WO2003019563A1

WO2003019563A1 - A compact disc holding means, a combination of a carrier device and the holding means and a method of producing the holding means

Info

Publication number: WO2003019563A1
Application number: PCT/DK2002/000558
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Egeberg Hansen; Morten Thing
Original assignee: Jan Egeberg Hansen; Morten Thing
Priority date: 2001-08-24
Filing date: 2002-08-26
Publication date: 2003-03-06

Abstract

A compact disc holder (1) comprises two disc backing or carrier panels (2) and (3) covered by flexible films (4) and (5) of plastic material connecting the two backing panels (2, 3) to each other by spanning the space between said panels, each panel being provided with a circular aperture (6) and two lateral notches (7) for receiving an endless elastic disc holding strip (8) and (9), respectively, that serves as a holding strip for compact discs (10) arranged on both surfaces of the disc holding panel (2) or (3), each disc being held in place against movement in a direction transverse to the supporting surface of the panel by the respective elastic strip and in a direction parallel to said surface by friction between the disc and the strip at the region of the respective notch.

Description

A compact disc holding means, a combination of a carrier device and the holding means and a method of producing the holding means.

The present invention relates to a compact disc holding device comprising a substantially rigid panel having a planar surface adapted to support substantially the entire surface of a compact disc.

Various devices of this type are known, where the compact disc is held adajcent the panel surface by means of a central hub received in the central guide aperture of the disc in a manner forcing the disc against said panel surface for immobilizing the disc. Other solutions comprising arms and the like forcing the disc against the panel support surface are also known. Furthermore, solutions are known where the compact discs are held in envelopes or between two flexible films with an insertion opening for inserting and removing the disc from the envelope or from between the films.

The known devices are either too bulky, too difficult to manipulate or do not afford a reasonable combination of protection and ability to view the identifying text of the compact disc.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact disc holding device which requires relatively little storage space, is easy and convenient to use and offers a high degree of protection combined with a high visibility of the identifying text on the disc.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing the support panel with a strip of flexible material fixated adjacent to said panel surface at two points along the length of said strip such that the compact disc may be inserted into a holding position between said panel surface and said strip and be held is said holding position by said strip.

Hereby, a simple and inexpensive holding device is provided where the identifying text of the compact disc is freely visible except where covered by the holding strip. The space requirement is limited to the combined thickness of the compact disc and the support panel while the manipulation of the compact disc when inserting it in or removing it from the holding device is very simple and easily carried out. So as to achieve a good fixation of the compact disc in the holding position, the distance between said two points is smaller than the diameter of the compact disc and larger than two thirds of said diameter. Hereby a fixation by friction between the edge of the compact disc and the strip at the fixation points of the strip is obtained while the strip at the same time can hold the disc against the supporting surface of the panel.

Prefereably, said distance is larger than nine tenths of said diameter, and in the currently preferred embodiment, said distance is in the range between 97% and 99% of said diameter.

So as to create a reasonable balance between the holding effect of the strip and the ease of insertion as well as the amount of surface text of the disc covered by the strip, said strip preferably has a width between 0.5 mm and 20 mm, more preferably between 1 mm and 18 mm, even more preferably between 2 mm and 12 mm and most preferably between 3 mm and 8 mm.

In the currently preferred embodiment of the invention, said strip is made of an elastic material.

In the currently preferred embodiment of the invention, said panel has two opposed planar surfaces each adapted to support substantially the entire surface of a compact disc, a strip of flexible material being fixated adjacent to each of said opposed panel surfaces at two points along the length of said strip such that a compact disc may be inserted into a holding position between each of said panel surfaces and the corresponding strip and be held in said holding position by said corresponding strip. Hereby, the space requirements and weight as well as cost of holding two compact discs is minimized. Naturally this principle can be applied to arranging two or more sets of panel pairs alongside each other either integral one with the other or fastened to each other.

In the currently preferred embodiment of the invention, said panel is configured with a periphery having a portion with a substantially circular contour substantially corresponding to a half circle with a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of said compact disc. Hereby it is particularly easy and convenient to insert and remove the compact disc. Preferably, two notches are provided in said substantially circular periphery at points corresponding to said fixation points of said strip, the strip being an endles strip inserted in said notches and having a total length substantially equal to double the linear distance between said two notches. Hereby, a particularly advantageous construction is achieved allowing easy manual application of the holding strip and affording a particularly effective frictional engagement between the edge of the disc and the holding strip in said notches.

Advantageously, a disc insertion facilitation aperture is provided in said panel for facilitating the introduction of a compact disc between said strip and said panel surface, said aperture being located such that at least a portion of the width of said holding strip spans over a portion of the aperture. Hereby, the disc may be inserted easily and conveniently, and the removal of the disc is also facilitated.

So as to avoid damaging the delicate readable surface of the compact disc, peferably a coating strip of material such as plastic film or textile is applied to at least substantially the entire portion of said support surface of said panel covered by said compact disc when located in said holding position.

It is currently preferred that two of said panels are arranged in a co-planar mutually spaced relationship interconnected by a coating strip of material such as plastic film or textile covering substantially the entire surfaces of said panels facing in the same direction such that the region of the coating strip of material spanning the space between said two panels functions as a hinge means and/or attachment means for attaching said two panels to a carrier device. This embodiment affords a particularly advantageous storing of several holding devices on or in a carrier device with inexpensive structural means.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, one edge of said supporting panel is provided with one or more projections, preferably two spaced projections for attaching said panel inside a correspondingly configured slit of a carrier device. Hereby, another advantageous storing and display of the compact disc is rendered possible in connection with any carrier device that can be provided with such slits matching the projections. Advantageously, each of said projections is provided with a hole for receiving the ring of a ring binder such that said supporting panel may be secured in a ring binder.

In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, said panel is arranged in a co- planar mutually spaced relationship with a narrow strip or rib of rigid material and is interconnected with said narrow strip by a coating strip of material such as plastic film or textile covering substantially the entire surfaces of said panel and said narrow strip facing in the same direction such that the region of the coating strip of material spanning the space between said two panels functions as a hinge means while the narrow strip functions as an attachment means for attaching said panels to a carrier device by being received in a groove in said carrier means.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a combination of a compact disc holding device according to the invention and a carrier device for carrying one or more of said compact disc holding devices.

In the currently preferred embodiment of the combination according to the invention, said carrier device is constituted by a carrier bag or case for carrying one or more of said compact disc holding devices, said holding device being fastened to a side wall of the carrier bag by non- releasable fastening means such as stitches of thread extending through said region of the coating strip and a surface portion of said side wall or by releasable fasteners such as snap fasteners or hook and loop fasteners.

In an alternative embodiment of the combination according to the invention, said carrier device comprises a surface provided with one or more slits for receiving said projections and/or a ring or rod for being received in said hole.

In a further alternative embodiment of the combination according to the invention, said carrier device comprises one or more grooves for slidingly receiving said narrow strip or rib, said groove being open at one end for allowing sliding introduction of said strip in said groove.

In a final aspect, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a compact disc holding device and comprising the following steps: - providing two mutually spaced co-planar parallel strips of a relatively stiff material such as cardboard, plastic or aluminum, - applying a strip of flexible meterial such as plastic film, textile or the like over each of the two planar surfaces of said parallel strips facing in the same direction such that said strip of flexible material interconnects said parallel strips and preferably covers substantially the entire area of said planar surfaces.

The invention will now be described and explained more in detail based on various embodiments thereof described solely by way of example in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein

Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a currently preferred embodiment of a compact disc holding device according to the invention,

Fig. 2 illustrates schematically the method of manufacturing the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3 schematically shows a detail in larger scale of the fastening of the disc holding strip to the disc backing panel in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 schematically shows a cross section of the bottom portion of the embodiment in Fig. 1 folded together to allow fastening to a carrier or support means for the disc holding device,

Fig. 5 schematically shows a side view of three disc holding devices according to Fig. 1 attached to a carrier surface, for instance the bottom of a compact disc carrier bag or storage case,

Figs. 6 and 7 schematically shows top views of other currently preferred embodiments of the holding device according to the invention,

Fig. 8 schematically shows a perspective view of a combination according to the invention of a carrier bag or case and a plurality of disc holding devices according to the invention,

Fig. 9 schematically shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of a disc holding device according to the invention, Figs. 10 and 10a schematically show perspective views of a combination according to the invention of a carrier or display case and one holding device according to Fig. 9 and three such holding devices, respectively,

Fig. 11 schematically shows a perspective, partly cut away view of a combination according to the invention of a carrier means in the form of a wall bracket and one or more disc holding devices according to Fig. 9,

Fig. 12 schematically shows an end view of a combination according to the invention of a carrier means in the form of a tubular body and one or more disc holding devices according to Fig. 9,

Fig. 13 schematically shows a perspective view of an even further embodiment of a disc holding device according to the invention,

Fig. 14 schematically shows a perspective view of a combination according to the invention of a carrier or display case and a holding device according to Fig. 13, and

Fig. 15 schematically shows a perspective, partly cut away view of a combination according to the invention of a carrier means in the form of a wall bracket and one or more disc holding devices according to Fig 13.

Referring now to Figs. 1-5, a compact disc holder generally indicated by the numeral 1 comprises two disc backing or carrier panels 2 and 3 of relatively stiff cardboard covered by flexible films 4 and 5 of plastic material on the top and bottom surfaces, respectively. The plastic films 4 and 5 connect the two backing panels 23 to each other by spanning the space between said panels.

Each panel 2 and 3 is provided with a circular aperture 6 and two lateral notches 7 for receiving an end-less elastic disc holding strip 8 and 9, respectively, that serves as a holding strip for compact discs arranged on both surfaces of a disc holding panel 2 or 3.

A compact disc 10 is shown arranged in the storage position on the top surface of the panel 3 held in place against movement in a direction transverse to the supporting surface of the panel 3 by the elastic strip 9 and in a direction parallel to said surface by friction between the disc 10 and the strip 9 at the region of the notch 7, where the angle indicated by arrows R1 in Fig. 3 is approximately 11 degrees when the distance from the centre of the aperture 6 to the proximal edge of the notch 7 is approximately 7.5 mm in the case of standard size compact discs having a diameter of approximately 119.6 mm.

Thus, when a standard compact disc is inserted in the position shown in Fig 1, it will be held securely in place in all directions.

In use, a compact disc may be inserted between the strips 8 and 9 on both the top and the bottom side of each panel 2 and 3, respectively, by inserting the bottom edge of the disc in the corresponding aperture 6 and thereby between the strip 8 or 9 and the corresponding surface of one of the panels 2 and 3, the coating of the panels with the flexible film 4 or 5 protecting the delicate readable surface of the compact disc from being scratched by sliding frictional contact with the surface of the panel in question.

Because of the circular shape of the outer contour of the panels and the location of the strips 8 and 9 relative to the apertures 6 and said outer countour it is very easy and convenient by means of two fingers of a hand to insert the disc and ensure that the disc is securely located within the periphery of the panel and thereby protected by said circular contour. To remove the compact disc is also easy and convenient by inserting a finger in the aperture 6 and the guide aperture of the disc, sliding the disc slightly outwards until two fingers can grip the edge and thereafter removing the disc by only holding unto the edge of the disc with said two fingers.

The holding device shown in Fig. 1 can hold four compact discs located on both surfaces of the panels 2 and 3 in positions corresponding to the shown position of the compact disc on panel 3.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the method of manufacturing the embodiment of Fig. 1 is illustrated. Two spaced strips of cardboard 11 and 12 are overlaid with flexible films 4 and 5 on each surface thereof such that the strips 11 and 12 are interconnected by the films 4 and 5.

Thereafter apertures 14 and notches 7 are provided by means of a suitable cutting tool or a die cutting step and portions 13 are cut away and panel pairs 3, 2 are separated from the rest of the panel pairs 3, 2 by cutting along lines 14 and 15. Finally, an endless or looped elastic strip 8 or 9 is pulled over the panels and inserted in notches 7, some of the notches 7 resulting from the apertures 14.

The panels 2, 3 may be made of other relatively stiff or rigid materials such as plastic or aluminum, and the films 4 and 5 may be substituted by other web materials such as textiles or small meshed net webs. The apertures 6 may have other contour shapes as long as the size thereof permits the easy insertion of a disc behind the strips 8, 9. The strips 8, 9 may be of any suitable material allowing the strips to exert a restraining force on the discs, and the width of the strips may vary just as the length between the fixation points of the strips 8, 9 may vary

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, a set of two panels 2 and 3 interconnected by films 4 and 5 are folded over each other as shown in Fig. 4 and are fastened to a carrier surface 16 by means of fasteners 17 attaching the films 4 and 5 to the carrier surface 16. The carrier surface 16 may be a bottom side wall of a carrier bag or carrier case, and the fasteners 17 in that case are stitches of thread stitched through the films 4 and 5 and a textile 18 applied to the bag side wall 17 (see Fig. 8).

To achieve storage of the compact discs with a minimum space requirement, the neighbouring panels 2 and 3 are staggered as shown in Fig. 5 such that the strips 8, 9 of adajacent panels do not abut each other, but are nested alongside each other such that the resulting distance between adacent compact discs 10 is equal to the thickness of one strip 8, 9 and not the thickness of two strips riding on each other.

Referring now to Fig. 6, a variant embodiment is shown having two panels 19 and 20 interconnected by films 4 and 5 applied to the surfaces of panels 19, 20, panel 20 being shown partially cut away as it is identical to panel 19. Each panel 19, 20 can store four compact discs. The strip 21 is endless and inserted in notches 7 at the free side edges of the panels, but in the middle of the panel the strip 21 is adhered at 21a to itself through an aperture 22. The adherence at 21a may be achieved by means of an adhesive or by heat sealing if the material of the strip allows heat sealing.

Referring now to Fig 7, a further variant embodiment is shown having a panel 22 that can store eight discs 10. Apertures 24 serve to allow fingers of a hand to insert and remove the two discs 10 located opposite the circular peripheries 14 of the panel 24. The panel 24 may be attached to an identical panel by means of films in a manner similar to Fig. 6, or it may be independent and have attachement means of another kind for attachment to storage or carrier means for multiple panels 24, for instance as desribed in the following.

Referring now to Fig. 8, a carrier case 25 having a zipper type closing means 26 and a bottom side wall 16 covered with textile 18 is provided with a plurality of sets of two panels 19, 20 according to Fig. 6. The panel sets 19, 20 are sown unto the textile 18 in the manner shown in Fig. 5. The embodiments shown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 7 may be combined with a suitably dimensioned carrier case in the same manner as shown in Fig. 8.

The stitches 17 may be substituted by non-releasable fasteners like rivets, screws, adhesives or heat sealing, or by releasable fasteners like snap fasteners, hook and loop fasteners or Velcro.

Referring now to Fig. 9, a further embodiment of a disc holding device according to the invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 30. This embodiment is in many ways similar to the individual panels 2 and 3 in Fig. 1, and similar elements have the same references. The main difference between the embodiments of Fig. 9 and Fig. 1 is the means of attachment to various carrier means. In Fig. 9 the attachment means comprise two projections each having two opposed notches 33 and an aperture or hole 34.

The projections 32 are intended for being inserted in slots in a surface of a carrier means such as a bracket, a back wall of a carrier case or a display case. One or both of the thin end edges of the slot in a plate of the bracket or case are intended to be received in the notches 33 so as to secure the projections 32 in the slot. The holes 34 are intended for receiving the ring of a ring binder so that a plurality of panels 31 may be stored in a ring binder. The holes 34 may also receive rods or rings mounted in carrier bags or on wall bracket, etc.

Just like the flexible film hinge 4, 5 of the embodiment of Fig. 1 , the projections 32 and/or holes 34 allow swivelling or pivoting of the disc holding panels around an edge thereof for allowing convenient view of a collection of compact discs held in a plurality of panels mounted in a carrier case or on a wall bracket etc. Referring now to Figs 10 and 10a, one and three holding devices 30, respectively, according to Fig. 9 are mounted in a conventionally configured transparent display or protection case 35 having a lid 36 pivotably hinged at 37 and provided with locking pins 38 for cooperation with locking apertures 39. The case 35 is provided with a hollow rear rib 40 provided with two or six slots 41 , respectively, for releasably receiving projections 32 of panel or panels 31. The wall thickness of the hollow or tubular rib 40 is such that the end edges of the slots may be received in notches 33 of projections 32 for releasably securing the projections 32 inside the slots 41.

Referring now to Fig. 11 , a bracket or hollow plate 42 is provided with an array of slots 43 for receiving the projections 32 of a plurality of panels 31 in a manner very similar to the hollow ribs 40 and slots 41 in Figs. 10 and 10a. The panels 31 may be inserted in rows as indicated in Fig. 11 or staggered for more convenient viewing of compact discs sorted and grouped according to price, performer or content type.

Referring now to Fig. 12, a hollow cylinder 44 is provided with not shown slots in which the projections 32 of a plurality of panels 31 are received. The cylinder 44 may be arranged with a horizontal axis with a base member 45 indicated with dotted lines, or the cylinder 44 may be oriented vertically so as to, in effect, constitute a column.

Referring now to Fig. 13, a panel 2 identical to panel 2 of Fig. 1 is connected to a narrow panel or rib 46 by the films 4 and 5 constituting a hinge portion between rib 46 and panel 2. In effect the panel 3 of Fig. 1 has been reduced in width to form the narrow rib 46.

The rib 26 is intended to function as a combined attachment means and hinge means (together with the area of the films 4 and 5 spanning the space between rinb 46 and panel 2) for attachment of the panel 2 to carrier means as exemplified in Figs 14 and 15.

Referring now to Fig. 14, a plate 47 is provided with a row of grooves 48 that are open at one end at the top of plate 47 and have a cross sectional profile such that a groove 48 comprises an inner portion 49 large enough to receive a rib 46 of the holding device of Fig. 13 and a narrower outer portion 50 adapted to receive the hinge portion 4, 5 of said holding device, but not as wide as the thickness of rib 46. Hereby, a plurality of holding devices according to Fig. 13 may be inserted in the plate 47, removed therefrom and viewed by swivelling the individual panels 2 around the corresponding hinge portion 4, 5.

Referring now to Fig. 15, a transparent display case 35 is provided with a rear rib 51 having a groove 48 open at both ends and having the same profile as groove 48 in Fig. 14. The insertion and removal of the holding device in the display case is hereby rendered easy and conventient.

The groove 48 in Figs 14 and 15 may be dimensioned such that the inner portion 49 may receive two ribs 46 while the narrowed portion 50 is wide enough to receive two hinge portions 4, 5 but not as wide as the thickness of one rib 46. Hereby two holding devices may be inserted in the same groove 48.

Persons skilled in the art will realize that many variations of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims are possible without departing from the scope of said claims.

The holding strip may for instance be applied to the support panels 2 and 3 in Fig. 2 by adhering a long length of a holding strip to each surface of the panel strips 11 and 12 at points corresponding to the apertures 14 and notches 13 such that the long length of holding strip is cut into individual holding strips attached to the surface of panels 2 and 3 at points corresponding to notches 7.

The term compact disc utilized herein and in the claims covers both compact discs for music content, for data content (e.g. CD-ROM discs) and for dvd video content.

Claims

1. A compact disc holding device comprising a substantially rigid panel having a planar surface adapted to support substantially the entire surface of at least one compact disc and a strip of flexible material fixated adjacent to said panel surface at two points along the length of said strip such that the compact disc may be inserted into a holding position between said panel surface and said strip and be held in said holding position by said strip.

2. A holding device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between said two points is smaller than the diameter of the compact disc and larger than two thirds of said diameter.

3. A holding device according to claim 2, wherein said distance is larger than nine tenths of said diameter.

4. A holding device according to claim 2, wherein said distance is in the range between 97% and 99% of said diameter.

5. A holding device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said strip has a width between 0.5 mm and 20 mm, preferably between 1 mm and 18 mm, even more preferably between 2 mm and 12 mm and most preferably between 3 mm and 8 mm.

6. A holding device according to any of the preceding claims wherein said strip is made of an elastic material.

7. A holding device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said panel has two opposed planar surfaces each adapted to support substantially the entire surface of a compact disc, a strip of flexible material being fixated adjacent to each of said opposed panel surfaces at two points along the length of said strip such that a compact disc may be inserted into a holding position between each of said panel surfaces and the corresponding strip and be held in said holding position by said corresponding strip.

8. A holding device according to claim 7, wherein said panel is configured with a periphery having a portion with a substantially circular contour substantially corresponding to a half circle with a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of said compact disc.

9. A holding device according to claim 8, wherein two notches are provided in said substantially circular periphery at points corresponding to said fixation points of said strip, the strip being an endles strip inserted in said notches and having a total length substantially equal to double the linear distance between said two notches.

10. A holding device according any of the preceding claims, wherein a disc insertion facilitation aperture is provided in said panel for facilitating the introduction of a compact disc between said strip and said panel surface, said aperture being located such that at least a portion of the width of said holding strip spans over a portion of the aperture.

11. A holding device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a coating strip of material such as plastic film or textile is applied to at least substantially the entire portion of said support surface of said panel covered by said compact disc when located in said holding position.

12. A holding device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein two of said panels are arranged in a co-planar mutually spaced relationship interconnected by a coating strip of material such as plastic film or textile covering substantially the entire surfaces of said panels facing in the same direction such that the region of the coating strip of material spanning the space between said two panels functions as a hinge means and/or attachment means for attaching said two panels to a carrier device.

13. A holding device according to any of the claims 1-11 , wherein one edge of said supporting panel is provided with one or more projections, preferably two spaced projections for attaching said panel inside a correspondingly configured slit of a carrier device.

14. A holding device according to claim 13, wherein each of said projections is provided with a hole for receiving the ring of a ring binder such that said supporting panel may be secured in a ring binder.

15. A holding device according to any of the claims 1-11 , wherein said panel is arranged in a co-planar mutually spaced relationship with a narrow strip or rib of rigid material and is interconnected with said narrow strip by a coating strip of material such as plastic film or textile covering substantially the entire surfaces of said panel and said narrow strip facing in the same direction such that the region of the coating strip of material spanning the space between said two panels functions as a hinge means while the narrow strip functions as an attachment means for attaching said panels to a carrier device by being received in a groove in said carrier means.

16. A combination of a compact disc holding device according to any of the claims 1- 15 and a carrier device for carrying one or more of said compact disc holding devices.

17. A combination according to claim 16, wherein the compact disc holding device is configured according to claim 12 and said carrier device is constituted by a carrier bag or case for carrying one or more of said compact disc holding devices, said holding device being fastened to a side wall of the carrier bag by non- releasable fastening means such as stitches of thread extending through said region of the coating strip and a surface portion of said side wall or by releasable fasteners such as snap fasteners or hook and loop fasteners.

18. A combination according to claim 16, wherein the compact disc holding device is configured according to claim 13 or 14 and said carrier device comprises a surface provided with one or more slits for receiving said projections and/or a ring or rod for being received in said hole.

19. A combination according to claim 16, wherein the compact disc holding device is configured according to claim 15 and said carrier device comprises one or more grooves for slidingly receiving said narrow strip or rib, said groove being open at one end for allowing sliding introduction of said strip in said groove.

20. A method of manufacturing a compact disc holding device and comprising the following steps: - providing two mutually spaced co-planar parallel strips of a relatively stiff material such as cardboard, plastic or aluminum, - applying a strip of flexible meterial such as plastic film, textile or the like over each of the two planar surfaces of said parallel strips facing in the same direction such that said strip of flexible material interconnects said parallel strips and preferably covers substantially the entire area of said planar surfaces.