Patent Application
20120080331
The present invention relates to optical data disks such as compact disks (CDs) and video disks (DVDs) that have central circular locating openings, and more particularly to devices for protectively enclosing such disks for storage of same.
Most commonly in the past, containers known as “jewel cases” were used for storing data disks. Such containers have a clear plastic body and a pivotally connected clear plastic lid, an insert member fitting within the body and being formed with the various disk-contacting surfaces and associated members. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,671 to Liu et al., which is incorporated herein by this reference.) A narrow indicia-bearing portion of the insert extends flush with a top surface of the lid proximate the pivot connection, the top surface of the lid being correspondingly foreshortened. Heretofore, the clear plastic polystyrene material used in fabrication of prior art jewel cases was excessively brittle and fragile, resulting in frequent cracking and breaking, especially when a case is dropped. Consequently, various opaque materials have been used more recently, typically configured with base and lid portions integrally formed with a connecting “living hinge”, and disk-contacting members also being formed in the base portion and optionally also in the lid portion. The use of flexible materials to form containers in the traditional jewel case configuration has been avoided because the conventional jewel case hinge configuration requires a relatively high degree of rigidity for maintaining the hinged connection between the base and lid.
An optical disk package formed of a resiliently flexible material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,575 to Choi et al., the package having first and second halves and a pivotal connection that is formed by headed protruding members of one of the halves being slid transversely into respective recesses of the other half, the recesses being constricted opposite blind ends thereof for retaining the protruding members. This package does not have provision for receiving and holding a tray insert; more importantly, the pivotal connection is particularly subject to unwanted disengagement of the protruding members from the recesses.
Thus there is a need for a protective disk container generally in the jewel case configuration but formed of a resilient material, and that otherwise overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
The present invention meets this need by providing a jewel case formed of a resilient material and having a pivotal connection between base and lid portions that is easy to assemble yet is not subject to inadvertent disengagement. In one aspect of the invention, a disk case includes a base formed of a resilient material and having a base panel portion and upstanding side walls, a receptacle formation proximate a rear extremity of each side wall, each receptacle formation including a main opening having a radially inwardly extending receptacle tab, a slot opening associated with the receptacle tab for permitting radially outward deflection of the receptacle tab, the slot opening being closed at both ends thereof, the case further including a lid having rearwardly projecting side tabs, each side tab having an inwardly projecting pivot boss, each pivot boss having a cylindrical outside profile including a groove for engaging the receptacle tab, wherein engagement of the receptacle tab with the groove is effective for resisting withdrawal of the pivot boss from the main opening of the receptacle formation. Preferably each pivot boss is formed with an end chamfer for facilitating entry of the pivot boss into the corresponding main opening, and for facilitating deflection of the receptacle tab. Further, the receptacle tab is preferably beveled radially and axially inwardly for facilitating outward deflection of the tab by the pivot boss.
Preferably each receptacle formation further includes a main ramp extending downwardly from an upper outside extremity of the side wall in alignment with the main opening, and each pivot boss further including a boss bevel for engaging the main ramp and outwardly deflecting the side tab during assembly of the lid onto the base.
The receptacle tab can be an upper receptacle tab, the main opening preferably also having an upwardly projecting bottom receptacle tab, and wherein the boss bevel intersects the groove of the pivot boss for facilitating insertion of the pivot boss into the main opening with the groove coming into alignment over the bottom receptacle tab, the lid being in a closed position. Further, when the lid is opened sufficiently for the bottom receptacle tab to be engaged by the groove, preferably the engagement of the bottom receptacle tab is effective for resisting withdrawal of the pivot boss from the main opening of the receptacle formation.
Preferably each of the side walls is formed having a pair of locating openings for receiving respective locating bosses of a disk tray. The locating bosses can be located on opposite sides of the main opening for receiving respective locating bosses of a hinged tray anchor portion. Preferably at least one of the locating openings has a secondary ramp aligned therewith at an upper inside surface of the associated side wall for facilitating insertion of the corresponding locating boss into the locating opening.
The resilient material of the case can include polypropylene.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:
The present invention is directed to a disk case that is compatible with flexible materials in a jewel case configuration, and that is particularly effective against unwanted separation of lid and base members. With reference to
As further described below, the boss projections 24 extend inwardly through respective main openings 26 of the receptacle formations 22, the receptacle formations being located within thinned regions 28 of the left and right side wall portions 17 and 18 as best shown in
Outside extremities of the main openings are chamfered as indicated at 36 in
Each pivot boss 24 projects inwardly from rearwardly extending side tabs 40 of the lid 14, each boss 24 having a circularly cylindrical outside profile 42, a concentric groove 44, and an end chamfer 46. Each pivot boss 24 is also beveled downwardly and outwardly as indicated at 48, the boss bevel 48 intersecting the groove 44 as indicated at 49. The end chamfer 46 and the bevel 48, together with the chamfer 36 of the main opening 26 and the bevels 38 of the receptacle tabs 30 and 32, facilitate entry of the pivot bosses 24 into engagement with the pivot receptacles of the base 12 as further described herein.
Next, as the side tabs 40 are allowed to move inwardly (or pushed inwardly by external means, if necessary) toward to their relaxed positions, the upper receptacle tab 32 is deflected outwardly with narrowing of the slot opening 34, the end chamfer 46 of the pivot boss 24 displacing the bevel 38 of the upper receptacle tab, until the tab 32 is fully displaced and resting on the outside profile of the pivot boss between the end chamfer 46 and the groove 44 as shown in
The present invention thus provides a robust hinged connection of the lid 14 with the base 12 that is not subject to breakage in that the main opening 26 is closed (not a slot) and the slot opening 34 is closed at both ends. In the event that the case 10 in the closed condition is dropped, there is no likelihood of the lid 14 becoming detached from the base 12, and disassembly of the lid from the base is resisted by engagement of one or both of the receptacle tabs 30 and 32 on each side of the case engaging respective ones of the grooves 44 of the pivot basses 24.
With further reference to
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not necessarily be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.
