Description

Background of the Invention

Technical Field The present invention relates to marking devices and in particular to a stamping device for identifying compact discs with two mating stamping components having a built-in centering and axial alignment means, inking means, and changeable type. Description of the Prior Art

Compact disc ownership may be identified by a label stuck onto a compact disc "jewel box" carrying case. But often the compact discs are separated from their jewel box case at a party where discs may be stacked on a compact disc player or when carrying the compact discs in disc carriers with pockets. When compact discs are loaned to others, there is often the possibility of confusing who owns what disc. With increased applications of compact discs including music discs, video discs, and computer discs, there is a growing need for identifying compact discs.

The compact discs when used are sometimes required to fit and spin within a very confined space which will not allow a label to be attached to the surface ofthe compact disc. Some other means of identification may be used that will not protrude from the surface ofthe compact disc. Prior art U.S. Patent #1 ,412,300 shows a device for marking phonograph records with a stamping head having a retractable center post or pin 8 with a coil spring 9 which allows the post or pin to retract for inking the stamping head. This retractable post or pin is designed to retract upon engaging an ink pad to allow the stamping head to engage the ink pad, but the retractable pin would also retract upon contacting a surface ofthe record and would not function properly to locate the center hole in the phonograph record since the post or pin could just retract when contacting the surface ofthe phonograph record in any position, so that the stamping head would not be aligned properly with the phonograph record, which could result in marking the wrong location on the phonograph

record and possibly damaging the record. No provision is made for axial alignment to insure an exact and repeatable registration ofthe stamp with the disc for re-inking the information. No provision is made for positioning the record.

Disclosure of thelny-ention The present invention provides a rubber stamp device for compact discs, having two mating stamping components (stamping head and compact disc positioner) with a means for centrally positioning the compact disc and means for centrally and axially aligning the stamping head with the central opening in the compact disc and with the stamping pad to ensure a clearly legible indicia without danger of marking the compact disc incorrectly or damaging the disc. The central and axial alignment ensures an exact repeatable registration with no horizontal movement and no rotation so that the compact disc can be re-inked with the same information in the same position on the compact disc. In one stamping component a shallow circular recessed area provides a means for positioning and retaining the compact disc in a desired stationary orientation centrally located relative to the interconnection with the stamping head component.

In the preferred embodiment, and alternate embodiments having hand held stamping heads, a rigid D-shaped post in one stamping component and a mating D- shaped opening recessed in the other stamping component align with the central opening in the compact disc to insure a central and axial alignment ofthe stamping head with the compact disc. In an alternate embodiment, the stamping head is attached to the cover of a hinged case while the mating and aligned compact disc positioning means is in the base ofthe hinged case. The hinged connection ofthe two components ensures exact repeatable registration ofthe stamping head on the compact disc and a rigid post in one component and mating recessed opening in the other component further ensures exact alignment. The rigid post in all ofthe components engages the opening in the compact disc ensuring that the stamping head will not contact the playing area ofthe compact disc.

In the hinged case embodiment ofthe invention, the stamping head is fit into the case cover. The stamping head may be moved to contact alternately the inked stamp pad and the compact disc to ink the disk. The case cover may be flexible to allow the movement ofthe stamping head, or the stamping head may fit movably within an opening

in the case cover and include a spring between the case cover and the stamping head, or the case cover may have a slotted hinge enabling movement ofthe case cover relative to the case bottom holding the stamp pad and the compact disc.

The present invention provides a changeable rubber stamp compact disc identification device which enables compact discs to be permanently stamped with any desired identifying indicia on the clear area immediately surrounding the central opening ofthe compact disc between the opening and the playing area.

An annular recessed area on a stamping head allows any combination of changeable indicia, preferably in the form of movable rubber stamp letters, numbers, and symbols, to be friction fit into the annular recessed area with the tops ofthe changeable indicia protruding from the stamping head to engage alternately an inked stamp pad and a compact disc for stamping the identifying indicia on the compact disc. Ridges in the annular recessed area assist in properly aligning the movable rubber stamp indicia.

Surplus changeable indicia may be stored either in the case or in a hollow handle of a stamping device having a handle along with a flexible tweezer-type tool for manipulating the changeable indicia.

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other details and advantages of our invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation ofthe invention, and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded partial perspective view showing the components ofthe preferred embodiment ofthe invention with stacking trays aligned for assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofthe invention having the stamping head built into the hinged cover ofthe case; FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofthe invention with a slotted hinged case;

FIG. 4 is an exploded partial perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofthe invention having a long-handled stamp head with a protruding post;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofthe invention having a long-handled stamp head with a central opening to receive a post built into the CD receptacle in the case.

Bfist-Mo-dfiϋor Carry_ing_Qutihe Invention In FIG 1 a preferred embodiment of an identification stamping device 10 for compact discs comprises a casing means 12, 20, and 30 for housing a stamping device for compact discs. Two mating stamping components ensure centering and axial alignment of the stamping head with the compact disc. The first stamping component, a stamping head 14 is housed within the casing means, which stamping head comprises a flat circular stamping face 18 with stamping indicia 16 protruding from the stamping face in an annular configuration and a knob handle 15 means for pressing the stamping face against a compact disc 24 (shown dashed). The second stamping component, a compact disc positioning means 25 having a flat circular recessed surface for receiving and centering a compact disc is built into the casing means. Protruding from the center ofthe circular recessed surface, a rigid D-shaped post positive engaging post 22 passes through the central opening 23, in the compact disc and mates with a D-shaped opening 13 recessed in the center ofthe stamping head 11 to center and axially align the two stamping components so that the stamping indicia may be accurately aligned centrally and axially with a circular band on a compact disc between the central opening in the compact disc and the playing area ofthe compact disc. An inked stamp pad 32 is built into the casing means, wherein the inked stamp pad comprises a circular opening 29 means to accommodate the outside diameter ofthe stamping head 11 for aligning the stamping face with the stamp pad.

An annular recess 19 in the stamping face receives changeable indicia 16 which protrude in an annular pattern out ofthe annular recess beyond the flat stamping face 18.

The changeable indicia 17 preferably comprise moveable rubber stamp type comprising letters, numbers, and symbols. The casing means further comprises a compartment 41 built into the casing with rows of parallel grooves for receiving and storing surplus changeable indicia 16. A flexible tweezer-type tool 28 for manipulating the changeable

indicia is stored within a recessed groove 27 in the casing which serves as a receptacle for storing tweezer-type tool.

In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, the stamping head 14 comprises a hand¬ held knob 15 which receives removable interchangeable stamping faces 1 1 containing the movable indicia 16. The primary stamping head 14 may be stored in the top tray 20 under the cover 12 and additional interchangeable stamping faces 11 with other identifying names may be stored in the bottom tray 30 in circular recesses 29. Alternately, the knob 15 may be stored in one circular recess and the stamping face in another.

A series of ridges 9 protrude around at least one wall ofthe annular recess 19, which series of ridges serve to align the changeable indicia on the annular recess.

The stamp pad 32 is built into the bottom tray 30 and a circular stamping head sized opening 31 in the pad cover serves as the means for aligning the stamping face with the stamp pad for proper inking ofthe indicia.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 an alternate embodiment ofthe invention comprises a hinged case, wherein the stamping head 11 A is attached to a hinged cover 40 ofthe casing means and the compact disc receiving means 25A, a CD size circular recess, is attached to a base 50 ofthe casing. The cover 40 and base 50 are hinged together to form a closable case, which serves as the means for centering and axially aligning the two stamping components. An additional means to ensure centering the stamping head 1 IA with respect to a central opening 23 in the compact disc comprises a rigid stationary post 42 approximately equal in diameter to a diameter ofthe central opening 23 in the compact disc 24. The rigid stationary post 22 protrudes from the center ofthe stamping face 18A so that the post inserts into the central opening 23 in the compact disc. The flat circular recessed surface 25A to receive the CD further comprises a central opening 49 in the recessed surface sufficiently large to receive the post.

An shown in FIG. 3. a circular inked stamp pad 32A is secured in the center ofthe flat circular recessed surface 25 A ofthe compact disc receiving means with a top surface ofthe stamp pad recessed below the flat circular recessed surface. The stamp pad 32A is sufficiently large to receive the stamping head 1 IA and the central opening 49 in the recessed area and in the stamp pad is sufficiently large to receive the rigid post 42 from the stamping face to align the stamping head with the pad for inking the indicia 16 in the

annular recess 19A ofthe stamping head. Closing the cover 40 with no compact disc inside the casing (as in FIG. 3) inks the stamping head and alternately closing the cover with a compact disc 24 inside the casing (as in FIG. 2) inks the compact disc with identifying inked insignia 51. In FIG. 2, the cover 40 is flexible allowing the stamping head 11 A to move toward the stamp pad and alternately toward a compact disc positioned in the compact disc positioning means by pressing down on the cover. Alternately, the stamping head may fit movably within an opening in the cover with a spring (not shown) connecting the stamping head to the cover. In FIG. 3, the cover 40A has a slotted hinge with a slot 47 movable on a pin 48 to enable the cover 40A and stamping head to move toward the stamp pad and alternately toward a compact disc within the casing means. Finger slots 53 facilitate insertion and removal ofthe CD.

In FIG. 4 an alternate embodiment ofthe invention IOC, has a long-handled 15A stamping head with a D-shaped rigid post 52 protruding from the center ofthe stamping face 18A. In this embodiment with a freely movable stamping head, the compact disc receiving means may comprise a standard compact disc carrying case 58 and the post fits within a central opening in a central compact disc retainer 56 in the carrying case. The retainer 56 comprises an annular ring ofthe flexible prongs which engage the central opening in the compact disc. Alignment ofthe flat on the D-shaped post 52 with the prongs on the compact disc retainer ensures axial alignment as well an centering between the two stamping components. A cap 62 for the stamping head contains an inking pad 32B with a central D-shaped pad opening 49B to admit the rigid D-shaped post 52 from the stamping head to align the stamping head with the ink pad for proper inking. In FIG. 5 another alternate embodiment with a long handled 15B stamping head is provided with a central D-shaped opening 65 in the center ofthe stamping head 1 IC to admit and align centrally and axially with a rigid mating D-shaped post 22A built into the compact disc positioning area ofthe case 20A for stamping the compact disc 25. A stamping head cap 62A has a circular stamp pad 32C sufficiently large in diameter to admit the stamping head 11 C for alignment and proper inking ofthe stamping head 11 C.

In all ofthe embodiments, upon aligning the stamping head with the compact disc and pressing the stamping head against the disc, the inked indicia 16 of the stamping head impart identifying inked insignia 51 on an annular portion ofthe compact disc between the central opening 23 ofthe disc and the playing portion ofthe disc. Exact re-inking is possible because ofthe centering and axial alignment ofthe two stamping components.

Molded plastic is the preferred fabricating means and inked movable rubber stamps are the preferred marking means.

It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation ofthe invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as claimed.