OPTICAL STORAGE DISC PROTECTOR

Abstract: An optical storage disc protector (10) is disclosed which having a thin flexible circular wafer (15) having an upper surface (42) which further includes a flat annular surface (45) for bearing the weight of a CD and a downward sloping concave annular surface (40) for providing an airspace between the wafer and the data bearing surface of the CD. A centrally located hub (20) is attached to the upper surface of the wafer (15) which is sized to be just smaller than the center hole (65) of a typical CD to provide an interference fit with the center hole (65). A circumferential wall (30) is attached to the upper surface (42) of the wafer (15) and is configured to provide an interference fit with peripheral surface (75) of a CD.

Description: - i - TITLE OF INVENTION; OPTICAL STORAGE DISC PROTECTOR D E S C R I P T I O N BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field. This invention generally relates to a device for protecting or covering optical storage discs. More particularly it relates to a device for protecting the data bearing surface of an optical storage disc. Background Art. For the purposes of explanation, this disclosure will refer to compact discs, individually hereinafter referred to as a CD, however, it should be understood that this invention is intended for use with not only audio compact discs, but also all other types of optical storage discs. Compact discs are relatively thin circular plastic discs used for storing and retrieving digital information. Currently produced discs bear data on only one side. The information is both stored and retrieved from the compact disc using a laser beam. The purely optical nature of data storage and retrieval alleviates the problem of disc wear or damage from contacting devices such as tape heads or computer disc drive heads. In addition, compact discs are not sensitive to heat and external magnetic fields as are magnetic storage devices. However, even with these advantages, compact discs are still subject to damage from scratches and pits caused during storage and handling. Compact discs are currently sold and stored in rectan¬ gular hinged containers, commonly known as jewel boxes, which have a shallow cylindrical inner volume for housing the compact disc. The inner volume is normally larger than the compact disc to allow quick storage and retrieval of the disc. such containers have the inherent disadvantage of allowing compact disc movement within the inner volume thus raising the risk of damaging the data bearing sur¬ face. Additionally, conventional containers are bulky and not well suited for portable optical storage and retrieval systems such as car, boat, or aircraft mounted compact disc players or other portable systems. Users often carry and store compact discs without the bulky container to save space and to avoid tying up two hands opening the container and retrieving the disc. Such unprotected transport and handling also increases the risk of data loss. For some applications, such as a CD-ROM use in fingerprint identification, the data loss could be cata¬ strophic. The prior art contains a few attempts to solve the optical storage disc problem. Prusak and Patel's video disc caddy, U.S. Patent # 4,463,849, provides a storage sleeve for video discs that consists of a removable spine housed in a rectangular jacket. The spine is slightly bigger than a video disc. This device, designed for use with video disc players which use a contact head like a phonograph needle to retrieve information, also has wiping pads which directly contact the surface of a video disc during play. Obviously, such a device does not minimize potentially damaging contacts with the disc surfaces since the disc can move about inside in the spine, and it is not compatible with other optical storage discs or disc sys¬ tems. Vincent J. Colangelo's flexible disk cartridge envel¬ ope, U.S. Patent # 4,473,153, discloses a closeable stor¬ age envelope for storing flexible magnetic (floppy) stor¬ age discs. Coangelo's device employs a rigid envelope with a fold down protective cover and is basically an upgraded version of the typical open pocket computer floppy disc envelope. Ross 0. Youngs' compact disc stor¬ age container with non-scratching surface, U.S. Patent # 4,850,731, discloses an envelope type storage device for compact discs which comprises an inner non-scratching envelope, not unlike the type used for storing computer floppy discs, housed inside a transparent outer envelope. Both Colangelo's and Youngs' devices provide protection for storage discs, and do so with reduced opportunity for disc surface damage. However, Colangelo's device was never intended to store optical storage discs and neither device provides the desired result of disc storage with virtually no contact with the data bearing surface of the disc. These devices, though not impossible for use in a portable setting, nevertheless require the user to grasp the envelope, open the flap, and remove the disc which might prove a cumbersome task when operating a vehicle. In addition, their manufacture requires several distinct operations such as molding, forming, bonding, and seam sealing etc., and the use of a variety of different mater¬ ials, all of which add cost to the product. A fourth patent, Jay D. Deiglmeier's protective holder for a compact disc or the like, U.S. Patent # 4,736,840, discloses a device which sandwiches a compact disc between plastic plates. The plates are specifically designed to fit into the inner volume space of a jewel box and there is a felt pad to cushion the data bearing portion of the compact disc. This device does restrict compact disc movement within a jewel box however, it requires the use of the bulky jewel box and it does not keep the data bearing surface of the compact disc free from contact with other surfaces, namely the felt pad. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an optical storage disc protector that prevents virtually all contacts with the data bearing surface of the optical storage disc during storage and transport. Another object of this invention to provide an optical storage disc protector that is thin, light weight, constructed of readily available and cheap materials, and which is easily fabricated and suitable for mass production, still another object of this invention is to provide an optical storage disc protector which facilitates disc to disc stacking of the discs to permit compact storage of a plurality of discs. A further object of this invention to provide an optical storage disc protector that will allow the user to access the disc using only one hand, leaving the other hand free to perform other tasks. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION These and other objects are accomplished by an optical storage disc protector which generally has a thin flexible circular wafer having an upper surface which further includes a flat annular surface for bearing the weight of a CD and a downward sloping concave annular surface for providing an airspace between the wafer and the data bearing surface of the CD. A centrally located hub is attached to the upper surface of the wafer which is sized to be just smaller than the center hole of a typical CD to provide an interference fit with the center hole. A circumferential wall is attached to the upper surface of the wafer and is configured to provide an interference fit with peripheral surface of a CD. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a top view of the optical storage disc protector. Fig. 2 is a side view of the optical storage disc protector. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the optical storage disc protector. Fig. 4 is a top perspective view of the optical stor¬ age disc protector. Fig. 5. is a bottom perspective view of the optical storage disc protector. Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective view of a typical audio compact disc showing its data storage side. Fig. 7 is an exploded side sectional view of the optical storage disc protector and a audio compact disc taken along section line 8-8 of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is an exploded top perspective view of the optical storage disc protector and a audio compact disc. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT INVENTION An optical storage disc protector 10 and an industry standard audio compact disc, CD, are shown in Figs. 1-8. The optical storage disc protector 10 here has a thin flexible circular wafer 15 having an upper surface 42 further includes a level annular surface 45 extending radially outward from the hub 20, and a downward sloping concave annular surface 40 extending from the marginal perimeter of the level annular surface 45 to the base of the circumferential wall 30, a lower surface 33, and a centrally located hub 20. The hub 20 is a raised circular protuberance which extends perpendicularly upward from the level annular surface 45. The hub 20 has a closed top which can be either a flat, concave, or convex surface. The hub 20 is configured to be slightly taller than the thickness of a CD and to have a diameter slightly smaller than the dia¬ meter of the center hole 65 of a CD to provide an inter- ference fit with the center hole 65 when a CD is placed on the optical storage disc protector 10. The interference fit helps keep the CD attached to the optical storage disc protector 10 and prevents the CD from freely rotating while loaded on the optical storage disc protector 10. The level annular surface 45 is designed to extend radially outward from the base of the hub 20 to a radius no greater than the radius of the inner portion 60 of the lower surface 80 of the CD. This configuration provides a level surface which bears the weight of the CD by contact- ing only the non-data bearing inner portion 60 of the CD. The marginal perimeter 43 of the level annular surface 45 transitions smoothly into a downward sloping concave annular surface 40 that extends radially outward, ter¬ minating at the base 44 of the circumferential wall 30. The curvature of the concave annular surface 40 can be chosen from various families of logarithmic, exponential, parabolic, or other curves whose slopes tend to flaten as the distance from the hub increases. The concave annular surface 40 provides an air pocket between the data bearing surface 55 of the CD and the upper surface 42 of the wafer 15 which cushions the data bearing surface 55 from contact with the wafer 15. In addition, the concave annular surface 40, by virtue of its curvature, acts like an arch, resisting upward deflections caused by external forces applied to the lower surface 33 of the wafer 15. Such resistance coupled with the air cushioning effect protect the data bearing surface 55 of the CD from scratches and dust by virtually eliminating all physical contacts with the data bearing surface 55. The circumferential wall 30 extends up from the upper surface 42 of the optical storage disc protector 10 at the marginal perimeter 44 of the concave annular surface 40. The circumferential wall 30 usually extends upward either perpendicularly or at an obtuse angle from the upper surface 42 of the optical storage disc protector 10. The circumferential wall 30 is configured to provide an inter- ference fit with peripheral surface 75 of the CD to keep the CD affixed to the optical storage disc protector 10 and to prevent CD rotation during storage and transport. A thin lip 25, is attached to and extends radially outward from the top of the circumferential wall 30, allowing the user to gently bend the circumferential wall 30 outward to remove the CD. The optical storage disc protector 10 is here formed from a single piece of plastic. This can be accomplished using a variety of manufacturing techniques including injection molding, vacuum molding, or other plastics forming techniques. Here, the invention is made of vacuum formed polystyrene however, a variety of flexible plastics are suitable for constructing the optical storage disc protector 10 including the new biodegradable plastics currently being developed. Advantageously, the optical storage disc protector 10 is white to reduce the chance of heat damage to the disc, however there is no limit to the number or design of color schemes that can be used, including imprinting promotional or instructional information directly on the invention. Users can be provided with a variety of aesthetic choices. The optical storage disc protector 10 can also be made of transparent plastic to allow identification for CDs having labels on their data bearing sides. Another configuration of the optical storage disc protector can have raised or recessed surfaces on its lower surface 33 to allow the placement of labels to identify CD contents, the name of the user, or other information. since the construction of the optical storage disc protector 10 is so simple and the required materials cheaply available, the optical storage disc protector 10 is well suited for mass production. With the future advent of biodegradable materials, the optical storage disc protector 10 will not only be inexpensive but more environmentally disposable than current CD storage devices such as the jewel box. To use the optical storage disc protector 10, the user places the CD center hole 65 over the optical storage disc protector 10 hub 20 ensuring the data bearing surface 55 of the CD is facing downward. The user next gently presses down on the CD until the CD center hole 65 and peripheral surfaces 75 snap down into position. The CD can then be stored or transported. To remove the CD, the user simply holds the optical storage disc protector 10 with the CD facing upward, bends out the thin lip 25 with a fingertip and lifts out the CD. The CD removal can be done with one hand by placing the ring finger on the top of the hub 20 and peeling back the thin lip 25 with the index finger, such a capability allows the user to extract an CD while keeping the other hand free to do other tasks such a operate a vehicle. while there is shown and described the present prefer¬ red embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. I claim:

Claims: 1. An optical storage disc protector for use with a circular optical storage disc having an upper surface, a lower surface with an outer portion bearing information and an inner portion bearing no information, a peripheral surface, and a center hole, which is characterized by: a thin flexible circular wafer having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a diameter no smaller than the diameter of the optical storage disc, the upper surface being configured to contact the inner portion of the lower surface of the optical storage disc while maintaining a clearance with the outer portion of the lower surface of the optical storage disc; a hub, centered on and attached to the upper surface of the wafer, being enclosed on top and having a diameter no smaller than the diameter of the center hole of an optical storage disc and having walls extending up from the upper surface of the wafer, the hub being configured to provide an interference fit between the walls of the hub and the center hole of the optical storage disc; and a circumferential wall affixed to and extending up from the upper surface of the wafer, the circumferential wall being configured to provide an interference fit between the circumferential wall of the wafer and the peripheral surface of the optical storage disc, and the circumferential wall having a small lip attached thereto and extending radially away therefrom for providing fin¬ gertip removal of the wafer from the optical storage disc. 2. The optical storage disc protector according to Claim 1 in which the wafer, hub, and circumferential wall are formed from a single sheet of flexible material. 3. The optical storage disc protector according to Claims 1 or 2 in which the circumferential wall extends up perpendicularly from the upper surface of the wafer. 4. The optical storage disc protector according to Claims 1 or 2 in which the circumferential wall extends up at an obtuse angle. 5. The optical storage disc protector according to Claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 in which the upper surface of the wafer is further characterized by a flat annular region extending radially outward from the hub walls no farther than the border between the inner and outer portions of the lower surface of the optical storage disc for pro¬ viding a contact zone with the lower surface of the opti¬ cal storage disc, and a downward sloping annular region, having a concave curvature, connected to the flat annular region and extending radially outward terminating at the circumferential wall for providing a protective cushion of air between the wafer and the outer portion of the lower surface of the optical storage disc. 6. The optical storage disc protector according to Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 in which the top of the hub is enclosed by a flat surface. 7. The optical storage disc protector according to Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 in which the top of the hub is enclosed by a concave surface. 8. The optical storage disc protector according to Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 in which the top of the hub is enclosed by a convex surface.

Inventors: HANSEN DARRELL L, HANSEN, DARRELL, L.
Applicants: HANSEN DARRELL L, HANSEN, DARRELL, L.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65D85
IPC codes: B65D85, G11B33