GB2162826A - Case for magnetic recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A carrying case is comprised of opposed case sections 16a, 16b, each defining three-sided cavities 22a, 22b, that are interconnected for movement between an open position where the cavities are exposed and a closed position where the cavities overlie one another so as to form a single enclosed cavity. One of the case sections 16a is arranged to carry a standard audio cassette 12 or a floppy diskette and restrain it against movement and the other case section 16b includes J-shaped straps 38 arranged to support a flip card book 14 which contains printed matter intended for use with the cassette. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Case for magnetic recording medium and related material This invention relates to a container for carrying a magnetic recording medium such as an audio tape cassette and in particular to such a container which also carries a flip card book.

The use of standard size audio cassettes has multiplied recently with such cassettes not only being used for sound recordings but also for prepackaged computer software. While cassettes of this type have traditionally been packaged in lightweight reusable cases which prevent them from being physically damaged or exposed to foreign matter, such as dust, during shipping and storing, the prior art cases used for this purpose are limited to merely holding the cassette. Where other items, such as printed material, are provided with the cassette, another container or additional packaging must be provided in order to market both items as a single unit. However, providing an additional container or separate packaging in this manner has inherent shortcomings.

Both of the prior art approaches for marketing an audio cassette along with printed material entail expense above the basic cost of-the prior art case which is utilized to protect the cassette. In addition, in the case of special packaging, it generally is inconvenient to use the resulting packaging to store the cassette and printed matter in a single unit once it has been opened. Furthermore, with special packaging it is necessary to remove the printed matter from the package in order to use it which is cumbersome in the case of a flip card book. Finally such prior art systems do not provide a compact readily identified package for storing in a library of cassettes.

The present invention overcomes the foregoing shortcomings and limitations of the prior art cassette cases by providing two case sections which have three sided cavities located in them. The case sections are interconnected to one another by means of an end flap in a manner such that they can be moved between an open position, where the cavities are exposed, and a closed position, where the cavities overlie one another thereby causing them to become enclosed.

In preferred embodiments, one of the cavities has a liner on its walls which tightly encloses two sides and the top of the cassette, and a ledge extends up from the case section to engage the bottom edge of the cassette. Thus when the cassette is placed in the cavity it is restrained against lateral movement in all directions. The other case section has a pair of J-shaped straps which fit through openings in the flip cards. A barrier located in front of the straps cooperate with them to prevent the cards from becoming dislodged from the straps when they are rotated to obtain access to lower cards in the stack.

Preferably, a protruding lip located on the top of the walls of one of the case sections fits tightly within a groove located in the top of the walls of the other case section. The lip and groove serve to retain the case in its closed position icnd as a seal to prevent foreign matter from enteri,lg the cavity.

When the case is in its closed positio 1 the flip book rests against the side of the cassette to hold it in place in its cavity.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a case for standard audio cassettes or the like having provisions for also carrying a flip card book, and preferably wherein the cassette is held substantially immovable and yet can easily be removed and reinserted, wherein the case is ot unitary construction for simple and inexpensive manufacture, and wherein the case includes a seal to prevent foreign material from reaching the cassette and flip book.

The foregoing feature and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a pictorial view of a cassette case embodying the features of the present invention, with the case in a closed position.

Figure 2 is a pictorial view of the cassette case of Figure 1 in an open position with the cassette and flip card book which are carried by the case shown above it.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken oil the line 3-3 of Figure 1 with the cassette and flip card book shown therein in phantom line.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the case in its open position with the cassette and flip card book shown therein in phantom.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken oil the line 5-5 of Figure 4, with a page of the flip card book being shown in phantom line at alternate positions of use.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a foldable case 10 which encloses a standard audio cassette 12 and a flip card book 14 which is intended to be used in conjunction therewith. The case is formed from two case sections 16 each comprising a planar base 18 having walls 20 extending upwardly therefrom proximate three of its edges. Thus a three sided cavity 22 is formed in each of the case sections. In the embodiment illustrated, the walls 20 are indented slightly from the edges of the base thereby forming a lip 24, which facilitates opening of the case.

The edge of each of the case sections which does not have a wall 20 associated with it, is joined to an opposed edge of an elongate end flap 26. A hinge 28 is located between each of the case sections and the end flap thereby allowing the case sections to move between an open position, Figures 2, 4 and 5, where the cavities 22 are exposed, and a closed position, Figures 1 and 3, where the case sections overlie one another, to form one large cavity from the two individual cavities. In the embodiment illustrated, the entire case is integrally formed from plastic thereby making the two bases 18 and the end flap 26 a single sheet with the hinges 28 being slots formed in the sheet.

One of the case sections 16a is arranged to carry the cassette 10. This case section has a liner 30, located on the inside of its walls 20a, which is arranged to receive the cassette snugly. The liner includes a pair of cut-outs 32 which receive the tabs 34 located in the sides of the cassette. Also located in the cassette section 16a is an upstanding ledge 36 which is arranged to engage the bottom edge of the cassette when it is placed into the cavity 22a. Thus the liner and the ledge cooperate to hold the cassette immovable laterally when it is inserted into the cavity of case section 16a. In addition, the fit between the liner and the cassette preferably is tight enough to prevent the cassette from falling out of the cavity 22a when the case is inverted. However, the fit is not so tight as to impede insertion and removal of the cassette from the case.

The other case section 16b is arranged to carry a flip card book 14. Attached to the end flap 26 are a pair of J-shaped straps 38. One end of each strap is connected to the end flap and the other end terminates a short distance above it, with the opening thus provided in the strap facing away from the case section 16b. An upstanding barrier 39 extends across the openings in the straps a short distance in front of them.

The flip cards 41 have a pair of holes 40 located in one of their margins which has the same separation as the straps 38 and the holes are sized to fit over the straps. Thus the flip cards can be inserted onto the straps and rotated thereon to provide access to cards lower in the book. However, the holes in the flip cards are located so that the distance "X" between their peripheries and the edges of the cards is greater than the openings in the straps, distance "y'. Thus the flip cards cannot be removed from the straps when they are oriented normal to the end flap. Furthermore the barrier 39 is spaced apart from the straps by a distance which causes the flip cards to be lifted as they are rotated on the straps towards the openings so that the holes in the flip cards will not extend into the openings thus preventing the flip cards from being slid under the straps, Figure 5.As a result, while the cards can be inserted onto the straps one-byone by bending them slightly, they cannot easily be removed and will certainly not inadvertently become displaced during use.

Located at the end flap 26, under the ends of the straps which are connected to the end flap, are steps 48. The steps are arranged to engage the edges of the flip cards when they are rotated on the straps toward the openings and raise them upwardly so that the holes 40 in them are aligned with the tops of the straps. Thus the flip cards do not bind on the straps as they are rotated.

Due to the openings, similar steps cannot be provided in the other ends of the straps. However, the inside corners of the straps immediately above the openings are widened to provide V-shaped tongues 50 which act in cooperation with the barrier 36 to prevent the flip cards from binding when rotated away from the ends of the straps containing the openings.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the set of flip cards also serves to hold the cassette in the cavity of case section 16a when the case is in its closed position.

Located on the upper edge of the wall 20b in case section 16b is a protruding lip 44, and located on the upper edge of the wall 20a in case section 16a is a recessed groove 46. The lip and groove# are arranged to tightly interfit when the case is in its closed position thus serving to frictionally maintain the case in its closed position and as a seal to protect the cassette and flip book located therein.

In use the case of the present invention provides a convenient vehicle in which to shied, sell and store an audio cassette 12 along with a flip card book 14 containing printed material which is intended to be used in conjunction with the cassette.

While the cassette is held substantially immovable when the case is closed due to the interaction of liner 30, ledge 36 and flip card book 14, it is easily removed when the case is opened. Likewise, while the flip cards are relatively easy to install on the straps 38, and once installed they rotate easily on the straps for access to lower cards in the book, due to the position of the barrier 36 they do not easily become displaced from the straps when they are rotated in use.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the case section 16 of the carrying case 10 could be readily modified to receive and snugly secure a floppy diskette (including, if desired, an associated rectangular sleeve protector), instead of an audio cassette, on which the computer software is recorded. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited for use with only the form of magnetic medium depicted in the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing description are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims (10)

1. A case for a magnetic recording medium such as a floppy diskette or audio tape cassette comprising: (a) opposed case sections each defining an open cavity therein: (b) means for moving said case sections between an open position wherein said cavities are exposed and a closed position wherein said case sections overlie one another enclosing said cavities therebetween; (c) means associated with one of said case sections for carrying a magnetic recording medium in its cavity; and (d) means associated with the other of said case sections for supporting a flip card book.

2. The case of claim 1 wherein said means for moving said case sections comprises an elongate end flap hingedly attached along opposed edges thereof to each of said case sections.

3. The case of claim 2 wherein said means for carrying flip cards comprises J-shaped straps one end of which is attached to said end flap and the other end of which terminates above said end flap so as to form an opening therebetween.

4. The case of claim 3 including a barrier which extends across said openings, said barrier being separated from said straps by a predetermined distance.

5. The case of claim 4 including a plurality of flip cards, wherein: (a) said flip cards have holes located in one margin thereof arranged in a manner to freely fit over said straps, the peripheries of said holes being separated from the edges of said flip cards by a distance which is greater than said openings; and (b) said predetermined distance is such that said barrier prevents a flip card located on said straps from rotating to where said holes extend into said openings.

6. The case of claim 5 including step means located below said straps opposite said openings for engaging the edges of said flip cards when they are rotated on said straps and raising them so that said holes do not bind on said straps.

7. The case of claim 1 wherein said magnetic recording medium is an audio tape cassette and said means for carrying said medium comprises: (a) a liner located within said one of said case sections and arranged to snugly conform to the top and side edges of said cassette; and (b) an upstanding ledge arranged to engage the bottom edge of said audio cassette.

8. The case of claim 7 wherein said flip card book is positioned in said other of said case sections in a manner to hold said audio tape cassette in said cavity when said case is in its closed position.

9. The case of claim 1 wherein said cavities are defined by a plurality of upstanding walls including; (a) a recessed groove located in the edge of the walls of one of said cavities; (b) a protruding lip extending upwardly from the edges of the walls of the other of said cavities; and (c) said lip is arranged to tightly fit into said groove when said case is in its closed position so as to form a seal between said case sections.

10. A case for a magnetic recording medium such as a floppy diskette or audio tape cassette constructed and arranged substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.