WO2004102572A1

WO2004102572A1 - Container for discs such as cd-recordables

Info

Publication number: WO2004102572A1
Application number: PCT/NL2004/000302
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wilhelmus Cornelis Maria Naber
Original assignee: Naber Plastics B.V.
Priority date: 2003-05-16
Filing date: 2004-05-04
Publication date: 2004-11-25
Also published as: EP1625588A1; NL1023446C2

Abstract

A container for CDs (10) comprises a tray (20) for partially receiving the CDs (10), which tray (20) comprises a bottom (21) and upright walls (22). A holding strip (23) having upright portions (24) is present on the bottom (21) of the tray (20). A portion of every CD (10), which is placed in the tray (20), ends up between two successive upright portions (24). The tray (20) is designed such that a CD (10) in an upright position can freely be inserted into the tray (20), and that a circumferential surface (13) of the CD (10) in a tilted position, in which the CD (10) is tilted with respect to the upright position, contacts an inner surface (25) of the tray (20). It is possible for the CDs (10) to assume a tilted position on two sides of the upright position, so that a user can easily search through the CDs (10).

Description

Title: Container for discs such as cd-Recordables

The present invention relates to a container for discs having two main body surfaces and a circumferential surface, in particular optical registration discs having a circular circumference.

In practice, optical registration discs are applied for all kinds of purposes, and, as a consequence, are available in various embodiments. Two types of optical registration discs are writable optical registration discs and pre-recorded optical registration discs . Known examples of writable optical registration discs are cd- Recordables (abbreviated to CD-R) and cd-ReWritables (abbreviated to CD-RW) . Known examples of pre-recorded optical registration discs are CD-Audio, DVD and CD-ROM. In the various names of optical registration discs, the abbreviation "CD" stands for the term "compact disc". In the following, for the sake of convenience, this abbreviation shall be applied to indicate the entire collection of optical registration discs. It is assumed that the design of CDs is generally known, wherein it will be clear that the main body surfaces of a CD comprise a front surface of the CD and a back surface of the CD.

In practice, various types of containers for discs such as CDs are known. For example, one type of container, which is designed for receiving CD-Rs, comprises a bottom and a spindle which is attached to the bottom, and which extends perpendicular to the bottom. CD-Rs to be received by the container are moved over the spindle in the direction of the bottom, wherein the spindle extends through the central hole of the CD-Rs. Furthermore, the container comprises a cap which is suitable to be positioned over the spindle and the CD- Rs, and to be connected to the bottom.

The container as described in the preceding paragraph has a number of important disadvantages . A first disadvantage is the fact that the CD-Rs can not be taken out of the container in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spindle. Because of this, only the CD-R which is furthest from the bottom can be taken out of the container without it being necessary to take other CD-Rs out of the container as well. For the purpose of taking out the other CD-Rs, i.e. the CD- Rs which are located between the bottom and the CD-R which is furthest from the bottom, it is always necessary to remove at least one CD-R from the spindle and place it back again. It is bothersome to a user to be obliged to displace at least one other CD-R when he desires to take a certain CD-R out of the container.

A second disadvantage is the fact that it is bothersome to a user to verify which CD-Rs are inside the container. This disadvantage plays a role when the user has recorded CD-Rs and uses the container for storing the recorded CD-Rs. Usually, indications of recorded CD-Rs are exclusively arranged on the front surface of the CD-Rs . In order to be able to look at the front surface of a CD- R in the container, different from the CD-R which is furthest from the bottom, it is necessary to create a considerably large distance between the front surface of the CD-R and the back surface of an adjacent CD-R. For that purpose, a user needs to displace at least one CD-R, or even temporarily remove that at least one CD-R from the spindle.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a container for discs, in particular optical registration discs, which does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages, but which is easy to use instead, and which additionally can be easily filled. The objective is achieved by means of a container, comprising: a receiving member for partially receiving the discs, wherein at least a portion of an inner surface of the receiving member is designed to come into contact with a portion of a circumferential surface of a disc to be received; a holding member which is positioned inside the receiving member, and which is adapted to holding a relatively small portion of the discs with respect to the receiving member; wherein the shape and the dimensions of both the receiving member and the holding member are adapted to the shape and the dimensions of the discs to be received, in such a way that each disc to be received has a certain space of movement in the receiving member, which space of movement is limited by the holding member and the inner surface of the receiving member. The container according to the present invention has a receiving member for partially receiving discs, as well as a holding member for holding a relatively small portion of the discs with respect to the receiving member. According to an important aspect of the present invention, the shape and the dimensions of both the receiving member and the holding member are adapted to the shape and the dimensions of the discs to be received, in such a way that each disc to be received can assume several positions in the receiving member, wherein the range of the positions is limited by the holding member and an inner surface of the receiving member. In other words, the container is arranged such that when a disc is placed in the container, this disc has a limited space of movement, wherein the disc is capable of moving between extreme positions of rest, in which a relatively small portion of the disc is held by the holding member, and wherein a portion of the circumferential surface contacts at least a portion of the inner surface of the receiving member .

The container according to the present invention offers many advantages with respect to known containers, including the container having the spindle as described in the above. An important advantage is connected with the space of movement between the extreme positions of rest of the discs, which is offered by the container according to the present invention. Because of this, a user is capable of leafing through the discs, as it were, by moving them one by one from one extreme position of rest to another extreme position of rest. In this way, it is easy for the user to look for a disc and to find that disc.

The present invention will be explained in more detail on the basis of the following description of a preferred embodiment of a container according to the present invention with reference to the drawing, in which equal reference signs indicate equal or similar components, and in which: figure 1 diagrammatically shows a front view of a CD; figure 2 diagrammatically shows a side view of the CD as shown in figure 1; figure 3 diagrammatically shows a perspective view of a container according to the present invention, which container is filled with

CDS; figure 4 diagrammatically shows a top view of a tray of the container as shown in figure 3 ; figure 5 diagrammatically shows a longitudinal section of the tray of the container as shown in figure 3, as well as a number of CDs in various positions; figure 6 diagrammatically shows a cross-section of the tray of the container as shown in figure 3, as well as a front view of a CD in an upright position; and figure 7 diagrammatically shows a cross-section of the tray of the container as shown in figure 3, as well as a front view of a CD in an extreme position of rest .

Figures 1 and 2 diagrammatically show a CD 10. The CD 10 comprises two main body surfaces 11, 12, wherein one main body surface comprises a front surface 11 of the CD 10, and wherein another main body surface comprises a back surface 12 of the CD 10. The main body surfaces 11, 12 of the CD 10 have a circular circumference, and extend substantially parallel with respect to each other. A curved circumferential surface 13 is present between the main body surfaces 11, 12. Furthermore, the CD comprises a circular central hole 14.

Figure 3 shows a container 1 according to the present invention. The shown container 1 is only one of the many embodiments which are possible within the scope of the present invention. The container 1 comprises a tray 20 for partially receiving CDs

10 and a cover 30 for closing the tray 20. The tray 20 comprises a bottom 21 and upright walls 22. A suitable material for both the tray 20 and the cover 30 is plastic. Preferably, the cover 30 is manufactured from a transparent material, so that it also possible for a user to see the content of the tray 20 when the cover 30 is in a completely closed position. In figure 3, the cover 30 is depicted in a position which is between the completely closed position and a completely opened position.

The cover 30 can be designed as a separate component, which is only placed on top of the tray 20 when the tray 20 needs to be closed. For example, it is also possible that the cover 30 is pivotably connected to the tray 20, as is the case in the example shown in figure 3. The cover 30 is no essential component of the container 1 according to the present invention, and, consequently, can be omitted.

As shown in figure 4, in the tray 20, on the bottom 21, a holding strip 23 is present, which comprises a number of upright portions 24. For the sake of clarity, in figure 4, the tray 20, the holding strip 23 and the upright portions 24 are only diagrammatically depicted, and not drawn to scale. When a CD 10 is placed in the container 1, a portion of the CD 10 is positioned between two successive upright portions 24. The mutual distance of the upright portions 24 is adapted to the thickness of the CDs 10, in such a way that, on the one hand, no more than one CD 10 can be placed between two successive portions

24, and that, one the other hand, the CDs 10 received in the tray 20 are located between two successive portions 24 with some play.

The upright portions 24 do not so much serve to prevent a tilting movement of the CDs 10 with respect to a position in which the main body surfaces 11, 12 extend substantially perpendicular to the bottom 21 of the tray 20, which will hereinafter be referred to as upright position. On the contrary, according to an important aspect of the present invention, CDs 10 which are present in the container 1 according to the present invention are allowed to perform a limited tilting movement. In view of this important feature of the container 1 according to the present invention, the height of the upright portions 24 is relatively small with respect to the diameter of the CDs 10. The upright portions 24 particularly serve for providing the portion of the CDs 10 which is present between two successive upright portions 24 with a rather fixed position with respect to the tray 20.

The height of the upright portions 24 is so small that, in case no further measures are taken, the container 1 is not capable of holding a CD 10 positioned between two successive upright portions 24. Without further measures, under the influence of gravity, the CD 10 would tilt with respect to the upright position to such an extent that the contact between the CD 10 and the upright portions 24 would be lost. In order to prevent an excessive tilting with respect to the upright position, according to an important aspect of the present invention, a distance between two opposite upright walls 22 of the tray 20 is adapted to the dimensions of the CD 10 in such a way that at a certain tilting angle with respect to the upright position, the circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 contacts an inner surface 25 of the tray 20, at the position of the upright walls 22. The position which is assumed by the CD 10 at said tilting angle is a position of rest, in which a main body surface 11, 12 of the CD 10 contacts an upright portion 24, and in which a portion of the circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 contacts the inner surface 25 of the tray 20, at the position of the upright walls 22. Starting from the upright position, the CD 10 can move in two directions. Consequently, two extreme positions of rest exist.

A number of various positions which can be assumed by a CD 10 in the container 1 is shown in figures 5-7. For the sake of clarity, in these figures, the CDs 10 and the shown components of the container 1 are only diagrammatically depicted, and not drawn to scale.

Figure 5 shows the upright position of a CD 10 in the tray 20, wherein the main body surfaces 11, 12 of the CD 10 extend substantially perpendicular to the bottom 21 of the tray 20. The upright position of the CD 10 is an unstable position which can not be maintained, unless a user holds the CD 10 in this position, for example between two fingers, or by exerting a light pressure to the circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 with one finger, in the direction of the bottom 21 of the tray 20.

The tray 20 and a CD 10 in the upright position are also depicted in figure 6. In this figure, it can be seen that, in the upright position, the CD 10 does not contact the inner surface 25 of the tray 20. Furthermore, figure 5 shows two extreme positions of rest, which can be assumed by a CD 10 in the tray 20 of the container 1. The extreme positions of rest are stabile positions, which are maintained because, in this position, the CD 10 rests against both an upright portion 24 and the inner surface 25 of the tray 20, at the position of the upright walls 22. In figure 5, it can be seen that a main body surface 11, 12 of a CD 10 which is in an extreme position of rest contacts an upright portion 24.

The tray 20 and a CD 10 in an extreme position of rest are also depicted in figure 7. In this figure, it can be seen that, in the extreme position of rest, the circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 contacts the inner surface 25 of the tray 20, at the position of the upright walls 22.

As already noted in the foregoing, a portion of a CD 10 which is placed in the container 1 is positioned between two successive upright portions 24. The CD 10 can freely be inserted into the tray 20 of the container 1, until the circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 touches the holding strip 23. Advantageously, the CD 10 is inserted in the upright position. The inner surface 25 of the tray 20 offers a CD 10 in this position enough space for being inserted into the tray 20 and contacting the holding strip 23. When a user or a machine releases the CD 10 after having inserted it into the tray 20, the CD 10 will move from the upright position to an extreme position of rest. During this movement, the position at which the circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 contacts the holding strip 23 does not or hardly change. The CD 10 performs a tilting movement until the circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 contacts the upright walls 22 of the tray 20. At that point, the CD 10 has assumed a stabile extreme position of rest. Starting from this position, the CD 10 is not capable of tilting any further. Instead, the CD 10 can only move back, in the direction of the upright position and another position of rest. The space of movement of the CD 10 in the tray 20 is determined by the space which is present between the two extreme positions of rest .

In an advantageous manner, a user of the container 1 can make use of the fact that in the container 1, a CD 10 can be moved from the one extreme position of rest to the other extreme position of rest, via the upright position. When a number of CDs 10 is placed adjacent to each other in the tray 20, a user can look at the front surface 11 of each CD 10 by moving the CDs 10 one by one from the one extreme position of rest to the other extreme position of rest. By doing so, the user can leaf through the CDs 10, as it were, in a manner which is comparable to leafing through a book.

The container 1 according to the present invention also offers the advantage that CDs can be easily placed in the container 1 and easily taken out from the container 1. The tray 20 of the container 1 offers sufficient space for receiving the CDs 10, wherein it is necessary to accurately position the CDs 10. For example, the CDs 10 can be inserted into the tray 20 in an upright position, but also in a position which deviates therefrom, within certain limits which are determined by the size of the space of movement which is offered to the CDs 10 by the tray 20. The CDs 10 can be inserted without touching the inner surface 25 of the tray 20, but that is not necessary. As a result of the design of the inner surface 25 of the tray 20 and the position of the holding strip 23, the CDs 10 always arrive at the right place in the tray 20. The fact that in inserting the CDs 10 in the tray 20 it is not necessary to accurately position the CDs 10 is particularly advantageous in mechanical filling of the tray 20. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples discussed above, but that several amendments and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .

For example, the inner surface 25 of the tray 20 can be shaped differently than the manner shown in the figures. The cross-section of the inner surface can for example be formed as a portion of an ellipse. With respect to the shape of the inner surface 25 of the tray 20, it is important that the CDs 10 can be positioned in an upright position in the tray 20 without touching the inner surface 25. Furthermore, it is important that the shape of the inner surface 25 is such that the circumferential surface 13 of the CDs 10 touches the inner surface 25 at at least two points when the CDs 10 are tilted over a certain tilting angle with respect to the upright position.

As a result of the design of a CD 10 having a circular circumference, the dimension of the width of the CD 10 at a certain distance from the bottom 21 of the tray 20 is dependent of the tilting angle with respect to the upright position. When the distance with respect to the bottom 21 of the tray 20 is smaller than the radius of the CD 10, it is true that the dimension of the width of the CD 10 increases when the tilting angle increases. In the container 1 as shown in the figures, a handy application of this feature of the CD 10 is realized. In case of a suitable design of the inner surface 25 of the tray 20, no further measures are needed for holding the CD 10 in a tilted position when a portion of the CD 10 is in the holding strip 23. For example, it is not necessary that the inner surface 25 is provided with projections or the like for supporting the CD 10 by means of contact with a main body surface

11, 12 of the CD 10.

The container 1 can be arranged for receiving all kinds of discs and providing the discs with a limited space of movement, wherein a portion of the disc is positioned between two upright portions 24 of the holding strip 23, and wherein, at a certain tilting angle with respect to an upright position, a circumferential surface of the disc contacts the inner surface 25 of the tray 20, and is held in an extreme position of rest in this way. The container 1 according to the present invention is particularly suitable for receiving discs of which the dimension of the width at a certain distance from the bottom 21 of the tray 20 is dependent of the tilting angle with respect to the upright position in such a way that the dimension of the width of the discs increases when the tilting angle increases, as is the case with CDs 10. It is not necessary for the holding strip 23 to be continuous and to extend along the entire length of the bottom 21 of the tray

20. The holding strip 23 can be interrupted at some places, so that the discs can be placed in portions in the tray 20. Furthermore, the holding strip 23 can be arranged such as to not only be suitable for receiving discs, but also, for example, for receiving indication leafs which are arranged between the discs to facilitate searching through the discs. In a simple embodiment, the holding strip 23 simply comprises a number of ribs that is arranged on the bottom 21 of the tray 20, wherein the ribs form the upright portions 24 of the holding strip 23.

Within the scope of the present invention, instead of applying a holding strip 23 having upright portions 24, it is also possible to take other measures for preventing the CDs 10 from shifting along the bottom 21 of the tray 20. For example, a strip of foam rubber or another suitable material can be arranged on the bottom. It is also possible that the material of the bottom 21 is roughened or is even rough enough itself for holding a relatively small portion of the CDs 10. When the design of the inner surface 25 is such that, in an extreme position of rest, the CDs 10 touch the inner surface 25 with their circumferential surface 13 at the position of their central line, the CDs 10 will not be inclined to shift at the position of the contact with the bottom 21 in the extreme positions of rest. In that case, the bottom 21 can even be smooth, and, in the extreme positions of rest, at least a portion of the bottom 21 can still function as holding member for holding a relatively small portion of the CDs 10 with respect to the tray 20.

Advantageously, the container 1 does not only offer space for receiving discs and possibly also indication leafs, but also, for example, for a pen with which a user can write on the CDs 10. For example, it is possible that the cover 30 is designed in such a way that it comprises a recess at the outer side for receiving and holding such a pen.

The container 1 can be applied as a transportation package for a number of discs, for example CD-Rs or CD-RWs. In that case, the discs can be introduced into the market in combination with the container 1. The container 1 is greatly suitable to be applied for storing discs such as CDs 10, especially due to the fact that the discs can easily be searched through in the container 1 and can be easily inserted into the container 1 and taken out of the container

1 again.

Thus, the present invention provides a container 1 for CDs 10, which comprises a tray 20 for partially receiving the CDs 10, which tray 20 comprises a bottom 21 and upright walls 22.

On the bottom 21 of the tray 20, a holding strip 23 having upright portions 24 is present. A portion of every CD 10 which is placed in the tray 20 ends up between two successive upright portions 24. The tray 20 is designed such that a CD 10 in an upright position can freely be inserted into the tray 20, and that a circumferential surface 13 of the CD 10 in a tilted position, in which the CD 10 is tilted with respect to the upright position, contacts an inner surface 25 of the tray 20. In this tilted position, the CD 10 also contacts an upright portion 24 of the holding strip 23.

It is possible for the CDs 10 to assume a tilted position on two sides of the upright position, so that a user can easily search through the CDs 10, and can easily insert the CDs 10 in the container 1 and easily take the CDs 10 out of the container 1.

Claims

1. Container (1) for discs (10) having two main body surfaces (11, 12) and a circumferential surface (13) , in particular optical registration discs (10) having a circular circumference, comprising:

- a receiving member (10) for at least partially receiving the discs (10) , wherein at least a portion of an inner surface (25) of the receiving member (20) is designed to come into contact with a portion of a circumferential surface (13) of a disc (10) to be received;

- a holding member (23) which is positioned inside the receiving member (20) , and which is adapted to holding a relatively small portion of the discs (10) with respect to the receiving member (20) ; wherein the shape and the dimensions of both the receiving member (20) and the holding member (23) are adapted to the shape and the dimensions of the discs (10) to be received, in such a way that each disc (10) to be received has a certain space of movement in the receiving member (20) , which space of movement is limited by the holding member (23) and the inner surface (25) of the receiving member (20) .

2. Container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface (25) of the receiving member (20) is adapted to exclusively coming into contact with the circumferential surface (13) of a disc (10) to be received, at two positions.

3. Container (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member (23) is adapted to holding the relatively small portion of the discs (10) with play.

4. Container (1) according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the holding member (23) comprises stop members (24) , wherein at least a portion of each stop member (24) is designed to come into contact with a relatively small portion of a main body surface (11, 12) of a disc (10) to be received.

5. Container (1) according to claim 4, wherein the mutual distance between two successive stop members (24) is such that it is only possible to place exclusively one disc (10) between two successive stop members (24) .

6. Container (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member (23) comprises friction means, which are arranged to hold the relatively small portion of the discs (10) on the basis of friction.

7. Container (1) according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the receiving member (20) comprises a bottom (21) and upright walls (22) , and wherein a distance between two opposite upright walls (22) is adapted to the dimensions of the disc (10) to be received, in such a way that at a certain tilting angle with respect to an upright position of the disc (10) , the circumferential surface (13) of the disc (10) contacts the inner surface (25) of the receiving member (20) , at the position of the upright walls (22) , wherein an upright position of the disc (10) is defined as a position in which the main body surfaces (11, 12) of the disc (10) extend substantially perpendicular to the bottom (21) of the receiving member (20) .

8. Container (1) according to claim 7, wherein the holding member (23) extends along the bottom (21) of the receiving member (20) .

9. Container (1) according to any of claims 1-8, further comprising a cover (30) for closing at least a portion of the receiving member (20) which is designed to receive the discs (10) .

10. Assembly of a container (1) according to any of claims 1-9 and at least one disc (10) such as an optical registration disc which is positioned in the receiving member (20) of the container (1) .