The present invention is a wall or vertically mounted framing device that securely holds and displays the full front cover of a single compact disc case. CD Case Framer 2 is an improvement of previously patented invention titled “CD Case Framer” by the same inventor as mentioned in above Cross Reference to Related Applications.
Compact disc cases or CD cases are commonly transparent plastic boxes that protect and keep individual CD jewels. They are labeled with front cover arts or inserts depicting their content. And since CD's are becoming a common home and office items, their cases whether empty or not are commonly stacked without giving attention to the mentioned cover arts.
CD racks or towers are space savers that are used to efficiently store CD cases. They do this by stacking CD's with only the title edge visible.
Inventors created several types of CD frames or holders and disclose types of wall mounted or free standing racks which can hold single or several CD cases in the following inventions;
U.S. patent application 20060231514 to Fallander (2006)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,799 to Simba (2002)
Canada patent 2,340,321 to Simba (2001)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,432 to Rohner (2000)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,764 to Haas (2000)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,125 to Colosimo (1996)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,376 to Larsen (1995)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,835 to Hallgren (1994)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,263 to Nielkel (1994),
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,687 to Whittington (1991)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,306 to Factor (1989)
Prior arts just mentioned have paid attention to displaying the CD case cover arts but they were typically modular racks or having plurality of frames and therefore serving the purpose of framing or displaying multiple CD cases. They make use of profiled bars or rails, hook-and-loop, contact adhesives, etc. to mount or hold few to several compact disc cases.
Moreover, prior art comprising a swing out holder pivoted to a fixed housing similar to the present design of typical CD cases or jewel boxes can only be manufactured by plastic injection. This method requires very costly molds and tooling designs.
Aside from ordinary CD's, CDR's or recordable CD's, and CDRW's or rewritable CD's as well as DVD's in similar box cases including DVDR's and DVDRW's as well as mini DVD's and Blue Ray Discs are now getting popular and becoming commonplace. Many people record and create their own music or programs and store their digital photos on these new kind of CD's. To make a distinction from the commercial music and software CD's, I think, many people wants to display separately their favorite or personal CD's in a special place at home or office. They feel proud to show these to friends and visitors in the same way they feel about certificates and diplomas hung on the wall.
This is where the idea behind the improvement of my CD Case Framer 2 comes in;
(a) to be able to simplify the function and embodiment of the previous “CD Case Framer” by eliminating the use of the “swing out holder” and its associated parts like the “foot plate”, “bracket”, “pivot rings” and “stopper”;
(b) to be able to display both standard and slim style CD cases which have half the thickness of the standard CD cases by simply utilizing an add-on part. This feature is not possible with the previous CD case Framer;
(b) to be able to display a single favorite or personal CD case more like a framed picture by using a sash or rectangular window which is not included in previous “CD Case Framer”;
(b) to be able to make a CD Case Framer without the use of costly plastic injection method because CD Case Framer 2 employs a simple assembly method that uses common materials like wood blocks, paper based materials and recycled plastic. In between, it can also be mass produced using a less costly thermo-vacuum forming;
(c) As in the previous “CD Case Framer, it retains the same features like displaying CD cases singly without having to display and mix them with all the rest of CD's or completely fill the typical CD tower, rack, frame or holder;
(d) securely hang or vertically mount a CD case without having to use permanent or semi permanent fixing devices on a CD case like adhesives, hook-and-loop, etc. thus preserving the CD case in its original form and making it convenient to stow it back to their storage racks or boxes whenever the owner wants;
(e) providing a CD case framer which can be displayed in a way not possible with multiple or modular frames. For example, displaying CD cases on narrow walls, in between picture frames, souvenirs, memorabilia, etc. and,
(f) creating various patterns by using several of these CD case framers. Example is an art mosaic consisting of several CD case framers mounted edge to edge vertically, horizontally, diagonally, etc., to cover a specific wall area or to form any artistic shapes.
Referring to the drawings in
Referring to the drawing in
An optional add-on piece (50) fitted over the members (12A) and (12B) as a means to increase the elevation of the said members so that a slim style CD case having half the thickness than the standard cases can be used. This piece can have a snap-on part (50A) that clips over said members.
A spring assembly consist of a rigid thin strip (20A) formed in such a way that the top and bottom parts are able to accommodate part of the two helical coil springs (20B). The spring assembly fits inside the housing as shown in
In
A sash (30) is a frame edging made from a thin piece of material like sheet metal, thin plate of glass, plastic or wood, It also serves as a securing cover for the spring assembly. The said sash (30) can be glued or secured by small dowels pins to the housing.
In
Referring to the drawings in
CD case is inserted sideways as shown in
Referring to
In practical application, a CD case may or may not contain a jewel and therefore can also be picture or photograph encased in a similar box or sandwiched glass or transparent plastic sheets.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2340321 | Mar 2001 | CA | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09813728 | Mar 2001 | US |
Child | 11669126 | Jan 2007 | US |