Patent Publication Number: US-6659151-B2

Title: Compact disc (CD) labeling apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     A compact disc (CD) labeling apparatus 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Different models of compact disc (CD) labeling apparatuses have been in existence for several years, some of them being fairly simplified but of imperfect operation, whereas others are more complex and achieve a correct centering between the compact disc and the label. 
     All of these known apparatuses do generally comprise an annular disk supporting the label to be stuck, a compact disc support being apt to be axially shifted within said annular disk. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention has as its object an apparatus being provided to fulfil the above-mentioned function and at the same time being of a very simple construction since it is made up of only three components, said apparatus nevertheless in a practical and efficient way assuring the perfect and concentric application and adhesion of the label to the compact disc. 
     With this apparatus a perfect operation is hence obtained within the scope of its operability, said apparatus being of a much lower cost as compared with others having a similar operation since because of having less components the present apparatus requires a lesser number of moulds having to be manufactured (the members are of plastics material) as well as a smaller amount of time for the assembly of the members composing it, these latter only requiring an attaching operation to be carried out between two of them. 
     The apparatus is for such a purpose characterised by having a construction being made up of an annular disk integrally forming at its central opening a neck extending downwards and being provided to have its open bottom secured to a base plate from whose central portion an integrally formed upright pin projects upwards and beyond the top surface of the support being provided for supporting the compact disc, said support integrally extending downwards in the shape of a spring resting on the base plate. 
     The support being provided for supporting the compact disc has an axial passage being apt to guide it on the pin of the base plate, said support besides having its outer periphery provided with a shoulder abutting with another shoulder of the inner periphery of the neck of the annular disk. 
     These and other characteristics will be best made apparent by the following detailed description whose understanding will be made easier by the accompanying sheet of drawings showing a practical embodiment cited only by way of an example not limiting the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates in a perspective view the three members making up the apparatus, and 
     FIG. 2 shows in a sectional elevation the already assembled apparatus ready for operation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to the drawings this compact disc (CD) labeling apparatus comprises an annular plate  1  supporting the label E and allowing to axially shift in its inside a support  2  being provided for supporting the compact disc D. 
     This apparatus is characterised by its construction being made up of three members a, b and c being made of moulded plastics material and of which the first one a constitutes the annular disk  1  at its central opening  3  forming a neck  4  extending downwards and having its inner periphery provided with a shoulder  5 . 
     The second member b constitutes the support  2  being provided for supporting the compact disc and extending downwards in the shape of a spring  6 , said support  2  having an axial passage  7  and also having its outer periphery provided with a shoulder  8  abutting against the shoulder  5  of member a. 
     The third member c is formed by a base plate  9  from whose central portion an upright pin  10  projects upwards and is partially surrounded by the axial passage  7  of member b, this latter being thus guided along said pin, the top end of this latter projecting from the top surface of said support  2 . The base plate  9  has a centrally located, recessed portion  11  to which the neck  4  of member a is at its open bottom  12  fitted and secured by means of an adequate adhesive. 
     In FIG. 2 the apparatus has been illustrated in its inactive position in which the support  2  being provided for supporting the compact disc projects from the central opening of the annular disk  1 , said support being held in said position by the spring  6  and having its shoulder  8  abutting against the shoulder  5  of the neck of the annular disk  1 , the top end of pin  10  also projecting above said support  2 . 
     The operation is very simple: when pressing the support  2  downwards this latter will slide while being guided between neck  4  and pin  10 , the compact disc D thus being applied against the label E, this latter being thus stuck to the former, said label for such a purpose having its surface to be stuck to the compact disc provided with a glue or adhesive being for example of the contact adhesive type. 
     Upon cessation of the manual action on support  2  the elastic recovery of spring  6  takes place thus lifting said support with the already labelled compact disc.