Holder for compact discs

• US 5,887,713 A
• Filed: 10/11/1996
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paramount Nursery Packaging Company
• Original Assignee: Ultrapac, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Jeffrey M., Anderson, Steven R., Smith, Richard F., Smith, Judie K.
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSTER, JIMMY G
• Application Number:
  US08/729,534
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 206/303, 206/307, 206/307.1, 206/308.1, 206/310, 206/311, 206/493
• US Class Current: 206/308.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/0427 comprising centre hole locking means

Abstract

A holder for removably supporting a compact disc or other object with a hole in the center. The compact disc is supported by at least two arms which are held on a flexible step. The arms have an outwardly extending protrusion which holds the compact disc in place. When it is desired to remove the disc the arms are pressed from above and they hingedly move together and cause the compact disc to pop upwardly from the arms.

Claims

1. A holder (10) for removably supporting a compact disc (11) of the type having a circular center opening (12), an upper surface (13) and a lower surface (14) and an outer peripheral edge (15), said holder (10) comprising:

a compact disc support step (16) extending upwardly from a support step base (17), said support step (16) having an upper surface (18) and a lower surface (19);

at least three compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) extending upwardly from said compact disc support step (16), said support arms (20, 21,

     22) being centered about a single support arm central axis (23), the group of said support arms comprising;

a compact disc support ring (24) centered about said central axis (23), said compact disc support ring extending upwardly with respect to said compact disc support step (16), said compact disc support ring having an upper terminus (25), said compact disc ring having an outer surface (26);

a compact disc restraining portion (28) extending away from the outer surface of said compact disc support ring, said restraining portion (28) having a remote edge (29);

a guide ring (30) extending upwardly from said remote edge (20) and also extending toward said single support arm central axis (23), said guide ring (30) lying along imaginary circles having a minimum diameter (d) and a maximum diameter (D), said imaginary circles centered about said single support arm central axis (23), said guide ring (30) extending toward said single support arm central axis (23) as it extends upwardly from said remote edge (29) of said compact disc restraining portion (28) to an edge closer to said central axis (23) each of said compact disc support arms having a portion which extends downwardly generally in the direction of said compact disc support step (16) and terminating in an inner floor (32) each of said compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) also terminating in two end walls (33,34) extending centrally from said compact disc supporting ring to an end wall base (35), said inner floor (32) and each of said end wall bases (35) being positioned nearer said single support arm central axis (23) as compared to said outer edge (29) of the compact disc restraining portion (28) so that the compact disc restraining portion (28) can flex both downwardly and hingedly toward the single support arm central axis (23) as the compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) are pushed downwardly and the downward flex is elastically restrained by the inner floor (32) and by the compact disc support step (16) and said holder (10) is free of any members which move upwardly before the downward movement of the compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) is stopped.

2. The holder of claim 1 wherein there is a downwardly protruding dimple (36) formed in the inner floor (32) centered about the central axis (23).

3. The holder of claim 1 wherein there is a groove (37) formed in the inner floor (32) extending from the central axis (23) to the compact disc support ring 24.

4. The holder of claim 1 wherein said holder is vacuum formed from rigid polyvinyl.

5. The holder of claim 1 wherein each guide ring (30) is generally frusto-conical in shape and terminate in a generally flat outer surface (38).

6. A holder (10) for removably supporting a compact disc (11) of the type having a circular center opening (12), an upper surface (13) and a lower surface (14) and an outer peripheral edge (15), said holder (10) comprising:

an outer floor (30) having an upper surface (40) and a lower surface (41);

a compact disc support step (16) extending upwardly from said outer floor (39) and supported by a peripheral wall (42) which extends from a support step base (17) to a peripheral wall upper edge (42), said support step (16) having an upper surface (18) and a lower surface (19);

at lease two compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) extending upwardly from said compact disc support step (16), said support arms (20, 21,

     22) being centered about a single support arm axis (23), the group of said support arms comprising;

a compact disc support ring (24) centered about said central axis (23), said compact disc support ring (24) extending upwardly with respect to said compact disc support step (16), said compact disc support ring have an upper terminus (25), said compact disc support ring having an outer surface (26);

a compact disc restraining portion (28) extending away from the outer surface of said outer rim, said restraining portion (28) having an outer edge (29);

a guide ring (30) extending upwardly with respect to said outer edge (29) of said compact disc restraining portion and also extending toward said single support arm central axis (23), said guide ring (30) lying along imaginary circles having a minimum diameter (d) and a maximum diameter (D), said imaginary circles centered about said single support arm central axis (23), said guide ring (30) extending toward said single support arm central axis (23) as it extends upwardly from said outer edge (29) of said compact disc restraining portion (28) to an inner surface (31) each of said compact disc support arms having a surface which extends downwardly facing the central axis (23) generally in the direction of said compact disc support step (16) and terminates in an inner floor (32), each of said compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) also terminating in two end walls (33,

     34) extending downwardly to an end wall base (35), said inner floor (32) and each of said end wall bases (35) being positioned nearer said single support arm central axis (23) as compared to said outer edge (29) of the compact disc restraining portion (28) so that the compact disc restraining portion (28) can flex both downwardly and hingedly toward the single support arm central axis (23) as the compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) are pushed downwardly and the downward flex is elastically restrained by the inner floor (32) and by the compact disc support step (16) and the compact disc support step flexes downwardly from the upper edge (43) of the peripheral wall (42) and the compact disc is inelastically restrained from downward movement by contact with the upper edge (43) of the peripheral wall (42) and said holder (10) is free of any members which move upwardly before the downward movement of the compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) is stopped.

7. The holder of claim 6 wherein said outer floor (39) includes a plurality of support ribs (44) extending away from said peripheral wall.

8. The holder of claim 7 wherein said support ribs (44) have an upper surface (45) which tapers from an inner edge (46) near the upper edge (43) of the peripheral wall (42) to an outer edge (47) near the surface (40) of the outer floor (39).

9. The holder of claim 8 wherein there are eight support ribs.

10. A holder (10) for removably supporting a compact disc (11) of the type having a circular center opening (12), an upper surface (13) and a lower surface (14) and an outer peripheral edge (15), said holder (10) comprising:

a base (17);

a compact disc support step (16) extending from the base (17) to displace the disc (11) from the base (17);

at least three compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) extending from said compact disc support step (16), said support arms (20, 21,

     22) being centered about a single support arm central axis (23), each of said at least three support arms comprising;

a compact disc center opening support portion (24) on an outer surface of said support arm, said compact disc center opening support portion displaced from said compact disc support step (16), said compact disc center opening support portion (24) having an upper terminus (25) and an outer surface;

a compact disc restraining portion (28) extending away from the outer surface of said compact disc center opening support portion (24), said restraining portion (28) having a remote edge (29);

a compact disc central opening guide and arm camming portion (30) near an outer terminus of said support arm and adjacent said compact disc restraining portion (28) to cause said arms to move toward said single support arm central axis (23) when a compact disc is pressed over said compact disc central opening guide and arm camming portion (30);

each of said compact disc support arms having a portion which extends downwardly facing and extending toward said single support arm central axis (23) and toward said base (17) and terminating in an inner floor (32), said inner floor (32) being positioned nearer said single support arm central axis (23) as compared to said compact disc restraining portion (28) so that the compact disc restraining portion (28) can flex both toward said base (17) and hingedly toward said single support arm central axis (23) as said at lease three support arms (20, 21,

     22) are pushed downwardly and the downward flex is elastically restrained by the inner floor (32) and by the compact disc support step (16) and said holder (10) is free of any members which move upwardly before the downward movement of the compact disc support arms (20, 21,

     22) is stopped.

11. A process for removing a compact disc (11) having a central opening with an opening surface from a holder (10), the holder (10) having a center resilient post comprising a plurality of support arms (20, 21, 22) with a top and central opening surface contact means (24) with protrusions (28, 30) thereon above said central opening surface contact means (24) and a compact disc support step (16), below said compact disc adjacent said plurality of support arms, the plurality of support arms (20, 21, 22) projecting away from said compact disc support step (16), said process comprising:

pressing downwardly on the top of the plurality of resilient support arms (20, 21,

     22) as the support floor (16) keeps the disc (11) from moving downwardly to cause the plurality of support arms (20, 21,

     22) to move downwardly and toward each other sufficiently to cause the disc to pop up above said compact disc support step (16) without the exertion of any upwardly directed movement of any member outside of the center resilient post; and

removing the loose compact disk (11) from the center resilient post (20, 21,

     22).

12. The process of claim 11 wherein there are three support arms (20,21,22).

13. The process of claim 11 wherein the compact disk (11) is restrained from moving downwardly during said pressing downwardly step by a support member (43) closer to the central opening of the compact disk than to an outer peripheral edge of said compact disk.