Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5768855?dq=7,181,690
Timestamp: 2018-01-18 04:37:10
Document Index: 265187218

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 33', 'arts 60', 'arts 60', 'arts 60', 'arts 60', 'arts 60', 'arts 60']

Patent US5768855 - Casing for housing disc cartridge and method for packaging the casing - Google Patents
A casing for a disc cartridge includes first and second halves and a pair of holding means. The first half includes a plate portion, a pair of sidewall sections formed parallel to the parallel sides of the plate portion and a wall section between the sidewall sections. The second half includes a plate...http://www.google.com/patents/US5768855?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5768855 - Casing for housing disc cartridge and method for packaging the casing
Publication number US5768855 A
Application number US 08/804,027
Also published as CN1043630C, CN1081993A, CN1219735A, DE69320676D1, DE69320676T2, DE69332439D1, DE69332439T2, EP0564155A2, EP0564155A3, EP0564155B1, EP0768669A2, EP0768669A3, EP0768669B1, US5450952, US5671590
Publication number 08804027, 804027, US 5768855 A, US 5768855A, US-A-5768855, US5768855 A, US5768855A
Inventors Takatsugu Funawatari, Masaei Fukaya, Hiroyuki Honma, Kenji Takahashi
Patent Citations (30), Referenced by (3), Classifications (16), Legal Events (6)
Casing for housing disc cartridge and method for packaging the casing
US 5768855 A
1. A packaging method for a disc cartridge casing having a top, a bottom, lateral sides and having an opening and a cut-out formed out of the top and bottom at the opening of the casing, comprising the steps of:
covering at least said opening and said cut-out with a sheet-shaped member;
applying a film in a tubular form so that overlapping end portions are formed on the lateral sides of the casing;
inserting said disc cartridge casing between ironing members; and
heat-shrinking the film around the casing and fusing the ends of said film with said ironing members.
2. The packaging method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
heating said overlapped end portions to fuse the overlapped end portions of said film; and
heating the film and the entire disc cartridge casing.
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/390,101, filed Feb. 17, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,590, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/277,783, filed Jul. 20, 1994; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/036,626, filed Mar. 24, 1993, now abandoned. Divisional application Ser. No. 08/277,783 is now issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,952 issuing on Sept. 19, 1995.
This invention relates to a disc cartridge casing for packaging a disc cartridge comprised of a recording disc, such as an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc, contained in a main cartridge body. More particularly, it relates to a sleeve casing for a disc cartridge and a method for packaging the sleeve casing with the disc cartridge therein.
A so-called sleeve casing has been proposed as a casing for packaging the disc cartridge comprised of the recording disc and the cartridge main body housing the disc or a tape cassette comprised of a tape reel fitted with a recording tape and a cassette housing the tape reel therein.
The sleeve casing 401 is formed by a sheet-shaped member of a synthetic material, such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PFT), bent into a box one side of which is opened at 404 to provide a pouch-shaped structure, as shown in FIG. 1. The above-mentioned cassette, having the recording medium housed therein, is introduced into and held within the sleeve casing 401 via the opening 404. In general, the sleeve casing 401 is of a size just large enough to accommodate the cassette having the recording medium therein to hold the cassette by the force of friction between the outer surface of the cassette and the inner surface of the sleeve casing. The sleeve casing 401 has cut-outs 402, 403 at forward ends of the major surfaces of the casing in continuation to the opening 404 for ease in taking out the cassette from the sleeve casing.
Besides, since the disc cartridge is formed by bending a sheet-shaped material, the opening via which the cartridge main body is introduced into or taken out of the casing cannot be formed with ease to a predetermined shape in the casing. Besides, since the opening in the casing tends to be deformed, difficulties tend to be incurred in the operation of introducing the disc cartridge into the-casing.
Since the above-mentioned cut-outs 402, 403 are formed in the sleeve casing 401, the outer lateral surface of the casing presents a step when the cassette, such as a disc cartridge, is accommodated in the casing, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. That is, the major surfaces of the sleeve casing 401 present steps corresponding to the thickness of the casing as indicated by arrow d in FIG. 2. Besides, on the front side of the casing, there are formed ribs on both lateral sides of the cut-outs 402, 403 corresponding to the amount of projection of the major surfaces of the sleeve as indicated by arrow S in FIG. 3.
According to the present invention, there is provided a casing having first and second halves and a pair of holding members. The first half includes a plate portion, a pair of sidewall members formed along the parallel sides of the plate portion, and a wall member provided between the sidewall members. Each of the side wall members is provided with a protrusion and a groove, and the first and second halves are connected together by engagement of the grooves and the protrusions of the first and the second halves. The holding members are provided in the inner portion of the second half.
FIG. 2. is an enlarged partial perspective view showing irregularities on the outer lateral surface of the conventional sleeve casing shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 59 is. a longitudinal sectional view showing the manner in which the disc cartridge is being inserted into the casing shown in FIG. 56.
The lower major surface of the cartridge main body 102 is formed with a pair of recesses 110, 109 and a disc type discriminating recess 111. The recesses 110, 109 are adapted for these recesses 110, 109 are formed on both lateral sides at the front side of the lower major surface of the cartridge main body 102 so as to be opened on the lateral sides of the cartridge main body 102. The disc type discriminating recess 111 is formed on the front side in the lower major surface of the cartridge main body 102. The disc type discriminating recess 111 has its depth set depending on the type of the recording disc 117 housed in the cartridge main body.
The top plate member 1 has a pair of inner sidewall members 11, 12 on both lateral sides of the lower surface thereof extending parallel to the lateral sides of the top plate section 1a, as shown in FIG. 11. The top plate member 1 also has an inner rear wall member 15 parallel to the rear side of the top plate section 1a, as shown in FIG. 11. The inner sidewall members 11, 12 and the inner rear wall member 15 are cast as one with the top plate section 1a for defining a U-shaped peripheral wall interrupted at the front side. These sidewall sections 11, 12 and the rear wall section 15 are of a height substantially equal to the thickness of the cartridge main body 102, and are inwardly offset from the lateral sides and the rear side of the top plate section 1a by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the wall sections 11, 12 and 15.
Meanwhile, the reinforcements 27, 28, shown in FIG. 18, may be formed as shown at 28, in FIG. 19. The reinforcement 28a shown in FIG. 19 is formed on the entire surface of the flange 22 of the outer rear wall member 19 and on both sides of the engaging rear groove.
The top plate member 1 and the bottom plate member 2 are connected to each other by having the lateral engaging ribs 13, 14 engaged in the engaging lateral grooves 20, 21, as last shown in FIGS. 14-21, and by having the rear engaging rib 16 engaged between the flange 22 and the bottom plate section 2a, that is in the engaging rear groove. For connecting the top plate member 1 and the bottom plate member 2 in this manner, the top plate member 1 is positioned ahead of the bottom plate member 2 and the rear sides of the lateral engaging ribs 13, 14 are introduced at the front ends of the engaging lateral grooves 20, 21, with the top plate member 1 being then moved towards the rear for sliding the lateral engaging ribs 13, 14 within the engaging lateral grooves 20, 21. When the top plate member 1 is slid until the top plate section 1a is in register with the bottom plate section 2a, the rear engaging rib 16 is engaged in the rear engaging groove, while the retention projections 23, 24 are engaged with the retention recesses 25, 26. For engaging the retention projections 23, 24 in the retention grooves 25, 26, these retention projections 23, 24 are first introduced into a space between the sidewall members 17, 18, from the front ends of the outer sidewall members 17, 18 for outwardly thrusting and thereby slightly deflecting the outer sidewall members 17, 18. As the retention projections 23, 24 reach the position facing the retention recesses, the outer sidewall members 17, 18 are restored to their initial states for engaging the retention projections 23, 24 in the retention recesses 25, 26.
The recesses 37, 38 formed on the upper sides of the outer sidewall members 17, 18 and both lateral sides of the top plate section 1a delimit lateral grooves 7,8. That is, the upper ends of the outer sidewall members 17, 18 are engaged with the lateral sides of the top plate section 1a at the positions offset inwards by a distance equal to the depths of the recesses 37, 38, as shown in FIG. 20. These lateral grooves 7, 8 are formed for being extended from the front side towards the rear side of the lateral surface of the casing 100. The rear bottom ends of the lateral grooves 7, 8 are formed with bottomed holes constituted by slits 41, 42 formed in the outer sidewall members 17, 18 and by the vertical grooves 39, 40 formed in the inner sidewall members 11, 12.
The locking members 9, 10 are mounted by a pair of locking member mounting sections 33, 34 formed on the bottom plate member 2. These locking member mounting sections 33, 34 are formed on the inner lateral surfaces of the outer sidewall sections 17, 18 at the recessed inner ends of the sidewall members 17, 18, as shown in FIG. 16. These locking member mounting sections 33, 34 are each provided with fore and aft holding protrusions 54, 55. These holding protrusions 54, 55 are formed at the lower parts of the outer sidewall members 17, 18 for being protruded inwards in continuation to the bottom wall section 2a. That is, these holding projections 54, 55.are provided at the corners between the outer sidewall sections 17, 18 and the bottom plate section 2a. These holding protrusions 54, 55 are mounted facing each other at a distance substantially corresponding to the lengths of the locking members 9, 10. The facing sides of the holding protrusions 54, 55 are formed with holding recesses 52, 53, respectively. These holding recesses 52, 53 are opened towards the top and are each of a cross-sectional profile of a part of an ellipse or an oblong circle having its longer axis oriented in the fore-and-aft direction. The locking members 9, 10 are held by the holding projections 54, 55 by having the grips 44, 45 fitted into the holding recesses 52, 53.
Meanwhile, the inner sidewall sections 11, 12 of the top plate member 1 are cut out at the rear parts so that the rear parts are shorter in a distance from the top plate section 1a than the central and forward parts by a length corresponding to the width of the locking members 9 and 10. This prevents the inner sidewall sections 11, 12 from being abutted against the locking members 9, 10 held by the locking member mounting sections 33, 34, while preventing the locking members 9, 10 from being detached upwards from the locking member mounting sections 33, 34.
For housing and holding the disc cartridge 101 in the above-described casing 100 for a disc cartridge according to the present invention, the disc cartridge 101 is introduced into the space between the top plate member 1a and the bottom plate member 2a from the front side via-the opening in a direction shown by arrow A in FIG. 4.
With the present casing 100, if the disc cartridge 101 is inserted in a mistaken manner as described above, the mistaken insertion inhibiting protrusion 29 is caused to bear against the cartridge main body 102 to inhibit the insertion thereof into the casing 100, as shown in FIG. 32. That is, the distance from the upper end face of the mistaken insertion inhibiting protrusion 29 up to the lower surface of the top plate section 1a, as indicated by arrow L in FIG. 32, is shorter than the thickness of the cartridge main body 102 as indicated by arrow T in FIG. 32. Consequently, the disc type discriminating recess 111 is not faced by the mistaken insertion inhibiting protrusion 29. If the protrusion 29 is not engaged with the recess 111, the protrusion 29 is caused to bear against the cartridge main body 102 to inhibit insertion of the disc cartridge 101 into the casing 100. Meanwhile, the protrusion 29 has a height lower than the depth of the disc type discriminating recess 111.
The wrapping is what is termed a caramel wrapping. First, the casing 100 is introduced into the inside of an overlap film 201 obtained by interconnecting two opposing edges of two film halves. Both end parts of the overlap film 201 in the tubular form are bent inwards to form superposed sections 202, 203, as shown in FIG. 34. These superposed sections 202, 203 are heated and fused together by heat welding by a pair of heating ironing members 301, 302 making up a wrapping unit. These superposed sections 202, 203 are formed on the outer lateral surfaces of the casing members of the casing 100.
The recesses 303, 304 are profiled to permit the ridges of the casing 100 to be inserted therein. The result is that, if the overlap film 201 is shifted in one or the other direction so that the overlap film 201 has its one end extending over the entire lateral surface of the casing 100 to reach the opposite side, that is the top plate section 1a or the bottom plate section 2a, the extended portion of the overlap film may still be heated by the ironing members 301, 302 so as to be heat welded, as shown in FIGS. 38 and 39.
A first modification of the casing for the disc cartridge according to the present invention is first explained. The locking members 9, 10 are mounted on a pair of locking member mounting sections 33, 34 formed on the bottom plate member 2. These locking member mounting parts 33, 34 are formed on the rear sections of the opposing inner lateral sides of the outer sidewall members 17, 18, as shown in FIG. 16. These locking member mounting sections 33, 34 are provided with front and rear holding protrusions 54, 55, as shown in FIGS. 43 and 44. These holding protrusions 54, 55 are formed at the lower parts of the outer sidewall members 17, 18 for being protruded inwards in continuation to the bottom wall section 2a. That is, these holding projections 54, 55 are provided at the corners between the outer sidewall sections 17, 18 and the bottom plate section 2a. These holding protrusions 54, 55 are mounted facing each other at a distance substantially corresponding to the lengths of the locking members 9, 10. The facing sides of the holding protrusions 54, 55 are formed with holding recesses 52, 53, respectively. These holding recesses 52, 53 each have a substantially cylindrical inner surface and are opened towards the top with a cross-sectional profile of a part of an ellipse or an oblong circle having its longer axis oriented in the fore-and-aft direction. The difference between the longer axis and the shorter axis of an ellipse of the cross-sectional profile of each of the holding recesses 52, 52 is on the order of e.g. 0.3 mm, if the grips 44, 45 are of a diameter of the order of 1.2 mm.
The inner sidewall members 11, 12 of the top plate member 1 are cut out at the rear ends so that the sidewall members 11, 12 extend from the top plate section 1a, at the cut-out parts a shorter distance than at the mid and front parts so as to leave a void equal to the width of each of the locking members 9, 10. That is, the inner sidewall members 11, 12 clear the locking members 9, 10 held by the locking member holding sections 33, 34 while preventing these locking members 9, 10 from being detached upwards from the locking member holding sections 33, 34.
These locking parts 60 are paired and formed at the inner rear surfaces of the outer sidewall members 17, 18 for facing each other. The locking parts 60 are formed at the lower portions of outer sidewall members 17, 18 as substantially plate-shaped members extended in the fore-and-aft direction. These locking parts 60, 60 have their front sides formed as one with the outer sidewall members 17, 18, with their rear ends being free ends. The locking parts 60 may be resiliently deflected in a direction towards the outer sidewall members 17, 18, with the front ends as fulcrum points, as indicated by arrow D in FIG. 48. The inner surfaces of the outer sidewall members 17, 18 are formed with clearances 61 in register with the locking parts 60 to permit resilient deflection of these locking parts 60.
At the side of the locking member 9 in the interior of the casing 100, defined between the plate members 1 and 2, there is formed a locking boss 70, which is to be a retention boss, as shown in FIGS. 49 and 50. The locking boss 70 is formed as one with the bottom plate member 2. The locking boss 70 is provided at a rear portion of the outer sidewall member 18. The locking boss 70 is substantially semicylindrical-shaped and has its planar end face extending substantially parallel to the bottom plate section 2a and its semi-arcuate portion extending inwards from the lateral surface of the outer sidewall member 18. The inner sidewall members 11, 12 of the top plate member 1 are cut out at the rear ends so that the sidewall members 11, 12 extend from the top plate section 1a, at the cut-out parts, a shorter distance than at the mid and front parts so as to leave a void equal to the width of the locking member 9 and a void equal to the height of the locking boss 70, as shown in FIG. 53. That is, the inner sidewall members 11, 12 clear the locking member 9 held by the locking member holding section 33 and the locking boss 70 while preventing the locking member 9 from being detached upwards from the locking member holding section 33.
The distance between the apex of the retention surface 47 and that of the peripheral surface of the locking boss 70, indicated by arrow L in FIG. 52, is selected to be smaller than the width of the cartridge main body 102, shown by arrow W in FIG. 52. Consequently, with the retention surface 47 of the locking member 9 and the locking boss 70 introduced into the recesses 109, 110, the cartridge main body 102 is retained by being clamped from both lateral sides and thereby prevented from being disengaged via the opening of the casing 100 towards the outside under shock or vibrations.
The present casing 100 is not provided with the flange 22 providing the rear engaging rib 16 and the rear engaging groove, with the outer lateral surface of the inner rear wall member 15 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer rear wall member 19 being planar, as shown in FIGS. 53 and 54. That is, with the lateral sidewall sections of the top plate member 1 and the bottom plate member 2 in engagement with each other, the rear wall members 15, 19 are caused to bear against each other and yet are movable vertically relative to each other.
When the disc cartridge 101 is introduced into the casing 100 such that the forward end of the disc cartridge 101 reaches the rear end of the casing 100, both front lateral sides of the bottom plate section of the cartridge main body 102 thrust the upper surface of the locking bosses 71, 71 for deflecting the bottom plate section 2a downwards, that is away from the top plate section 1a. At this time, the rear parts of the lateral grooves 7, 8 are widened from the initial state, as indicated by arrow C in FIG. 59. When the forward end of the cartridge main body 102 is introduced up to a predetermined position in which it is substantially abutted against the inner rear wall member 15 of the casing 100, the bottom plate section 2a is faced by the recesses 109, 110. The bottom plate section 2a is restored at this time under its own resiliency, as shown in FIG. 60, with the locking bosses 71, 71 being engaged in the recesses 109, 110.
The distance between end faces of the locking bosses 71, 71 indicated by arrow LC in FIG. 59, is selected to be smaller than the width of the cartridge main body 102 indicated by arrow W in FIG. 52. Consequently, by having the locking bosses 71, 71 introduced into the recesses 109, 110, the cartridge main body 102 is retained by being clamped from both lateral sides and thereby prevented from being disengaged via the opening of the casing 100 towards the outside under shock or vibrations.
For taking out the disc cartridge 101 out of the casing 100, the rear parts of the disc cartridge exposed to the outside via cut-outs 5, 6 are pulled rearwards with respect to the casing 100. The locking bosses 71, 71 thrust by the front part of the lateral surfaces of the cartridge main body 102 so that the rear part of the bottom plate section 2a is deflected in a direction away from the top plate section 1a to release retention of the cartridge main body 102 by the locking bosses 71, 71. At this time, the disc cartridge 101 may be taken out of the casing 100 via the opening. If the disc cartridge 101 is moved further rearwards,the rear part of the bottom plate section 2a is returned to its initial state as compared with the top plate section 1a. The disc cartridge 101 may be taken out of the casing 100 by pulling the disc cartridge outwards.
If, with the present casing 100, a pair of locking bosses are formed at both inner lateral sides of the main casing member, these locking bosses may be-substantially triangular-shaped with the triangular end faces extending parallel to the outer sidewall members 17, 18 and with upper ridges defined by inclined surfaces being protruded upwards away from the bottom plate section 2a.
A fifth modification o the casing for the disc cartridge according to the present invention is hereinafter explained.
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U.S. Classification 53/442, G9B/33.009, G9B/33.008, 53/477, 53/463
International Classification B29C63/40, B29C53/38, G11B33/04
Cooperative Classification B29C53/385, B29C63/40, G11B33/0411, G11B33/0416
European Classification B29C63/40, B29C53/38C, G11B33/04D1, G11B33/04D1A