MXPA00000227A - Device for storing audio media and/or disk-shaped data media - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention pertains to a device in the form of a flat pack for storing diskettes, each of which is kept at a distance of the pack sides parallel thereto, while an ejecting mechanism comprising a steerable lifting device provided with an actuator mounted in one pack angle, which actuator can be accessed from outside and can move within the contour of the flat pack, as well as an ejecting member engaging into the storing space. Said ejecting member is interlocking with the contour of the diskette and can move from a first diskette position inside the storing space to a second diskette position enabling extraction of said diskette by hand out of the opening slot through at least one part of its data free central area.

Description

DEVICE FOR STORING AUDIO MEDIA AND / OR DATA MEDIA WITH DISC FORM DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an apparatus for the storage of sound carriers, disk-type, and / or data carriers in the form of disks, in particular compact discs, as is known in its basic representation of WO 93/16471 . An apparatus of this type has considerable advantages compared to the receiving containers for compact discs, which are predominantly in use at present, both with respect to handling as well as with respect to the space requirement, with respect to protection against damage Y regarding the cost and complexity of manufacturing and also the assembly. The object of the present invention is to further improve this storage apparatus and, in particular, to functionally improve it, to minimize manufacturing costs and to increase the scope of its application and uses The basic aspects of a suitable apparatus for satisfying this object for the storage of disc-type sound carriers and / or data carriers in the form of discs, in particular compact discs, are established in claim 1 of the patent 25 Although the flat housing, which adapts all the functional elements, it only has a very low weight, the data storage surfaces of the disc are ideally protected against damage, since the disc guides that are provided, ensure that the surfaces that will be protected do not come into contact with the flat housing or functional elements either in the storage position or during insertion or the disk removal process. This is, on the one hand, achieved through the lateral guide of consequential edge and supporting the disk via the functional elements, and, on the other hand, in that strips are provided of extended grade guide in the region of the insertion opening. This ensures that only one side-to-side contact between the disc and the curved grade strips can occur during those phases in which the guide elements have not yet fully received the disc. In this way, the surfaces that carry the data is always separated from all the mechanical components of the device and is also protected. The dual use of the strip arrangement provided on the side of the slot opening is of particular advantage, since a stop function on the removal of the disc is satisfied. flexible through this strip arrangement in addition to the guide and separation function. Since the mutual separation of the opposingly arranged strips is smaller in the region of the lateral slot ends than the thickness of the respective disc material, the desired stopping function results during the ejection of the disc and actually in such a way that these regions S ^^^^^^^^^^ s ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^. with the additional stop elements, which act on the peripheral side face of the disk, causing the disk to be stopped and taken to an immobilization during the ejection process that at least a part of the region of its central area free of The data is arranged outside the slot opening, so that it can be held manually and in this way can be removed comfortably and without contacting the region of that data. One embodiment of the invention, which is notable for its particular manufacturing economy, is characterized in that one of the flat sides of the housing is provided at the end that is away from the slot opening, with a cover surface attached thereto. in one part, in particular through film hinges, which can be pivoted on the flat side of the housing, while forming a flat spine part and can be fixed parallel to this other flat side of the housing. In this provision, the inner side of the pivotable cover surface and / or the outer side of the flat receiving side on which it engages, is formed as a receiver for information carriers, in particular for leaflets, as is also used in packages for Conventional CDs This solution, which can be done through injection molding at a favorable cost, basically can also be used when double or multiple boxes are going to be used. Said double or multiple boxes are preferably constructed, considering to achieve the highest degree of compact appearance, in such a way that the receiving wall, which adapts the ejection mechanism and the pivoting guide levers, respectively forms a middle part or a part disposed towards 5 in and exploded on the rear side as a cover wall for the flat housing lying at the bottom. In order to enable a non-hidden and individual ejection of individually received discs, the associated driving parts in this arrangement with the ejection mechanism are alternately deflected relative to one another and arranged in the corner housing regions lying away from the slot opening. An important special aspect for the diversity of use of the apparatus of the invention lies in the fact that the flat housing forming the basic box is provided on the opposite end face the slot opening with coupling elements, with a releasable connection of the respective basic box to the carrier members having complementary coupling elements, or a non-releasable connection without destruction, being possible through these coupling elements in a simple form, in particular via spring / lock connections. The carrier members may be, for example, pivotal covers for receiving one or more flat housing, storage supports, display units, support tanks, and the like. Other particular embodiments of the invention are set forth in the subordinate claims and will be explained in following description of the modalities with reference to the drawings, in which is shown: Figure 1, a schematic perspective illustration of a basic flat box in the final assembled state and also before the assembly of the cover part, Figure 2, an enlarged partial view of a corner region of a basic box in the region of the slot opening, Figure 3, a partly schematic illustration of a peripheral stopping device in the region of the slot opening of the basic box, Figure 4, a schematic perspective illustration to explain the construction of a double box, Figure 5, a schematic illustration of a basic box with an integrally molded cover surface before the final assembly, Figure 6, the embodiment of Figure 5 in the finished state, Figure 7, a schematic illustration to explain the coupling possibilities between a basic box and carrier elements, and Figure 8, a schematic illustration to explain the coupling of a basic box to an external package that resembles a book cover. Figure 1 shows in the upper part a flat assembly 1 fully assembled, that is, a basic box to receive a disk 2, which has a region that carries large area data ftwiifri. ^ p ^^ on one side or both sides of data-free edge regions as well as a data-free middle region 15. A drive part 3 is located in a corner region of the base box 1, which can be seen in detail in the illustration of the basic box not yet finally assembled. This illustration shows that the basic box 1 includes a lower housing wall 5 and an upper receiving wall 4, between which a receiving space for the disk 2 is provided after these two walls 4, 5 have been connected. The lower housing wall 4 and the super housing wall 5, in principle, can be connected to each other in any desired shape. Preferred spring-lock connections, welded plug connections or adhesive connections. Pivot guide levers 7 are provided for the disk 2 as well as an ejection mechanism comprising an ejector portion 6 and the drive part 3, in the lower housing wall 5. All these elements are executed in a flat construction form and preferably they consist of reusable material, in particular polypropylene, in exactly the same way as the two receiving walls 4, 5. The operating part 3 is pivotally mounted to the lower receiving wall 5 and is formed in one piece with the circular ejector part 6, which preferably has a receiving groove facing the disk 2 for the free data disk edge. This receiving U-shaped groove can also be slightly formed diverging towards the outside in order to promote safe reception of the disc 2 in the groove When compressing the driving part 3, which is always disposed within the profile of the flat housing 1, the ejection process for the disc is produced and, when a disc 2 is inserted in the flat housing 1, a return pivoting of the ejector part 6 towards the position shown in Figure 1 it is necessarily presented, where it is always in contact with a corresponding stop of the flat housing. The lateral pivoting guide levers 7 are preferably supported by a pin shaft with respect to the lower receiving wall 5 and are thus supported on the lower receiving wall 5 through a lateral supporting end so that at least not they can be substantially pivoted in the direction of the center of the housing. These guide levers pivotal 7 consist of a flexible material and have guide grooves for the disc 2, so that the pivotal levers 7 engage on the free data edge of the disc when the disc 2 is inserted. The free ends of the pivot levers 7 are preferably a little widened, that is, with a shape of funnel in order to ensure that the disc 2 passes during the insertion process towards the corresponding guide grooves of the levers 7, even when the disc 2 is inserted in the guide groove not totally parallel to the flat receiving plane. The length of the pivot guide levers 7 is thus selected that, on the one hand, the respective disk 2 passes at the point of time as close as possible to the guide grooves of the pivoting guide levers 7 during the insertion process, and on the other hand, that an automatic input effect is obtained, which results from the fact that as a result of the force of elastic restoration of the pivotal levers, which are initially brought to an extended position during the process of insertion of the disc, the disc is practically expelled by compulsion towards the housing after a specific degree of insertion and thus is brought to the ideally protected position. Figure 2 shows a corner region of the basic box 1 on the side of the slot opening, that is to say, in each case, a part of the lower receiving wall 5 and of the upper receiving wall 4, between which the lateral receiving wall 8 is extended, this wall being formed, as a rule, by corresponding projections of the upper and lower housing walls, with the slot opening 9 being defined for the reception of the disc 2. An upper strip 10 and a lower strip 11 respectively extend over the entire width of the slot opening at a small distance from the slot opening 9, the strips having a triangular shape in cross section, with their apices lying opposite one another. Through these strips 10, 11 a stop region 12 adjacent to the side receiving wall 8 is provided, since in this region the mutual separation of To ^ g the strips 10, 11 is a little smaller than the thickness of the disks 2. Towards the center of the slot opening 9, the spacing between the strips 10, 11 increases to a value that is greater than the thickness of the disc 2, and this distance is again reduced in an analogous manner to the opposite laterally accommodating side receiving wall. Through this design all of the above is achieved, in addition to the provision of lateral stopping regions 12, in which the disc 2 is always guided on its free data edges just the beginning of the insertion into the slot opening 9, and in this way any contact of data carrier regions by any of the components of the basic box is avoided. The dimension B is thus selected that is only fractionally larger than the thickness of the material of the disc 2 and its dimension is reduced towards the side receiving walls 8 continuously in such a way that a smaller size A with respect to the disc 2 is first achieved in the Stop region 12. Figure 3 shows a stopping element 4 of stop elements provided on both sides in the region of the slot opening 9, which are present in the form of an elastic spring element, preferably formed of a piece with the side receiving wall 8, and which act on the peripheral side face 13 of the disc 2. Said peripheral stop elements 14 may be provided either alone or preferably in combination with the stop regions explained in relation to the Figure 2. Figure 4 shows the basic representation of a double or multiple box arrangement. The basic principle of representation already explained with respect to Figure 1 remains unchanged, but a particularly compact narrow construction is achieved through the special design of the part disposed centrally or inwardly, which is respectively formed by a lower housing wall 5, and a high economy is obtained through dual use of this housing wall 5. For this purpose, this housing wall 5, which has the ejection mechanism 3, 6 and the pivoting guide levers 7, is formed on the rear side as a cover wall for the flat housing respective that lies below it and the drive parts 3 associated with the mechanisms of ejection associated with the ejection mechanisms are alternating and mutually offset in the corner housing regions lying away from the slot opening 9. In this way, the driving parts 3 can be individually actuated without mutual hindrance in both a double box like in a multiple box. Figure 5 shows a particularly important modality both with respect to the simplicity of the total representation and to the economic manufacture, which is suitable for both an individual box and a double or multiple box. 25 According to this modality, one of the flat sides of the * ^^^^^ - jf HI & *% L *** - * ± ~ * - * ^ »*** > The housing, in particular the lower flat side 5 of the housing, is provided at the end away from the slot opening 9, with a cover surface 19 joined in one piece through hinges of film 18, so as to obtains an arrangement resembling a cover of a book, through the flat spine portion 20 defined by two hinges of film 18. This arrangement can be achieved at a favorable cost as a result of the design of a part of the wall lower housing 6 and the cover surface 19 and opens the possibility, through the surface of cover 19 and the flat spine portion, to provide a structure corresponding to customary disk receiving containers with a pivoted lid, hinged through hinge connections, which makes it possible in a simple manner to provide reception regions for representations of word and image in inserted sheets or cards inserted and also for inforon brochures, in particular in the form of a brochure. Figure 6 shows the arrangement of Figure 5 in assembled, finished form, where it is evident that the required freedom of movement for the driving part 3 is provided through corresponding cuts in the lower housing wall 5 and in the cover surface 9 and that the flat spine part 20 can be used through the insertion of correspondingly printed sheets as a side of visible inforon, while the upper side of the cover part 4 or the side facing inward of the cover surface 9 can be ^ ÉO ^ ^^^^^^^^ Hj ^^^^? ^^^^? ^^^^^^^^^ formed as a receiving region for a brochure or inforon brochure 21. Fixing means are provided simple and also easily releasable between the cover surface 9 and the upper receiving wall 4, in order to enable a pivotal opening of the cover surface 19 and in this way have access to the corresponding inforon booklet 21. However, it is important that, in comparison to conventional CD packages, no form of pivoting opening processes is required when the CD is to be removed from the basic box or inserted into the basic box. Figure 7 shows a possibility, important in practice, of coupling a basic box 21 to a carrying member 25. For this purpose, the end face 22 of the basic box 1 is provided with coupling elements, in particular cuts 23, which are provided during manufacture and which allow a stable, releasable connection to a carrying member 25, or a connection, which is not releasably free of destruction. Different shapes can be considered for a carrying member 25. Figure 7 shows a design that resembles a filling strip, which allows retention in Leitz files or in corresponding lane arrangements. In the same way, a design is possible to be used in hanging tanks. In addition, the carrier member can be so designed that plug-in or coupling reception on storage carriers or display units is possible. Basically, you can -AlküÉ-H_lltteifi ^ j 8 ^ aig ^^ i ^ | present an adaptation to any of the desired known systems through this coupling possibility. Figure 8 shows an example for receiving the basic box 1 in the spine part 27 of a book type cap arrangement, in which pivoted covers can be formed to receive accompanying enclosures. The connection of the basic box 1 to the pivoted cover arrangement can be presented by forming the assembly 27 as a fastening assembly. However, the coupling principle explained with respect to Fig. 7 is also preferably used here. The pivoting lid arrangement allows in turn a single piece, simple manufacture of suitable material, in particular of transparent material, so that both the spine part 27, which has a cut for free handling of the part of actuation 3, as the surfaces of the pivotal cover can be exploited as a display region, and it is probably possible to use the usual information brochures in CD packages without changing them. All embodiments of the invention are characterized by their simplicity, compact appearance, trouble-free operability and additional high utilization both with respect to the display possibilities, with respect to disc protection or for extensive additional uses with respect to practical use.

Claims (6)

1. - An apparatus for the storage of disc-type sound carriers and / or data carriers in the form of discs, in particular compact discs, comprising a flat, substantially rectangular housing (1), in which a space is formed of accessible reception via a slot opening (9) on a narrow side of the housing, which is provided with at least mutually arranged and mutually arranged guide elements (7), which 10 receive, from side to side, the respective disk (2), which keep the disk (2) separated relative to the receiving surfaces (4, 5) parallel to the plane of the disk, and which are formed at least as pivotal levers (7) with circular shape of flexible material, which can be transferred by the disk to the extended position, and 15 also an ejection mechanism mounted in the housing (1) on the rear side opposite the slot opening (9), the ejection mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted lever arrangement having an actuating part (3), which is freely accessible in a corner accommodation region to 20 from the outside and can be moved within the profile of the flat housing, and having an ejector part (6), which engages in the reception space, with the ejector part acting on the outer periphery of the disk (2), and being mobile between a first position where the disk is located in the storage position inside 25 of the reception space and a second position where the disk ^ ^ ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ of its central free data region (15) is manually arranged outside the slot opening (9).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stop arrangement and guide strip (10, 11) is provided in the flat housing (11) adjacent to the slot opening (9), extends over the width of the slot opening (9) and consists of at least two mutually disposed and opposing strips, the mutual spacing of which in the central region of the slot opening (9) has a maximum that is greater than the thickness of the material of the disc (2) that will be received, and that the mutual separation of the strips oppositely disposed (10, 11) is reduced toward the ends of the slot, and is smaller in the region of the slot ends than the thickness of the material of the disc (2) that will be received.,

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the oppositely opposite strips (10, 11) have at least a substantially triangular shape in cross section and are arranged with their apexes opposed to each other.

4. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein elastic stop elements (14) are provided, in particular stop elements formed integrally with the housing (1), in the region of the slot opening (9). ) on the narrow sides (8) of the housing and act on the peripheral end face (13) of the respective disc (2).

5. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible pivoting guide levers (7) have at their ends, directed toward the slot opening (9), a reception and capture section (16) for the respective disc (2) that will be supplied.

6. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pivoting guide levers (7) are supported on pins (17) fixed relative to the housing, are guided between the upper and lower housing walls (4, 5) and are held in their basic position by a stop fixed to the housing. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein for the formation of a double box or a multiple box, the receiving wall (5), which receives the ejection mechanism (3, 6) and the pivoting guide levers (7) respectively form a middle part or a part disposed inwards, and is formed on the rear side as a cover wall for the flat housing lying beneath it, and the driving parts (3) associated with the ejection mechanisms are alternately offset from each other and arranged in the equine regions of accommodation arranged away from the slot opening (9). 8. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one of the flat sides (5) of the housing is provided at the far end of the slot opening (9), with a cover surface (19) attached to the same in a part, in particular through film hinges (18), which can be provided on the other flat side of housing (4) while forming a part of flat spine (20) and can be set parallel to the other flat side ( 4) of the housing and in particular can be fastened or enclosed with the latter in a releasable manner. 9. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inner side of the pivotal cover surface (19) and / or the outer side of the flat side (4) of the housing on which it engages is formed as a reception space for information carriers, in particular brochures. 10. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the height of the flat spine portion (20) determined by the position of the film hinges (18) is freely selectable and adaptable to double or multiple boxes. 11. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the flat housing (1) forming the basic box is provided on the end face (22) opposite the slot opening (9) with coupling elements ( 23), in particular in the form of depressions, and the housing (1) can be connected via these coupling elements (23) to carrier members (25), pivotal sleeves, external packages, hanging tanks, storage supports, display and the like 12 - The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the spring / lock closure connections releasably, or in a shape that can not be released without destruction, can be produced via the coupling elements (23). ). 13. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the region of the drive part (3) disposed in a housing depression is provided with an opening that is adapted to receive a blocking member, which blocks the drive part (3). 14. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein all the components consist of disposable and reusable material, in particular polypropylene.