Patent ID: 6837375

Claim:
A disk carrier for housing a plurality of disks, each disk having an inner perimeter defining a central aperture, the disk carrier comprising an outer shell and a spindle, the outer shell comprising an upper portion having a bottom rim defining an upper portion opening and a lower portion having a top rim defining a lower portion opening, the upper portion and lower portion configured and arranged to connect together at their rims to form a chamber to enclose the disks and support the spindle in the chamber; and the spindle comprised of at least two elongate portions, each having a longitudinal dimension, a convex transverse profile, at least two edges along the longitudinal dimension, and an outer surface; a living hinge joining an edge from each of the at least two elongate portions so the transverse profiles of the at least two elongate portions open towards each other, wherein the spindle has a contracted position and an expanded position so the spindle may freely pass through the central aperture of a disk when the spindle is in the contracted position and so the transverse profiles of the at least two elongate portions form an open circle and the outer surface of each elongate portion fits continuously and snuggly against the inner perimeter of the disk when the hinge is in the expanded position.