EP1468420A1

EP1468420A1 - Cd box comprising a marker for the presence of a disc

Info

Publication number: EP1468420A1
Application number: EP03709891A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frédéric Itey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-23
Filing date: 2003-01-20
Publication date: 2004-10-20
Also published as: WO2003063166A1; FR2835089A1; FR2835089B3

Abstract

CD box comprising a double bottom (3) nested in the base (1) and having an opening (36) in the edge of the housing (31) and a window in the upper surface of the wide edge (33). A slide extends into the housing (31) for operation by the putting of a disc (5) in place. The slide (4) has a tongue (43) in the form of a very open dihedral, connected by a hinge (44). The tongue (4) has a tab (433) which is elastically placed against the lower branch (41) of the slide (4) at least during the final movement of closing the joint (44).

Description

"CD disc box with a disc presence indicator"

The present invention relates to a CD disc box comprising a bottom, a cover and a double bottom nested in the bottom. This double bottom has a housing for the disc, surrounded by a raised track, a wide edge raised on the side of the articulation of the cover, an opening in the edge of the double bottom housing, on the side located towards the wide edge, a window in the upper surface of the wide edge, a slide-shaped indicator coming into the housing, to be actuated by placing the disc in its housing and appearing in the window to indicate the presence of the disc in the box. The slide is a piece with an L-shaped section, the lower branch of which carries a very open dihedral-shaped tongue, formed by a first flap connected by a hinge, at an angle; a second flap naturally overflows from the cavity of the box to be on the closing path of the cover and, in the absence of a disc, cooperate with the inner surface of the cover to be pushed towards the inside of the cavity and pull the slide in the retracted position or be subjected to the action of the disc placed in the housing to press against the inclined part of the raised edge and push the slide back into its indicative position. We already know such a CD disc box.

The present invention aims to develop such a box and improve the functioning of the slide and develop the visibility of its display.

To this end, the invention relates to a box of the type defined above, characterized in that the dihedral-shaped tongue of the slide carries a tab which comes into resilient abutment against the lower branch of the slide, at least during the end of the movement of closure of the joint.

The elastic support of the tab of the tongue makes it possible to accumulate energy at the moment when the dihedral-shaped tongue of the slide is depressed by the installation of a disc or by the closing of the box. This elastic support relieves the hinge connecting the tongue to the remaining part of the slide and above all makes it possible to produce a hinge without having to give it, by its structure or its material, a particular elasticity.

So when the disc is released, or when the box is opened, the elastic energy stored in the combination of the tab and the tongue automatically opens the angle the tongue with the lower branch of the slide and lifts the tongue in an elastic manner, in the standby position either for placing a disc or for closing the box.

Advantageously, the tab is released from the surface of the tongue. This tab can in particular be cut out of manufacture in the surface of the tongue and be shaped to come out of the surface of the tongue and create the elastic support when the tongue is crushed by the disc placed in the housing or the closure. of the cover. This embodiment is particularly simple and does not require any particular mold or manufacturing process except for the simple means releasing the tab from the tongue.

The lower branch of the slide has a stop against which the edge of the tab bears, at least during the end of the closing movement of the tongue, against the lower branch of the slide. This support reinforces the elastic action of the tab by causing the elastic deformation of the tab during closing and thereby accentuating the elastic energy accumulated in the tab for the opening of the tongue when the disc is removed or opening the box.

Advantageously, the stop is constituted by a housing produced in the lower branch of the slide.

This embodiment of housing also prevents the slide from having an excess thickness so that the disc can be positioned quite naturally in its housing of the double bottom.

For manufacturing, the tab is pre-stressed by hot deformation to disengage from the surface of the first flap of the tongue. This permanent deformation particularly gives the tab a shape allowing it to create an elastic support when the tongue is crushed against the lower branch of the slide.

In the disc box, the slide is provided with a display element connected by a hinge and formed by an angle piece of which one part is intended to be displayed in the double bottom window and the other is behind the edge of the housing when the slide is in the advanced position, indicating the presence of a disc in the box.

According to another characteristic, the display element in the form of an angle of the slide is connected to the horizontal branch of the slide by an articulation and the assembly is made in a single piece of plastic material. This display element also constitutes an elastic support, by playing on the natural angle it makes with respect to the horizontal branch of the slide. It can thus push the slider towards the disc housing in the absence of a disc to initiate the retraction movement completed by closing the cover of the empty case.

This display element in the form of an angle iron also has the advantage of being housed in the opening of the edge and of coming almost flush with it.

This display element can receive a personalized label both on its upper face and on its lateral face so that the label is visible both from the top of the housing and from the edge of the housing.

Thanks to the lighting or shadow effects projected, when the case is stored, it is very easy to see the presence or absence of a disc in the case. In addition, this slide is very easy to manufacture with extremely simple tools. The simple shape of the slide also allows it to be placed in the open position, in the disc housing in the empty case, for sale. The user just has to provide the slide with personalized labels and slide the slide into the opening in the housing so that the slide becomes operational as a witness.

The slider can be provided with a flange coming into the window to appear at the edge of the window, above the edge or back of the box when the slider is advanced by the presence of a disc in the box.

It is particularly interesting in these conditions that the slide is completed by a rim under the indicator surface and serving as a stop and indicator surface appearing behind the back of the box from which a fraction of the raised part of the label has been removed. térieure. drawings

The present invention will be described below in more detail using embodiments shown schematically in the drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a CD disc box, at the level of the 'articulation of the bottom and the cover showing the start of the installation of a disc, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a slider-shaped witness,

- Figures 3A, 3B, 3C show three stages of folding a slide during the setting up of a disc or the closing of the empty box, - Figure 4A is a sectional view of a box and of a slide according to the invention at the time of closing,

FIG. 4B shows, in section, the box and the position of the slide after closing the empty box,

FIGS. 5A, 5B show the shape of the slide of FIGS. 4A and 4B independently of the box for the two positions, the position of start of closure and the closed position of the box,

- Figures 6A, 6B show an alternative embodiment of the slide display part according to the invention in the position of displaying the presence of a disc in the housing (Figure 6A) and in the position of absence disc in the case (Figure 6B),

FIGS. 7A, 7B show an alternative embodiment of the display part of the slider in its position for displaying the presence of the disc and that of the absence of a disc, respectively in FIG. 7A, 7B,

- Figures 8A, 8B show an alternative embodiment of the double bottom, the parts corresponding to the window and the passage of the slide are formed by molded parts with the remainder of the double bottom being delimited by molding precuts which are can split,

FIG. 8A shows the shape of the double bottom before the removal of the parts corresponding to the window and to the passage,

FIG. 8B shows the shape of the double bottom after removal of the parts corresponding to the window and the passage of the slide,

- Figures 9A, 9B are views similar to those of Figures 6A and 6B showing another alternative embodiment of the display portion of the slide in the position for displaying the presence of a disc in the housing (Figure 9A ) and in the position where there is no disc in the housing (Figure 9B).

According to Figure 1, the invention relates to a CD disc box composed of a bottom 1 to which is connected a cover 2 by means of an articulation lia pivots and housings. A double bottom 3 nested in the bottom. The double bottom 3 receives the disc 5 and, for this, it includes a disc housing 31 surrounded by a raised surface occupying substantially the four corners of the double bottom. This beach relates to vee ends with a wide edge 33, on the side of the joint 11 of the cover. This edge 33 is provided with an opening 36 opening at least into the housing 31 of the double bottom 3.

Finally, the top of the wide edge 33 has a window 35. The opening 36 and the window 35 are situated substantially at the level of the axis of symmetry of the box.

A slide-shaped indicator 4 is placed in a movable manner in the housing 31 so as to be actuated as shown in FIG. 1, by the front edge 51 of the disc 5 when the disc is inserted into the housing. This movement of introduction of the disc 5 produces, on the one hand, the tilting of the slide 4 and on the other hand, its sliding so as to reveal a part of the slide 4 in the window 35 and signal the presence of the disc once the lid closed.

The slide 4 is a part having an overall L-shaped section with a lower branch 41 corresponding to the horizontal branch of the L-shape and a rising branch 42 corresponding to the vertical branch of the L-shape. The rising branch 42 carries an indicator surface 421 which, depending on the position of the slide 4, appears in the window 35 or is retracted under the wide edge. This indicator surface 421 includes indications or can receive a label.

By its end opposite to that by which it is connected to the vertical branch 42, lower branch 41 is connected to a tongue 43 by an articulation 44. This articulation is produced by the material in which the slide is formed.

This tongue 43 consists of two flaps 431, 432 forming between them a very open, relatively rigid dihedral. This tab is used to receive the end 51 of the disc 5 to be actuated as has been described above. The dihedral-shaped tongue 43 carries a tab 433 which comes into the angle formed between the lower branch 41 of the slide 4 and the tongue 43 to form an elastic support between the lower branch 41 and the tongue. This elastic support occurs either at least towards the end of the reclosing movement of the angle between the tongue 43 and the lower branch 41 of the slide, when a disc is placed in the housing 31, or at the time of closing. of the cover when the case is empty. The elastic support produced by the tongue 433 is created by the own elasticity of the tongue due to its shape and / or to the material. This tongue is advantageously made of the same material as the entire slide and in a single part with it. Advantageously, the tab 433 is cut from the first flap 431. Then this tab 433 is deformed when hot to disengage from the plane of the flap 431 while having the possibility, when the tongue 43 is crushed against the branch interior 41, to retract at least partially in the cutout 434. The elastic support of the tab 433 can result from its simple deformation but also it can be supplemented by the abutment of the front edge 4331 of the tab 433 against a stop, for example the edge of a housing 411 produced in the lower branch 41. This housing can be constituted by a cutout. The front edge 412 of this cutout 41 1 is positioned to force the tab 433 to deform elastically under the effect of the disc 5 to store elastic energy.

FIG. 2 shows a witness in the form of a slide 4A according to FIG. 1, with a slight variant concerning the structure of the second branch 42A and of the indicator surface 421A. The branch 42A reaches the edge of the indicator surface 421 A opposite the side of the hinge 44A. This form of slide 4A can have advantages of simplicity of construction since the space between the walls 42A, the lower branch 41A and the tongue 43A is more clear. This perspective view shows the cutout 434A and the tab 433A.

This view does not show a housing or stop similar to the housing 41 1 or to its edge 412 forming the stop for the free edge of the tab 434A. These means can be provided in this embodiment.

Figures 3A, 3B, 3C schematically show the three stages of movement of a slider 4 according to the invention, independently of the practical embodiments of the slider. The movement shown is that of closing the slide under the action of a disc in place or closing the cover (neither the disc nor the cover are shown in these figures). The opening movement takes place in the reverse order, passing from the position of FIG. 3C to that of FIG. 3 A. Finally, FIGS. 3A-3C do not show the movement of the slide.

In FIG. 3A, the slide is in the raised position or natural position, the angle α between the lower flap 431 and the lower branch 41 being the natural angle originating either from molding or from shaping after molding.

The tab 433 is released from the plane of the flap 431. In this position, it possibly bears against the lower branch 41.

The lower branch 41 has a stop 412. This stop 412 has the same reference as the edge 412 of the housing 411 in FIG. 1. This stop may be the edge of a housing not shown or a deformation produced in the branch 41. The role of this stop is stopped the sliding movement of the edge 4331 of the tab 433 to cause its elastic deformation at the end of closure. However, depending on the material in which the slide and also the lug 433 is made, the sole elasticity of deformation of the lug 433 may be sufficient to accumulate energy for the opening movement of the tongue 43.

When acting on the tongue 4 to close the angle α either by applying a disc against the tongue 4 to place the disc not shown in its housing or with the cover, when closing the empty box, the parts of move as shown in FIG. 3B: the tab 433 moves either by bending or being deformed according to undulations, to absorb the reduction in space available since it comes against the stop 410. In the meantime, to pass from the posi - tion of Figure 3 A to that of Figure 3B, the lower edge of the tab has traveled the distance to the stop 410.

The compression and deformation movement of the tongue 433 then continues until the final position for placing the disc or closing the cover; the tab 433 is retracted either in a cut made in the shutter 431 or in a cut made in the lower branch 41 or partly in each of these two cutouts.

The energy accumulated in the tab 433 constitutes a restoring force which lifts the tongue 4 when the empty box is opened or the disc is extracted, which favors the coming or the return of the tongue 4 in the "initial" position shown in Figure 3A.

The opening and lifting movement of the tongue takes place substantially in the reverse order to the order described above, that is to say that one passes from the position of FIG. 3C to that of FIG. 3B then to that of FIG. 3A. The elastic deformation of the tab 433 and the accumulated energy are particularly important for initiating the lifting movement of the tongue 4. This makes it possible to relieve, or even to replace the elasticity of the hinge 44 at the most important moment, at the start of the movement of relaxation or lifting of the tongue and this all the more since the elastic deformation of the tab creates an incomparably less fatigue than the fatigue that the hinge 44 can undergo if it is to ensure relaxation alone. This effect of the tab is based both on its elasticity and on the lever arm of the point of application of the elastic force relative to the hinge 44. This can be achieved without creating an elastic return effect, this which will increase its lifespan.

Figures 4A, 4B show in section the two positions of the slide, at the beginning and at the end of the closing of the empty box.

Figures 5A, 5B show the transformation of the slider shown separately for Figures 4A and 4B.

FIG. 9A shows a variant of slide 4D corresponding in principle to the slide of FIGS. 6A and 6B, formed like the slide 4 of FIG. 1 for the parts not shown. The slide 4D comprises a display element 45D in the form of a square with two branches 451D, 452D; this element 45D is connected to the branch 41D of the slide 4D by an articulated link 46D.

The branch 451D is intended to come into the window 35 of the wide edge 33 of the double bottom 3 moreover provided with the opening 36 for the passage of the slide 4D. The branch 452D comes against the edge or back 10 of the housing 1 in the position of FIG. 6A; this position is that of the 4D slide when the case contains a disc.

The edge 10 or back of the case 1 is made of transparent material and the inner label 6, usual for CD discs, has been removed at the edge 10, at least in its part corresponding to the slide or to its branch 452D.

In the case of a neutral box 1 for a blank or individually recorded disc, there is no label 6 in the box. The slide 4D is preferably made in one piece by molding the piece or extruding a profile then cut to the width of the slide, the tab not shown being produced by a partial cut. This partial cut is made either before cutting the slide or after this one. The 46D joint works without excessive fatigue since whatever the position of the slide D, the angle between the 45D / 41D parts varies only between two very normal extreme values, close to the natural value, that is to say say that of the part at the time of molding or manufacturing the hinge.

When the slider 4D is slid to the right, the casing having been closed without a disk inside, the display element 45D switches as it appears in FIG. 9B, so that the branch 451D no longer appears in the window 35 and the branch 452D moves away from the edge 10.

The disappearance of the branch 452B behind the edge 10 will be particularly effective if this edge 10 is of a transparency attenuated by a satin effect not making it possible to read information clearly on the branch 452D which if it is directly behind the edge 10 and not at a certain distance as is the case in FIG. 9B.

This effect can also be accentuated by the nature of the printing of the label affixed to the face of the branch 452D, so that the label is clearly legible only for reading perpendicular to its surface. The same remark applies to the label affixed on branch 451D.

The tilting movement of the element 45D is ensured either by the abutment of the edge of its edge 451D against the edge 351 of the window 35 or by a prestressing of the articulation 46D or even by the combination of these two means.

FIGS. 7A, 7B show a variant of the double bottom 3C comprising the parts 37, 38 closing the window 35 and the passage 36. These parts 37, 38, produced at the same time as the double bottom 3C during molding, are delimited by molding precuts 371, 381. The double bottom 3C is installed in the bottom 1 as shown in FIG. 7A and the parts 37, 38 can be detached by the user who will place there a slide, not shown. We then obtain the box already described, shown in Figure 7B.

FIGS. 7A, 7B show a variant of slide 4C according to the invention. This slider is similar for its basic shape to the slider 4A in FIG. 2 but it is extended at the front by two returns or flanges; one of the flanges 223C is above the indicating surface 421C and the other flange 424C is below this indicative surface trice. This last edge can be higher or lower as shown by the dotted line.

In the advanced position (FIG. 7A), the rim 423C appears at the edge of the window 35 above the front edge 10 of the box 1. In this position, it signals the presence of a disc not shown in the box or in the bottom 3.

This locating means can be very useful when the boxes are stacked perfectly and are classified upright in a row, the front edge 432C of the indicator surface 421C appears very clearly especially if it is distinguished from other parts of the box by its color. . "

Conversely, when the indicator surface 421C is set back since the box is empty, the distance from the front edge 423C of the indicator surface 421C relative to the edge of the window 35 does not make it possible to see the front edge which remains in the shade . This means thus makes it possible to easily detect the presence or absence of a disc in the box even when the boxes are arranged contiguously and the window 35 is not visible.

The visibility of the display on the back 10 of the box can be increased if the back is released at the level of the slide 4C. in fact, the box is, in general, made of transparent plastic; its bottom as well as the back 10 are covered inside the box by a folded label 6, the part 61 of which covers the inside bottom of the box and the raised part 62 covers the document 10; this label is blocked in the box by the double bottom 3. According to the invention, at least the fraction of the raised part 62 of the label which is opposite the slide 4C is removed (this is underlined in FIGS. 7A, 7B by the absence of hatching in part 62 at this point). So when the rim 424C comes against the back 10, it will appear behind it. The rim 424C which serves as a stop, can be extended downwards and thus present a very visible surface especially if it is light in color. This surface can also receive a glued label which will also be very visible in the position of FIG. 4A whereas it will not be or with difficulty only in the position of FIG. 7B which corresponds to the empty box.

According to the manufacturing angle β of the hinge 46D, between the branch 452D and the branch 41D, which constitutes the natural angle, for example that shown in FIG. 9B, the articulation will have a spring effect on the slide 4D: the edge 453D can be pressed against the side 10 of the housing 1 to push the slide 4D to the right in the absence of antagonistic force exerted by the disc; thus naturally even before closing the cover of the empty case, the slide will already be pushed to the right (Figure 9B). This movement will be completed by the action of closing the cover.

Finally, when this type of 4D slider is intended for a neutral casing, originally empty, one could very easily put a slider flat, open, in the cavity intended for the disc; the user can then fill the slide with his personalized labels before sliding the slide through the opening 36 and putting it in place in the housing to then constitute the witness.

Claims

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S 1°) CD disc box including:

- a bottom (1),

- a cover (2) and - a double bottom (3) nested in the bottom (1) and having

* a housing (31) for the disc (5), surrounded by a raised area (32),

* a wide edge (33) raised on the side of the articulation (11) of the cover

(2), * an opening (36) in the edge of the housing (31) of the double bottom

(3), on the side located towards the wide edge (33),

* a window (35) in the upper surface of the wide edge (33),

- an indicator in the form of a slide (4) coming into the housing (31), to be activated by placing the disc (5) in its housing and appearing in the window (35) to signal the presence of the disc in the box,

* the slide (4) is a part with an L-shaped section whose lower branch (41) carries a tongue (43) in the shape of a very open dihedral, formed of a first flap (431) connected by a hinge (44), following an angle α,

* a second flap (432) naturally projects from the cavity (38) of the box to be on the closing path of the cover (2) and, in the absence of a disc, cooperate with the interior surface of the cover (2) to be pushed towards the inside of the cavity (38) and pull the slide (4) into the retracted position or be subjected to the action of the disc (5) placed in the housing (31) to press against the inclined part (331) of the raised edge (33) and push the slide (4) back into its indicator position, characterized in that the tongue (43) in the shape of a dihedral of the slide (4) carries a tab (433) which bears elastically against the lower branch (41) of the slide (4), at least during the end of the closing movement of the joint (44).

2°) CD disc box according to claim 1, characterized in that the tab (433) is released from the surface of the tongue (43). 3°) CD disc box according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower branch (41) of the slide (4) comprises a stop (412) against which the edge (4331) of the tab (433) rests at less during the end of the closing movement of the tongue against the lower branch (41) of the slide.

4°) CD disc box according to claim 3, characterized in that the stop (45) is constituted by a housing (41 1) made in the lower branch (41) of the slide.

5°) CD disc box according to claim 2, characterized in that the tab (433) is prestressed by hot deformation to emerge from the surface of the first flap (431).

6°) CD disc box according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (4B, 4D) is provided with a display element (45B, 45D) connected by a hinge (46B, 46D) and formed by a piece (45B, 45D) made of angle iron, one part (451B, 451D) of which is intended to be displayed in the window (35) of the double bottom (3) and the other (452B, 452D) is located behind the edge (10 ) of the box (1) when the slide (4B, 4D) is in the advanced position, indicating the presence of a disc in the box (1).

7°) CD disc box according to claim 6, characterized in that the display element (45D) of the slide (4D) is connected to the horizontal branch (41D) by an articulation (46D), the together being in a single piece of plastic material.

8°) CD disc box according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (4C) is provided with a rim (423C) coming into the window (35) to appear at the edge of the window, above the edge or back (10) of the box when the slide (4C) is advanced by the presence of a disc in the box. 9°) CD disc box according to claim 8, characterized in that the slide (4C) is completed by a rim (424C) under the indicator surface (42 IC) and serving as a stop and indicator surface appearing behind the back ( 10) of the box from which a fraction of the raised part (62) of the interior label (6) has been removed.