Retaining structure of a disc holder

Details Retaining structure of a disc holder Retaining structure of a disc holder

2002-11-21

2004-05-11

Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)

Special receptacle or package

For holding a machine readable recording medium

For holding a grooved phonograph disc

C206S308100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06732862

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retaining structure of a disk holder. More specifically, the present invention relates to a retaining structure, which is used in a DVD/VCD/CD holder and is easily operated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information recording medium such as DVD, VCD and CD need a holder to accommodate and protect them. A. DVD/VCD/CD holder known in the prior art comprises a plurality of L-shaped retainers that are formed in a circle at a central portion of a base of the holder. The circle formed by the L-shaped retainers has a diameter larger than a central opening of the DVD/VCD/CD. When the DVD/VCD/CD is to be placed on the retainers, the central opening of the DVD/VCD/CD deforms the retainers until the retainers pass through the central opening of the DVD/VCD/CD. Thereby, the retainers apply a clamping force to the DVD/VCD/CD. When the DVD/CD/CD is to be removed from the holder, the retainers are pressed down to release the clamping force applied on the DVD/VCD/CD.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,286, issued to the applicant of the present application, discloses another DVD/VCD/CD holder. This known holder structure includes a cover and a base
10
a
pivotally connected with the cover, as shown in
FIG. 1. A
retaining device
11
a
is formed at a central portion of the base
10
a
for securely clamping the DVD/VCD/CD. The retaining device
11
a
includes a disk centrally protruding from a ace of the base
10
a
, a plurality of L-shaped retainers
12
a
, a plurality of equally spaed slits
13
a
each having the L-shaped retainer
12
a
formed there between, a plurality of arcuate portions
15
a
each communicating with each slit
13
a
, a pressing portion
14
a
formed at the center of the disk and connected with each of the L-shaped retainers
12
a
by means of a bridge
16
a
, and a plurality of arcuate walls
18
a
formed on the disk between two adjacent slits
13
a
. The arcuate walls
18
a
and the L-shaped retainers
12
a
, which together fit a central opening of the DVD/VCD/CD, define a pressing portion
14
a
therein. A plurality of arcuate portions are formed along a rim of the pressing portion
14
a
in a manner that each arcuate portion
15
communicates with the slit
13
a
. The pressing portion
14
a
is connected with each of the L-shaped retainers
12
a
by means of a bridge
16
a
. A wedge
17
a
is formed on an external surface of each L-shaped retainer
12
a
for clamping a disk
20
.
With reference to
FIG. 3
, a recess
19
a
is defined in a bottom of the base
10
a
to oppositely correspond to the pressing portion
14
a
to provide a space for removing the disk from the wedge
17
a.
With reference to
FIG. 4
, when the pressing portion
14
a
is pressed toward the recess
19
a
, the deformation of the pressing portion
14
a
forces all the L-shaped retainers
12
a
to tilt toward the pressing portion
14
a
and, therefore, to deform the circle formed by the arcuate walls
18
a
and the L-shaped retainers
12
a
. Thereby, the disk
20
is released from the wedge
17
a.
With the above conventional structure, when the disk is to be removed from the disk holder, a user has to press down the pressing portion to release the clamping force applied on the disk. If the pressing portion is not continuously pressed, the clamping force a the retainers immediately recovers. If the disk is not manually removed while the pressing portion is being pressed down, the disk is still retained in the holder. Therefore, the user has to use both hands at the same time to remove the disk from the holder. In addition to the above downside, the application of the retaining device is further limited to a thin disk holder. In this case, the pressing portion is not easily pressed down.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a retaining structure used in a disk holder, in which external edges of retainer of the retaining structure can keep a disk above the retainer after a central opening of the disk is released from the retaining structure. Therefore, the user only needs one hand to place or remove the disk by pressing down the pressing face.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives of the invention; a retaining structure formed on a base of a disk holder is provided. A retaining structure formed on a base of a disk holder, which comprises a holding portion formed on the base; a retainer including: a plurality of elastic pieces equally spaced on the holding portion, the elastic pieces each having a peripheral end being a free end; a pressing face positioned on a central portion thereof, and the pressing face connected to each of the elastic pieces through a connection part; a trench formed along an peripheral side of the pressing face; a plurality of wedges each formed on an external surface of each of the elastic pieces; and a plurality of arcuate walls each formed between two adjacent elastic pieces and separated from each of the elastic pieces by a slit communicated with the trench; and a recess Formed on the base of the disk holder and opposite to the retainer.
To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention, this detailed description being provided only for illustration of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6311835 (2001-11-01), Okuhara et al.
patent: 6354435 (2002-03-01), Belden et al.
patent: 6364108 (2002-04-01), Bin
patent: 6398022 (2002-06-01), Mou et al.
patent: 6425481 (2002-07-01), Choi
patent: 6427833 (2002-08-01), Hui
patent: 6547068 (2003-04-01), Chu

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