Patent Application
20110139640
The invention relates to a fluid container adapted for disposition and retention in a housing that also receives a digital media device, such as a CD, DVD, Blue-Ray and the like. In particular, a housing that contains a digital media device and a fluid container capable of holding a fragrance.
This invention relates to a housing for holding a disk-shaped digital media device such as a compact disk, CD-ROM, DVD, Blue-Ray or the like. Currently, there are various CD jewel cases that hold a single disk or dual disks when an artist offers a dual disk album. In dual disk containers, two disks are held in one housing.
This invention also relates to fluid containers that are generally offered and sold separately from such disks. Fluid containers come in a variety of sizes and shapes, especially those for fragrances products, such as perfume or cologne, and are often sold alone or as a part of a gift set.
A CD jewel case that also retains fragrant fillers is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,143 discloses a CD jewel case having filling members that provide ornamentation and fragrance in a space in the hinge portion of the CD jewel case. Due to the size and location of the hinge portion of a CD jewel case, this prior art device disadvantageously provides a limited space for the fragrance container, which must be restrictively small. A perfume container capable of fitting in a standard jewel case is known in the prior art. U.S. Design patent No. D597,848 discloses a round perfume bottle having a through opening. Due to the shape of the bottle, this prior art is unable to stand on its own or to be displayed.
Therefore, there is a need for a housing that is capable of holding a disk or digital media device and a fluid container in the same housing such that the fluid container can be easily removed, refilled and of a larger size.
The present invention provides a standard jewel case or modified jewel case for accommodating a digital media device and capable of holding a fluid container therein.
The housing of the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body, a cover, the main body and the cover cooperatively enclosing a volume and at least one tray having an upper planar surface, where the tray rests within the main body. The tray and the cover define an enclosed space within the volume for receiving a fluid container. The fluid container has an enclosed volume for receiving, storing and selectively dispensing fluid. The body of the container has a wall, wherein the upper planar surface of the tray and the wall of the container removably engage to hold and selectively release the container in the enclosed space. The fluid container further comprises a sidewall, a portion of which is flat.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the main body has a first hinge aperture and a second hinge aperture, the tray having a hinge portion and an upstanding locking protrusion on its planar surfaces, the cover having a first hinge arm and a second hinge arm which are capable of coupling to the first hinge aperture and the second hinge aperture of the main body. The tray fits within the main body. The container is capable of being filled with a fluid and of being disposed within the enclosed space formed between the tray and the cover when the housing is in the closed position. The container has a neck that is capable of dispensing fluid. In one embodiment of the present invention, the container has a centrally disposed depression that cooperately corresponds to and engages where the protrusion of the tray and is removably receivable thereon in a predetermined orientation with respect to the display case.
The housing of the second embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body, a cover and at least one tray. The cover and main body cooperate to enclose a volume. The tray is contained within the volume. The tray has an upper planar surface and a lower planar surface. The tray and the cover define a first enclosed space within the volume for receiving the fluid container and the tray and the main body define a second enclosed space within the volume for receiving the digital media device. The upper planar surface of the tray preferably has a centrally disposed protrusion that can removably receive the depression of the fluid container to hold the container in a predetermined orientation within respect to the display case. The lower planar surface of the tray preferably has a centrally disposed protrusion that can removably receive a digital media device, such as a CD or DVD. The container and the digital media device can be interchangeably placed on either planar surface. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the tray has a hinge portion and the cover having a first hinge arm and a second hinge arm which are able to couple to the hinge portion of the tray facing the first planar surface, the main body having a pair of hinge arms which are able to couple to the hinge portion of the tray facing the second planar surface, and a container disposed in a space defined between the tray and the cover. The cover and the main body sandwiching the tray there between when the housing is in a closed position. The container may comprise a neck. The neck is sized so as to fit within the enclosed space in the volume.
In the combination of the present invention, the container is shaped to fit within the tray and interchangeable with a disk, CD, DVD or Blue-ray. The container can be shaped similarly to a disk, CD, DVD or Blue-ray and take a circular form in a front elevation view, having a portion of its sidewall flat. In one embodiment of the present invention the container is circular and contains a central depression. In another embodiment of the present invention the container contains a circular through opening in its center that is capable of coupling with the first or second protrusion of the tray. The container of the present invention contains one flat portion so the container may stand on a desk, counter or the like.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention a dual display housing comprises a main member, a second member, a third member, a tray, a first edge, a second edge and a container. The main member has a second member extending from the first edge. The second member has opposing planar surfaces. One of the planar surfaces having a first locking protrusion. The locking protrusion is configured to accept a digital media device. In another embodiment of the present invention the locking protrusion is on the second planar surface.
The main member has a second edge. The third member extends from the second edge of the main member. The main member accepts a tray therein which has a recess. The recess is sized and shaped to accept the container therein. The display case is capable of being in a closed position. In the closed position, the first edge is folded over with the second member resting and overlaying the main member. The second edge is also folded over with the third member resting and overlaying the second member. In the closed position, the third member and the main member sandwich the second member and enclose the recess. The recess is capable of accepting the container therein.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and are shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:
With reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout, there is shown in
By way of illustration of the relationship of the configuration of a fluid container 200 with the configuration of a housing 100 to facilitate display and retention of the container 200 in a housing 100, a first embodiment of the container 200 of the present invention is shown in
The fluid container 200 comprises an enclosed volume or cavity that can be filled with a fluent material, such as a fluid or flowable powder. A fluid may be a fragrance, perfume or cologne. The substance may be removed or dispensed from the container 200 using the neck 46. Once empty, the container 200 may be refilled by inserting a liquid or substance into the container 200 when the cap 44 is removed. The container 200 may be made of plastic, glass or metal.
The container 200, while shown and described as generally circular (in front and back elevation views), may also be polygonal, such as triangular, rectangular, square, diamond, pentagonal, hexagonal, and the like (in front and back elevation views). It may also be noncircular, such as oblong, oval, and the like or even irregular (in front and back elevation). In addition, while the front and rear walls have been described as flat or planar, one or both may be convex or concave or some other configuration in defining an internal confining volume for a fluent material. In the preferred embodiment the container 200 is substantially planar, round (that is of generally circular configuration in front elevation view) and shaped similar to a standard disk such as a CD, DVD or Blue-ray having a flat portion to allow it to stand. It is possible that the container 200 could be any shape to fit within the enclosed space formed between the main body 115 and the tray 110, or the cover 105 and the tray 110 of the housing 100.
In use the container 200 is disposed in such enclosed space and the depression 245 is capable of coupling with the locking protrusion 120 of the tray 110. In another embodiment of the present invention the depression or aperture 245 of the container 200 is a circular recess similar to 245c having a reduced diameter entrance that provides a circumferential shoulder for interlockment (not shown) with the locking protrusion 120 and is capable of mating with the upper portion of the protrusion 20 of the tray 10 (or protrusion 120 of tray 100) as aforesaid and by means known to one skilled in the art, such as friction, tongue and groove, latch and ledge, etc. In another embodiment of the present invention a third, fourth, fifth and sixth protrusions or tabs 111 of the tray 110 are capable of mating with the container 200 and retaining it in place by a snap fit (See
In a second embodiment of the container 200 of the present invention is shown in
Depression or aperture 245 may be provided with a reduced diameter internal cylindrical rib that provides an internal shoulder for gripping a radially outwardly extending protrusion 20 on the housing 50 or protrusion 120 of the housing 100.
With reference to
In an alternate embodiment, to facilitate retention and storage of a container 200 in a housing 50, the lower wall 18 of tray 10 may be provided with an aperture 19 in at least one of the corners of the lower wall 18. These apertures 19 are also each located in the vertex of intersecting walls 14, 36b, 36a, and 36c. In addition each aperture 19 may be provided with a radially inwardly disposed inset 19a.
When a container 200 of the present invention is disposed in a housing 50, the neck 46 extends into the space provided by the vertex of the intersection of two of walls 14, 36b, 36a, or 36c and this relationship facilitates retention and storage of the container 200 in the housing 50.
With reference to
A container 200 of the present invention may interact and cooperate with a dual display housing 100 in the same way as it does with the housing 50, except that the cover 105, main body 115 and the tray 110 provide a first enclosed space and a second enclosed space in the volume to select from in disposing the container 200 in the housing 100. The container 200 could be placed within the first enclosed space formed between the tray 110 and the cover 105 or the second enclosed space formed between the tray 110 and the main body 115. The interaction between the container 200 and either the tray 110 and the cover 105 or the tray 110 and the main body 115 are the same as between the main body 15, tray 20 and cover 5 of the embodiment of
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the fluid container 200 may be disposed in the open space formed between the tray 110 and the main body 115 with a digital media device 150, CD/DVD disposed between the vacant space formed between the tray 110 and the cover 105 or vice versa.
As shown in
With reference to
The main member 265 has a second edge 256. The third member 255 extends from the second edge 256 of the main member 265. The main member 265 accepts a tray 268 therein which has a recess 266. The recess 266 has a depth D and is sized and shaped to accept the container 200 therein. The display housing 250 is capable of being in a closed position. In the closed position, the first edge 257 is folded over with the second member 260 resting and overlaying the main member 265. The second edge 256 is also folded over with the third member 255 resting and overlaying the second member 260. In the closed position, the third member 255 and the main member 265 sandwich the second member 260 and enclose the recess 266. The recess 266 is capable of accepting the container 200 therein. In one embodiment of the present invention the third member 255 has a pair of magnetic and magnetizable elements capable of keeping the housing 250 in the closed position.
With reference to
The display housing 300 is capable of being in a closed position. In the closed position, the first edge 306 is aligned with edge 307 of main member 310, with the second member 305 folding over and overlaying the main member 310. The main member 310 and the second member 305 enclose the recess 315. In one embodiment of the present invention the tab 320 contains a magnet that cooperates and interacts with a magnetizable element in the main body 310 to keep the case 300 in a closed position.
The invention has been disclosed with reference to specific preferred embodiments, to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Therefore it is foreseeable that one skilled in the art could use a housing of the present invention that is capable of receiving a single, double, triple or quadruple CD or DVD. Various double CD jewel cases are known in the art. It is known that double CD jewel cases contain alternative constructions such as alternative hinge constructions, two separate trays of which each hold a disk, or a case in which two disks are held on the same tray.
The features of the invention illustrated and described herein are the preferred embodiments. Therefore, it is understood that the appended claims are intended to cover the variations disclosed and unforeseeable embodiments with insubstantial differences that are within the spirit of the claims.
