Special receptacle or package – For holding a machine readable recording medium – For holding an optical disc
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-23
2002-06-11
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For holding a machine readable recording medium
For holding an optical disc
C206S459500, C206S807000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06401920
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the improved multiple disc package, a selected number of discs are held locked in a tray by flex arms with disc-retaining extensions overlying inner peripheral areas adjacent the central opening of the uppermost disc. A push button is held within a disc-centering boss. Lock tab detents extending from the push button hold the push button above an inner edge of an annular shelf on the centering boss. The push button is connected to the flex arms with goose neck connectors. Pressing inward on the flex arms tends to move the goose necks to draw the push button downward. In the locked, tamper-evident position, the lock tabs prevent the push button from moving downward, and thus hold the disc-retaining extensions over inner surface areas of the disc.
The goose necks are connected to the flex arms lower than the centers and load the goose necks in compression while the push button is held in the locked position. Trays are formed of a rigid, inexpensive resin such as crystal polystyrene, and have a central raised ledge around the centering boss which extends upward from the center of the tray. A less rigid resilient engineering resin insert snaps into the ledge. The insert is made in four different sizes with four distinct preference surfaces so that the assembled tray and insert hold selectively one to four discs. While snapping the reference surface extensions into the raised ledge under the tray, the locking button is forced upward, snapping its locking detents above the annular inward shoulder.
The bottom of the tray is assembled to the bottom panel of the cover, and the appropriate number of discs is pushed downward on the rounded upper surfaces of the flex arms. The flex arms have flex points above and below the goose neck connections. The flex points above the goose neck connections allow the upper portions of the flex arms to move inward as the discs are pressed downward over the rounded upper surfaces on the flex arm extensions. The ledges on the locking arms extend over the uppermost discs and prevent disc movement during shipping, and provide tamper-evident locking of the discs on the centering boss. When discs are intended to be removed, the push button is pressed downward below the annular shoulder of the boss, and the locking tabs hold the push button there in a neutral down position. That cams the flex arms slightly inward and angles the ledges with respect to the flat upper surfaces of the disc, which allows removal of the disc by camming the ledges and upper ends of the flex arms inward and drawing the button further downward as each disc is removed. Alternatively, the push button may be pushed further downward, pulling the goose neck connectors downward and pulling inward the upper ends of the flex arms, and drawing the ledges within the inner circular openings of the discs as the discs are removed. The discs may be removed all at once and placed in the arcuate depressions on the surface of the tray for sequential use.
The relatively rigid trays may be made and inventoried uniformly, and the engineering resin inserts may be inventoried in configurations to hold from one to four discs. The inserts may be snapped into the trays as they are used.
The inserts provide flexible arms with the retaining extensions, which will not crack, break or lose resilience on repeated uses.
The trays are identical irrespective of the numbers of discs held. Only the inserts are varied.
The inserts may be made in small specialized die areas rather than combining the inserts in the entire tray mold.
A preferred disc package has a rigid tray having a ledge and a central boss extending upward from the ledge for centering discs, an inward extending shoulder on an upper portion of the boss, a flexible insert snapped into the tray, having a body, and having reference surfaces for supporting a fixed number of discs. Flexible arms are connected to the flexible insert and extend upward along the boss. Disc-retaining extensions extend outward from tops of the flexible arms for retaining discs. Connectors extend inward from medial portions of the flexible arms. A push button within the boss is connected to the connectors for up and down movement in the boss. Lock tab detents extend outward from the push button for engaging the inward extending shoulder of the boss.
Preferably the inward extending shoulder has sloped walls for selectively holding the push button in an upward arm locking position and in a downward arm releasing position.
Goose-neck connectors have first flexible connections to medial portions of the arms and extend downward and inward, and having second connections to the push button. Preferably the second connections are flexible.
Outward and downward sloped surfaces on upper surfaces of the disc-retaining extensions and the goose-neck connectors permit inward movement of the arms without unlocking the push buttons when discs are pressed downward on the sloped upper surfaces of the disc-retaining extensions for loading discs on the trays.
Flexible portions of the arms connect to the flexible insert for allowing the arms to tip inward.
A preferred disc package apparatus has a flexible insert for connecting to a tray and having a body, and having reference surfaces for supporting a disc, flexible arms connected to the flexible insert for extending upward along a boss, and disc-retaining extensions extending outward from tops of the flexible arms for retaining discs.
Connectors extend inward from medial portions of the flexible arms, and a push button near the boss is connected to the connectors for up and down movement along the boss.
Lock tab detents extend outward from the push button for engaging an inward extending shoulder of the boss.
The detents have sloped outer walls for selectively holding the push button in an upward arm locking position or in a downward arm releasing position.
A method of holding discs on a tray includes pushing discs downward over sloped upper surfaces on outward extensions of flexible arms, and holding discs downward with lower horizontal surfaces on the extensions. Upper portions of the arms move inward by pushing downward with a first force on a central push button connected to the arms. Initially locking the push button upward in a locking position uses an inward shoulder on a centered boss on the tray. Overcoming a holding force of the shoulder, one pushes downward on the push button with a second force greater than the first force for releasing the locking.
The arms return outward with resilient force from the arms.
The push button returns upward with the resilient force which returns the arms outward.
The shoulder stops the pushing button and prevents its further upward travel beyond the shoulder into the initial locking position of the of the push button.
These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification, with the claims and the drawings.
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AGI Inc.
Creighton Wray James
Foster Jim
Narasimhan Meera P.
LandOfFree
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