Abstract:
A method and system for repairing a play surface of a compact disc. The system comprises a rotary drill, an attachment for removably engaging a compact disk thereto such that the play surface is exposed and at least one abrasive substance. The compact disc is rotated at a predetermined rotational rate whereupon the at least one abrasive substance is uniformly applied to the play surface. Additionally at least one polish may be uniformly applied to the play surface while the compact disc is rotating at the predetermined rotational rate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 60/239,388, filed Oct. 11, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    Optically-read digital storage and play-back media, such as laser disks, compact audio disks, digital video disks, CD-ROMS (read only memory), and others, hereinafter cumulatively referred to as compact disks (CDs), are essentially various layers of plastic covering which protect a reflective foil coating. The foil coating may be configured to store a wide variety and quantity of digital information which may be optically read through the use of laser light.  
           [0005]    Protecting the information containing foil is one or more layers of protective plastic, such as polycarbonate, through which the laser is passed in order to read the information stored on the foil.  
           [0006]    As is well known to anyone who has used CDs, the play surface of the protective plastic layer is relatively easy to scratch or otherwise mar through routine handling and use. Quite often a scratch or other surface impairment may prevent proper laser transmission and/or reflection thereby resulting in the inability to read the CD or which ay cause improper retrieval of information from the CD.  
           [0007]    The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for rendering a D which has been rendered unreadable or only partially readable due to the presence of one or more surface imperfections on the play surface, readable by repairing and/or polishing the play surface of the CD. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method of repairing the play surface of a CD wherein a specialized CD mounting attachment is used to removably secure the CD to an electric rotary drill or similar device, which in turn rotates the CD at high speed, whereupon a polishing and/or filling agent may be applied to the CD surface with a soft material.  
           [0008]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0009]    Numerous apparatus and methods exist for repairing damaged play surfaces of CDs. For Example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,510; U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,179; U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,343 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,852 all disclose various apparatus and methods for cleaning and/or reconditioning CDs. All of the aforementioned references share a common drawback in that they all describe fairly complex stand alone devices which the average consumer would be unlikely to purchase or have access to. The devices described each require that a CD be inserted into the device whereupon the respective devices modify the play surface of the CD in accordance with their various disclosures.  
           [0010]    Another prior art method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,388. The &#39;388 reference describes a method for repairing a CD which utilizes one or a series of progressively abrasive means to selectively abrade the area of the CD surface around the cite of a scratch. A drawback to such progressive abrasion is that it may be labor intensive in that abrading only a portion of the CD may require fine manipulation of the CD and the abrasion means.  
           [0011]    The present invention overcomes the shortcomings described above by providing a inexpensive and readily obtainable system for repairing CD&#39;s which abrades and polishes the entire CD play surface, which may also fills in scratches on the play surface thereby restoring the readability of the CD.  
           [0012]    The entire content of all patents listed within the present patent application re incorporated in their entireties herein by reference.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    The present invention may be directed to numerous embodiments. In at least one embodiment the invention provides for a method of repairing and/or polishing a CD by removably engaging a CD, which has its play surface exposed, onto a specialized adhesive mounting surface which is in turn engaged to an electric rotary drill. The drill is used to rotate or spin the CD at relatively high rotational speed. As the CD is spun, an abrasive liquid and/or polish is applied to the play surface by application of a cloth or other application means. The cloth has the abrasive liquid and/or polish thereon. The cloth is pressed against the play surface as the CD rotates, to ensure uniform application of the abrasive and/or polish to the play surface.  
           [0014]    The high speed rotation of the CD and the contact of the cloth thereagainst provide a heating and buffing action to the CD surface which helps to provide the desired uniform abrasion and filling in of any scratches on the play surface.  
           [0015]    In at least one alternative embodiment of the invention an abrasive paper or other material may be applied to the CD play face prior to the application of the liquid abrasive.  
           [0016]    In at least one embodiment of the invention the abrasive paper has a grit of approximately 400 or higher.  
           [0017]    In at least one embodiment of the invention the abrasive liquid and polish are combined together.  
           [0018]    In at least one embodiment of the invention multiple abrasive materials are subsequently applied to the play surface. For example a first material may be applied to the rotating play surface, wherein the first abrasive material is approximately 400 grit or more. Subsequent applications of abrasive materials having a finer grain, for example 1200 grit.  
           [0019]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, a suitable polish may be applied to the CD play surface subsequent to the application of the abrasive material.  
           [0020]    In at least one embodiment of the invention a wax is applied to the CD play surface.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawings in which:  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is a perspective partially exploded view of an embodiment of the components of the inventive system; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a compact disk shown after treatment with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there are described in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated.  
         [0025]    As may be seen in FIG. 1, the present invention may have a number of components which when combined provide for the unique system and method of repairing scratched CDs as discussed above. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the CD repairing system, indicated generally at reference numeral  10 , which includes as its primary components a drill  12 , an attachment tool  14 , an application cloth  18  and an abrasive/polishing liquid  20 . When these and other optional components are combined and used in the manner described herein the system  10  provides a consumer with a unique, low cost alternative to existing CD repair methods and devices.  
         [0026]    The drill  12  may be a household or professional grade, single speed or variable speed electric drill. Other devices may be substituted for the drill such as a DREMEL™ or other device capable of providing high speed rotation.  
         [0027]    The attachment tool  14 , is a substantially disk shaped attachment which may be engaged to the drill to provide a surface upon which a CD  22  may be removably engaged thereto. An example of the attachment tool  14  is product referred to as a universal back-up pad available from the Ace Hardware Corporation. The attachment tool may be provided with a number of shapes and sizes. Preferably the tool  14  has substantially the same or somewhat greater diameter than the diameter of the CD  22 . In the embodiment shown, the attachment tool  14  is engaged to the drill by a bit  24  having a substantially hollow threaded inner portion  26 . A threaded screw  28  is passed through a first support washer  30 , through a central opening  31  in the tool  14 , through a second support washer  32  and finally threaded and engaged into portion  26  of the bit  24 . Numerous alternatives of the tool  14  exist. Such alternatives may include single piece disk and bit assemblies or other types of assemblies. Such assemblies may be readily substituted for the attachment tool presently shown.  
         [0028]    In at least one embodiment of the invention, the attachment tool  14  includes a mounting surface  34  which may be characterized as having adhesive qualities, or which may have an adhesive applied thereto. The adhesive or adhesive quality of the mounting surface  34  must be such that when a CD  22  is adhesively engaged to the mounting surface  34  it may be removed from the mounting surface  34  without causing damage to the CD  22  which is removably engaged thereto. Preferably, no adhesive residue will remain on a CD subsequently removed from the mounting surface  34 .  
         [0029]    Alternatively, the mounting surface  34  does not include an adhesive. In such an embodiment an alternative means of removably mounting the CD  22  to the mounting surface  34  may be provided by positioning the CD  22  between the first support washer  30  and the mounting surface  34 . In such an embodiment the screw  28  is initially passed through the washer  30  then through the open center  36  of the CD  22 , then through the remaining portions of the tool  14  and associated components as previously described.  
         [0030]    Once the CD  22  is engaged to the mounting surface  34 , the drill  12  may be “turned on” so that the CD  22  is rotated at a high speed. The drill  12  should rotate the CD  22  at a rate between approximately 800 and 2500 rpm. However, it should be noted that other speeds may be used, though repair results to the CD may vary.  
         [0031]    Once the CD  22  is being rotated at the desired speed, an application means such as a cloth  18  may be applied to the rotating play face  42  of the CD  22 . If the play face  42  has fairly deep scratches, such as are indicated by reference numeral  44 , an abrasive substance  20  is applied to the play face. If the scratch(es)  44  are particularly deep it may be desirable to first apply sandpaper  50  of  400  grit or more to the play face  42  in order to reduce the thickness of the play face  42  so that the scratch may be more readily abraded by an abrasive substance  20 .  
         [0032]    Preferably the abrasive substance  20  is a commercially available liquid abrasive/polish suitable for use on plastics. An example of such a liquid is available form the 3M Corporation, sold under the name 3M One Step Cleaner Wax. Other substances or combinations of substances which may be used as the abrasive substance  20  include, waxes, polishes and cleaners. It should also be noted that multiple applications of one or more substance may be made to the play face  42 . For example, where scratches are particularly deep an abrasive compound such as 3M Heavy Cut Polishing Compound may be applied to the play surface  42 , followed by one or more additional abrasives, polishes or cleaners.  
         [0033]    As indicated, an abrasive, polish, cleaner and/or other substance as well as combinations and subsequent applications are represented by substance  20 , which in all cases is applied to the play surface of the rotating CD  22  with an application means such as cloth  18 . The cloth  18  is preferably composed of 100 percent cotton, though other materials may be used. The user, indicated generally at reference numeral  48 , presses the cloth  18  and associated substance  20  against the rotating play face  42 . Preferably the user  48  applies a uniform pressure to the CD  22 . The pressure supplied by the user  48  provides a frictional interaction between the cloth  18  and the play surface  42  which may cause the play surface to heat up. The heating of the play surface  42 , helps to more readily abrade material off of the play surface  42 , especially those portions of the surface which comprise the scratches  44 .  
         [0034]    In addition to abrading material of the play face  42  in order to reduce scratch  44  depth, where the substance  20  includes or is a polish, the polish will fill in the remaining depth of the scratch to provide a CD  22  with a play surface  42  which is substantially unimpaired such as may be seen in FIG. 2.  
         [0035]    In addition to being directed to the specific combinations of features claimed below, the invention is also directed to embodiments having other combinations of the dependent features claimed below and other combinations of the features described above.  
         [0036]    The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims.  
         [0037]    Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim 1 should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below.