Abstract:
A holder for removably supporting a compact disc or other object with a hole in the center. The compact disc is supported by at least two arms which are held on a flexible step. The arms have an outwardly extending protrusion which holds the compact disc in place. When it is desired to remove the disc the arms are pressed from above and they hingedly move together and cause the compact disc to pop upwardly from the arms.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/548,558 filed on Oct. 26, 1995, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is devices for holding compact discs or other flat typically circular objects with a circular opening. Compact discs or laser discs are increasing in popularity. They have reached a dominant position in the recorded music area and are rapidly growing in the field of computer data and computer program storage and retrieval. The typical compact disc has an outside diameter somewhat over 41/2&#34;. A currently dominant package for holding compact discs is referred to as a &#34;jewel case&#34;. The compact disc is held by a plurality of cantilevered arms and one patent showing such holder is U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,888. Attempts have been made to provide a low cost disc holder and one that permits the user to remove the disc by pressing in the center of the holder. One such approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,252 where a central hub 20 basically in the shape of a flat topped dome may be depressed to facilitate the removal of the disc. The device is designed so that the central hub is supported both from below and from above in a receptacle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder for a compact disc which will securely support the compact disc during shipment and display without the need for any device over the holder and yet which will enable a user to easily remove the compact disc preferably by simply pressing on the top of the center hub of the holder. 
     The present invention is for a holder for removably supporting a compact disc or other flat object with a central opening. The holder has a compact disc support step which extends outwardly from a support step base. At least two compact disc support arms extend outwardly from the support step and each of the arms are centered about a single support arm central axis. Each of the support arms has an outer ring centered about the central axis. The outer ring extends outwardly from the support step and ends at a compact disc restraining portion which extends away from the outer surface of the outer rim. The restraining portion has an outer edge. A guide ring extends outwardly with respect to the compact disc support step and also extends toward the single support arm central axis and is preferably generally conical in shape. It is centered about the central axis and has a minimum diameter which is less than the opening in the compact disc to be held and a maximum diameter which is greater than the inside diameter of the opening in the compact disc to be held. The guide ring extends over the top and then inwardly to an inner floor so that the support arm is supported not only by the outer rim but also by the inner floor. Each support arm has an end wall at each end which extends inwardly to the inner floor. The inner floor is positioned inwardly with respect to the outer edge of the compact disc restraining portion so that the support arms can flex both inwardly and centrally toward the central axis to permit the compact disc to easily be removed. Preferably the support floor flexes sufficiently so that the compact disc will pop off of the holder when it is pressed in the center. Preferably there are three compact disc support arms. Also preferably there are also a set of grooves, one between each pair of support arms. Further preferably a central dimple is positioned and extends inwardly around the central axis to further control and enhance the flexing action of the support arms. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a holder for removably supporting a compact disc of the present invention including a supported compact disc. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view analogous to FIG. 1 but showing a compact disc in a partly removed position. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the essential part of the holder of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a right side view of the holder of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the holder of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 7 is plan view of a compact disc holder further including a floor area with support ribs. 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of the holder of FIG. 7. 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 7. 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 9. 
     FIG. 11 is a front view analogous to FIG. 5, but showing the flexing action of the compact disc holder of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view of a compact disc holder with two support arms. 
     FIG. 13 is a plan view of a compact disc holder having six support arms. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A compact disc holder together with a floor assembly is shown in FIG. 1 with the holder indicated by reference character 10. Holder 10 is supporting a compact disc 11 about its circular center opening 12 which has an inner surface, an upper edge at the intersection of the circular center opening 12, and an upper surface 13. The inner surface of circular center opening 12 has a lower edge at the intersection of the circular center opening 12 and a lower surface 14. Details of the construction of the holder will be discussed in conjunction with FIG. 3, but generally as shown in FIG. 1, the compact disc is held below a compact disc restraining portion 28 and may be easily snapped out onto the holder by placing the circular central opening 12 over guide ring 30 and snapping it in place so that it is suspended above the ribs 44 which extend above the outer floor 39 as discussed below. When one presses on the top of arms 20, 21 and 22, the compact disc pops into the configuration shown in FIG. 2 where it may be readily removed by the user. The arms 20, 21 and 22 are shown in a depressed position in FIG. 2 and when arms 20, 21 and 22 are released, they inherently lift the disc 11. 
     Turning now to the details of the holder construction which permit this secure, yet easily removable, holding, reference is most easily made to FIGS. 3 and 6. The holder has three compact disc support arms 20, 21 and 22 which are held by a compact disc support step 16. While three support arms are shown in most of the drawings, the device may have as few as two support arms as shown in FIG. 12 with an upper limit of about ten depending upon the manufacturing method used. Three arms provide an ideal support, however, and will be described in detail with the understanding that two or more may be used. As shown in FIG. 6, the compact disc support step 16 is held above a support step base ring 17 so that the support arms may be pressed downwardly as viewed in FIG. 6 along a central axis 23. Support step 16 has an upper surface 18 and a lower surface 19 and extends axially to a compact disc support ring which is shown as a generally cylindrical member which contacts the center opening 12 of the compact disc or other object to be held on the device. The compact disc support ring 24 has an inner surface 27 and an outer surface 26. The thickness of the material should be such that the arms 20, 21 and 22 may be flexed inwardly with some ease but rigid enough so that the compact disc will be securely held in place until it is desired to be removed. One material of construction is vacuum formed rigid polyvinyl chloride having a thickness of 0.010 to 0.030 inches. 
     Compact disc support ring 24 extends upwardly to an upper terminus 25 where it meets compact disc restraining portion 28 which extends away from the central axis at an angle as shown in FIG. 4 to a diameter indicated by reference character &#34;D&#34; which is larger than the inside diameter of the compact disc opening. Restraining portion 28 extends to an outer edge 29 where it angles or curves to compact disc guide ring 30. Guide ring 30 is shown as a frusto conical guide ring although it could as easily be curved to a generally flat outer surface 38 which facilitates the downward pressing on the support arms. Guide ring 30 extends toward central axis 23 and then moves inwardly along inner surface 31 to inner floor 32. The function of inner floor 32 is essential to the operation of the holder of the present invention. Inner floor 32 is shown in the drawings as having a central dimple 36 and three grooves 37 which are beneficial although not essential to the practice of the present invention. They permit the multiple flexing of the device without any tendency to crack after many uses. 
     Returning to the specific construction of the support arms, each support arm has end walls 33 and 34 which extend downwardly to inner floor 32. Thus, in use, a compact disc having an inside diameter opening greater than diameter &#34;d&#34; and less than diameter &#34;D&#34; is simply pushed over guide ring 30 and snapped in place to a position shown in FIG. 1. The compact disc may simply be removed by lifting along its outer peripheral edge 15 and permitting the support arms to flex inwardly by the pressure of the inside surface of the compact disc against the compact disc restraining portion 28. A more elegant manner of removing a compact disc is indicated best in FIG. 11 of the drawings where pressure placed on the top of the three support arms 20, 21 and 22 moves the support arms inwardly (or downwardly as shown in phantom view in FIG. 11). The downward movement shown in FIG. 11 is only partial and further downward movement is possible as is made clear by viewing FIG. 10. The groove is flexed inwardly as a hinge to the position indicated by reference character 37&#39; in FIG. 11 and causes the outer edge 29 to move toward the central axis to a position indicated by reference character 29&#39;. The outer edge of support floor 16 is indicated by reference character 43 and holds the compact disc from any downward movement as positioned in FIG. 11 causing it to pop off the compact disc restraining portion 28 without any prying up of the compact disc at all. This combination of a hinged action between the individual arms together with the downward movement as reflected in FIG. 11 results in a surprisingly easy removal step. Preferably the compact disc holder of FIG. 3 is molded together with a floor as shown best in FIGS. 7 through 10. As shown best in FIG. 10, support step 16 has an outer edge which is coincident with upper edge 43 of peripheral wall 42 which extends upwardly from support base 17. Outer floor 39 has an upper surface 40 and a lower surface 41 and preferably has a plurality of support ribs 44 which have an upper surface 45. These support ribs as well as the outer floor 39 tend to help support support step 16 and particularly the outer edge thereof so that the removal by pressing down on the top of the support arms is greatly facilitated. As shown best in FIGS. 7 and 8, the ribs are preferably tapered from an inner edge 46 to an outer edge 47 and thus have the combination of supporting the peripheral wall 42 as well as being held away from the lower surface 14 of compact disc 11 as shown best in FIG. 1. The upper surface of compact disc 11 is indicated by reference character 13. 
     As shown in FIG. 12, the holder may have only two support arms 48 and 49 surrounding a pair of grooves 37&#39; and a central dimple 36&#39;. As shown in FIG. 13 many more than three support arms may be used such as the six support arms indicated by reference characters 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 and 55, each of which has a groove 56 between adjacent arms. These grooves also terminate in a central dimple. 
     It is contemplated that the holder of the present invention can be used in place of the central member of a conventional jewel case so that the compact disc can easily be removed by simply pressing on the top of the support arms without the unpleasant prying step required by the conventional jewel case cantilevered arms. It is also contemplated that the holder of the present invention can be used in conjunction with a vacuum formed holder of the type shown generally in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/016,763 filed Sep. 1, 1995. This facilitates a greatly expanded outer surface for art work and information as compared to the conventional jewel case. It also permits the inclusion of a substantial amount of literature in the cover as well as the aforementioned increased base for artwork. 
     While the holder of the present invention has been shown as a vacuum formed device, it can, of course, be injection molded or formed by other processes. While radial ribs 44 are shown, for instance in FIG. 7 of the drawing, other reinforcing means such as concentric ribs could be used. While the inner floor is shown as an impervious floor in the drawings, for some designs slits or one or more small holes could be formed in the floor as long as the floor supports and restrains the flexing of the support arms. 
     The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.