US20030150752A1 - Optical disc case assembly - Google Patents

Optical disc case assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
US20030150752A1
US20030150752A1 US10/102,851 US10285102A US2003150752A1 US 20030150752 A1 US20030150752 A1 US 20030150752A1 US 10285102 A US10285102 A US 10285102A US 2003150752 A1 US2003150752 A1 US 2003150752A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
disc
optical disc
holder
case
lid
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US10/102,851
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Hiromichi Uchida
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Toyo Kagaku Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Toyo Kagaku Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Toyo Kagaku Co Ltd filed Critical Toyo Kagaku Co Ltd
Assigned to TOYO CHEMICAL CO., LTD. reassignment TOYO CHEMICAL CO., LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: UCHIDA, HIROMICHI
Publication of US20030150752A1 publication Critical patent/US20030150752A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B33/00—Constructional parts, details or accessories not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
    • G11B33/02—Cabinets; Cases; Stands; Disposition of apparatus therein or thereon
    • G11B33/04—Cabinets; Cases; Stands; Disposition of apparatus therein or thereon modified to store record carriers
    • G11B33/0405—Cabinets; Cases; Stands; Disposition of apparatus therein or thereon modified to store record carriers for storing discs
    • G11B33/0411—Single disc boxes
    • G11B33/0422—Single disc boxes for discs without cartridge

Definitions

  • This invention relates to cases capable of permitting an optical disc, such as a DVD, a musical compact disc or a computer CD-ROM, to be accommodated and taken out without causing contamination of or damage to the disc. More particularly, the invention concerns cases, which are contrived such that they permit reliable accommodation of an optical disc without possibility of detachment even when they experience a great shock due to their fall in their stage of circulation and also permit, when they are used by an optical disc purchaser, to be readily accommodated and taken out with tilting and de-tilting of the disc in response to their opening and closing.
  • a prior art optical disc case assembly for accommodating a DVD or like optical disc, is one which has an integral structure that a disc holder having an engaging boss for being engaged in the center hole of the optical disc and a lid capable of being opened and closed are hinged together for being opened and closed.
  • the most important center hole periphery of the optical disc is subject to rubbing by the engaging boss. This possibly leads to eccentricity of rotation of the optical disc or to tilting of the optical disc from intrinsic plane of rotation.
  • the optical disc is accommodated in close contact with the disc holder surface, it cannot be so readily taken out. Accordingly, the inventor earlier proposed, in Japanese Patent Application No.
  • an optical disc case assembly which can eliminate the possibility of causing damage to the optical disc center hole by having the edge of the optical disc engaged, as well as permitting the optical disc to be readily taken out owing to upward tilting of the disc caused in response to opening of the lid.
  • this optical disc case assembly is excellent in that it can be readily and conveniently used by the user and that it is free from the possibility of causing damage to the optical disc.
  • the structure that takes the user's convenience into considerations such that the optical disc is brought to a raised or upwardly tilted state, that is, the optical disc is capable of being tilted and de-tilted, in response to opening and closing of the lid, gives rise to a problem that it can not cope with a process of manufacture, in which the optical disc is loaded automatically (i.e., by a robot).
  • optical disc cases are continuously caused to pass through a gap of about 10 mm. Therefore, if the disc holder is raised, the case cannot pass through the gap.
  • the disc holder in order to cause the robot to load the optical disc right downward in the disc holder, the disc holder should be held horizontally with respect to the case.
  • a means has been contrived, which tentatively holds the optical disc horizontal in the process of manufacture.
  • no optical disc case assembly has existed, which has such a structure that it can reliably prevent, at the time of closing the lid, the detachment of the optical disc that has been brought to the raised or upwardly tilted state at the time of opening the lid.
  • An object of the invention is to provide an optical disc case assembly, which can cope with the process of manufacture of automatic (i.e., by-robot) optical disc loading by holding the optical disc horizontally in the stage of manufacture, permits the optical disc to be tilted and de-tilted in response to opening and closing of the lid, and can reliably prevent the detachment and fall of the optical disc in both the stage of manufacture with the optical disc held horizontally and the stage of use by the user with the disc tilted and de-tilted in response to opening and closing of the lid.
  • automatic i.e., by-robot
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention with a disc holder in a front-side position;
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention with the disc holder moved to a stem-side position;
  • FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention, in which the disc holder is at the front-side position and hooked in hook members;
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention, in which the disc holder has been displaced toward the stem and unhooked from the hook member;
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention, in which the optical disc is about to be hooked in the disc holder;
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention, in which the optical disc is hooked in the disc holder;
  • FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention, in which the disc holder is hooked in the optical disc;
  • FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention in a closed state, in which the disc holder is at the front-side position;
  • FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention in a closed state, in which the optical disc has moved toward the stem side;
  • FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly according to the invention in an opened state, with the relation between a detachment prevention member in a back and an engagement shoulder being shown in detail;
  • FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the optical disc case assembly in a closed state, with the relation between the detachment prevention member in the back and the engagement shoulder being showing in detail.
  • FIGS. 1 to 11 show the optical disc case assembly according to the invention.
  • reference numeral 1 designates the optical disc case assembly made of a synthetic resin, which is mainly used for DVDs, musical compact discs, etc.
  • the optical disc case assembly 1 comprises a disc holder 3 for detachably holding an optical disc 2 and a disc case 4 .
  • the disc case 4 has an integral structure having a case body 6 for having the stem 5 of the disc holder 3 detachably engaged in one side, a lid 7 for opening and closing the top of the disc holder 3 and being engaged with the case body 6 in the closed state, and a back 8 intervening between the case body 6 and the lid 7 .
  • the disc case 4 has a hinge structure such that the case body 6 and the lid 7 are foldable over to each other along the boundaries thereof with the back 8 .
  • the lid 7 can engage with and hold the case body 6 , and can hold the closed state.
  • This embodiment of the optical disc case assembly 1 features that a structure which is applicable to a by-robot assembling process which is important for this type of optical disc case assembly.
  • each optical disc case assembly 1 should pass, with the lid 7 in the opened state, through a gap with a height of about 10 mm.
  • the disc holder 3 should be held in close contact with the case body surface without rising wherefrom of its front side part and be able to reliably hold the optical disc 2 being lowered.
  • the front side part of the disc holder 3 should be moved up and down in response to opening and closing of the lid, thus facilitating the accommodation and take-out of the optical disc.
  • the inner surface of the case body 6 of the disc case 4 has two protruding hook members 9 with hooks 9 a for detachably and horizontally movably hooking the front side part 2 of the disc holder 3 and also two protruding engaging members 10 for detachably and horizontally movably engaging with the stem 5 of the disc holder 3 .
  • the disc holder 3 is movable back and forth relative to the engaging members 10 .
  • FIG. 1 shows the disc holder 3 at a position brought to by displacement toward the front side. This position is determined by taking the course from the automatic or by-robot assembling process of optical disc loading to the sales shop into considerations.
  • the front side part of the disc holder 3 hooked by hooks 9 a of the hook members 9 , and the disc holder 3 is held substantially in close contact and parallel with the case body 6 .
  • the front side part of the optical disc 2 is held in close proximity of arched parts of the hook members 9 with a slight gap of 1 mm or below. The optical disc 2 is thus prevented from being detached toward the front side during transport or due to such cause as a shock exerted at the time of a fall.
  • stoppers 11 may be provided on the inner surface of the case body 6 at positions to be in contact with the bottom surface of the disc holder 3 .
  • detachment prevention members 12 and 13 are brought to the proximity of the top surface of the optical disc 2 (as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9), thus preventing upward detachment of the optical disc 2 .
  • the detachment prevention members 12 and 13 have protruding displacement prevention engaging portions 12 a and 13 a , respectively, for being engaged in grooves formed in engagement shoulders 14 and 15 provided on the opposite sides of the front side part of the disc holder 3 , thus preventing horizontal displacement thereof.
  • a displacement prevention engaging portion 13 a pushes the engagement shoulder 15 (or the detachment prevention member 13 may push the top of the engagement shoulder 15 ), and also the displacement prevention engaging portion 13 a is engaged in a first groove 15 a in the engagement shoulder 15 .
  • the detachment prevention member 13 remains to be held at its position in close proximity of the engagement shoulder 15 and the top surface of the optical disc 2 .
  • the disc holder 3 is held hooked by the hooks 9 a , and the optical disc 2 is not detached from the disc holder 3 .
  • the displacement prevention engaging portion 13 a pushes the engagement shoulder 15 (or the detachment prevention member 13 may push the top of the engagement shoulder 15 ), and also the displacement prevention engaging portion 13 a is engaged in a second groove 15 b in the engagement shoulder 15 .
  • the optical disc 2 is reliably secured to the disc holder 3 both vertically (by the detachment prevention members 12 and 13 including the displacement prevention engaging portions 12 a and 13 a ) and horizontally (by the displacement prevention engaging portions 12 a and 13 a (and also by the hook members 9 )).
  • the optical disc 2 is thus not possibly detached from the disc holder even when a shock due to a fall or like cause is exerted to the disc case.
  • the disc holder 3 includes, in addition to the stem 5 detachably engaged in engagement members 10 of the case body 6 , a vertically lockable flexible disc support 16 extending obliquely upward from the stem 5 .
  • the disc support 16 has, for preventing detachment of the optical disc 2 toward the stem 5 , a wall member 17 provided on its stem side of the disc support 16 in a plurality of (i.e., two in this embodiment) divisions for being in contact with the edge of the disc 2 .
  • the wall member 17 has, for preventing upward detachment of the optical disc 2 from the disc support 16 , three, i.e., one central and two opposite end, hook members 18 protruding toward the center of the disc support 16 and having end hooks 18 a for clamping the edge of the disc 2 .
  • a disc edge support member 19 having a triangular cross-sectional profile is provided slightly inside the wall member 17 and extends to cover more than one half of the edge of the disc 2 for being in contact with the non-recording part edge of the bottom surface of the disc 2 and holding the disc 2 in a raised state.
  • the disc edge support member 19 has its inner side portion located underneath the optical disc 2 such as to be free from contact therewith, and its central portion which is irrelevant to the accommodation and take-out of the disc 2 and inclusive of a front side portion is greatly notched away.
  • the hook members 18 each has, in addition to the end hook 18 a for clamping the edge of the optical disc 2 , a thin plate-like flexing portion 18 b capable of horizontally warping for having the end hook 18 a flex in the direction of the disc edge.
  • the flexing portion 18 a has one end separated from the wall member 17 and has a predetermined length to have the lower end of the end hook 18 a separated from the disc support 16 .
  • the end hook 18 a as shown in FIG. 5, has an upper taper (either curved or straight) tapering downward toward the edge of the optical disc 2 .
  • the end hook 18 a is thus flexed by the edge of the disc 2 to permit continual lowering of the disc 2 .
  • the taper has a horizontal bottom shoulder to prevent upward detachment of the optical disc 2 once hooked.
  • the front side part of the disc support 16 has stoppers 20 projecting from its opposite ends for preventing detachment of the optical disc 2 toward the front side.
  • the stoppers 20 have a greater height than the wall member 17 , and thus permit the optical disc 2 to be taken out by raising the front side part thereof and moving this part obliquely upward.
  • the operation of loading the optical disc 2 in the disc support 16 is as follows. Normally, like the prior art optical disc case assembly as described above, the optical disc 2 is held in a forwardly downwardly tilted state and moved obliquely downward toward the stem of the disc support 16 . When the front side part of the optical disc 2 is brought into contact with the wall member 17 , the disc 2 has already cleared the stoppers 20 . The rear side part of the optical disc 2 in this state is then lowered toward the disc support 16 , whereby the disc 2 is loaded in the disc support 16 . Thus, the stem side part of the optical disc 2 is prevented by the wall member 17 and the hook members 18 from being detached, while the front side part of the disc 2 is prevented by the stoppers 20 from being detached.
  • the disc 2 is held at a position above and parallel with the disc support 16 and then lowered right downward. Then, when the edge of the optical disc 2 is brought into contact with the taper of the hook members 18 , the end hooks 18 a are pushed by the disc 2 and, as shown in FIG. 7, and the hook members 18 are flexed in the disc edge direction with warping of the flexing parts. When the optical disc 2 is further lowered into contact with the disc edge support member 19 , the biasing force of pushing the disc 2 vanishes. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the end hooks 18 a are restored toward the optical disc 2 , i.e., to the initial position. Thus, the hook shoulders of the hook members 18 are hooked on the edge top of the optical disc 2 , and the disc 2 is thus loaded in the disc support 16 so that it is prevented from being detached.
  • the operation of taking out the optical disc 2 form the disc support 16 is as follows. Like the prior art optical disc case assembly described above, by holding the portion of the optical disc 2 between a front side part of the disc 2 and the center hole 2 a thereof, the front side part of the disc 2 is raised to a height beyond the stoppers 20 . In this state, the optical disc 2 is moved obliquely upward toward the front side. In this way, the optical disc 2 can be readily taken out.
  • the stem of the disc holder is capable of being displaced relative to the engaging part in the disc case, with the disc holder at a position brought to by displacement toward the stem side part of the disc holder is released and spaced apart from the hook part provided on the bottom surface of the disc case so as to be vertically rocked with flexibility in response to the opening and closing of the lid such as to be raised to an obliquely upwardly tilted state, and with the disc holder at a position brought to by displacement toward the front side part of the disc holder is hooked by the hook part and held on the bottom surface of the disc case.
  • the invention is reliably applicable to a by-robot assembling process of assembling the optical disc in the disc holder.
  • the structure that with the disc holder at the position brought to by displacement toward the stem side of the disc holder is spaced apart from the hook part to permit vertical rocking of the front side part of the disc holder in response to opening and closing of the lid such as rising of the front side part of the disc holder to an upwardly tilted state, permits ready and convenient insertion of the optical disc by the user.
  • the back has a detachment prevention part to be located over the optical disc for preventing upward detachment thereof from the disc holder at the time of closing the lid
  • the lid has a detachment prevention engagement part to engage with the disc holder for preventing displacement to the disc holder in horizontal directions in the disc case.

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  • Packaging For Recording Disks (AREA)
US10/102,851 2002-02-13 2002-03-22 Optical disc case assembly Abandoned US20030150752A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2002-35268 2002-02-13
JP2002035268A JP3682701B2 (ja) 2002-02-13 2002-02-13 光ディスク収納体

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20030150752A1 true US20030150752A1 (en) 2003-08-14

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US10/102,851 Abandoned US20030150752A1 (en) 2002-02-13 2002-03-22 Optical disc case assembly

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US (1) US20030150752A1 (ja)
JP (1) JP3682701B2 (ja)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050045502A1 (en) * 2003-08-26 2005-03-03 Hiroaki Okita Disk storage case for a recording medium
US20050092628A1 (en) * 2003-10-31 2005-05-05 Hsing-Chiou Chang Disc storage box
US20090064213A1 (en) * 2005-11-02 2009-03-05 Mead Westvaco Corporation Multi Disc Tray With Flexible Side Wall Disc Locking Arms

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5593031A (en) * 1995-06-21 1997-01-14 Toyo Chemical Co., Ltd. Disc accommodation device including movable disc holder
US6073762A (en) * 1997-04-30 2000-06-13 Nec Corporation Apparatus for encasing a disc-type recording medium therein
US6283284B1 (en) * 1999-10-13 2001-09-04 Shape Global Technology Storage case with pivotal flap for retaining disks thereon
US6371300B1 (en) * 1999-10-15 2002-04-16 Toyo Chemical Co., Ltd. Optical disc case
US6398022B1 (en) * 2000-11-07 2002-06-04 Cheong Wing Electric, Ltd. Digital video disk holder
US6554132B2 (en) * 2001-02-20 2003-04-29 Finest Industrial Co., Ltd. Disk protective enclosure
US6685015B2 (en) * 2000-10-25 2004-02-03 Toyo Chemical Co., Ltd. Optical disc accommodating case

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5593031A (en) * 1995-06-21 1997-01-14 Toyo Chemical Co., Ltd. Disc accommodation device including movable disc holder
US6073762A (en) * 1997-04-30 2000-06-13 Nec Corporation Apparatus for encasing a disc-type recording medium therein
US6283284B1 (en) * 1999-10-13 2001-09-04 Shape Global Technology Storage case with pivotal flap for retaining disks thereon
US6371300B1 (en) * 1999-10-15 2002-04-16 Toyo Chemical Co., Ltd. Optical disc case
US6685015B2 (en) * 2000-10-25 2004-02-03 Toyo Chemical Co., Ltd. Optical disc accommodating case
US6398022B1 (en) * 2000-11-07 2002-06-04 Cheong Wing Electric, Ltd. Digital video disk holder
US6554132B2 (en) * 2001-02-20 2003-04-29 Finest Industrial Co., Ltd. Disk protective enclosure

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050045502A1 (en) * 2003-08-26 2005-03-03 Hiroaki Okita Disk storage case for a recording medium
EP1513156A1 (en) * 2003-08-26 2005-03-09 Let's Communication Co., LTD A disk storage case for a recording medium
US20050092628A1 (en) * 2003-10-31 2005-05-05 Hsing-Chiou Chang Disc storage box
US20090064213A1 (en) * 2005-11-02 2009-03-05 Mead Westvaco Corporation Multi Disc Tray With Flexible Side Wall Disc Locking Arms

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP3682701B2 (ja) 2005-08-10
JP2003237870A (ja) 2003-08-27

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: TOYO CHEMICAL CO., LTD., JAPAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:UCHIDA, HIROMICHI;REEL/FRAME:012724/0233

Effective date: 20020301

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION