Patent Publication Number: US-6669023-B2

Title: Storage case

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a storage case preferably employed for storing information-storage medium (hereinafter, it is called a disc) such as a magnetic disc and an optical disc. 
     FIGS. 19 and 20 show a known disc storage case  101  for storing a plurality of discs. This disc storage case  101  comprises a case main body  107 , a cover  108  for opening and closing an opening of the case main body  107  and a rotating means  109  for rotatably installing the cover  108  to the case main body  107 . The case main body  107  comprises a bottom plate  102 , and front, back, right side and left side plates  103 ,  104 ,  105  and  106  which are provided at four sides of the bottom plate  102  so as to surround the bottom plate  102 . 
     As shown in FIG. 21, the rotating means  109  comprises a rotation shaft  110  installed to the case main body  107  and a bearing portion installed to the cover  108 . The rotation shaft  110  is formed into a cylindrical shape. The bearing portion  111  is also formed into a cylindrical shape which is larger in diameter than that of the rotation shaft  110 . The cover  108  is arranged so as to be rotated from a closed condition by 180° and to be put in an open condition shown in FIG.  20 . 
     However, this conventional storage case  101  has the following problems: 
     (1) When the cover  108  is put in the open condition, a gravity point of the storage case  101  is moved. This puts the storage case  101  into an unstable state that the storage case  101  tends to fall down. Further a width W 1  of the storage case  101  in the cover open condition becomes twice the width W2 of the storage case in a cover closed condition (W1=2×W2), and therefore the storage case restricted in space. 
     (2) When a lot of discs  201  are stored in the case main body  107 , it is difficult to pull out the disc  201  from the case main body  107 , due to. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a storage case which solves the above problems by arranging so as to be able to move a cover uprightly to a back of a case main body and to tilt a front plate of the case main body forward. 
     A storage case according to the present invention comprises a case main body, a cover and a rotating means. The case main body comprises a bottom plate, a front plate, a back plate, a right plate and a left plate, the front, back, right and left plates being arranged so as to surround four sides of the bottom plate, the case main body having an opening opposite to the bottom plate. The cover is installed to the case main body so as to open and close the opening of the case main body. The rotating means rotatably installs the cover to the case main body. The rotating means comprises a rotation shaft installed to the cover and a bearing portion installed to the case main body, the bearing portion being formed into a elongate groove extending in a vertical direction of the case main body. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a storage case according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the storage case of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view showing a bearing portion of the storage case. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the storage case in a condition that a front plate is set at an upright state. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the storage case in a condition that the front plate is set at a tilt state. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of arrows substantially along the line VI—VI of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of arrows substantially along the line VII—VII of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken in the direction of arrows substantially along the line VIII—VIII of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a modification of the storage case of the embodiment according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modification of the storage case of the embodiment according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a modification of the storage case of the embodiment according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view showing the storage case put in a cover closed condition. 
     FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view showing the storage case put in a cover opened condition. 
     FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view showing the storage case whose cover is now slid down along a back plate. 
     FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view showing the storage case whose cover has been slid down along a back plate. 
     FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view showing the storage case put in a condition that a front plate of a case main body is tilted forward. 
     FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a modification of the bearing portion of the storage case according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 18 is a plan view showing another modification of the bearing portion of the storage case according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a conventional storage case put in the cover closed condition. 
     FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the conventional storage case in the cover opened condition. 
     FIG. 21 is a cross sectional view showing a rotating means of a conventional storage case. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage case  1  according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the storage case  1 . The storage case  1  comprises a case main body  7 , a cover  8 , a rotating means  9  and a tilting means  10 . The case main body  7  comprises a bottom plate  2 , and a front plate  3 , a back plate  4 , a right plate  5  and a left plate  6 . The front, back, right and left plates  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  6  are installed to four sides of the bottom plate  2  so as to surround the bottom plate  2 . The rotating means  9  is arranged to rotatably install (open and close) the cover  8  to the case main body  7 . The tilting means  10  is arranged to tilt the front plate  3  in the front direction so as to extend the opening of the case main body  7 . 
     The rotating means comprises a pair of rotation shafts  11  installed to the cover  8  and a pair of bearing portions  12  installed to the case main body  7 . The bearing portions  12  are formed into elongate grooves so as to be able to move the rotation shafts  11  along the vertical direction. 
     The tilt means  10  comprises a pair of arm-like overlap plates  13  and  13 , first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15 , and first and second tilting shafts  16  and  17 . The overlap plates  13  and  13  extend from both side peripheries of the front plate  3  to be perpendicular to the front plate  3  and along the right and left plates  5  and  6 , respectively. The first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15  are formed on an outer surface of each of the arm-like overlap plates  13  and  13 . The first and second tilting shafts  16  and  17  are formed on an inner surface of each of the right and left plates  5  and  6  and are engaged with the first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15 , respectively. 
     The bottom plate  2 , the back plate  4 , the right and left plates  5  and  6  of the case main body  7  are made of thermoplastic resin such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin), AS resin (acrylonitrile-styrene resin) and GPPS (GP polostylene), and are integrally molded by means of the injection molding. The front plate  3  is made of the same resin of a unit of the bottom plate  2 , the back plate  4 , the right and left plates  5  and  6  of the case body  7 , and is molded as a piece separated from the unit. 
     The bearing portions  12  of elongate groove shapes are formed on depressed portions  18  provided on outer surfaces of the right and left plates  5  and  6 , respectively. Each of the bearing portions  12  has a length corresponding to a width W3 of the cover  8  so that the cover  8  slides along the back plate  4  and is just set on the back plate  4  and that the cover  8  projects from the back plate  4  by a depth W4 of the cover  8 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, Each of the bearing portions  12  is constituted by a first groove portion  12   a,  a second groove portion  12   b  continuous with the first groove portion  12   a,  and a third groove portion  12   c  continuous with the second groove portion  12   b.  When the cover  8  is put in a closed condition, each rotation shaft  11  integral with the cover member  8  is supported at the first groove portion  12   a.  When the cover  8  is opened and slid down or up along the back plate  4 , the rotation shaft  11  is slid down and up along second groove portion  12   b  so that the cover  8  is slightly apart from the back plate  4  of the case main body  7 . The third groove portion  12   c  is arranged such that the cover  8  approaches the case main body  7  when the cover  8  is moved down at the lower side of the case main body  7 . 
     The first groove portion  12   a  is formed into an arc shape which starts from a center point P of the rotation shaft  11  under the cover closed condition to the backward, so that the rotation shafts  11  are prevented from slipping down along the bearing portions  12  when the cover  8  is just opened. This arrangement enables the cover  8  to be smoothly opened and closed. The second groove portion  12   b  is formed straight, and the third groove portion  12   c  is formed into an arc shape which is generally symmetrical to the arc shape of the first groove portion  12   a.    
     As shown in FIG. 2, the overlap plates  13  and  13  including the tilt means  10  are integrally formed with the front plate  3  so that lower ends of the overlap plates  13  and  13  are generally aligned to the lower end of the front plate  3 . The first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15  are formed into arc shapes, which are coaxial with each other and have an angle θ 1  relative to a corner portion  13   a  of each of the overlap plates  13  and  13 . The first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17  are formed on lines TL respectively including corners  5   a  and  6   a  of the right and left plates  5  and  6 . The first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17  are engaged with the first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15  when the overlap plates  13  and  13  are overlappedly set inside the inner surfaces of the right and left plates  5  and  6 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, by setting the front plate  3  in an upright state (non-tilted state), end portions  14   a  and  15   a  of the first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15  are in contact with the first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17 , respectively. This arrangement prevents the front plate  3  from tilting toward the back plate  4 . Further, when the front plate  3  is tilted in the forward direction, the other end portions  14   b  and  15   b  of the first and second tilt grooves  14  and  15  are in contact with the first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17 , respectively. This arrangement limits the swings of the first and second shafts  16  and  17  and allows the front plate  3  from being kept in the tilt state with a tilt angle θ 2 . 
     The first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17  are formed into arc shapes having the curvatures as same as those of the first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15 , respectively. These arc-shaped arrangements of the first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17  enables the front plate  3  to be smoothly tilted without generating backlash. It will be understood that the shape of the first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17  are not limited to this arc-shape and may be formed into the other shape such as circular shape or elliptic shape. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, in order to fittingly set the front plate  3  at a correct upright position, a pair of depressed portions  21  and  21  are formed at lower surfaces of the overlap plates  13  and  13  respectively, and a pair of projecting portions  22  are formed at an upper surface of the bottom plate  2 . Accordingly, when the front plate  3  is returned to the upright state (non-tilted state) from the tilted state, the depress portions  21  are engaged with the projecting portions  22  and therefore the front plate  3  is positioned at the correct upright position, as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6, a rib  23  is provided at a lower and inner end portion of the front plate  3  so that the rib  23  covers a clearance G generated between the lower end of the front plate  3  and the bottom plate  2  when the front plate  3  is put in the tilted state. This arrangement prevents a lower end of a disc from sliding in the clearance G. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, an upper periphery  3   a  of the front plate  3  is formed into a generally arc shape so as to be curved along an upper periphery of discs stored in the storage case  1 . As shown in FIG. 7, a projecting portion  3   c  of a flange shape is formed at an inner surface  3   b  of the upper periphery  3   a  of the front plate  3 , and a projecting portion  32   c  is formed at a front and lower periphery of the cover  8 . Accordingly, when the cover  8  is put in the closed condition, the projecting portion  3   c  of the front plate  3  is engaged with the projecting portion  32   c  of the cover  8  so that the front plate  3  stays in the upright state. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, a cover lock portion  24  is formed at a center portion of the upper periphery  3   a  of the front plate  3  to lock the cover  8  in the closed condition. As shown in FIG. 8, the cover lock portion  24  is located at an upper position upper than the upper ends of discs stored in the storage case  1  so as not to injure the discs. When the cover  8  is put in the closed condition, a locked portion  36  of the cover  8  is engaged with the cover lock portion  24  of the front plate  3  to lock the cover  8  in the closed condition. 
     Next, there will be discussed the cover  8  in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the cover  8  comprises an upper plate  31 , a front plate  32 , a back plate  33 , a right plate  34  and a left plate  35 . The upper plate  32  has a size generally the same as that of the bottom plate  3  of the case main body  7 . The front, back, right and left plates  32 ,  33 ,  34  and  35  are arranged to surround the four sides of the upper plate  31 . The cover  8  is made of transparent or semi-transparent thermoplastic resin such as ABS resin, AS resin and GPPS, and the respective elements of the cover  8  are integrally molded by means of the injection molding. 
     A width W3 of the upper plate  31  of the cover  8  is greater than a width or height the front plate  32 , the back plate  33 , the right and left plates  34  and  35 . A lower periphery  32   a  of the front plate  32  of the cover  8  is formed into an arc shape along the upper periphery  3   a  of the front plate  3  of the case main body  7 . As shown in FIG.  7  and discussed above, the projecting portion  32   c  is formed at a front surface of a lower periphery of the cover  8  so that when the cover  3  is put in the closed condition, the projecting portion  32   c  of the cover  8  is engaged with the projecting portion  3   c  of the front plate  3 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the locked portion  36  is provided at a center portion of the arc-shaped lower periphery  32  of the front plate  32  of the cover  8 . When the cover  8  is put in the closed condition, the locked portion  36  is engaged with the cover lock portion  24  of the case main body  7  and therefore the cover  8  is locked. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of overlap portions  37  and  38  are formed at back and lower end portions of the respective right and left plates  34  and  35  of the cover  8 , respectively. The overlap portions  37  and  38  are overlapped with outer surfaces of the right and left plate  5  and  6  of the case main body  7 , respectively. The rotation shafts  11  of the rotating means  9  are formed at the opposite inner surfaces of the overlap portions  37  and  38 , respectively. By setting the overlap portions  37  and  38  of the cover  8  so as to clump the right and left plates  5  and  6  of the case main body  7  and by engaging the rotation shafts  11  of the overlap portions  37  and  38  with the elongate bearing portions  12  of the right and left plates  5  and  6  of the case main body  7 , the cover  8  is assembled with the case main body  7  so as to be swingably opened and closed relative to the case main body  7  and to be movable in the vertical direction of the case main body  7 . 
     As a modification of the lock structure, a pair of connecting portions  41  and  41  may be provided at both lateral sides of the lower end of the front plate  32  of the cover  8  as shown in FIG.  9 . Further, the pair of the connecting portions  41  and  41  may be hung on an upper end of the back plate  4  of the case main body  7  as shown in FIG. 10 when the cover  8  is opened and slid down along the back plate  4  of the case main body  7 . This hook structure functions to prevent the cover  9  from freely rotating and to support the cover  8 . 
     As a modification of the above hoo structure, a pair of ribs  42  and  42  may be formed at both lateral sides of the upper end of the back plate  4  as shown in FIG.  11 . The provision of the ribs  42  and  42  enables the cover  8  to be slid down along the back plate  4  without directly contacting with the back plate  4  and to be hung on the ribs  42  and  42  when the cover  8  is opened and put in the slid down state. 
     Next, the manner of operation of the storage case  1  will be discussed. As shown in FIG. 12, when the cover  8  is put in the closed condition, the cover  8  is overlapped with the upper end of the case main body  7  and locked through the cover lock portion  24  of the case main body  7 . Further, in this closed condition, the rotation shafts  11  are supported at the first groove portions  12   a.    
     By rotating the cover  8  by 90° toward the direction of the arrow A of FIG. 12 from the closed condition, the cover  8  is put in the upright state as shown in FIG.  13 . 
     By sliding down the cover  8  from the upright state of FIG. 13, the rotation shafts  11  are moved from the first groove portions  12   a  to the second groove portions  12   b,  and the cover  8  is slid down along the back plate  4  while being slightly apart from the back plate  4 , as shown in FIG.  14 . 
     When the rotation shafts  11  reach the lower ends of the second groove portions  12   b,  the rotation shafts  11  are moved to the third groove portions  12   c,  the cover  8  approaches the back plate  4  of the case main body  7  as compared with the condition at the second groove portions  12   b.    
     When the cover  8  is put in the slid-down condition as shown in FIG. 15, a total width W1 of the storage case  1  becomes generally equal to the sum of the width W2 of the case main body and the width W 4  of the front plate  32  of the cover  8  (W1≈W2+W4). Since the width W4 is smaller than the depth W3 (W4&lt;W3), the total width W1 of the storage case  1  in the opened condition shown in FIG.  15  becomes smaller than that of a convention storage in the opened condition shown in FIG.  20 . Therefore, it becomes possible to decrease the size of the storage case  1  in the opened condition. Further, by tilting the front plate  3  forward as shown in FIG. 16, the discs in the storage case  1  are easily taken out from the storage case  1 . 
     Additionally, each first groove portion  12   a  may be constituted by a horizontal groove portion  12   d  and an arc shaped groove portion  12   e  as shown in FIG.  17 . By this modification, it becomes possible to further firmly support the rotation shafts  11 . Further, a length L of the horizontal groove portion  12   d  may be set at about one-fourth of a circumferential dimension of the rotation shaft  11 . With this modification, by rotating the cover  8  by 90° from the condition of FIG. 16, the rotation shaft  11  is rotated by one-fourth of the circumferential dimension of the rotation shaft  11  and moves from the horizontal groove portion  12   d  to the arc shaped groove portion  12   e.  Then the rotation shaft  11  smoothly moves to the second groove portion  12   b.    
     With the thus arranged storage case  1  according to the present invention, the following advantages are ensured. 
     Since the storage case  1  according to the present invention is arranged to slide down the cover  8  after the cover  8  is opened at the upright state, a center of gravity of the storage case  1  is lowered in height so as to be further stable. Further it is possible to decrease the total width of the storage case  1  in the opened condition at the sum of the width of the case main body  7  and the width (height of the cover  8 ) of the front plate  32  of the cover  8 . 
     The storage case  1  is arranged such that the rotation shafts  11  are supported to the first groove portions  12   a  when the cover  8  is put in the closed condition. Further when the cover  8  is vertically slid down in the upright state, the cover  8  is slight apart from the case main body  7  due to the arrangement of the second groove portions  12   b.  Therefore, it becomes possible to slide down the cover  8  without interfering (contacting) the case main body  7 . Furthermore, the third groove portions  12   c  are arranged so that the cover  8  approaches the case main body  7  when the cover  8  is slid down to the predetermined lower position. This arrangement enables the total width of the storage case  1  in the opened condition to be further decreased. 
     Since the front plate  3  of the case main body  7  is arranged to tilt forward, it becomes possible to further easily take out discs from the storage case  1 . 
     As compared with a conventional storage case arranged such that a front plate is tilted by rotation shafts providing at lower end of the front plate, the storage case  1  according to the present invention is arranged simple in the tilt mechanism of the front plate  3  and enables the front plate  3  to be easily and firmly tilted at a desired angle. 
     Since the storage case  1  is arranged such that the curvatures of the first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17  are generally the same as those of the first and second tilt guide grooves  14  and  15 , it becomes possible to smoothly tilt the front plate  3  without generating backlash of the first and second tilt shafts  16  and  17  in the first and second guide grooves  14  and  15 . 
     Since the storage case  1  according to the present invention comprises the depressed portions  21  and the projecting portions  22 , the position of the front plate  3  is firmly and correctly determined by the engagement between the depressed portions  21  and the projecting portions  22  when the front plate  3  is returned from the tilted state to the upright state. 
     Even when a clearance is generated between the lower end of the front plate  3  and the front end of the bottom plate  2  of the case main body  7  by tilting the front plate  3  forward, an upper side of the clearance is covered with the rib  23  formed at the lower end of the front plate  3  of the storage case according to the present invention. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent discs stored from sliding into the clearance. 
     Further, since the upper end of the front plate  3  is formed into an arc shape and the lower end of the cover  8  is formed into an arc shape corresponding to the arc shape of the front plate  3 , the lower end of the cover  8  is engaged with the upper end of the front plate by closing the cover  8 , and the cover  8  is automatically adjusted at the position along the lateral direction. Further, the locking means locks the cover  8  with the case main body  7  and prevents the front plate  3  from being tilted forward in the cover closed condition. Further, since the lock means is located at the upper side of the stored discs, the lock means does not injure discs. 
     With the above-mentioned arrangements according to the present invention, the cover  8  is slid down along the back surface of the case main body  7  after opened to the upright state. Therefore the gravity point of the storage case  1  is lowered in height and the storage case  1  is put in stable state. Further it becomes possible to decrease the width of the storage case  1  in the cover opened condition to the sum of the width of the case main body  7  and the width of the front plate of the cover  8  (a height of the cover  8 ). 
     Further it becomes possible to arrange such that the rotation shaft  11  is supported to the first groove portion  12   a  when the cover  8  is closed, the cover  8  is released from the case main body  7  so that the cover  8  does not interfere with the case main body  7 . When the cover  8  is slid down at a predetermined position by the third groove portion  12   c,  the cover  8  approaches the case main body  7 . Therefore, the width of the storage case  1  in the cover opened condition is further decreased. 
     The storage case  1  according to the present invention is arranged to tilt the front plate  3  of the case main body  7  forward. This arrangement enables discs to be easily taken out for the storage case  1 . 
     The storage case  1  according to the present invention is arranged to firmly and easily tilt the front plate  3  at a desired angle as compared with a conventional case arranged such that a lower end of a front plate is rotatably installed to a case main body. 
     Since the storage case  1  according to the present invention is arranged such that the curvatures of the tilt shafts  16  and  17  are generally the same as the curvatures of the tilt guide grooves  14  and  15 , the tilt shafts  16  and  17  smoothly move in the tilt guide grooves  14  and  15  without generating backlash. 
     By the provision of the depressed portions  22  and the projecting portions  21 , the front plate  3  is correctly set at a predetermined position when the front plate  3  is returned from the tilted state to the upright state. 
     The storage case  1  according to the present invention is arranged such that the rib  23  is provided at the lower and inner portion of the front plate  3 . Accordingly, even when the clearance is generated between the lower end of the front plate  3  and the front end of the bottom plate  2  by tilting the front plate  3 , the rib  23  covers the clearance and prevents the discs from sliding in the clearance. 
     Since the upper end of the front plate  3  is formed into an arc shape and the front plate  3  of the cover  8  is formed corresponding to the arc shape of the front plate  3 , the upper end of the front plate  3  is correctly engaged with the lower end of the cover  8  when the cover  8  is put in the closed condition. By means of the locking means, the cover  8  is locked with the case main body  7  and the front plate  3  of the case main body  7  is prevented from tilting forward. Further, since the locking means is disposed at the position higher that the upper end of the discs in the storage case  1 , the discs are safely stored in the storage case  1  without being insured by the locking means. 
     This application is based on a prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-258459 filed on Aug. 29, 2000 in Japan. The entire contents of this Japanese Patent Application are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Although the invention has been described above by reference to a certain embodiment of the invention, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the embodiment described above will occur to those skilled in the art, in light of the above teaching. The scope of the invention is defined with reference to the following claims.