GB2359540A

GB2359540A - A compact disc pack

Info

Publication number: GB2359540A
Application number: GB9923276A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Daines
Original assignee: BARGE KATHRYN JANE; TIMMS LEON JOHN PAUL
Current assignee: BARGE KATHRYN JANE; TIMMS LEON JOHN PAUL
Priority date: 1999-10-02
Filing date: 1999-10-02
Publication date: 2001-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-02
Also published as: GB2359540B; GB9923276D0

Abstract

A compact disc pack comprises a plastics case which includes a base (10), hinged cover (11) and a sliding tray (12) which holds the disc. The sliding tray is arranged to be accessed and moved from the outside of the case by pushing it (13) to enable access to the disc without having to lift the hinged cover. When the tray is pushed the compact disc can be accessed from the edge of the case through a slot in the sidewall. The trays may be coloured for recognition purposes. The cases may have complementary formations on the base and hinged cover (16) which interengage thereby stopping relative movement of a multiple stack of packs.

Description

2359540 COMPACT DISC PACKS

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to compact disc packs.

The most common form of compact disc pack is known as a "jewel case" and includes a clear plastic base, a clear plastic cover hingedly connected to the base for movement between open and closed positions, and a tray which fits within the base, the tray including a well within which the compact disc is received and an upwardly extending, resiliently deformable projecting formation which fits within the central aperture of the compact disc and serves to hold the compact disc resiliently within the tray.

Although jewel cases are widely employed, there are many people who find it difficult to take the compact disc out of the case without the risk of scratching the disc.

An improved form of compact disc is accordingly described in my copending Application No. 9905660.8, to which reference should be made.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention described in Application No. 9905660.8 there is provided a compact disc pack 2 comprising a plastic base, a plastic cover hingedly connected to the base for movement between open and closed positions, and a tray which fits within the base, the tray being arranged to support a disc, characterised in that the base includes a side wall which is formed with an opening through which a compact disc can be caused to project and that the tray is arranged for sliding movement relative to the base, being so shaped that, when the tray is moved slidably through a distance greater than the radius of a disc from a fully retracted position into a fully displaced position, the majority of the tray remains within the confines of the base whereas the majority of the disc projects through the opening in the side wall of the base.

Such a compact disc pack is hereinafter referred to as "a compact disc pack as defined".

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention described in Application No. 9905660.8, there is provided a compact disc pack comprising a plastic base, a plastic cover hingedly connected to the base for movement between open and closed positions, and a tray which fits within the base, the tray being arranged to support a disc and including a formation which fits within the disc to locate the disc relative to the tray, characterised in that the base includes a side wall which is formed with an opening through which a compact disc pack can be caused to project and that, when considered in plan view, the tray occupies less than half the area of the base and is slidable relative to the base between a fully retracted position and a fully displaced position, the tray and a disc supported thereby being contained wholly within the base 3 when the tray is in its fully retracted position whereas, when the tray is in its fully displaced position, the majority of the disc projects through the opening in the side wall of the base but only a part of the tray projects through the opening in the side wall of the base.

Such a compact disc pack is hereinafter referred to as "a compact disc pack as specified The objects of the present invention include the provision of an improved form of compact disc pack as defined and an improved form of compact disc pack as specified.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a compact disc pack comprising a plastic base, a plastic cover hingedly connected to the base for movement between open and closed positions, and a tray which fits within the base, the tray being arranged to support a disc, characterised in that the base and the cover are provided with complementary formations such that, when a plurality of like packs are stacked one upon another, the complementary formations interengage to prevent relative sliding movement of the packs.

According to a more specific aspect of the present invention there is provided a compact disc as defined or a compact disc as specified in which the base and the cover are provided with complementary formations such that, when a plurality of like packs 4 are stacked one upon another, the complementary formations interengage to prevent relative sliding movement of the packs.

The complementary formations are preferably in the form of pins which are releasably connected to the cover and are arranged to fit in sockets in the underside of the base. There are preferably four such pin formations, one adjacent each corner of the cover. The pin formations are preferably arranged to fit in bores adjacent the corners of the cover and are formed of a resiliently deformable synthetic plastics material such that they are pushfits in the bores adjacent the corners of the cover.

The base and the cover of the pack are preferably formed of translucent or transparent plastics material whilst the tray is formed of an opaque plastics material, the colour of the opaque plastics material being varied in dependence on the type of compact disc which the pack is intended to contain. For example, for one type of music, a red tray may be used, for another type of music a blue tray may be used, and so on.

The arrangement may be such that, when the tray is moved slidably relative to the base, the act of sliding the tray outwardly relative to the base causes an advertising or promotional display to be exposed, whilst return of the tray to its original position causes the display to be concealed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the external parts of a compact disc pack, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the compact disc pack showing the parts within the pack, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tray within the pack, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing two pack stacked one on top of the other, and Figure 5 is a side view showing two packs stacked one on top of the other.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The compact disc pack shown in the drawings is a modification of that described in co-pending Application No. 9905660.8 and reference should, therefore, be made to said earlier application for an explanation of the detailed construction of the pack.

The pack thus includes a base 10, a cover 11 and a tray 12. An opening is formed in one of the side walls of the base 10 and the tray 12 can be moved slidably within the pack so as to cause a compact disc supported on the tray to be projected out through the opening. Thus, the upwardly presented surface of a side member 13 of the tray 12 is accessible for engagement by the thumb or 6 fingers of the user for sliding the tray relative to the base 10, all as described in said co-pending Application No. 9905660.8.

The tray 12, which is formed of a colour-coded opaque plastics material, differs from the tray of the pack described in Application No. 9905660.8 in that it has a pair of cut-outs 14 formed in the rear edge portion thereof, one adjacent each of the side members 13 and 15 of the tray 12. The colour coding of the tray enables, for example, ready identification of different types of music recorded on the discs within the packs.

The base 10 of the pack is formed with up-standing formations at positions corresponding to those of the cut-outs 14 and the cutouts 14 allow the tray 12 to be wholly contained within the base 10, with its rear edge portion adjacent the corresponding wall of the base 10. Corresponding up-standing formations are formed at the opposite edge of the base 11. The lower sides of the up-standing formations are open to provide recesses adjacent the four corners of the base 10.

Bores are formed adjacent the four corners of the cover 11 and each of these bores receives a locating pin 16. The locating pins 16 are push fits in the bores and, if desired, are removable from the bores. When the pins 16 are fitted in the bores of the cover 11 and two or more packs are stacked one upon the other, the pins 16 will enter the recesses afforded by the up-standing formations of the superposed pack(s). The need for a rack for supporting a stack of packs is thus avoided. In addition, the method of stacking does 7 not interfere with sliding movement of the tray 12 in the uppermost pack of the track.

A strip of advertising or promotional material may be folded up in concertina-type fashion and positioned between the end face of the side member 13 of the tray 12 and the adjacent wall of the base 10 so that, as the tray 12 is slid outwardly of the base 10, this advertising or promotional material will be opened up and thus become visible to the user of the pack. This material will be closed up when the tray 12 is returned to its retracted position.

The pack of the present invention will have all the advantages of the pack of Application No. 9905660.8, to which reference should again be made.

8 1 A compact disc pack comprising a plastic base and a plastic cover hingedly connected to the base for movement between open and closed positions and a tray which fits within the base the tray being arranged to support a disc characterised in that the base includes a side wall which is formed with an opening through which a compact disc can be caused to project and that the tray is arranged for sliding movement relative to the base being so shaped that when the tray is moved slidably through a distance greater than the radius of a disc from a fully retracted position into a fully displaced position the majority of the tray remains within the confines of the base whereas the majority of the disc projects through the opening in the side wall of the base.

Claims

A compact disc pack as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the tray being arranged

to support the disc includes a formation which fits within the disc to locate. the disc relative to the tray.

A compact disc pack as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein when considered in plan view the tray occupies less than half the area of the base and is slidable relative to the base between a fully retracted and a fully displaced position.

4. A compact disc pack as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the compact disc fits within the base when the tray is in a fully retracted position and the majority of the disc projects through the opening in the side wall of the base with the tray in the fully displaced position.

5. A compact disc pack as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the plastic base and cover are provided with complementary formations such that when a plurality of like packs are stacked one upon another the complementary formations interengage to prevent relative sliding movement of the packs.

6. A compact disc pack substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.