Abstract:
A storage container having a cover and a disc base is disclosed. The storage container is used for storing information storage media. The cover of the storage container has a locking element used to wrappedly engage a locking mechanism positioned on the disc base. When the locking mechanism is engaged in the locking element, the storage container is securely locked. In order to separate the cover and the disc base, the connecting part has to be broken. Accordingly, the storage container is lockable and prevents the information storage media disposed therein from being stolen.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is related to a disc storage container for storing information storage media, and particularly, to a lockable disc storage container for storing information storage media in disc format. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    A disc storage container is a container for storing information storage media. The disc storage container has the space for storing various numbers of discs for storage for customers&#39; purchase convenience. A lot of discs are stored inside the disc storage container for selling on the market. 
         [0005]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which shows a conventional disc storage container  10 . The conventional disc storage container  10  has a base  12  and a cover  14 . The base  12  is a disc-shaped object for holding the discs. A cylindrical shaft  16  is at the center of the disc base  12 , and is to extend inside the cover  14 . The cylindrical shaft  16  is high enough to be inserted through a center hole of discs for holding quantities of discs on the base  12 . The cover  14  is hollow in the center which is capable of holding specific quantities of discs, and has an opening at the bottom thereof. The cover  14  includes a plurality of locking projections  18  formed at the bottom of the cover  14 . The locking projections  18  are to be engaged with a plurality of locking grooves  19  disposed at the edge of the base  12 . After the cover  14  is placed over and on the base  12 , the cover  14  is fastened to the base  12  by means of rotating the cover  14  on the base  12  that shifts and engages the locking projections  18  into the corresponding locking grooves  19 . 
         [0006]    However, when the disc storage container  10  and the discs stored therein are kept in stores as when sold in the market, the base  12  and the cover  14  can be separated apart easily by means of rotating the cover and shifting to disengage the locking projections  18  out of the locking grooves  19 , because the cover  14  is only fastened by simply inserting the locking projections  18  into the locking grooves  19 . This is why those information storage media inside the disc storage container  10  may be easily taken out. The conventional disc storage container  10  cannot prevent information storage media displayed therein from being stolen. Some merchants wrapped over the disc storage container  10  with a plastic film  21 , but the plastic film  21  can be torn off easily. For this reason, the present invention provides a lockable disc storage container to replace conventional disc storage containers, and to overcome the drawbacks thereof. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]    The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of one or more aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention, and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention, nor to delineate the scope thereof. Rather, the primary purpose of the summary is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
         [0008]    It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a disc storage container, and particularly, to provide a lockable disc storage container that overcomes drawbacks of the conventional disc storage container. 
         [0009]    According to the present invention, a lockable disc storage container for information storage media in disc format is provided. The lockable disc storage container has a disc base for holding information storage media, and a cover which is configured to engage with and fitted over the disc base. The disc base includes at least a coupling groove disposed at the edge of the disc base, a cylindrical shaft positioned at the center of the disc base, and a locking mechanism disposed at the top of the cylindrical shaft. The cover of the lockable disc storage container has at least a coupling projection corresponding to the coupling groove at the edge of the disc base, and a locking element disposed at the center of a top surface of the cover to wrappedly engage with the locking mechanism disposed at the top of the cylindrical shaft. 
         [0010]    Accordingly, the lockable disc storage container of the present invention is locked when the locking mechanism of the disc base is securely wrapped by the locking element of the cover. Subsequently, the locking mechanism has to be broken, and then the cover and the disc base can be separated apart. As a result, the lockable disc storage container of the present invention is capable of preventing accidentally opening, and also preventing information storage media from being stolen. 
         [0011]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a conventional disc storage container. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  are schematic diagrams illustrating a lockable disc storage container including a disc base and a cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6  are schematic diagrams illustrating the mechanisms and method to lock the cover to the disc base and the mechanisms and method to separate apart the locked cover from the disc base. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which components with substantially the same functions are identified by the same reference numeral for the sake of simplicity. It should be noted, however, that the present invention is in no way limited to the following illustrative embodiments. 
         [0016]    Please refer to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , which are schematic diagrams illustrating a lockable disc storage container which includes a disc base  22  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) and a cover  24  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The disc base  22  is made of a plastic material for holding a variety of information storage media in disc formats, such as CDs, VCDs, or DVDs. The shape of the disc base  22  may be customized, and is not limited to the disc-shaped disc base  22  as shown in  FIG. 2 . A circular collar  25  is disposed close to the edge of the disc base  22 . The collar  25  may be in continuous circular form as shown in  FIG. 2  or to be composed of a plurality of discontinuous portions disposed around the edge of the disc base  22  (not shown). The disc base  22  includes three coupling projections  261 ,  262 ,  263  separately disposed around the edge of the disc base  22 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The disc base  22  has a cylindrical shaft  28 , which is formed with the disc base  22 , installed at the center of the disc base  22 , and is to be positioned inside the cover  24 . The cylindrical shaft  28  is to be inserted through a center hole of information storage media. The length of the cylindrical shaft  28  may be varied depending on the number of information storage media to be packed, or the height of the cover  24  of the disc storage container. A locking mechanism  30  is positioned at the top of the cylindrical shaft  28  of the present invention. The locking mechanism  30  includes a bolt  32  and at least a breakable connecting part for break-off. For instance, the bolt  32  is connected to the top of the cylindrical shaft  28  by a plurality of break-off connecting parts  341 ,  342 . In addition, the bolt  32  is has a semicircular shape when viewed from the top. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cover  24  of the disc storage container is made of a plastic material. The cover  24  is in a cylindrical-shape and is hollow in the center, and has an opening at the bottom; the inside portion of the cover  24  comprise of space capable of containing a particular quantity of information storage media. The height of the cover  24  is matched with the length of the cylindrical shaft  28 , in which the length of the cylindrical shaft  28  may be varied depending upon the number of information storage media intended to be packed. At least a coupling projection is formed along the outer wall at the bottom of the cover  24  adjacent to the opening of the cover  24 . For example, three coupling projections  361 ,  362 ,  363  are disposed on the outer wall of the cover  24 ; the coupling projections  361 ,  362 ,  363  are corresponded to the coupling grooves  261 ,  262 ,  263  formed on the disc base  22  respectively, as shown in  FIG. 3 . However, the number of the coupling projection(s) and of the coupling groove(s) may not be limited to those shown in  FIG. 2  or  FIG. 3 , and may be adjusted depending upon requirements. The cover  24  has a locking element  38 , which is to be engaged with the locking mechanism  30  at the top of the cylindrical shaft  28 , located at the center of the cover  24 . The locking element  38  includes an abutting projection  39  which is of an integrated design with the cover  24 , and comprising a concave trough-shape in contrast with the top surface of the cover  24 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the abutting projection  39  of the present embodiment is in a shape of a quarter-circle block. However, the shape of the abutting projection  39  is not limited to it. The size and the shape may be modified, and may be matched with the bolt  32  of the disc base  22 . 
         [0018]    Please refer to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 , which are schematic diagrams showing the mechanisms and method for locking the cover  24  to the disc base  22 , and the mechanisms and method for separating apart the cover  24  from the disc base  22  when locked.  FIG. 5   a  and  FIG. 6   a  are top view schematic diagrams of the disc storage container  20 ; and  FIG. 5   b  and  FIG. 6   b  are lateral view schematic diagrams of the disc storage container  20 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the cover  24  is capped on and fitted onto the disc base  22 , the inner sidewall of the cover  24  at the bottom at the opening is positioned around the outside of the circular collar  25 , and the locking mechanism  30  of the disc base  22  is fittedly inserted into the locking element  38  of the cover  24 . The locking element  38  includes a locking head  40  and a locking neck  42 . The size of the locking head  40  is fit with the bolt  32  of the locking mechanism  30 . In order to facilitate the locking element  38  engage in the locking mechanism  30 , a shape of the neck  42  thereby also matches with the shape of the bolt  32 . After the disc base  22  is covered and fitted by the disc cover  24 , the disc storage container  20  is locked by pushing the cover  24  into the disc base  22  with a proper force, as shown in  FIG. 5   b . The bolt  32  positioned at the top of the cylindrical shaft  28  slides along the inner wall of the neck  42  of the locking element  38  into the locking head  40  of the cover  24 . The bottom of the bolt  32  is snugly abutted to the bottom&#39;s inner side of the locking head  40 , and the bolt  32  is firmly stuck inside the locking head  40 . Therefore, the cover  24  and the disc base  22  cannot be separated apart easily. Referring to  FIG. 5   a , the abutting projection  39  of the locking head  40  is inserted into an occupying space between the semicircular-shaped bolt  32  and the locking head  40 . Since the quarter-circle block abutting projection  39  is positioned in the occupying space between the semicircular-shaped bolt  32  and the locking head  40 , the abutting projection  39  is able to rotate within the occupying space (occupying a half-circle). For tightening together the cover  24  and the disc base  22 , the cover  24  or the disc base  22  may be rotated; for example, the cover  24  of the present preferred embodiment is rotated in a clockwise direction for inserting the coupling projections  361 ,  362 ,  363  into the coupling grooves  261 ,  262 ,  263 , while the disc base  22  is in a fixed position as shown in  FIG. 5   a  and  FIG. 5   b . Therefore, the cover  24  and the disc base  22  are firmly locked, and the joint strength between the cover  24  and the disc base  22  is strengthened. 
         [0019]    Please refer to  FIG. 6   a  and  FIG. 6   b . When taking out the information storage media (not shown) stored in the disc storage container  20 , the cover  22  may be separated from the cover  24  by rotating the cover  24  in a counterclockwise direction. The coupling projections  361 ,  362 ,  363  are slid out of the coupling grooves  261 ,  262 ,  263 . At the same time, the abutting projection  39  of the cover  24  is abutted against the bolt  32  and using the rotating force to push against the bolt  32  for twisting the connecting parts  341 ,  342  to break off the connecting parts  341 ,  342  between the cylindrical shaft  28  and the locking head  40 . Consequently, the connecting parts  341 ,  342  are broken off for separating the bolt  32  from the cylindrical shaft  28 . Therefore, the separated bolt  32  is left in the locking head  40  of the cover  24 . 
         [0020]    The disc storage container  20  of the present invention utilizes the locking element  38  of the cover to wrappedly engage with the locking mechanism  30  of the disc base  22 . The bolt  32  of the locking mechanism  30  is firmly stuck in the locking head  40  for the purpose of locking the cover  24  and the disc base  22 . Those with intention to take out the information storage media from inside the disc storage container  20  must rotate the cover  24  or the disc base  22  to twist and break off the connecting parts  341  and  342  for separating the cover  24  from the disc base  22 . In addition, the destroying of the assembling of the cover  24  and the disc base  22  is irreversible. The destroying of the cover  24  and the disc base  22  may notify purchaser that the disc storage container  20  has been opened. It is impossible to take out the information storage media inside the disc storage container  20  without damaging or destroying the locked cover  24  and the disc base  22 . Consequently, the disc storage container  20  of the present invention is capable of preventing being stolen. 
         [0021]    According to aforementioned preferred embodiment, the quarter-circle block abutting projection is engaged and matched with the semicircle-shaped bolt. However, the shape of the bolt and the abutting projection may not be limited to the above-mentioned preferred embodiment. The size or the shape of the abutting projection may be modified as long as the abutting projection has a proper contact surface between the abutting projection and the bolt for pushing the bolt and rotating the cover to break the contacting parts between the bolt and the cylindrical shaft. In addition, the quantity and the size of the coupling projection(s), the coupling groove(s), or the break-off connecting part(s) may be modified depending upon requirements, but are not limited to those shown in above-mentioned preferred embodiment. 
         [0022]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.