Case for encasing disc cartridge therein

Abstract: A MD cartridge encasing case includes a box-shaped body having a space for receiving a disc cartridge therein and an inlet opening which is in communication with the space and through which the disc cartridge is to be introduced into the space. The box-shaped body includes a main case body and a closure member which is enabled to open and close relative to the main case body. It is possible to place an index sheet in a cartridge receiving space by opening the main case body and the closure member relative to each other, and fix the index sheet in the cartridge receiving space by closing the main case body and the closure member relative to each other. The encasing case is enabled to readily receive the index sheet therein and prevent the received index sheet from slipping out.

Description: The present invention relates to an encasing structure for a data carrier cartridge having the features of the preamble portion of claim 1. Such an encasing structure is known from EP 0 493 845 A2. A further encasing structure is known from EP 0 411 237 A2. The encasing structure is suitable to encase therein a disc cartridge encasing a disc-shaped data record medium therein, and more particularly a mini-disc cartridge encasing a 2.5 inch-diameter optical magnetic disc therein. A disc cartridge is a cartridge encasing therein a data record medium such as a magnetic disc, optical disc and optical magnetic disc. As one of such disc cartridges which have been recently able to be reduced in diameter with high densification of data to be recorded, a mini-disc cartridge, called MD, encasing therein a 2.5 inch-diameter mini-disc (hereinafter, referred to simply as MD cartridge) has been put to practical use. In general, the MD cartridge is designed to have a case 51 as illustrated in Fig. 5 in order to protect the entire cartridge from external impacts, and prevent dust from entering thereinto, thereby ensuring easy preservation and making it easy to carry the MD cartridge. As illustrated in Fig. 5, another a conventional case 51 is of a parallelepipedon-shaped thin box formed with a space 53 to which a MD cartridge 50 is to be received, and has an inlet opening 52 through which the cartridge 50 is introduced into the space. Sidewalls 54, 54 partially defining the space 53 for receiving the cartridge therein are formed with arch-shaped spring members 55, 55. At least an upper wall of the case is made of transparent resin. The spring members 55, 55 project into the space 53, and come into resilient engagement with recessed portions 50a, 50a formed with sidewalls of the MD cartridge 50, when the MD cartridge 50 is introduced into the space 53 through the inlet opening 52. Thus, the MD cartridge 50 is kept in the case 51 so as not to carelessly slip out of the case 51. When an index sheet for indicating data recorded in a disc is to be positioned in the case 51, the index sheet has to be introduced into the narrow space 53 through the inlet opening 52. However, if a rather large index sheet is to be introduced into the space 53 in order for the index sheet not to escape out of the space, it is difficult to introduce the index sheet into the space, which is inconvenient. On the other hand, if a rather small index sheet is to be used in order to make it relatively easy to introduce into the space 53, the index sheet is likely to be readily slip out of the space. Thus, there has been conventionally used an adhesive to thereby adhere an index sheet onto a surface of the case 51. However, adhering an index sheet onto a surface of the case 51 causes a problem that an index sheet readily becomes dirty, and thus becomes illegible. However, the afore-mentioned encasing structure is not able to always hold the data carrier sufficiently firm. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to solve a conventional problem by providing a case for encasing a disc cartridge therein, which case is able to reliably receive an Index sheet and a data carrier. The above-mentioned object according to the present invention is solved for an encasing disc as mentioned above in that an index sheet is disposed in said space, wherein the index sheet is fixedly interposed between said closure member and said main case body by closing said closure member relative to said main case body, wherein said data carrier cartridge is a disc cartridge and that when said disc cartridge is received in said space through an inlet opening, a resilient engagement portion provided in a pair of closure member sidewalls of said closure member is compressed onto said disc cartridge to be deeply received in a recessed portion provided in a pair of case sidewalls of said main case body so that said main case body and said closure member are closed relative to each other and said resilient engagement portion comes into engagement with said disc cartridge for holding said disc cartridge in said space. The present invention is defined in the appended claims. The main case body includes case sidewalls each of which is formed with a recessed portion for engagement thereinto, and the closure member includes closure member sidewalls each of which is formed with a resilient engagement portion engageable to the recessed portion and which are to inwardly align with the closure member sidewalls. When the disc cartridge is not received in the space, the resilient engagement portion shallowly received in the recessed portion supports both the main case body and the closure member so that they are able to open and close relative to each other, and when the disc cartridge is received in the space, the resilient engagement portion is compressed onto the disc cartridge to be deeply received in the recessed portion to thereby cause the main case body and the closure member to be close relative to each other and comes into engagement with the disc cartridge to thereby keep the disc cartridge in the space. In accordance with the above mentioned preferred embodiment, while a disc cartridge is encased in the case, the main case body and closure member never open relative to each other to thereby ensure encasing a disc cartridge in the case. In accordance with the above mentioned case, it is further possible to readily position an index sheet in the space only by opening the main case body and the closure member relative to each other, and also possible to fix an index sheet by interposing between the main case body and the closure member to thereby prevent slipping out of the case only by closing the main case body and the closure member relative to each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a MD cartridge encasing case in open condition, made in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention; Pig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the MD cartridge encasing case illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing a MD cartridge is being inserted into the MD cartridge encasing case; Figs. 4A and 4B are schematic views for explanation of the operation of the MD cartridge encasing case illustrated in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional case for encasing a MD cartridge therein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinbelow, with reference to the attached drawings, will be described a case for encasing a disc cartridge therein made in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in Fig. 1, a case 1 for encasing a MD cartridge 2 (see Fig. 3) is formed of a thin parallelepipedon-shaped box including a main case body 3 and a closure member 15 designed to be able to be open and closed relative to the main case body. The main case body 3 includes a bottom wall portion 4 formed at a front end thereof with an arcuate cut-out 4a, a pair of case sidewall portions 5, 5 standing at opposite edges of the bottom wall portion 4, and a case rear wall portion 6 standing at a rear end of the bottom wall portion 4 to thereby define a space 7 for receiving a disc cartridge therein which space is open upwardly. The cartridge receiving space 7 is almost coextensive with the MD cartridge 2. Each of the case sidewall portions 5, 5 is formed at a front end thereof and on an inner surface thereof with a support shaft 8, and also formed at a rear end thereof and on an inner surface thereof with a recessed portion 9. The case rear wall portion 6 is formed with a recessed portion 10 into which a raised portion 24 (which will be detailed later}, at which an operator is to hold a finger, formed at a rear end of the closure member 15 is to be fit, and a recessed portion 11 at which an operator can hold a finger. The closure member 15 is made of transparent resin, and includes an upper wall portion 16 upwardly covering the main case body 3, a pair of closure member sidewall portions 17 which stand at opposite edges of the upper wall portion 16 and which is to inwardly align with the case sidewall portions 5, 5, and a closure member rear wall portion 18 which stands at a rear end of the upper wall portion 16 and which is to inwardly align with the case rear wall portion 6. The upper wall portion 16 is formed at a front end thereof with an arcuate cut-out 16a. The closure member sidewall portions 17, 17 are formed with holes 19, 19 into which the shafts 8, 8 formed with the case sidewall portions 5, 5 are to be fit, lock crawls 20, 20 acting as resilient engagement members to keep the closure member 15 close to the main case body and also keep the MD cartridge 2 within the cartridge receiving space 7, and steps 22, 22 for receiving opposite side edges 21a, 21a of an index sheet 21 therein. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the closure member 15 is carried at the main case body for rotational movement about the shafts 8, 8 by fitting the shafts 8, 8 formed with the case sidewall portions 5, 5 into the holes 19, 19 formed with the closure member sidewall portions 17, 17. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, when the closure member 15 and the main case body 3 are closed relative to each other, there is formed an inlet opening 25 at a front end of the MD cartridge receiving case 1 which opening is in communication with the cartridge receiving space 7. The lock crawls 20, 20 are formed bent so that a bending portion thereof is inwardly directed in a substantially angle shape, and have proximal ends 20a, 20a integrally formed with the closure member sidewall portions 17, 17. The lock crawls 20, 20 have distal ends 20b, 20b which are designed to be able to engage to the recessed portions 9, 9 formed at the case sidewall portions 5, 5. When the MD cartridge 2 is not received in the cartridge receiving space 7, the distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 are shallowly fit into the recessed portions 9, 9. The closure member rear wall portion 18 includes a recessed portion 23 for receiving therein a folded portion 21c of the index sheet 21, and a raised portion 24 at which an operator holds a finger and which is to fit into the recessed portion 10 of the main case body 3. Hereinbelow will be explained the operation of the MD cartridge encasing case 1 constructed as described above. First, when the index sheet 21 is to be placed into the MD cartridge encasing case 1, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the closure member 15 and the main case body 3 are made to rotate about the shafts 8, and then the index sheet 21 is placed in the cartridge receiving space 7 of the main case body 3. Then, the closure member 15 and the main case body 3 are made to rotate about the shafts 8 to thereby close them relative to each other (see Fig. 3). Thus, the distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 are fit into the recessed portions 9, 9 of the case sidewall portions 5, 5, thereby the closure member 15 being engaged to and thus locked to the main case body 3. It should be noted that the distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 are shallowly fit into the recessed portions 9, 9, and hence are able to engage to and disengage from the recessed portions 9,9. The folded portion 21c of the index sheet 21 is interposed for fixation between the recessed portion 23 of the closure member rear wall portion 18 and the case rear wall portion 6, and the sidewall portions 21a, 21a are inserted into steps 22, 22 formed with the closure member sidewall portions 17, 17. Thus, the folded portion 21c and the sidewall portions 21a, 21a of the index sheet 21 are interposed between the case sidewall portions 5, 5 and the closure member sidewall portions 17, 17, which ensures that the index sheet 21 is kept in the cartridge receiving space 7. When the index sheet 21 is to be taken out of the MD cartridge encasing case 1, the MD cartridge 2 is first taken out of the MD cartridge encasing case 1. Hereinafter, an operator holds fingers on both the recessed portion 11 of the case rear wall portion 6 and the raised portion 23 of the closure member rear wall portion 18, and then pulls the raised portion 23 up. Since the distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 are shallowly fit into the recessed portions 9, 9, the lock crawls 20, 20 can readily escape out of the recessed portions 9, 9. Then, the index sheet 21 can be taken out of the main case body 3 which has already been open. Hereinbelow will be explained a case wherein the MD cartridge 2 is received in the MD cartridge encasing case 1. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the MD cartridge 2 is inserted into the cartridge receiving space 7 through the inlet opening 25 with the closure member 15 and the main case body 3 being closed to each other. As illustrated in Fig. 4A, front corners 2a, 2a of the inserted MD cartridge 2 make contact with the bending portions of the lock crawls 20, 20 and outwardly push the lock crawls 20, 20. Thus, the distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 which have been shallowly fit into the recessed portions 9, 9 are made deeply fit into the recessed portions 9, 9, and make contact with bottom surfaces of the recessed portions 9, 9. The distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 are pushed to and stop at rear side edges of the recessed portions 9, 9. (see Fig. 4B). As mentioned above, as the distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 are deeply fit into the recessed portions 9, 9, the closure member 15 and the main case body 3 are surely locked to each other. Hence, the closure member 15 and the main case body 3 are not open to each other while the MD cartridge 2 is in the cartridge receiving space 7. When the distal ends 20b, 20b of the lock crawls 20, 20 are deeply fit into the recessed portions 9, 9 and abut the bottom surfaces of the recessed portions 9, 9, the bending portions of the lock crawls 20, 20 are fit into recessed portions 2b, 2b formed at sidewalls and close to a front with the MD cartridge 2. Thus, the MD cartridge 2 is kept from being slipped out of the cartridge receiving space 7 (see Fig. 4B). Hence, while the disc cartridge 2 is loaded in the case 1, the main case body 3 and the closure member 15 are not open relative to each other, and hence it is ensured that the disc cartridge 2 is loaded in the case 1. The application of the case for encasing a disc cartridge therein made in accordance with the present invention is not to be limited to a case for encasing a MD cartridge therein in the above described embodiment, but the present invention is applicable also to a case for encasing other disc cartridges such as 3.5-inch floppy disc and an optical disc. The shapes of a closure member, main case body, resilient engagement portions and recessed portions are not to be limited to the shapes of the closure member 15 and the main case body 3 as described in the preferred embodiment, but can be made in any other forms. As discussed so far, in accordance with the inventive case for encasing a disc cartridge therein, an index sheet can be readily placed in a cartridge receiving space by opening the main case body and the closure member relative to each other, and an index sheet can be fixed in interposed fashion to thereby prevent slippage thereof by closing the main case body and the closure member relative to each other. Thus, there is now provided a case for encasing a disc cartridge therein which case is capable of readily placing an index sheet therein and preventing unintentional slippage of an index sheet.

Claims: An encasing structure (1) for a data carrier cartridge comprising: a data carrier cartridge (2) to be encased; a box-shaped body having a space (7) for receiving the data carrier cartridge (2) therein and an inlet opening (25) which is in communication with said space (7) for introducing said data carrier cartridge (2) into said space (7), said box-shaped body comprising a main case body (3) and a closure member (15) which is enabled to open and close relative to said main case body (3); and an index sheet (21) disposed in said space (7), characterised in that the index sheet (21) is fixedly interposed between said closure member (15) and said main case body (3) by rotationally closing said closure member (15) relative to said main case body (3), wherein said data carrier cartridge is a disc cartridge (2) and when said disc cartridge (2) is received in said space (7) through said inlet opening (25), a resilient engagement portion (20) provided in a pair of closure member sidewalls (17) of said closure member (15) is compressed onto said disc cartridge (2) to be deeply received in a recessed portion (9) provided in a pair of case sidewalls (5) of said main case body (3) so that said main case body (3) and said closure member (15) are closed relative to each other and said resilient engagement portion (20) comes into engagement with said disc cartridge (2) for holding said disc cartridge (2) in said space (7). The encasing structure (1) of claim 1, characterized in that said main case body (3) includes said pair of case sidewalls (5) each of which has a recessed portion (9) for engaging said closure member (15) thereinto, and said closure member (15) includes a pair of closure member sidewalls (17) each of which has the resilient engagement portion (20) engageable to said recessed portion (9) and which is to inwardly align with said respective closure member sidewalls (17). The encasing structure of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when said disc cartridge (2) is not received in said space (7), said resilient engagement portion (20) that is shallowly received in said recessed portion (9) supports said main case body (3) and said closure member (15) so that said main case body (3) and said closure member (15) are enabled to open and close relative to each other.

Inventors: SENDA YUTAKA, SENDA, YUTAKA, Senda, Yutaka, c/o Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
Applicants: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO LTD, FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G11B33
IPC codes: B65D85, G11B33