US20020100701A1

US20020100701A1 - DVD-holding case

Info

Publication number: US20020100701A1
Application number: US09/774,035
Authority: US
Inventors: Mao-Yun Chiu
Original assignee: JUON SHINE ENTERPRISE CO Ltd
Current assignee: JUON SHINE ENTERPRISE CO Ltd
Priority date: 2001-01-31
Filing date: 2001-01-31
Publication date: 2002-08-01

Abstract

The present invention relates to a DVD-holding case having a disk-holding tray on the inner side of a bottom housing thereof. The tray includes two projecting ears at opposing sides thereof. The projecting ears are resiliently and inclinedly formed on the bottom housing with a raised outer side thereof, having a hole for receiving a finger. The outer side of the hole is provided with an incline on which the finger leans while the opposing side thereof extends to the top of the supporting rim of the tray. In addition, an engaging member is respectively formed at two sides of either projecting ear, extending to the top of the supporting rim of the tray, thereby engaging the disk. When the disk is held by fingers in the hole, the projecting ears are depressed while the disk is simultaneously released from the engaging member, thereby reaching the effect of easy removal without scratching or bending the disk.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a DVD-holding case, and more particularly to a DVD-holding case which won't score the DVD-surface and is convenient for its removal from the case.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The conventional CD, VCD have turned into DVD, and the DVD is made from double-layer plate different from the single-layer structure of CD or VCD. Therefore, it must be more careful in storing it for fear of damaging the precious VCD. Moreover, the removal convenience is also a factor for the design of the holding case.

FIG. 10 shows a conventional CD-holding case having a disk-

engaging portion

6 which is outwardly resilient for fixing the central hole of the CD or VCD in place. However, this fixing way can't be applicable to the DVD because it will damage the joint structure of the double-layer body of the inner rim hole. The inner rim hole of CD or VCD is stably fixed while that of DVD can't be blocked and is rotatable so that the inner rim of the round hole won't be compressed in removing it or storing it.

In another disk-holding cases, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,068 (see FIG. 11) and TW Pat. No. 319239 (see FIG. 12), the disk-

engaging member

7 is used for locking the disk. In lifting the disk, the finger presses the central disk-engaging member 7 for disengaging the disk; thereafter, the disk can be removed with two fingers. However, this structure has two drawbacks. The first one is that the disk is easily deformed and therefore damaged in depressing the disk-engaging member 7, as shown in FIG. 13. The second is that a second step is necessary in taking out the disk, that is, the disk is firstly disengaged by depressing the disk-engaging member 7 with the forefinger or the middle finger, then two fingers are used to hold the disk for taking it out. As a result, it's inconvenient in using. A further disk-holding case, disclosed in TW Pat. No. 325048, is provided with two resilient strips 8 in the center thereof and with a locating piece 9 at one side thereof. When the locating piece 9 is released, the resilient force of the resilient strip 8 will bring the disk upwardly, thereafter lift the disk with two fingers. However, this structure is more impractical since the resilient strip 8 exerts an upward force upon the disk so that the disk is easily deformed after a long period. Moreover, the resilient strips 8 don't have the alignment circle. When the disks are filled before shipment from the factory, the automatic machine doesn't have the locating point for an exact placement of the disk to the disk-holding case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a DVD-holding case by which the central hole of the DVD-disk is free of engagement or tension for fear of damaging the double-layer structure of DVD-disk.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a DVD-holding case with easy removal without scratching or bending the disk.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a DVD-holding case through which no resilience is effected upon the stored disk, therefore prolonging the storage duration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accomplishment of this and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and its accompanying drawings of which: [0010]
FIG. 1 is a top view of the present invention in a developed state; [0011]
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the projecting ear of the present invention; [0012]
FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1; [0013]
FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a disk before held on a tray of the present invention; [0014]
FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of a disk held on a tray of the present invention; [0015]
FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the disk engaged by the projecting ear; [0016]
FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of the disk when lifted by two fingers; [0017]
FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing of the projecting ear when depressed by a finger; [0018]
FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of the projecting ear when depressed by a finger, thereby lifting the disk; [0019]
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a conventional case for holding a compact disk (CD); [0020]
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another conventional case for holding a compact disk (CD) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,068; [0021]
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a further conventional case for holding a compact disk (CD) disclosed in TW Pat. No. 319239; [0022]
FIG. 13 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 12; and [0023]
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a further conventional case for holding a compact disk (CD) disclosed in TW Pat. No. 325048.[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

First of all, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the present invention primarily includes a [0025] top cover 1 and a bottom housing 2 both of which are pivotably connected. The top cover 1 contains a tray 3 at the inner side thereof, and the tray 3 is fitted with a supporting rim 31 for holding a disk 4. Moreover, a projecting body 32 is installed in the center of the tray 3 for receiving a central hole 41 of the disk 4 without the engagement relationship.
The [0026] tray 3 includes two projecting ears 5 at opposing sides thereof. The projecting ears 5 are resiliently and inclinedly formed on the bottom housing 2 with a raised outer side thereof, having a hole 51 for receiving a finger. The outer side of the hole 51 is provided with an incline 52 on which the finger leans while the opposing side thereof extends to the top of the supporting rim 31 of the tray 3. In addition, an engaging member 53 is respectively formed at two sides of either projecting ear 5, extending to the top of the supporting rim 31 of the tray 3, thereby engaging the disk 4. When the disk 4 is held by fingers in the hole 51, the projecting ears 5 are depressed while the disk 4 is simultaneously released from the engaging member 53.
Moreover, an [0027] inclined guide 531 with rounded edge is formed at the front end of the engaging members 53 for the convenience in engaging and disengaging the disk 4.
Additionally, a strengthening [0028] rib 33 is formed on the tray 3 near either projecting ear 5, and the height thereof has to be lower than that of the supporting rim 31 for fear of scoring the recorded surface of the disk 4.
Furthermore, the [0029] hole 51 of the projecting ears 5 can be alternatively formed as a groove. An incline 52 is also arranged at the outer side of the groove for the convenience in lifting the disk 4.
In using, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the [0030] disk 4 is stored on the tray 3, the central hole 41 thereof is in alignment with the projecting body 32 while the rim 42 of the disk 4 slides through the inclined guide 531 of the engaging member 53 to lie on the supporting rim 31, thereby engaging the disk 4 by means of the bottom end of the engaging member 53. As a result, the disk 4 is ensured on the tray 3. Besides, the fixed disk 4 and the projecting body 32 don't have the engaging relationship because the central hole 41 of the disk 4 is slightly larger than or the same to the projecting body 32 in the center of the tray 3. Consequently, the disk 4 is rotatably fixed on the tray 3 so that no tension or resilient force is applied to the disk 4 on the tray 3 and it's impossible to score the surface of the DVD-disk 4.
Referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and [0031] 9, the present invention features that the disk 4 is easily and conveniently removable without temporarily deforming the disk 4. Two fmgers are respectively placed into the holes 51 of the projecting ears 5. In lifting the disk 4, the fingernail touches the incline 52, as shown in FIG. 8, whereupon the disk 4 is released from the engaging member 53, as shown in FIG. 9. At this time, the fingers retract inwardly to hold the disk 4 for lifting it smoothly. The disk 4 is released from the engagement in holding the disk 4 with fingers. Only one action completes the removal action of the disk 4 unlike the conventional products with two actions in which the engaging member is depressed with single finger for releasing first, then the disk is lifted with two fingers.
Many changes and modifications in the above-described embodiments of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. [0032]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A DVD-holding case comprising a top cover and a bottom housing both of which are pivotably connected, said top cover having a tray at the inner side thereof, said tray being fitted with a supporting rim for holding a disk, a projecting body being installed in the center of said tray for receiving a central hole a of said disk without the engagement relationship;

wherein the present invention is characterized by:

said tray having two projecting ears at opposing sides thereof, each of said projecting ears being resiliently and inclinedly formed on said bottom housing with a raised outer side thereof and having a hole for receiving a finger, the outer side of said hole being provided with an incline on which the finger leans while the opposing side thereof extends to the top of said supporting rim of said tray; and

an engaging member being respectively formed at two sides of either projecting ear, extending to the top of said supporting rim of said tray, thereby engaging said disk, so that when said disk is held by fingers in said hole, said projecting ears are depressed while the disk is simultaneously released from engaging member.

2. The DVD-holding case as claimed in claim 1, wherein an inclined guide with rounded edge is formed at the front end of said engaging members.

3. The DVD-holding case as claimed in claim 1, wherein a strengthening rib is formed on said tray near each of said projecting ears, and the height thereof has to be lower than that of said supporting rim.

4. The DVD-holding case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holes of said projecting ears are formed as a groove, and an incline is arranged at the outer side of said groove.