Abstract:
A lockable box ( 2 ) for a DVD or other disc has at least two releasably interengageable locking members ( 10,20 ) ( 110,120 ) which, when interengaged, prevent the box from being opened. The locking members are entirely contained within the box when the box is closed, and they can be disengaged only with the use of a special tool.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a lockable box for pre-recorded media, notably a DVD box.  
         BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Pre-recorded storage media such as digital versatile discs (DVDs) are usually put up for sale in a plastic box which carries information about the DVD as well as carrying sales promotional material or artwork to attract a purchaser. To prevent theft of the DVD from a store various lockable display containers have been proposed which house the DVD in its box and prevent a thief gaining access to the DVD without breaking the container or removing the container from the shop. The container can be fitted with alarm means so that it cannot be removed from the shop without actuating an alarm. Examples of such lockable containers are described in EP 0 312 172, EP 0 541 733, EP 0 666 954 and WO 00/61899. These display containers are effective but they increase the bulk of the product on display.  
           [0003]    Known products provide a locking member which is externally applied to the box, With such products, the box cannot be shrink-wrapped for “sell-through”, as there is then no means of removing the locking member without damaging the packaging. The locking members are also subject to being tampered with. Once the locking member has been removed in order to unlock the box (in a rental situation) it has to be safely stored for re-use later on. If the locking member is lost, the box can no longer be secured.  
           [0004]    The present invention seeks to provide an improved lockable disc box.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention provides a lockable box for a DVD or other pre-recorded data carrier. The box has at least two releasably interengageable locking members which, when interengaged, prevent the box from being opened. The locking members are entirely contained within the box when the box is closed, and they can be disengaged only with the use of a special tool.  
           [0006]    It is preferred that the box is a DVD box, and the invention will be described with reference to this embodiment. However, it will be understood that the invention is also applicable to other pre-recorded data carriers, for example compact discs (CDs), videos and tape cassettes.  
           [0007]    The DVD box may be supplied to Record Label and Film Studio Companies as original packaging, filled with product and then sent to a retailer in either a locked or an unlocked state.  
           [0008]    Unlike existing products, which require a manual action to insert (lock) or remove (unlock) the locking member, the disc box of the present invention can be locked and unlocked in a hands-free manner. By incorporating a ferrous element in a movable locking member, the box may be locked and unlocked by swiping it against a suitable strong magnet.  
           [0009]    The box comprises a first box member and a second box member which are adjustable between a closed position in which they co-operate to define a substantially closed box, and an open position in which the inside of the box is accessible to permit a disc to be inserted into or removed from the box. Each box member has a locking member, and at least one of the locking members is adjustable between a locked position in which, when the box members are in the closed position, the locking members interengage so as to prevent the box from being opened, and an unlocked position in which the locking members permit the box members to be moved from the closed position to the open position. The two co-operating locking members comprise a locking mechanism.  
           [0010]    The locking member on each box member could be movable relative to the box member. However it is preferred that one locking member is movable and the other is fixed relative to its box member. In a preferred embodiment, the movable locking member is pivotable between the locked and unlocked positions.  
           [0011]    One of the locking members may be provided with a hole or recess in which the other locking member is disposed when the box is locked.  
           [0012]    In another preferred embodiment, the movable locking member is slidable between the locked and unlocked positions. By providing each end of the slidable locking member with a ferrous element, locking and unlocking may be carried out means of a single swipe along an appropriate edge of the box.  
           [0013]    Although the invention may employ only one locking mechanism, it is preferred that more than one locking mechanism, preferably two locking mechanisms, are provided. This preferred embodiment permits all three free edges of a conventional hinged DVD box to be locked.  
           [0014]    In the preferred embodiment where one locking member of a pair is fixed and the other is movable, both movable locking members may conveniently be provided on the same box member. However, it would also be possible to provide one movable locking member on each box member.  
           [0015]    The interior of the box may be provided with an electronic tag of a type known per se which activates an alarm system if an attempt is made to remove the DVD box from the store. It is particularly preferred that the tag may be remotely deactivated by electronic means. This permits the DVD box to be sold in shrink wrapping and to be both unlocked and alarm-deactivated at the point of sale without removing the wrapping. Suitable electronic tags are known in the art.  
           [0016]    Other aspects and benefits of the invention will appear in the following specification, drawings and claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings in which:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a lockable DVD box in accordance with the invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cutaway view of part of the box shown in FIG. 1, with the box closed and locked;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cutaway view similar to that of FIG. 2, with the box unlocked and partially open;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a lockable DVD box in accordance with the invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of part of the locking mechanism of the DVD box shown in FIG. 4;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of a lockable DVD box in accordance with the invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a resilient retaining member as shown in FIG. 6;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a receptacle of FIG. 6 with the sliding locking member in the locked position;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 9 and 10 are cross sections of a receptacle of FIG. 6 when the box is, respectively, open and closed; and  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the receptacle of FIG. 8 with the sliding locking member in the unlocked position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0028]    The DVD box  2  comprises a first box member  4  and a second box member  6 , of substantially similar dimensions, connected together by a hinge  8 . The box members  4 ,  6  are hollow shells, for example of polypropylene, which co-operate to form a closed box when pivoted about the hinge  8  in known manner. The first box member  4  is provided with an annular disc-receiving member  24  with a resilient mount  26  in the middle, for releasably securing a DVD (not shown) as is well known in the art. The disc-receiving member  24  and mount  26  could additionally or alternatively be provided on the second box member  6 , or on an intermediate mounting member between the box members.  
         [0029]    Two locking members  10  are pivotally mounted on the inner surface of the first box member  4  by means of pivot pins  12 . The friction between the pivot pin  12  and its locking member  10  is such that the locking member  10  cannot be pivoted by shaking of the box; a greater force is required.  
         [0030]    Upstanding lugs  18  are provided on the inner surface of the first box member  4  adjacent the distal ends  14  and proximal ends  16  of the pivotable locking members  10 . The second box member  6  is provided with locking members comprising upstanding lugs  20  on the inner surface. Each upstanding lug  18 ,  20  has a hole, and when the box  2  is closed pairs of lugs  18 ,  20  are located face to face with the holes in alignment. The arrangement is such that, with the box members  4 ,  6  in the closed position, pivoting of the locking member  10  from the unlocked position shown in FIG. 3 to the locked position shown in FIG. 2 brings the ends  14 ,  16  into disposition through the holes in both the aligned lugs  18 ,  20  in the pair. In this position, the box members  4 ,  6  are locked together.  
         [0031]    With the box  2  closed, the locking members  10  are pivotable only with the use of a special tool. It is preferred that the proximal  14  and distal  16  ends of the locking member  10  are formed from a ferrous material or are provided with a ferrous insert or attachment. This permits the locking member  10  to be pivoted by means of a strong external magnet device. A suitable magnetic device is described in WO 00/61899.  
         [0032]    To lock the box, the box is closed, and then each short edge  28  is swiped in turn against the magnet. The magnet attracts the ferrous insert of the distal end  16 , causing the locking member  10  to pivot and both ends to engage in holes in the associated pair of lugs  18 ,  20 .  
         [0033]    To unlock the box, the long edge  30  is swiped against the magnet so that the magnet attracts the distal ends  14  of the locking members  10  and reverses the locking process.  
         [0034]    In practice, the magnet may be mounted on a checkout desk at the point of sale or rental.  
         [0035]    Although the above arrangement is preferred for ease of unlocking, it will be appreciated that the opposite arrangement could also be used, whereby locking is achieved by a single swipe along the long edge of the box, and unlocking by a swipe along both short edges.  
         [0036]    In an alternative embodiment, the locking member  10  could be accessible via a hole  22  in an edge of the box. As illustrated in the drawings, the box could be locked by a user inserting a long thin tool through the hole  22  in the long edge  30  so as to push the proximal end  14  and cause the locking member  10  to pivot to the locked position. It would be possible for unlocking to be carried out by the same tool through a similar hole adjacent to the distal end  16  of the locking member  10 . However it is preferred that exclusively magnetic means are used for unlocking and, preferably, for locking, the box because the use of a suitable magnet is quicker and permits the DVD box to be locked and unlocked while shrouded in shrink-wrap material.  
         [0037]    In another embodiment, the proximal ends  14  are provided with permanent magnets with like poles facing towards the long edge  30 . This permits the box to be locked with a single swipe of a suitable magnet with a like pole adjacent the long edge  30  so that the permanent magnets in the proximal ends  14  are repelled. The box can be unlocked with a single swipe of a suitable magnet with the opposite polarity adjacent the long edge. Both types of magnets could be mounted at the point of sale or rental, one for locking and the other for unlocking.  
         [0038]    It would be possible not to provide the lugs  18  on the first box member  4  so that the locking member  10  engages only with the lugs  20  on the second box member  6  when the box is locked. However, this would require the locking member  10  to be relatively rugged and robust because it would need to resist upward force exerted by an attempt to prise the box members apart. In the preferred embodiment the ends of the locking members are disposed through lugs on both the first box member  4  and the second box member  6 , so that the lugs  18  on the first box member  4  prevent force from the second box member  6  being transmitted to the pivot pin  12 .  
         [0039]    The entire locking member  10  and its mount may be provided as a removable insert to enable its removal either at point of sale or by a customer. Alternatively, the pivot pin  12  could be made releasable by exerting an upward force on the pivotable locking member  10 .  
         [0040]    Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, an alternative embodiment of the invention employs a locking member  110  which is slidably mounted on the first box member  4 . The second box member  6  is provided with a plurality of fixed locking members comprising upstanding L-shaped hooks  120 . For each hook  120  there is a corresponding hole  34  in the slidable locking member  110 . Under each hole  34  there is a space  36 , as best shown in FIG. 5, for receiving a corresponding hook  120 . The proximal  114  and distal  116  ends of both slidable locking members  110  are provided with ferrous inserts (not shown) so that they are attractable by a magnet. By swiping a first long edge  30  of the box against a suitable magnet, the slidable locking member moves in the direction of arrow  38  to an unlocked position in which the hooks  120  can enter and leave the spaces  36  via the holes  34 . With the box  2  in the closed position and the slidable locking member  110  in the unlocked position, the box  2  may be locked by swiping the opposite long edge  32  against a magnet so as to move the slidable locking member  110  to the locked position in the direction of arrow  40 . Here, the hooks  120  are trapped in the slidable locking member  110 , and the box is locked.  
         [0041]    In this embodiment, the DVD box  2  can be locked and unlocked with a single swipe against a suitable magnet along the appropriate edge.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention including a sliding locking member  210  mounted in the first box member as in FIGS. 4 and 5. The sliding locking member is disposed between retaining pillars  50  that retain the slidable locking member  210  in the correct alignment. A wall  52  separates the sliding locking member  210  from the disc-receiving member  24 .  
         [0043]    The sliding locking member  210  is shown in the locked position for illustrative purposes, although the second box member is not in the closed position. The sliding locking member is provided with holes  234  through which hooks  220  formed on the second box member  6  may pass. The first box member  4  includes receptacles  54  aligned through the holes  234  for receiving the hooks  220 . The arrangement of the hooks  220 , sliding locking member  210  and the receptacles  54  is more clearly shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. A receptacle  54  is shown in greater detail in FIG. 8.  
         [0044]    The sliding locking member  210  also includes a resiliently biased detent  56  that co-operates with a pillar  58  on the first box member  4  to prevent the sliding locking member  210  from moving easily to the unlocked position. This prevents the box  2  from being unlocked by tapping or knocking. The resiliently biased detent is shown in greater detail in FIG. 7.  
         [0045]    The sliding locking member also includes ferrous inserts  68  on opposite long edges of the box  2  to enable magnetic locking and unlocking of the box  2  as described above.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 7 shows an elevation view of the resiliently biased detent  56  of FIG. 6. The detent  56  comprises an elongate body  60  with an enlarged circular head  62 . A pillar  58  on the first box member  4  protrudes upwardly adjacent to the detent  56 . In the locked position (as shown) the pillar  58  is located in a recess  64  between the body  60  and head  62  of the detent  56 .  
         [0047]    To unlock the box  2  the sliding locking member  210  must be moved in the direction shown by arrow  66  causing the head  62  of the detent  56  by the pillar  58 . The body of the detent  56  is resiliently deformable such that the head  62  of the detent  56  may move slightly from side to side in the plane of the sliding locking member  210 . For the head  62  to pass by the pillar  58  the body  60  of the detent  56  must deform to allow the head  62  to move aside.  
         [0048]    The force required for such a deformation prevents the sliding locking member  210  from moving to an unlocked position when the box  2  is shaken, tapped or hit sharply. The force required should be such that the sliding locking member  210  can be moved when desired by unlocking means such as a magnet as discussed above. The force required can be adjusted as needed by changing the dimensions of the body  60  or head  62  of the detent or by altering the material from which it is made during manufacture. Additionally, or alternatively, the pillar  58  could be made releasably moveable so that its position can be laterally adjusted to increase or decrease the force needed for the head  62  of the detent  60  to pass by.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIGS. 8 and 11 show an elevation view of a receptacle  54  of FIG. 6. The receptacle  54  is formed by a back wall  70  and two side walls  72 , 74  upstanding from the first box member  4  to form a “U” shape. The receptacle  56  passes through a hole  234  in the sliding locking member  210 . When the sliding locking member is in the locked position (as shown in FIG. 8) it engages in cutout portions  76  of the two side walls  72 , 74 . When the sliding locking member is in the unlocked position (as shown in FIG. 11) it allows a hook  220  to enter the receptacle  54  and pass through the hole  234 .  
         [0050]    [0050]FIGS. 9 and 10 show cross sectional side views of a receptacle  54 , sliding locking member  210  and hook  220  of FIG. 6. FIG. 9 shows the arrangement in an unlocked position and FIG. 10 shows the arrangement in a locked position.  
         [0051]    In the unlocked position, the sliding locking member does not engage with the cutouts  76  and the receptacle  54  is unobstructed so a hook  220  can enter into the receptacle  54  and align with the cutouts  76  as shown in FIG. 10.  
         [0052]    In the locked position, with a hook  220  in the receptacle  54 , the sliding locking member  210  engages with both the cutout portions  76  of the side walls  72 , 74  of the receptacle  54  and a shoulder  80  of the hook  220 . The sliding locking member  210  couples the hook  220  to the receptacle  54  and hence couples the first box member  4  to the second box member  6  in a closed position.  
         [0053]    In all three embodiments, the locking members  20 ,  120 ,  220  on the inner surface which does not carry the mount  26  for the DVD (in these examples, the second box member  6 ) are arranged to as to permit literature pertaining to the DVD to be inserted and removed. One or more clips (not shown) may be provided on the inner surface of the second box member  6  to releasably retain such literature, in a manner well known in the art.  
         [0054]    It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are for clarity described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for the sake of brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.  
         [0055]    While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the following claims.