GB2391470A

GB2391470A - Case-holder

Info

Publication number: GB2391470A
Application number: GB0324316A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matthew Edward Thomas White
Original assignee: Teamstudy Consultants Ltd
Current assignee: Teamstudy Consultants Ltd
Priority date: 2000-06-27
Filing date: 2001-06-26
Publication date: 2004-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-26
Also published as: GB0324316D0; GB2391470B

Abstract

A case holder comprises a backing member 1, against which the back face 11 of a case 10 is retained, and a pair of opposed lugs 2 having resilience, upstanding from the backing member. The pair of lugs are spaced apart, for receiving the case between them, and at least one of the lugs has an inwardly tuned end for clipping resiliently over a rim 16 on the case. The backing member is configured to enable the case to be rocked so as to free the rim from under the inwardly turned end to facilitate removal of the case from the holder. The backing member is preferably of bowed configuration with a substantially flat central region. The lugs may be provided on the ends of legs that have a wave-configuration for abutment with the back of the case. The case-holder is particularly for use in retaining CD and DVD cases.

Description

1 2391470

Case-Holders. 5 This invention relates to case-holders, and particularly, though not exclusively to holders for the cases of CDs (compact disks), DVDs (digital versatile disks), audio tapes and video tapes.

10 According to the invention there is provided a holder for a rectangular case of the kind having substantially-flat front- and back- faces with a rim projecting from at least one of its side-edges, the holder comprising means for defining a backing member against which the back-face of IS the case is to be retained, and a pair of opposed lugs upstanding from said member, the two lugs of the pair being spaced apart from one another for receiving the case between them with its back-face abutting the backing member, and wherein at least one of the lugs has an 20 inwardly-turning end for clipping resiliently over the rim in retention of the case between them in abutment with the backing member as aforesaid, and the backing member has a configuration to enable the case while so retained to be rocked on the backing member to free the 25 rim from under the inwardly-turning end and thereby facilitate removal of the case from the holder.

The means defining the backing member may be of a generally-bowed configuration with a substantially flat 30 central-region for abutment by the back of the case. In these circumstances, the central-region may be separated from each individual lug by a region of said member that slopes up from the lug to the central region.

35 As an alternative, the means defining the backing member may have the form of a central spine with one or more legs of wave configuration extending in each of opposite

lateral directions from it, for abutment by the back of the case.

Three case-holders in accordance with the present 5 invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a perspective view and a side elevation of a first case-holder according to the 10 present invention; Figures 3, 4 and 5 are, respectively, a perspective view, a side elevation, and an end elevation of the case-holder of Figures 1 when in use holding a case; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second caseholder according to the present invention; Figures 7 and 8 are, respectively, a perspective view and 20 a side elevation of the caseholder of Figure 6 when in use holding a case; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a third case-holder according to the present invention.

Each of the case-holders to be described with reference to the drawings is for use in retaining the transparent-

plastics case of a CD or DVD in place, in storage or otherwise. More particularly, it is for holding the case 30 for display face-on, that is to say to present it with its front-face or lid, and therefore the cardinsert within the transparent lid, in full view. This allows the benefit of display of the wording and main artwork of the card-insert to be realized while the case is being 35 retained, for example while mounted on a wall or other structure. The presentation of the retained case face- on in this way is distinct from the usual way of retention

in which the case is held edge-on so that it is the limited wording and artwork of the spine-insert alone that can be seen.

5 Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the first case-holder is in the form of a plastics or metal plate 1 having a pair of upstanding lugs 2 that oppose one another from either side across the upper surface 3 of the plate 1. The plate 1 is of a generally-bowed configuration giving the lo surface 3 sloped regions 4 that run upwardly from the individual lugs 2 into a flat, central region 5 that has a small up-turned lip 6 front and back. The lugs 2 have inwardly-turned ends 7, and although inclined slightly inwardly towards one another have resilience to enable 15 them to be flexed to a small extent outwardly from this rest attitude. The plate 1, which may be mounted, for example, on a wall or other vertical support structure, is used to hold a CD or DVD case as illustrated in Figures 3 to 5.

Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the rectangular CD or DVD case 10 is inserted between the lugs 2 with its back-face 11 abutting the central region 5 and its longer, side edges 12 just within the up-turned lips 6. The lugs 2 25 bear hard on the front, lid-opening edge 13 and spine 14 of the case 10 so as to retain the case 10 tightly within the holder with its front-face or lid 15 in full view.

The inwardly-turned ends 7 of the lug 2 that bears on the edge 13 clips over the projecting rim 16 of the back-face 30 11, to ensure retention. The lips 6 restrain the case 10 from sliding out laterally from between the pair of retaining lugs 2, and in this condition the lid 15 can be freely opened and closed and the CD or DVD within removed and replaced as desired.

3S Removal of the case 10 from the holder is facilitated by the bowed configuration of the plate 1. More

particularly, this configuration of surface 3 with the central, raised region 5 separated by the sloping regions 4 between the lugs 2, allows the case 10 to be rocked to one or other side (about the junction line of region 5 5 with one or the other of the regions 4) to free the edges 13 and 14 from engagement with the lugs 2. During this, the lugs 2 flex outwardly to the extent necessary to enable the projecting rim 16 to ride over the lug 2 at the edge 13 so as to release the case 10 from the holder.

The case 10 can be replaced in the holder simply by urging its back-face 11 onto the lugs 2 so as cause them to flex outwardly until the face 11 is admitted to abut the region 5.

Although the case-holder described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 involves just one pair of opposed lugs 2, more than one pair may be provided to engage the case.

This is illustrated by the second case-holder to be 20 described with reference to Figures 6 to 8.

Referring to Figures 6 to 8, the case-holder 21 in this instance has a central spine 22 with two legs 23 which each terminate in a hook-lug 24, extending laterally in 25 opposite directions from it. Three further legs 25 which terminate in plain lugs 26, also extend laterally from the spine 22, two in one direction and one in the other.

The spine 22 itself is terminated at opposite ends in a hook-lug 27 and a plain lug 28.

The spine 22 is flat but the legs 23 and 25 have a wave contour such that a case 30 retained resiliently between the lugs 24, 26, 27 and 28, rests on the crests of the contour (see especially Figure 8). The hook-lugs 24 and 35 27 engage over the peripheral rim 31 of the case 30 to enhance retention. Rocking the case 30 on the crests of the legs 23 and 25 enables it to be freed from retention.

A case-holder having just two legs on a central spine is illustrated in Figure 9.

Referring to Figure 9, the case-holder 40 in this example 5 has a single leg 41 terminating in a hook-lug 42, and a single leg 43 terminating in a plain lug 44. The two legs 41 and 43 are of wave-contour and extend in opposite directions from a flat spine 45 that terminates at one end only, in a plain lug 46.

When this case-holder is mounted on a wall or other vertical surface, mounting is with the spine 45 extending downwardly so that the case inserted into the holder is restrained from sliding out from between the lugs 42 and 15 44 by the lug 46. Here again, the retained case rests on the crests of the legs 41 and 43 and can be freed by rocking it on them.

Claims

Claim-:

1. A holder for a rectangular case of the kind having substantially-flat front- and back-faces with a rim projecting from at least one of its sideedges, the -

holder comprising means for defining a backing member against which the back-face of the case is to be retained, and a pair of opposed lugs upstanding from said member, the two lugs of the pair being spaced apart from one another for receiving the case between them with its back-face abutting the backing member, and wherein at least one of the lugs has an inwardly-turning end for clipping resiliently over the rim in retention of the case between them in abutment with the backing member as aforesaid, and the backing member has a configuration to enable the case while so retained to be rocked on the backing member to free the rim from under the inwardly turning end and thereby facilitate removal of the case from the holder.

2. A case-holder according to Claim 1 wherein the means defining the backing member is of a generally-bowed configuration with a substantially flat central-region for abutment by the back of the case.

3. A case-holder according to Claim 2 wherein the central-region is separated from each individual lug by a region of said member that slopes up from the lug to the central region.

4. A case-holder according to Claim 1 wherein the means defining the backing member has the form of a central spine with one or more legs extending in each of opposite lateral directions from it, the lugs are provided as lugs

that terminate respective ones of the legs, and the legs are of waveconfiguration for abutment by the back of the case.

5. A case-holder according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, in combination with a CD or DVD case, the case being retained in abutting relationship with the backing member and with at least one of the lugs clipped over a rim of the case.