a space provided on the bottom seat. The CD deck includes a shallow recess for receiving a compact disk therein. A catch button having a plurality of radially extended flexible catch pawls is centered at the CD deck. A compact disk is positioned in the CD deck and accordingly the CD case by aligning a central hole of the compact disk with the catch button and pressing the disk downward, and removed from the CD deck by depressing a center of the catch button to cause retreated catch pawls and release the compact disk.
The above-described conventional CD case is a three-piece unit, a production of which would require longer time and higher costs for molds, material and assembling thereof.
Moreover, to contain the CD deck, the conventional CD case formed from the top cover and the bottom seat must have an overall height at least about 10mm that is several times of the thickness of a regular compact disk. Such a height of the three-piece CD case largely increases space and cost required for storing, packing and transporting the CD cases and the compact disks stored therein. The three-piece CD case also requires more plastic material to produce it and will therefore cause more environmental problems in disposal of the discarded plastic case.
There are thin paper bags or clear poly bags with one open end being used to contain individual compact disks. Such bags have the advantage of low production and transportation costs due to their small thickness. On the other hand, these bags give consumers the impression that they are used to hold compact disks of inferior quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a low-profile CD case that has simplified structure to effectively reduce an overall height or thickness of the case without sacrificing the high quality appearance thereof.
To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provide a CD case including pivotally connected top cover and bottom seat to provide an inner space for receiving a compact disk therein. The bottom seat is integrally formed on an inner surface with a central holding means and a plurality of protective means. The central holding means is a short hollow cylinder upward projected from the bottom seat and has spaced cuts along its circumferential wall to provide a plurality of flexible catch pawls for holding a compact disk in place. First and second protective means are low-raised ribs for supporting and preventing the compact disk from direct contact with the bottom seat, and the third protective means are raised curved ribs higher than the first and the second ribs and the compact disk for protecting the compact disk from compression by the top cover. No extra CD deck is required for disposing between the top cover and the bottom seat for holding the compact disk and an overall height or thickness of the CD case can therefore be largely reduced from about 10 mm to about 5.2 mm only. The CD case with reduced overall height occupies less room and requires lower production and transportation costs.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3949872 (1976-04-01), Paudras
patent: 4903829 (1990-02-01), Clemens
patent: 5238107 (1993-08-01), Kownacki
patent: 5341924 (1994-08-01), Morrone
patent: 5477960 (1995-12-01), Chen
patent: 6016909 (2000-01-01), Chang

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