U.S. patent application number 10/868587 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-15 for case for a multiplicity of media discs.
This patent application is currently assigned to Encore Holdings Limited. Invention is credited to Choi, King Yeung.
Application Number | 20050274636 10/868587 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35459370 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050274636 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Choi, King Yeung |
December 15, 2005 |
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.
Inventors: |
Choi, King Yeung; (Hong Kong
SAR, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALIX YALE & RISTAS LLP
750 MAIN STREET
SUITE 1400
HARTFORD
CT
06103
US
|
Assignee: |
Encore Holdings Limited
|
Family ID: |
35459370 |
Appl. No.: |
10/868587 |
Filed: |
June 15, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/308.1 ;
211/40; 211/41.11; G9B/33.015 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/544 20130101;
G11B 33/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/308.1 ;
211/041.11; 211/040 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/57 |
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.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 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.
[0002] 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.
[0003] 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
[0004] 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
[0005] There is disclosed herein a disk case for storing a
multiplicity of media discs, comprising:
[0006] a cover,
[0007] an internal binder attached to or formed integrally with the
cover and having a pair of laterally spaced tracks that have a
certain height,
[0008] 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.
[0009] 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.
[0010] 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.
[0011] Preferably, each disk-mounting panel comprises a pair of
resilient disk-mounting bosses extending from respective opposed
faces thereof.
[0012] Preferably, the front portion and the back portion each
comprise an inward facing resilient disk-mounting boss.
[0013] Preferably, the slots are located adjacent to respective top
and bottom edges of the disk-mounting panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] A preferred form of the present invention will now be
described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a DVD keep
case in an open, page-splayed configuration,
[0016] 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,
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of the
working internal components of the DVD keep case of FIG. 2,
[0018] 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,
[0019] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of the case
of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a closed configuration, and
[0020] 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
[0021] 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.
[0022] 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.
[0023] 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
[0024] 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.
[0025] 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.degree.), 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.
[0026] 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.
[0027] 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.
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