US20080017533A1

US20080017533A1 - Disk container

Info

Publication number: US20080017533A1
Application number: US11/488,082
Authority: US
Inventors: Shu-Chi Hong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-18
Filing date: 2006-07-18
Publication date: 2008-01-24

Abstract

A disk container for holding disks includes a base which has a post to run through the disks and a hood mounting onto the base. The post has an anchor end. The hood has a retaining zone which has an opening insertable by the anchor end. The retaining zone holds a movable member through a coupling means. The movable member has a latch notch engageable with the anchor end to form an anchoring relationship at a first position. The movable member may be moved to a second position where the latch notch escapes the anchor end to release the anchoring relationship. Thereby the hood can be anchored or removed easily through a simple operation. Use convenience improves. The entire container is formed with the same diameter. Transportation and storing are easier.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a disk container and particularly to a disk container that has a hood and an anchoring structure for the hood.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

R.O.C. patent publication No. 510354 entitled “Improved structure for optical disk containers” discloses an optical disk container that has a base for holding a plurality of optical disks in a stacking manner and a hood to cover the base to protect the stacking optical disks.
The base has two to three jutting hooks on the peripheral rim that are directed sideward in the same direction (namely all in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction) and have a latch trough. The base has a loading end on the top side to hold the stacking optical disks. The loading end has an anchoring hole in the center to couple with a vertical post to run through the center opening of the optical disks. The hood is hollow and corresponding to the stacking optical disks. It has a plurality of latch flanges extended horizontally on the peripheral rim of a bottom end opening that can be turned clockwise or counterclockwise to latch on the jutting hooks of the base to hold and anchor the optical disks coupled on the vertical post.
As the stacking optical disks are quite heavy, and the hood and the base are latched by the latch flanges and jutting hooks in a thin and shallow engagement. The hood and base are easily disengaged when subject to an inadvertent impact of external forces. As a result, the optical disks held inside often drop and scatter during carrying or use.
Moreover, during transportation the optical containers often are stacked up and down in multiple layers. Latching sideward through the bottom rim of the base and hood has to form the base with a larger diameter than the hood. The total occupied space is greater. This makes transportation and storing more difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention is to provide a disk container that has a base with a post mounted thereon and a hood to form an anchoring relationship to facilitate fastening or removing of the hood and form a secure anchoring between the hood and the base to prevent the hood from escaping the base upon impact.
It is another object of the invention to reduce the space occupied by the disk container by providing a hood anchoring means such that the base and hood are formed with the same diameter thereby to facilitate transportation and storing.
To achieve the foregoing objects, one embodiment of the invention includes a base, a post mounted onto the base to run through disks that has an anchor end, and a hood coupling on the base that has a retaining zone. The retaining zone has an opening insertable by the anchor end and is coupled with a movable member through a coupling means. The movable member has a latch notch and can be selectively moved to a first position to engage the latch notch with the anchor end to form an anchoring relationship and a second position to disengage the latch notch with the anchor end to release the anchoring relationship. Thereby the hood can be anchored or removed through a simple operation to improve use convenience. Moreover, the base and hood are designed with the same diameter to reduce total space occupied by the disk container to facilitate transportation and storing.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are various top views of an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are sectional views of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 1 for an embodiment of the invention. The disk container of the invention aims to hold disks (not shown in the drawing). It includes a base 10 which has a post 20 mounted thereon to run through the disks. The post 20 has an anchor end 21 which has two flanges 22 on a distal end and a shrunk retaining portion 23 between the flanges 22 formed at a diameter smaller than the flanges 22 to provide latching and anchoring functions for the anchor end 21. A hood 30 is provided which has a retaining zone 31 (referring to FIG. 2). The retaining zone 31 has an opening 32 insertable by the anchor end 21. The retaining zone 31 holds a movable member 40 through a coupling means. The coupling means may include a detent portion 311 formed on side walls of the retaining zone 31 to allow the movable member 40 to be moved in the retaining zone 31 without escaping. The movable member 40 has a coupling aperture 42 to receive the anchor end 21 and a latch notch 41 communicating with the coupling aperture 42. The movable member 40 has a jutting force exerting portion 43 on each of two ends thereof.
Refer to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C for the top views of the invention in various use conditions. The movable member 40 may be selectively moved to a first position where the latch notch 41 is coupled with the anchor end 21 (as shown in FIG. 3A). Thereby the hood 30 and the post 20 form a secure anchoring relationship (referring to FIGS. 3B and 4A). The movable member 40 may also be moved to a second position where the latch notch 41 is moved away from the anchor end 21 to release the anchoring relationship (referring to FIG. 3C). Then the coupling aperture 42 of the movable member 40 is freed from the harness of the anchor end 21, thus the hood 30 can be removed from the base 10. The retaining zone 31 further has a ridge 33 located respectively corresponding to the first and second positions, while the movable member 40 has respectively a positioning boss 44 on a lower side of two ends thereof. Thereby the positioning boss 44 forms a latch engagement with the ridge 33 at the first and second positions (referring to FIG. 4B) to enable the movable member 40 to form a secure anchoring at the first and second positions. Such a design also generates a crisp click to confirm switching of the first and second positions for the movable member 40.
Refer to FIG. 5 for another embodiment of the invention. The retaining zone 31 of the hood 30 further has a dust cap 34 above the opening 32. The dust cap 34 can run through the coupling aperture 42 of the movable member 40. The dust cap 34 also has a slot 341 on each of two sides to allow the latch notch 41 of the movable member 40 to pass through and latch on the anchor end 21 of the post 20.
By means of the construction set forth above, the post 20 of the base 10 and the hood 30 can form an anchoring relationship to facilitate anchoring or removal of the hood 30, also provide a secure anchoring for the hood 30 on the base 10. Thus the hood 30 does not easily escape from the base 10 when subject to impact. In addition, the base 10 and the hood 30 are formed with the same diameter. Hence the entire space of the container can be reduced to facilitate transportation and storing.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A disk container for holding disks, comprising:

a base which has a post to run through the disks, the post having an anchor end;

a hood which has a retaining zone, the retaining zone having an opening insertable by the anchor end; and

a movable member which is located on the retaining zone through a coupling means and has a latch notch;

wherein the movable member is selectively movable to a first position where the latch notch is coupled with the anchor end to form an anchoring relationship and to a second position where the latch notch escapes the anchor end to release the anchoring relationship.

2. The disk container of claim 1, wherein the anchor end has two flanges on a distal end of the post and a shrunk retaining portion between the two flanges to form the coupling with the latch notch.

3. The disk container of claim 2, wherein the retaining portion has a diameter smaller than that of the flanges.

4. The disk container of claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes a detent portion located on sides walls of the retaining zone to prevent the movable member from escaping the retaining zone.

5. The disk container of claim 1, wherein the movable member has a coupling aperture to receive the anchor end, the coupling aperture communicating with the latch notch.

6. The disk container of claim 5, wherein the retaining zone further has a dust cap above the opening to pass through the coupling aperture.

7. The disk container of claim 1, wherein the movable member has a jutting force exerting portion on each of two ends thereof.

8. The disk container of claim 1, wherein the retaining zone has a ridge corresponding respectively to the first position and the second position, the movable member having a positioning boss on a lower side of each of two ends thereof to be engaged with the ridge to form an anchoring relationship.