U.S. patent application number 10/201022 was filed with the patent office on 2003-02-20 for antitheft device for cases for digital versatile discs and the like.
Invention is credited to Lopez mas, Antonia.
Application Number | 20030034259 10/201022 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8498721 |
Filed Date | 2003-02-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030034259 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lopez mas, Antonia |
February 20, 2003 |
Antitheft device for cases for digital versatile discs and the
like
Abstract
The invention discloses an anti-theft device for digital
versatile discs and the like and consists of providing the hubs of
the case with means guaranteeing that the discs may not be removed
by pressure on the major outer surfaces of the case. This object is
attained by modifying the structure of said hub in such a way that,
when pressure is exerted on said major outer surfaces of the case,
the centering means impinge against the opposite inner surface of
the case and prevent the retaining tabs from flexing and releasing
the disc from the retained position thereof. The invention is
applicable to increase security against the theft of digital
versatile discs and the like.
Inventors: |
Lopez mas, Antonia; (San
Cugat del Valles, ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC
400 SEVENTH STREET N.W.
SUITE 600
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Family ID: |
8498721 |
Appl. No.: |
10/201022 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/308.2 ;
206/310; G9B/33.011 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 33/0427
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/308.2 ;
206/310 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/57 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 16, 2001 |
ES |
200101904 |
Claims
1. An antitheft device for cases for digital versatile discs and
the like, the case (1) being of the general type formed by a box
and a lid or by two semi-boxes (2A, 2B), both being square in plan
view, having three free sides and being hingedly connected on the
respective fourth side which forms a spine (3), in such a way that,
when the case is closed, it has the general form of a book,
comprising spring closing means (11), one or more hubs (4),
provided with retaining tabs (5A, 5B) and disc centering means (6A,
6B) formed by concentric circular sector segments, wherein the
distance (H) from the inner surface (13) of the case (1) having the
hub (4) and the upper surface (14) of the centering means (6A, 6B)
is greater than the distance (h) between said inner surface (13) of
the case and the upper surface (15) of the retaining tabs (5A,
5B).
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the difference between the
distance (H) from the inner surface (13) of the case (1) having the
hub (4) and the upper surface (14) of said centering means (6A, 6B)
and the distance (h) between said inner surface (13) of the case
and the upper surface (15) of the retaining tabs (5A, 5B) ranges
from 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the difference between
the distance (H) from the inner surface (13) of the case (1) having
the hub (4) and the upper surface (14) of said centering means (6A,
6B) and the distance (h) between said inner surface (13) of the
case and the upper surface (15) of the retaining tabs (5A, 5B) is
substantially 0.8 mm.
4. The device of any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the upper
portions (7A, 7B) of the centering means (6A, 6B) of the hub (4)
are widened, such that the distance (d) from the side surface of
each of said upper portions (7A, 7B) of the centering means (6A,
6B) and the nearest side surface of each of the adjacent retaining
tabs (5A, 5B) is smaller than the width (D) of the slots separating
the centering means (6A, 6B) from the retaining tabs (5A, 5B).
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the upper portions (7A, 7B) of
the free ends of the centering means (6A, 6B) of the hub (4) are
shaped in such a way that each has two flat side regions (12A,
12B), each of said flat side regions (12A, 12B) being parallel to
the nearest side surface of the adjacent retaining tab.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein each centering means (6A, 6B) of
the hub (4) is provided on the lower surface thereof with at least
one stiffening rib (9) arranged perpendicular to the direction of
the wedging force that holds the retaining tabs (5A, 5B) in the
disc retaining position.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein each retaining tab (5A, 5B) of
the hub (4) is provided on the lower surface thereof with a
perimetric reinforcing rib (10).
Description
FIELD OF THE ART
[0001] This invention relates to an anti-theft device for cases for
digital versatile discs and the like.
[0002] The term "digital versatile discs" (at times abbreviated to
"DVD) designates herein discs capable of storing a massive amount
of information, in format of data in general, audio or video, of
computer programs or various combinations of these formats.
RELATED PRIOR ART
[0003] The cases containing digital versatile discs and the like
are usually manufactured by known techniques of injection molding
of synthetic resins (e.g. polypropylene and the like) and are
formed by a box and a lid or by two semi-boxes, both being square
in plan view, having three free sides and being hingedly connected
on the respective fourth side which forms a spine. In this way,
when the case is closed, it has the general form of a book and
comprises spring closing means.
[0004] For clarity, mention will be made hereinafter only to cases
formed by a box and a lid, it being understood that reference is
also made to the cases formed by two semiboxes.
[0005] Said cases also include one or more hubs that are formed by
a plurality of retaining tabs and, at times, of disc centering
means. When the retaining tabs are pressed, they flex and allow the
disc to be freed from its retained position.
[0006] A commercial requirement in the sale of disclosure products,
such as DVD, is that the public should be able to accede to them
directly and immediately, to obtain information on the content and
features thereof and thereby determine whether they are of interest
to be acquired. This accessibility frequently leads to the
exhibited products being stolen, which causes serious financial
harm for the traders.
[0007] Digital versatile discs and the like are fragile objects and
they are, therefore, distributed and marketed within cases,
protecting the surfaces thereof and preventing them from being
inutilized. Such cases are also usually individually wrapped in a
shrink plastic film, to guarantee that they will not be opened
until they reach the end user.
[0008] To prevent removal of the DVD and the like contained in
their respective cases, the traders have made great efforts to
obtain security means making unauthorized removal from the sales
establishments difficult.
[0009] Security means are known comprising mechanisms provided with
visual or acoustic alarms that are activated when sensors located
in the neighborhood of the exits from the establishments detect the
signals emitted by transmitters, which have previously been fitted
in a tamper-proof way to the cases. These security means require
the use of deactivation means for such transmitters, so that an
authorized removal from the establishment will not trigger
activation of the alarms.
[0010] Such security means are expensive to acquire and, at the
same time, the use thereof represents an additional cost in work
time, since, in general, both the attachment of the transmitters to
the cases and the deactivation thereof prior to authorized removal
thereof must be performed individually.
[0011] Furthermore, security means of this type are completely
inoperative if the disc can be discreetly removed from the case
containing it, without the need to previously remove the plastic
wrapper film and without opening it by the three non-hinged
sides.
[0012] There is provided hereinafter a brief explanation of how the
disc can be removed from its case without removing the plastic
wrapper film:
[0013] a) the major outer surfaces of the case are pressed
together, which causes the retaining tabs of the hub to impinge
against the opposite inner surface of the case, causing said
retaining tabs to flex resiliently and allowing the disc to be
freed from the retained position thereof;
[0014] b) the plastic film wrapping the case is cut with any
appropriate item (for example, a finger nail), along one of the
lines of closure of the case; and
[0015] c) using an appropriate item (for example, finger nails), a
leverage is applied to the center of said line of closure of the
case, allowing a minimum degree of opening through which the disc,
previously released from the hub, may be discreetly removed.
[0016] Once the disc has been removed from its case, the thief can
unauthorizedly remove it discreetly from the establishment,
camouflaged among his/her personal belongings.
[0017] Unauthorized removal of discs from their respective cases in
commercial establishments is possible because of the flexible
properties of the materials with which such cases are
manufactured.
[0018] Other security means have been proposed to prevent this
removal, consisting of providing the case with additional
mechanisms for holding the disc to the hub. Document ES 1047055 U
discloses a security case for discs incorporating a sealing device
that temporarily fixes both parts of the case with a through
passing member that is retained in the hub. Nevertheless, cases
provided with additional security means are expensive to
manufacture, because they require additional handling
operations.
[0019] This far, reference has been made to the possibility of
theft of the disc in retail establishments. Nevertheless, the disc
may be stolen at any time from packaging up to acquisition by an
end user, for example, during storage or carriage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] It is the object of the invention to provide a case for
digital versatile discs or the like, integrally made by injection
molding of synthetic resins or the like, with means guaranteeing
that the disc or discs contained therein may not be removed from
the respective hub by accidental or voluntarily applied pressure on
the major outer surfaces of the case. This object is attained by
modifying the structure of said hub in such a way that, when
pressure is exerted on said major outer surfaces of the case, the
centering means impinge against the opposite inner surface of the
case and prevent the retaining tabs from flexing and releasing the
disc from the retained position thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention will be more easily understood with the aid of
the accompanying exemplifying drawings, in which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the case
provided with the device of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view of the device of the
invention.
[0024] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross section view on the line III-III
of FIG. 2.
[0025] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective bottom view of the device
of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the device of the invention, when
a pressure is applied to the outer surfaces of the case.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the device of the
invention, when a pressure is applied to the outer surfaces of the
case.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown therein
fragmentarily the inside of a case 1 comprising an anti-theft
device according to the invention. The case is formed, in this
case, by two semi-boxes 2A and 2B, both being square in plan view,
having three free sides and being hingedly connected on the fourth
side which forms a spine 3, in such a way that, when the case is
closed, it has the general form of a book. The case also comprises
spring closing means 11.
[0029] The anti-theft device shown in FIGS. 2 through 4 comprises a
hub 4 having retaining tabs 5A and 5B and disc centering means 6A
and 6B formed by concentric circular sector segments. The upper
portions 7A and 7B of said centering means 6A and 6B are shaped in
such a way that the distance H from the inner surface 13 of the
case 1 having the hub 4 and the upper surface 14 of said centering
means 6A and 6B is greater than the distance h between said inner
surface 13 of the case and the upper surface 15 of the retaining
tabs 5A and 5B.
[0030] With this form, when -pressure is exerted on the major outer
surfaces of the case, the upper portions 7A and 7B of the centering
means 6A, 6B impinge against the opposite inner surface 13 of the
case and prevent the retaining tabs 5A, 5B from impinging
simultaneously against said inner surface of the case. In this way,
the retaining tabs 5A, 5B are prevented from resiliently flexing
and releasing the disc from the retained position thereof.
[0031] Preferably the difference between said distances H and h
ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
[0032] More preferably, the difference between said distances H and
h is substantially 0.8 mm.
[0033] Additionally, as may be seen in FIG. 2, the upper portions
7A and 7B of the centering means 6A and 6B are wider such that the
distance d from the side surface of each of said upper portions 7A
and 7B and the nearest side surface of each of the adjacent
retaining tabs 5A, 5B is smaller than the width D of the slots
separating said centering means from said retaining tabs.
[0034] This widening of the upper portions 7A, 7B of the centering
means 6A, 6B means that, when a pressure sufficient to resiliently
flex the centering means 6A, 6B is exerted, said upper portions 7A,
7B move towards the center of the hub. Thus, the side surface of
said upper portions 7A, 7B impinges against the nearest side
surface of the adjacent tab and keeps the tabs 5A, 5B wedged in the
disc retaining position (see FIGS. 5 and 6).
[0035] Additionally, the upper portions 7A, 7B of the free ends of
the centering means 6A and 6B of the hub may be shaped in such a
way that each has two flat side regions 12A and 12B, each of said
flat side regions 12A and 12B being parallel to the nearest side
surface of the adjacent retaining tab. Thus, when said upper
portions 7A, 7B impinge laterally against the retaining tabs 5A,
5B, the contact surface therebetween is greater and, therewith, the
wedging force that keeps said retaining tabs SA, 5B in the disc
retaining position is considerably increased (see FIG. 4).
[0036] Additionally, each centering means 6A, 6B of the hub may be
provided on the lower surface thereof with at least one stiffening
rib 9 arranged perpendicular to the direction of the wedging force
and holding the retaining tabs 5A, 5B in the disc retaining
position (see FIGS. 4 and 5).
[0037] Additionally, each retaining tab 5A, 5B of the hub may be
provided on the lower surface thereof with a perimetric reinforcing
rib 10.
[0038] The general structure of the case 1 described above does not
form part of the claimed invention nor does it have any limiting
nature. Thus, the case may include one or more hubs disposed on one
or both major inner surfaces of the case.
[0039] Those skilled in the art will understand that many
variations of the form of the described device are possible,
whereby the scope of protection should be understood to be limited
only by a broad construction of the literality of the following
claims.
* * * * *