Videotape cassette case opener, and method of using it

An opener for a videotape cassette case of the type having a body and a cover hinged to the body, the body and cover presenting two parallel spaced-apart flanges when the case is closed. The opener includes a rigid element, which may be a flat plate, having a shoulder portion wider than the spacing between the case flanges when the case is closed, the shoulder portion tapering toward a nose portion which is narrower than the spacing between the case flanges when the case is closed. A closed videotape cassette case is opened by inserting the nose portion of the opener into one end of the space between the flanges and moving the case with respect to the opener so as to bring the shoulder portion between the flanges to urge the flanges apart. Continued movement of the case with respect to the shoulder portion of the opener causes the flanges to progressively separate from each other so as to pry the cover from the body and thereby open the case. The opener is mounted on a stationary surface so that the case can be opened simply by running the side of the case presenting the flanges along the opener.

This invention relates to container openers, and more particularly to an 
opener for a videotape cassette case. 
When videotapes are rented from videotape rental establishments, such as 
video stores and libraries, the video-tape cassette is placed into a 
plastic case so as to protect it. The patron transports the cassette home 
and returns it within the protective case. These cases are designed to 
snap shut very tightly so as to guard against accidental opening of the 
case which might permit the cassette to fall out and become damaged. 
In order to permit the case to be opened, the body of the case, and the 
cover hinged to it, are sized so that they present two parallel flanges 
which can be grasped and pulled apart to swing the cover away from the 
body so as to open the case. However, despite the presence of the flanges, 
videotape cassette cases are quite difficult to open. For the patron, this 
difficulty may amount to nothing more than a nuisance and an occasional 
broken fingernail. However, to employees of video rental establishments, 
who must open as many as thousands of these cases each month, the 
difficulty in prying open videotape cassette cases represents a serious 
problem, involving not only broken finger nails, but bruised fingers, 
sprained wrists, and tendinitis. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a videotape cassette 
case opener which avoids the need for prying such cases open by hand. 
It is another object of the invention to provide such an opener which 
permits a videotape cassette case to be opened while holding the case in 
just one hand. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide such an opener which can 
be permanently mounted on a stationary support surface, such as a wall, 
desk top, or counter top, and which will be unobtrusive when so mounted. 
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such an opener which 
is simple to use, and easy to manufacture on a mass-production basis. 
Concomitantly, it is an object of the invention to provide a method of 
opening a videotape cassette case by simply running the side of the case, 
opposite the cover hinge, along the opener of this invention. 
Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from 
the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying 
drawings.

A typical videotape cassette case 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a 
plastic box including a back wall 11, side walls 12, and end walls 13. The 
walls 11, 12, and 13 comprise the body of the case 10 into which a 
cassette is placed. In this connection, one or two positioning hubs 14 
usually project into the interior of the case and are accommodated by the 
holes in the tape spools within the cassette. Hinged at 16 along the free 
edge of one of the side walls 12 is the case cover 15. 
Back wall 11 is larger than the area circumscribed by case walls 12 and 13, 
so that a margin of back wall 11 projects beyond the side wall 12, 
opposite hinge 16, to define a flange 22. Cover 15 is the same size as 
back wall 11, and hence when the case 10 is closed, a margin of cover 15 
also extends beyond side wall 12 to define a flange 23. The width of 
flanges 22 and 23, i.e., the distance that wall 11 and cover 15 extend 
beyond wall 12, is indicated in FIG. 2 by the reference numeral 24. The 
spacing between the parallel flanges 22 and 23, when the cassette case is 
closed, is equal to the height of walls 12 and 13, and indicated by 
reference numeral 25 in FIG. 2. 
When the cover 15 of case 10 is closed, detents 29 on the cover snap 
tightly into slots 30 carried by side wall 12 opposite hinge 16. It is 
prying detents 29 out of slots 30 which makes opening the case so 
difficult. 
One example of a videotape cassette case opener according to the present 
invention, and the preferred embodiment, is illustrated in FIG. 3. The 
opener 35 includes a flat, rigid plate of any suitable material, such a 
metal, wood, or rigid plastic. Opener 35, near one of its ends, has a 
shoulder portion 36. From the shoulder portion, the opener tapers toward a 
narrower nose portion 37 at one of its ends. The remainder of opener 35 is 
an extension 38 which extends from shoulder portion 36 in the direction 
opposite to nose 37. The sides of extension 38 are preferably parallel so 
that the width of extension 38 is no greater than the maximum width of 
shoulder portion 36. The width of extension 38, and hence the maximum 
width of shoulder 36, is indicated at 39 in FIG. 3. The width 39 of opener 
35 is sufficiently greater than the spacing 25 between flanges 22 and 23 
so that when shoulder portion 36 of opener 35 enters between flanges 22 
and 23, the flanges are moved apart sufficiently to pry open the cassette 
case 10. The thickness 40 (FIG. 3) of opener 35 is preferably about equal 
to the width 24 of the cassette case flanges. By way of example, an opener 
according to the invention may have a length of about eight inches, a 
width 39 of about one and a quarter inches, and a thickness 40 of about 
one eighth of an inch. The width of nose 37 is substantially less than the 
spacing 25 between flanges 22 and 23. 
Opener 35 is may be provided with two countersunk holes 43 adapted to 
accommodate two flat head screws 44 (FIG. 4) for mounting opener 35 on a 
stationary support surface, such as a wall, a desktop, or a countertop. 
Since the holes 40 are countersunk, the heads of the screws will be flush 
with the surface of opener 35 when mounting is complete. Obviously, other 
means for mounting opener 35 can be employed, such as nails or other 
fasteners, or a suitable adhesive. 
The manner in which video tape cassette case lo is opened by means of 
opener 35 is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the illustration, opener 35 
is mounted on a wall with its nose portion 37 pointing upwardly. A case 10 
to be opened is held above opener 35 with the edges of flanges 22 and 23 
against the wall. In this position, nose 37 is facing one end of the space 
between flanges 22 and 23. In addition, opener 35 and flanges 22 and 23 
are all in the same vertical plane. 
To open the case, the case is moved downwardly, in FIG. 4, in the direction 
of arrow 46. Nose portion 37 and the tapered region of opener 35 between 
the nose portion and shoulder portion 36 guide the lower ends of flanges 
22 and 23 onto shoulder portion 36, which as pointed out above, is wider 
than the spacing between the flanges. As a result, as indicated in FIG. 5 
(which is a view looking from the wall on which the opener is mounted), 
flange 23 of cover 15 is pried away from flange 22. As case 10 continues 
to be moved in the direction of arrow 46, flange 23 is progressively pried 
away from flange 22 causing detents 29 to be popped out of slots 30 
thereby freeing cover 15 from side wall 12 and permitting it to be swung 
about hinge 16 to open the case. 
It will be appreciated that the opener of the present invention permits a 
videotape cassette case to be opened without the need for prying flanges 
22 and 23 apart using the fingers of two hands, and further the opener 
permits the case to be opened while holding the case in just one hand as 
its length is moved along opener 35. 
The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only, and by 
way of example, and many variations may be made in the invention which 
will still be comprised within its spirit. It is understood, therefore, 
that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment 
except insofar as such limitations are included in the appended claims.