Abstract:
A blank optical disk container for holding a plurality of blank optical disks allows the blank optical disks be retrieved individually and easily from the container. The container has a case lid movably mounted upon it. The case lid has claws located on the bottom side thereof to clip and grip the center opening of a blank optical disk. The case lid may be closed and depressed downwards to grip one blank optical disk with its claws, then the case lid may be opened to allow the blank optical disk to be removed from the case lid.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a container for blank optical disks, and particularly to a container that can hold a plurality of optical disks and has a case lid for retrieving individual blank optical disks.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Optical disks are commonly used data recording media for storing relative large amounts of data. For instances, music, movies, and application programs are generally stored on optical disks. Optical disks that have no data recorded thereon are generally called blank optical disks. FIG. 1 shows a conventional container for holding blank optical disks. It mainly consists of a base seat and a case. The base seat is a circular disk with a round post mounted in the center. Blank optical disks are individually coupled on the round post through an opening formed in their centers. The case is substantially a hollow cylindrical barrel, which may encase the base seat.  
           [0003]    When users want to retrieve the blank optical disks for loading data, they have to remove the case, then take the required blank optical disks. However when multiple blank optical disks are stacked one upon another around the round post, it is difficult to remove one blank optical disk. Moreover, the round post has a certain length. When only a few blank optical disks are stacked around the round post, users have to remove the blank optical disks from the bottom section of the round post. This movement is not easy. Hence the design of conventional containers for holding blank optical disks generally is not user-friendly.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The primary object of the invention is to provide a container for holding blank optical disks that enables users to easily retrieve individual blank optical disks.  
           [0005]    The container for holding blank optical disks disclosed in the invention consists of a case and a case lid. The case has an opening directing upwards and a housing space for holding blank optical disks. The case lid is movably located on the case and has claws located on its bottom side to clip and grip the center aperture of the blank optical disk. The case lid may be depressed downwards to connect with the blank optical disk, and claws on the bottom side of the case lid grip one blank optical disk. Then the case lid may be opened to allow users to remove the blank optical disk from the case lid.  
           [0006]    The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are only to serve for reference and illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional container for holding blank optical disks.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the invention showing the assembled structure.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3A is an exploded view of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3B is a fragmentary perspective view of an enlarged structure of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4A is a schematic view of the case lid of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4B is a schematic sectional view of the case lid of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5A is a schematic view of the invention, showing a moving condition.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5B is a schematic view of the invention, showing another moving condition.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5C is a schematic view of the invention, showing yet another moving condition. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    Referring to FIGS. 2, 3A and  3 B, the container for holding blank optical disks according to the invention consists of a case  10  and a case lid  20 . The case  10  is substantially a hollow cylindrical barrel, which has an opening directing upwards. The case  10  has a bottom surface  11  and a wall  12  slightly larger than the outside diameter of a blank optical disk  30 . The bottom surface  30  has a pen holder and a name clip  13  located thereon. The wall  12  forms a housing space  101  in the interior for holding blank optical disks  30 . On the perimeter of the wall  12  there are a plurality of equally spaced troughs  102 ,  103 ,  104 , and  105  extended in the axial direction. The contact surfaces between the troughs  102 ,  103 ,  104  and  105  and the wall  12  have respectively a slot  1021 ,  2031 ,  1041  and  1051 . The bottom surface  11  has a pair of latch slots  111  and  112  corresponding to each trough  102  (also applicable to troughs  103 ,  104  and  105 ).  
         [0017]    Inside the troughs  102 ,  103 ,  104  and  105 , there are respectively and sequentially disposed base seats  41 ,  42 ,  43  and  44 , elastic elements  51 ,  52 ,  53  and  54 , and retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64 . The base seats  41 ,  42 ,  43  and  44  have respectively extended posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441  mounting thereon in the center, and a pair of first coupling hooks  412  (same for the base seats  42  and  43 ) for engaging with the latch slots  111  and  112 . The elastic elements  51 ,  52 ,  53  and  54  are coupled respectively on the posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441 . The posts  411 ,  421  and  431  are formed as a cross type. The posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441  each have a top end forming a pair of second coupling hooks  4111  and  4112  (same for the posts  421 ,  431  and  441 ). The retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  each have a cross-shaped slot  611  (same for the retainers  62 ,  63  and  64 ). The retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  are respectively coupled with the posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441  and are movable up or down on the posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441 . The second coupling hooks  4111  and  4112  on the posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441  can prevent the retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  from separating from the posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441 . In normal conditions, the retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  are pushed by the elastic elements  51 ,  52 ,  53  and  54  to the top end of the posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441 .  
         [0018]    The retainer  62  has two pivotal lugs  621  and  622 , which each have a pivotal aperture  6211  and  6221  formed thereon.  
         [0019]    The case lid  20  is a circular disk matching the shape of the case  10  but is slightly smaller than the housing space  101  of the case  10  and is movable in the housing space  101 . The case lid  20  has compression rings  202 ,  204  and  205  formed on the perimeter thereof corresponding to the locations of the troughs  102 ,  104  and  105 , and a pair of pivotal flanges  203  corresponding to the trough  103 . The pivotal flanges  203  have pivotal stub shafts  2031  located thereon to pivotally couple with the pivotal apertures  6211  and  6221  of the retainer  62 . Thus the case lid  20  can be turned about the stub shafts  2031  so that the case lid  20  may be lifted upwards or folded down to close the housing space  101  of the case  10 . In addition, the compression rings  202 ,  204  and  205  have an inside diameter greater than the posts  411 ,  421 ,  431  and  441  so that the compression rings  202 ,  204  and  205  can compress the retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  and the elastic elements  51 ,  52 ,  53  and  54  downwards.  
         [0020]    Moreover, the case lid  20  has a bottom surface with a multi-claw chuck  206  located in the center thereof (as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B). The multi-claw chuck  206  has a plurality of spaced claws  2061  that can extend to engage with the center opening  301  of the blank optical disk  30 . The claws  2061  may be slightly compressed and retracted, or released and return to their normal condition. Each claw  2061  has a height slightly greater than the thickness of a blank optical disk  30 , and a slant surface on its front end such that the multi-claw chuck  206  can, through the claws  2061 , clip and grip one blank optical disk  30  at a time.  
         [0021]    Refer to FIGS. 5A, 5B and  5 C, a plurality of blank optical disks  30  are housed in the housing space  101  of the case  10 . The case lid  20  is in its normal condition located above the case  10  by means of the compression rings  201 ,  202  and  203  and pivotal stub shafts  204  which are straddled on the retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64 . It closes the opening of the housing space  101  of the case  20 . When retrieving a blank optical disk  30 , the case lid  20  is depressed downwards. The compression rings  201 ,  202  and  203  are moved downwards to compress the retainers  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  and the elastic elements  51 ,  52 ,  53  and  64  downwards until the multi-claw chuck  206  under the case lid  20  extends into the center opening  301  of the blank optical disk  30  and grips the blank optical disk  30 . When the pressure on the case lid  20  is released, the case lid  20  is pushed upwards to return to its original position through the restoring force of the elastic elements  51 ,  52 ,  53  and  54 . Then a user may open the case lid  20  to remove the blank optical disk  30  from the case lid  20 . Even when the case  10  contains only a few blank optical disks  30 , a user can still depress the case lid  20  all the way down into the case  10  to grip and retrieve the blank optical disks  30  without difficulty.  
         [0022]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.