Patent ID: 6659272
Filing Date: 2003-12-09
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A system for storing and transporting discs of predetermined thickness and diameter in disc-holding sleeves and holding accessory materials of predetermined sizes, comprising:an outside case of a generally flat, clamshell configuration having a lower tray-like body of preselected size formed by front, rear and side walls having free upper edges and a bottom wall and providing two side-by-side substantially identical storage areas, each of said storage areas being wider and longer than said predetermined diameter and deeper than a preselected multiple of said predetermined thickness so as to provide storage space larger than the space to be occupied by a number of discs equal to said predetermined multiple, and an upper cover for said body normally overlying said storage areas in a closed position and having front, rear and side cover edges adjacent to said front, rear and side upper edges; said body and said cover having rounded front and rear portions forming forward and rearward tapers and having flat sides providing bases for standing of the case in a book-like storage position; an upright internal front partition in said body spaced inwardly from said front wall and defining the front sides of said storage areas; rear guides extending forwardly from said rear wall and having front locating surfaces spaced a preselected distance from said front partition to determine the rear sides of said storage areas; upright side guides in said body disposed along the inner sides of said side walls and spaced a preselected distance apart to define the lateral sides of said storage areas; means for hinging the rear portion of said cover on the rear portion of said body for swinging clamshell fashion into an open position in which the body is generally horizontal and the cover is inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the body; means preventing swinging of said cover rearwardly beyond said open position; a latch connecting said cover to the front wall of said body in said closed position and selectively releasable for movement of the cover to the open position; at least one box-like disc container to be nested in one of said storage areas for holding a plurality of discs, said disc container having a preselected outside shape generally similar to the clamshell shape of said outside case and sized to fit snugly in said one storage area between said front partition and said rear guides and against one of said side guides thereof and spaced beneath the cover of said case; said disc container comprising a lower tray-like container body formed by upright rear and side walls having free upper edges and having a bottom and a substantially open front side, and a container cover normally overlying said container body in a closed position and having rear and side container cover edges adjacent to said rear and side container body edges, said container cover having a front wall curving downwardly to said container body and closing the front side thereof when the container cover is in the closed position; a rear partition in said container body spaced from said rear wall and having at least one locating surface spaced from said open front side a preselected distance that is greater than said predetermined diameter, whereby a stack of the discs in the disc-holding sleeves will fit into said container and lie between said rear partition and said front side of the container body; a retainer for securing a plurality of disc-holding sleeves to said container along said rear partition thereby to hold the discs in said disc container; and means for hinging the rear portion of said container cover on the rear portion of said container body for swinging clamshell fashion into an open position.