Case for a multiplicity of media discs

Abstract

A case for storing a multiplicity of media discs, includes a cover, an internal binder attached to the cover or formed integrally with it and having a pair of laterally spaced tracks that have a certain height, and a number of substantially planar disk-mounting panels. Each disk-mounting panel has a pair of transverse extending slots, each interacting with one of the tracks in such manner as to open like the page of the book and move laterally toward and away from the binder. The disk case can store a large number of disk-mounting panels while conforming to standardised case width and height dimensions.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to storage cases for media discs. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a plastics keep case for point-of-sale distribution of DVD boxed sets, music CDs, software CD-ROMs and the like.

It is known to provide “boxed sets” comprising multiple DVDs or CDs for example in point-of-sale “keep cases”. Such cases as used for DVD movie boxed sets for example, are of standard width and height dimension for distribution and display conformity. Some such keep cases are assembled like a book comprising front and back covers connected by a spine. The back cover supports a number of internal disk-receiving pockets, each receiving a disk. A problem with such structures is in the low durability of the pockets and generally poor selectability of the disks as the pockets do not turn well and do not display the disks well.

A development of the above theme insofar as it relates to DVD keep cases has been in the provision of internal plastics panels attached to the spine and to the front and/or back of which there is/are provided disk-retaining hubs or bosses onto which the discs can be individually mounted for easy display, retrieval and replacement. Such cases are however limited to just several such plastics panels, as standardisation of the external packaging width and height dimensions limits the number of panels that can be properly turned open without clashing with each other to display the discs effectively.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage and/or more generally to provide an improved keep case for multiple media discs capable of storing and displaying when required more than several panels, whilst maintaining standardised case width and height dimensions.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a disk case for storing a multiplicity of media discs, comprising:

• • a cover,
  • an internal binder attached to or formed integrally with the cover and having a pair of laterally spaced tracks that have a certain height,
  • a plurality of substantially planar disk-mounting panels, each having a pair of transverse extending slots having a length approximating the height of each track, wherein each slot interacts with a respective one of the tracks in such manner as to enable pivoting of the panel throughout an angular range whilst maintaining a capability of lateral in-plane movement at any angular orientation within that range.

Preferably, the cover includes a front portion and a back portion between which the disk-mounting panels are located, and a spine hingedly connecting the front and back portions, and wherein the binder extends from the spine.

Preferably, each track comprises a wall and a curved rail, and wherein each slot opens to an edge of its disk-mounting panel at a lip against which the curved rail can bear.

Preferably, each disk-mounting panel comprises a pair of resilient disk-mounting bosses extending from respective opposed faces thereof.

Preferably, the front portion and the back portion each comprise an inward facing resilient disk-mounting boss.

Preferably, the slots are located adjacent to respective top and bottom edges of the disk-mounting panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a DVD keep case in an open, page-splayed configuration,

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective illustration of the DVD keep case of FIG. 1 in an open configuration, and with the pages or disk-mounting panels in a stacked configuration, but with the spine of the case opened out,

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of the working internal components of the DVD keep case of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective illustration of the working internal components of the DVD keep case of FIG. 2, with the disk-mounting panels stacked, but with the spine in a case-closed/retracted configuration,

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of the case of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a closed configuration, and

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective illustration of a portion of one of the disk-mounting panels showing details of one of the slots therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically a disk storage case 10 typically formed of moulded plastics material such as polypropylene. The case 10 comprises a cover having a front portion 11, a back portion 12 and a spine 13 to which the front and back portions are hingedly connected in a continuous moulding.

Attached to or formed integrally with the spine 13 is a binder 14 that includes a pair of spaced apart tracks 15. Each track 15 has an upstanding wall 16 and a curved rail 17 extending partially about its periphery. That is, the rail 17 comprises a curved top portion that extends down each edge of the wall 16.

Attached to the binder 14 are five (although there might be provided fewer or more) individual disk-mounting panels 18 each comprising front and back mutually offset resilient disk-mounting hubs or bosses 19. Each disk-mounting panel 18 might be likened to the page of a book and is just slightly wider than the diameter of a disk. Located nearby the top and bottom edges of each disk-mounting panel 18 are transverse slots 20. The slots 20 extend partially across each disk-mounting panel from the edge 21 of the disk-mounting panel adjacent to the spine 13 and binder 14. At or adjacent to the edge 21, each slot 20 is provided with a lip 22 from the Pru

The slots 20 fit over the respective tracks 15 in such a manner that the lip 22 engages the inside edge of the rail 17. This inter-engagement captures the panel 18 and defines the maximum in-plane extent of the panel away from the binder 14.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the disk-mounting panels 18 can pivot in the direction indicated by arrow B throughout a range sufficient to “open” the panel like the page of a book (typically about 180°), and at the same time undergo in-plane movement as shown by arrow A. This in-plane movement can be made at any angular orientation of the panels 18 within the opening range. During this in-plane movement, the slots 20 move over the tracks 15. It should be noted that the length of the slots approximates the height of the tracks so that in the configuration depicted in FIG. 4, the tracks are received fully within the slots.

The preferred embodiment as described above comprises many “pages” or disk-mounting panels that can be easily opened out, yet still closed down to a compact package having standard width W and height H (see FIG. 5) because the tracks are received substantially completely by the slots when the case is closed.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, the disk-mounting panels might comprise resilient bosses only on one face and the inside faces of the front and back covers might also include resilient bosses. Furthermore, the tracks 15 need not have a curved top rail. Indeed, the tracks could be of any closed shape (e.g. A-shaped, square, polygonal, or otherwise) suitable to the task. Furthermore, the tracks might not need to comprise a wall and the rail. They could instead simply comprise and open-centred arch or loop like the binder of a stationery file.

Claims

1. A disk case for storing a multiplicity of media discs, comprising; a cover, an internal binder attached to or formed integrally with the cover and having a pair of laterally spaced tracks that have a certain height, a plurality of substantially planar disk-mounting panels, each having a pair of transverse extending slots having a length approximating the height of each track, wherein each slot interacts with a respective one of the tracks in such manner as to enable pivoting of the panel throughout an angular range whilst maintaining a capability of lateral in-plane movement at any angular orientation within that range.

2. The disk case of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a front portion and a back portion between which the disk-mounting panels are located, and a spine hingedly connecting the front and back portions, and wherein the binder extends from the spine.

3. The disk case of claim 1, wherein each track comprises a wall and a curved rail, and wherein each slot opens to an edge of its disk-mounting panel at a lip against which the curved rail can bear.

4. The disk case of claim 1, wherein each disk-mounting panel comprises a pair of resilient disk-mounting bosses extending from respective opposed faces thereof.

5. The disk case of claim 2, wherein the front portion and the back portion each comprise an inward facing resilient disk-mounting boss.

6. The disk case of claim 1, wherein the slots are located adjacent to respective top and bottom edges of the disk-mounting panels.