Abstract:
A storage container for a disc-shaped item of recorded media includes a base and a lid that is hingedly connected to the base and moveable between open and closed positions. The lid does not cover the entire surface area of the base when the lid is closed. The areas that are not covered are holding tabs that allow the base to be easily held by one hand while the other hand opens the lid and removes the disc. The base includes a hub that has a low overall height that reduces the overall thickness of the storage container.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/218,198 filed Jul. 14, 2000, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention generally relates to storage containers and, more particularly, to storage containers used to hold disc-shaped items of recorded media. Specifically, the present invention relates to a thin storage container having a holding hub having a minimum height with small holding fingers that fit within the container when the container is closed. 
     2. Background Information 
     Numerous of types of media are now recorded and stored on disc-shaped items of recorded media such as CDs and DVDs. Such items of recorded media include audio and computer CDs and audio, video, and computer DVDs. Various other types of media may also be recorded on similar types of media. In the past, the disc-shaped items of recorded media have been stored in relatively large and sturdy storage containers in order to protect the items and to house literature that may accompany the disc. 
     The marketplace is now using recorded media on CDs and DVDs to introduce a wide variety of materials to the general public including distributing free music or free software on a disc through the mail in order to advertise a product or service. Previous large storage containers have been too large, heavy, and expensive to use as mailers. The art thus desires a product that can hold and protect a disc while being small enough to mail with a regular envelope or magazine. 
     Another problem with larger storage containers is that they occupy a large amount of storage space when grouped together in large quantities. Owners of large quantities of discs desire to safely store the discs in a relatively small space. The storage problem is especially problematic when a large number of discs are stored in a vehicle. 
     The art also desires that the disc be securely held in the storage container so that the disc does not fall out of the container when the container is opened. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, an objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a disc-shaped item of recorded media. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a disc-shaped item of recorded media that holds the disc-shaped item of recorded media on a retaining hub. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a disc-shaped item of recorded media that is thin so that the container occupies a minimal amount of space. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a disc-shaped item of recorded media that is easy to hold, open, remove, and replace a disc. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a disc-shaped item of recorded media that securely holds the disc on a retaining hub at the center hole of the disc while positioning the entire retaining hub within the storage compartment of the storage container. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a disc-shaped item of recorded media having a latch disposed at the edge of the container that allows the user to securely grasp the storage container while operating the latch. 
     These and other objectives and advantages of the invention are achieved by a storage container for holding a disc-shaped item of recorded media that includes a base defining a disc seating area adapted to receive the disc-shaped item of recorded media; a lid hingedly connected to the base between open and closed positions; the lid covering at least a portion of the disc-seating area when the lid is in the closed position; and the base having at least one holding tab that is not covered by the lid when the lid is in the closed position; the holding tab adapted to allow a person to grip the base when opening and closing the lid. 
     Other objectives and advantages of the invention are achieved by a storage container for holding a disc-shaped item of recorded media; the storage container including a base defining a disc seating area adapted to receive the disc-shaped item of recorded media; a hub connected to the base and disposed in the disc seating area; the hub being adapted to hold the disc-shaped item of recorded media; the hub including a sidewall and a locking finger projecting outwardly from the sidewall; the sidewall having a height and an upper surface; the locking finger having a height substantially less than the height of the sidewall; the sidewall being substantially unmoveable; the locking finger being flexible and adapted to allow a disc-shaped item of recorded media to be forced down over the hub; a lid hingedly connected to the base between open and closed positions; and the lid covering at least a portion of the disc-seating area when the lid is in the closed position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the storage container with the lid in a closed position; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the storage container with the lid in the closed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view; 
     FIG. 4 is a right side view; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view; 
     FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view; 
     FIG. 7 is a prospective view of the storage container with the lid in the open position; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 with a disc-shaped item of recorded media disposed in the storage container; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line  11 — 11  of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 with the lid in the closed position; 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIG. 12; and 
     FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line  14 — 14  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The storage container of the present invention is indicated generally by the numeral  10  in the accompanying drawings. Storage container  10  generally includes a base  12  and a lid  14  that is movable between open and closed positions. Lid  14  is preferably connected to base  12  by a hinge  16 . Hinge  16  is preferably a living hinge that includes first and second hinge portions  18  and  20 . Lid  14  is shown in the closed position in FIG.  1  and in open position in FIG. 7. A disc-shaped item of recorded media  22  is held in storage container  10  on a hub  24  that extends up from the middle portion of base  12 . Item  22  is entirely enclosed and protected when lid  14  is closed and accessible to the user when lid  14  is open. 
     Base  12  is substantially square when viewed from a top plan view as shown in FIG.  2  and has rounded corners. Base  12  is sized to receive item  22  with the circumference of item  22  being disposed adjacent the middle portions of the four outer edges of base  12  as shown in FIG.  9 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, base  12  includes a disc seating area  25  having a diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of a standard compact disc or DVD (4 and ¾ inch). Hub  24  extends upwardly from the center of disc seating area  25 . Base  12  further includes a pair of fingertip access depressions  26  formed in the corners of base  12  adjacent hinge  16 . Fingertip access depressions  26  allow the user to remove item  22  from container  10  when the user desires access to item  22 . 
     Lid  14  has a rear wall adjacent hinge portion  18  and a curved front wall  27  extending between substantially parallel side walls. Curved front wall  27  has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a standard CD or DVD (4 and ¾ inch). In other embodiments, front wall  27  has a diameter that matches (or is slightly larger than) the diameter of the disc being stored in container  10 . Lid  14  further includes a rear wall  28  that cooperates with front wall  27  to define the upper portion of the storage compartment of storage container  10 . Walls  27  and  28  thus form a continuous wall about lid  14 . 
     In accordance with one of the objectives of the present invention, base  12  includes a pair of holding tabs  30  that extend out away from disc seating area  25 . Holding tabs  30  are disposed on the opposite side of base  12  then hinge  16  and allow the user to firmly grasp base  12  while using container  10  without interfering with lid  14 . The position of holding tabs  30  allows the user to hold base with one hand while opening lid  14  with the other hand and handling item  22 . In addition to the handling feature, holding tabs  30  provide a substantially symmetric shape to container  10 . The substantially symmetric shape is a square having rounded corners. The symmetric shape allows container  10  to be easily handled by automated equipment and stored in a variety of configurations within existing storage container holders. 
     Holding tabs  30  each have a height  32  that defines the thickest portion of container  10 . The upper surface is  34  of tabs  30  are substantially coplanar with the upper surface of lid  14  when lid  14  is in the closed position. 
     Holding tabs  30  are spaced apart by a gap  40  along the front wall  42  of container  10 . A finger tab  44  extends forwardly from lid  14  and is disposed in gap  40  when lid  14  is in the closed position. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, tab  44  is curved and does not extend out past the boundary formed by the edge of wall  42  as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Latches  50  extend inwardly from holding tabs  30  on either side of gap  40 . Latches  50  engage lid  14  directly or, as in the preferred embodiment, snap fit together with protuberances  52  extending outwardly from lid  14 . The positioning and structure of latches  50  and finger tab  44  allow the user to grasp container  10  by one or both of holding tabs  30  and manipulate lid  14  from the closed to the open position with the user&#39;s other hand. The user may also grasp container  10  by one of holding tabs  30  and open lid  14  by moving finger tab  44  with the user&#39;s thumb. 
     In accordance with another objective of the present invention, item  22  is securely held in storage container  10  by hub  24 . Hub  24  has a substantially circular outer circumference that fits within the standard center hole of a CD or DVD. Hub  24  has a height that causes the top wall of the hub to engage the inner surface of lid  14  when lid  14  is in the closed position as depicted in FIGS.  12  and  13 . The small height of hub  24  allows storage container  10  to be relatively thin compared to other storage containers known in the art. The overall height of storage container  10  merely includes the thickness of base  12 , the height of hub  24 , and the thickness of lid  14 . 
     In accordance with another objective of the present invention, hub  24  includes at least one, but preferably a plurality of locking fingers  60  that project radially outwardly from the top of hub  24 . The top of each locking finger  60  is preferably coplanar with the top surface of hub  24 . Each locking finger  60  is relatively small compared to the circumference and height of hub  24 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the height of hub  24  is only slightly taller than the height of a standard CD or DVD and may have a height of {fraction (1/16)} of an inch while each locking finger  60  has a height (or thickness) of ¼ to {fraction (1/12)} of the hub  24  thickness. Each locking finger may have a height of only 0.01 inches in the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, each locking finger  60  extends radially outwardly over the upper edge of item  22  so that fingers  60  securely hold item  22  in storage container on hub  24  when item  22  is pushed down over hub  24 . Locking fingers  60  are sufficiently flexible to be forced inwardly through the center opening of item  22  when item  22  is pushed over hub  24 . In some situations, locking fingers  60  will become trapped between the other circumferential edge of hub  24  and the inner edge of item  22  creating a frictional fit between item  22  and hub  24 . In other embodiments of the invention, locking fingers  60  are configured to be wedged between the inner edge of the disc and the outer edge of hub  24  to frictionally hold the disc on hub  24 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, hub  24  has a larger diameter at its upper surface than at its lower surface. The larger upper diameter is configured to force the disc to be snap fitted over hub  24 . The smaller base diameter allows the disc to slightly move while held on hub  24 . The larger upper diameter of hub  24  may be achieved by angling the wall of hub  24  or by curving the wall outwardly toward the top of hub  24 . The disc preferably rotates on hub  24  in this embodiment and in the embodiments described above. The rotation of the disc prevents hub  24  or container  10  from unnecessarily stressing the disc when the disc is stored in container  10 . 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.