FR2846774A1 - Disc e.g. digital versatile disc conditioning case, is made of plate with radial shoulders to recover marginal area of disc, where shoulders allow disc insertion and removal by elastic deformation of plate part having thrust washer - Google Patents

Abstract

The case is made up of a plate with radial shoulders to recover a marginal area of a disc received in a cavity (21). The shoulders are arranged symmetrically on each side of a gripping area. A groove is defined at bottom of the plate having a height equal to that of a thickness of the disc. The shoulders allow insertion and removal of the disc by elastic deformation of a plate part comprising a thrust washer (22).

Description

PACKAGING FOR A DIGITAL RECORDING MEDIUM IN THE FORM OF

DISK

  The present invention relates to the field of packaging for disc-shaped digital recording media, such as CDs, DVDs or mini-CDs.

  In the state of the art, the general principle of packaging is known comprising a centering pin on which the disc is clipped. The nipples of 10 centering generally have several deformable petals. They are formed either by molding the bottom of a plastic packaging, or in the form of a part

glued to a cardboard support.

  For example, patent FR2810442 describes a case for DVD, CD or VCD consisting of a body, a

  cover, of a molded hinge mechanism and comprising an annular projecting element. The protruding member extends upward from the body to support a disc.

  This projecting element is formed by a protruding flange 20 having flexible fins which can be accommodated

  in the centering hole of a disc. These petals are fragile and brittle and can break during transport or when placing or removing the disc.

  The broken petals then move between the package and the disc and can scratch the surface of the disc.

  The manufacturing cost of such a housing is high because the projecting element must be molded in a complex mold, with fairly low manufacturing tolerances. These petals are generally sensitive to temperature and do not always maintain

disc efficiency.

  Furthermore, when the flange is glued to the bottom of the case, they can tear off and be

swallowed by a child.

  Patent FR2730087 has also proposed a case made of flexible plastic material, the bottom of which has three pins raised vertically with respect to the bottom. The disc is wedged between these pins. This solution 5 is not very satisfactory because the disc is not maintained correctly. In addition, the pins wear out quickly. The purpose of the present invention is to provide

  a new type of packaging avoiding the drawbacks of the devices of the prior art.

  To this end, the invention relates, in its most general sense, to packaging for a digital recording medium in the form of a disc, formed by a tray having means for centering said disc, characterized in that the tray has at least two radial shoulders arranged on either side of a center line for positioning the disc, said radial shoulders being defined to cover at rest a marginal zone of the disc and to define with the bottom 20 of the plate a slot of a height substantially equal to

the thickness of the disc.

  Preferably, the tray has a cavity

  cylindrical to receive a disc.

  Advantageously, said cylindrical cavity 25 has, on an annular peripheral strip, a depth corresponding substantially to the thickness of the disc. According to a variant, said cylindrical cavity is extended, on the side opposite one of said shoulders, by a gripping zone forming a hollow opening

in said cavity.

  According to a particular embodiment, one of the shoulders covers an area of said cavity, the dimension of said area being less than 5% of the diameter

of the disc.

  Advantageously, one of the shoulders is formed by a radial extension covering a part of the cavity, over a distance of less than 5% of the diameter of the disc. According to another variant, one of the shoulders consists of a tilting element having a rib of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the disc, said element being able to be moved between a position where it maintains the disc in the cavity, and a

  position in which it releases said disc.

  According to another embodiment, one of the

  shoulders has an elastically deformable bottom 15 during the disc insertion phase.

  The invention will be better understood on reading

  the following description, referring to the appended drawings relating to nonlimiting exemplary embodiments,

  o - Figure 1 shows a top view of a first embodiment of the packaging according to the invention - Figure 2 shows a sectional view AA of said packaging - Figure 3 shows a top view of an alternative embodiment - Figure 4 shows a sectional view of said variant

  - Figure 5 shows a top view 30 of another alternative embodiment.

  Figures 1 and 2 show respectively a top view and in section of an example of

realization of the invention.

  The packaging consists of a tray (1) having a housing (2) of substantially shaped

  cylindrical to receive a disc (3).

  The tray (1) is made of plastic or 5 of cardboard. It has a thickness greater than the thickness of the disc (3). The housing (2) is formed by a cavity having an annular edge (4) and a central island (5). It is extended by a gripping zone (8) having a width of approximately 20 millimeters enabling the edge of the disc (2) to be grasped with a finger.

  The packaging has three shoulders (4 to 6) arranged on either side of a center line

transverse (7).

  The shoulder (4) is arranged transversely and projects beyond to cover a peripheral zone of the cavity (2). The two shoulders (5, 6) are arranged

  symmetrically on either side of the gripping area (8). The upper surface has a bevel facilitating the insertion of the disc.

  They also cover a peripheral zone of the cavity (2). The shoulders (4 to 6) cover the cavity for one to two millimeters, to ensure effective support when the disc is in position, and easy insertion and removal by elastic deformation of the device. Figures 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment. The plate has a transverse shoulder (4) 30 and on the diametrically opposite side a locking element (9) having a rib (10) whose height corresponds

  substantially to the thickness of the disc (3).

  The locking element (9) is pivotally mounted, for example by elastic deformation of an area having a peripheral cutout and an area not

cut to form a hinge.

  It is extended by a lever (12) allowing tilting when inserting or removing the disc

(2).

  The locking element has a lower part (13) of length less than the part

  upper (12), the upper part of which is biased.

  FIG. 5 represents a top view of an alternative embodiment. The cavity receiving the disc has a cavity (1) for the passage of a finger. The edge of the cavity has two pins (23) projecting slightly a few tenths of a millimeter above the cavity in which the disc is housed. Two depth stops 15 (22) are provided on the periphery of the cavity (1). These stops are elastically deformable and allow the disc to be pushed back radially to allow insertion

  or the withdrawal with respect to the two pins (23).

  The two pins (23) are arranged symmetrically on either side of a diametrical axis passing through the center

  of the cavity (21) for the passage of the finger.

  The two deformable stops (22) are arranged symmetrically with respect to said diametral axis, on the side

opposite the two pins (23).

  A central zone (25) of the plate forms an island whose upper surface is coplanar with the upper surface of a peripheral border, to form a support for the disc. This island preferably takes a hollow annular shape, allowing the disc to be gripped by its central hole. The disc then rests on the tray only by the peripheral annular border and the central annular island. The tray is formed by molding or thermoforming a plastic sheet. It can be stuck on a cardboard support or in a pocket or on the

back of a book.

  The introduction of the disc can be carried out manually or automatically, with equipment 5 performing an insertion of the disc on the tray with a

initial angle of a few degrees.

Claims (8)

  1 - Packaging for a disc-shaped digital recording medium (3), formed by a tray (1) having means for centering said disc (3), characterized in that the tray (1) has at least two radial shoulders (4 to 6) defined to cover at rest a marginal zone of the disc (3) and to define with the bottom of the plate (1) a slot of a height substantially equal to the thickness of the disc (3), said shoulders (4 to 6) being configured to allow the insertion and removal of the disc (3) by   elastic deformation of a part of said plate (1).   2 - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (1) has a cavity   cylindrical to receive a disc (3).   3 - Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that said cylindrical cavity has, on an annular peripheral strip, said shoulders being arranged to form with said annular strip an engagement groove corresponding substantially to the thickness of the disc (3).   4 - Packaging according to claim 2 or   3, characterized in that said cylindrical cavity is extended, on the side opposite to one of said shoulders, by a gripping zone forming a hollow opening into said cavity.   - Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the shoulders covers an area of said cavity, the dimension of said area being   less than 5% of the diameter of the disc (3).   6 - Packaging according to claim 2 or 5 5, characterized in that one of the shoulders is formed by a radial extension covering a part of the cavity, over a distance less than 5% of the diameter of the disc (3).   7 - Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the shoulders consists of a tilting element having a rib of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the disc (3), said element being movable between a position o it maintains the disc (3) in the cavity, and a position   in which it releases said disc (3).   8 - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the shoulders has an elastically deformable bottom during the insertion phase of the disc (3).   9 - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge of the cavity has at least one lug (23) projecting by a few tenths of a millimeter above the cavity in which the disc (3) is housed and at least an elastically deformable depth stop (22) is provided on the periphery of the cavity (1).   - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the cavity (1) has a peripheral border defining with the shoulders a slot   having a height corresponding to the thickness of the disc, and a central island of annular shape.