Patent ID: 7428968
Filing Date: 2008-09-30
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A one-piece, injection-molded case for optical storage discs, said case comprising: a spine; a front cover coupled to said spine via a first living hinge; and a back cover coupled to said spine via a second living hinge; wherein said case, when in a closed configuration, has generally semi-cylindrical sidewalls, including upper and lower sidewalls, a spine sidewall, and a closure sidewall, which intersect in generally quarter-spherical corners; wherein a flexible, polymeric sleeve wraps around the spine sidewall and is bonded to an edge of the closure sidewall on an outer surface of said front cover and to an edge of the closure sidewall on an outer surface of said back cover, said flexible, polymeric sleeve covering major portions of said front cover, said back cover, and said spine, and said flexible, polymeric sleeve is displaced from the upper and lower semi-cylindrical sidewalls by at least an amount equal to the diameter of the sidewalls; wherein said first live hinge is positioned at a first quarter of the spine sidewall, and said second live hinge is positioned at a third quarter of the spine sidewall such that the front cover, back cover and spine lie in a common plane when the case is in a open configuration and the front cover incorporates about one-fourth of the spine sidewall, the spine incorporates about one-half of the spine sidewall, and the back cover incorporates the about one-fourth of the spine sidewall; and wherein said spine is rounded having a generally quarter cylindrical shape, and said spine has curved upper and lower edges which fit into corresponding cutouts in the upper and lower sidewalls, respectively, when the case is in a closed configuration, a first half of each of said cutouts being incorporated in the front cover and a second half of each of said cutouts being incorporated in the back cover.