DESCRIPTION

The invention concerns a tool enabling the release of items from clips, clamps and the like on which the items are normally stored when not in use and is in particular, but not exclusively, concerned with tools enabling the ready release of audio compact discs from the containers in which they are sold and stored when not in use.

Recent developments in audio reproduction equipment have lead to the introduction of audio compact discs from which digitally stored information is read with the use of a player incorporating a laser beam stylus. Such discs and the equipment for playing them are becoming increasingly popular due to the very high level of fidelity they provide in reproducing recorded sound.

To ensure such discs, which are expensive items of equipment, are not damaged when not in use the containers in which they are sold and stored by a user are rigid and the discs themselves are firmly held in those containers on resilient supports upon which the discs are located - the support extending through and frictionally engaging the edge of an aperture provided centrally in the disc.

These supports are formed by a plurality of resilient, plastics fingers rising normally of a lower wall of the container for the disc and arranged in a circle of substantially the same size as to the diameter of the hole in the centre of the disc to be housed in the container. Each finger is sinuously bent along its length and its uppermost part extends generally parallel to the lower wall of the container and towards the centre of the circle on which it is located. Immediately below these inwardly pointing sections

of the fingers the support is of enlarged diameter with the fingers extending outside the circumference of the circle on which they are located.

A disc is located on the support formed by the plurality of fingers by being pushed down onto it. This action causes the edges of the hole in the disc to engage with the fingers and force and bend them toward the centre of the circle on which they are located. Further pressure on the disc forces the fingers to flex sufficiently for the disc to pass over the portion of the support of enlarged diameter and onto that part of it upon which the disc is a friction fit.

To release the disc from the support a user grasps the container in one hand (or holds the container on a level surface with one hand) and with the other hand grasps the disc and pulls it off the support member - the edges of the hole in the disc again engaging and forcing the fingers to bend and flex so that their uppermost ends move toward the centre of the circle on which they are located to allow the disc to be lifted from the container. It will be appreciated that this method of locating the disc on the support member and removing it therefrom, gives rise to problems some, but not all of which, are:-

1. The disc flexes as it is pushed onto and pulled off the support - which in time may lead to weakening or other damage to the disc.

2. The action required to remove the disc from the support is difficult and unless care is taken the disc may spring free and fall from the hands of the user with possible consequential damage to it, 3. The surface of the disc may become damaged e.g. scratched by movement across the top of the support,

4. The action of pushing the disc onto and pulling the disc off the support leads to wear of the edges of the hole in the disc and/or the fingers which in turn has the effect that in time the disc no longer positively locates on the support, and

5. The action of removing and (particularly) replacing the disc on the support lends itself to a user touching the surface with the chance of the surface becoming fouled by sweat, grease or dirt on the users hands. This problem is aggravated by the need for the user to handle the disc when transporting it between its container and a player for the disc.

An object of this invention is the provision of a a tool which enables a user to readily overcome or at least alleviate some or all of the above noted problems.

In one aspect the invention provides a tool for use in releasing an item frictionally fitted upon a resilient support passing through an aperture in the item, the tool comprising a body having an end face which may be brought to bear upon the resilient support and which may, with application of pressure thereto, cause the resilient support to deform so as to release the the item therefrom, the body being further provided with a surface immediately adjacent the end face upon which the item may be supported when released from the resilient support.

Preferably, said surface extends along the length of the body and its diameter increases in a direction away from the end face from a value less than to value greater than the diameter of the aperture in the item, such that the item is supportable partway along the length of said surface.

In another aspect the invention provides a tool for releasing an audio compact disc carried on a support comprising a plurality of resilient fingers frictionally engaging the sides of an aperture formed in the disc, the tool comprising a body having an end face which may be brought to bear upon the free ends of said fingers and cause those fingers to deform and free the disc allowing the disc to pass onto a surface of the body the diameter of which increases in a direction away from said end face from a value less than to a value more than the diameter of the aperture in the disc, such that the disc may be supported partway

along the length thereof.

Desirably, the end face is formed with a centrally located projection rising therefrom, which projection in use locates within the free ends of the fingers of the support to ensure positive location of the tool in a correct operating position.

The projection may comprise a stud or boss the diameter of which is less than the diameter of the end face; alternatively the projection may comprise a first part with a diameter less than the diameter of the end face and a second part with a diameter less than the the diameter of the first part formed centrally on the end face of the said first part.

Possibly the projection has the form of a member having a plurality of sections of reducing diameter each centrally formed on the face of the immediately preceeding section; in an alternative the stud or boss may be provided as a tapering conical member having a roughened outer surface.

Advantageously, the body has a first part extending from the end face of the tool partway along the length thereof and a second substantially frustro-conical part separated from said first part by a shoulder; the maximum diameter of said first part of said body being less, and the minimum diameter of said second part of said body being greater, than the diameter of the aperture in the disc to be released by the tool such that the disc may be supported on the shoulder between the two parts when it is on the tool.

Preferably, the tool further comprises a handle by means of which the tool may readily be grasped by a user.

The tool may comprise a pair of moulded, hollow, parts which engage one with the other, one said part comprising the body and the other said part comprising a handle for the tool.

With especial advantage one of said parts has a male member for fitting within and engaging a female part of the other of said parts. The male member may include a wall shaped to conform to an inner wall of the other part and with

which it is an interference fit, the wall of the male member having formed on its outer surface one or more lands for engaging in shaped slots in the inner wall of the other part. The two parts of the tool may be joined together by frictional engagement or with use of an adhesive, solvent welding or in any other suitable way as the two parts are brought into engagement.

In a third aspect the invention provides a method of using a tool having some or all of the above features to release an audio compact disc from a container in which it is sold and stored.

The tool, subject of the present invention, and the method of its use are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:- Figures 1 and 2, are side views showing a first form of tool embodying the invention and, in section, part of an audio compact disc in a container, in a first and a second operative position respectively.

Figure 3, is a view of the tool of Figure 1 from one end.

Figure 4, is an exploded sectional side view of a second form of tool embodying the invention.

Figure 5 is a side view of the tool shown in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is a plan view of that tool with a modified form of operative end.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, which show a tool 10 operable to remove an audio compact disc 12 from a container 14 therefor. Tool 10 is shown to comprise a first generally frustro-conical part 16 formed with a centrally located stud or boss 18 on its planar end face 20. The tool further comprises a handle 22 of any suitable shape - e.g. as shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the end remote from the stud 18 thinned down to provide a part which may readily be grasped between the finger and thumb of a user.

The container 14 for disc 12 has a lower wall 24

generally configured to form a recess in which disc

12 is located for storage. The centre of the wall 24 is perforated as shown and has an integrally moulded support 26 formed by a plurality of resilient fingers 28 rising generally normally thereof and arranged in a circle of substantially the same size (or even slightly larger than) the hole 30 in the centre of disc 12. Each finger 28 is sinuously bent along its length and its uppermost part 32 extends parallel to the wall 24 towards the centre of the circle on which it is located. Immediately below the inwardly pointing parts 32 the fingers 28 have sections 34 extending outside the circumference of the circle on which they are located (and generating a circle the diameter of which is greater than that of the aperture 30 in disc 12). The disc 12 is a friction fit and is located on the support 26 beneath the sections 34 of the fingers 28 (Figure 1).

To remove disc 12 from container 14 using tool 10 in the method of the invention a user grasps the end 22 of the tool between thumb and forefinger and locates the stud 18 within the pointed ends of the sections 32 of the fingers 30 and presses end face 20 of tool 10 against the sections 32. This action causes the resilient fingers 28 to bend inwardly and deform so that the disc 12 becomes free to move along the support 26. Then - whilst pressing tool 10 towards wall 24 the user inverts container 14 allowing the disc 12 to fall off member 26 and onto part 16 of the tool, as shown in Figure 2. The tool may be used by a user to carry the disc 12 to a disc player. To replace disc 12 on the support 26 the user reverses the actions described above, i.e. whilst supporting the disc 12 on tool 10 he inverts container 14 and locates stud 18 between the ends of fingers 28. Then - whilst pressing tool 10 towards wall 24 - the user turns container 14 through 180° and allows disc 12 to fall off part 16 of tool 10 and pass onto support 26. When tool 10 is removed the

resilient fingers 28 relax and flex outwardly of the centre of the circle on which they are located to bear aginst and frictionally grip the inner edges of the hole 30 in disc 12. The tool may be formed in any suitable way and be of any suitable material, however I prefer that the tool be formed by injection moulding a plastics material.

Figures 4, 5 and 6, illustrate another form of tool 40 embodying the invention and show it to comprise two hollow portions, viz. a handle 42 and a body 44. Handle 42 has a generally flat, solid end 46 pierced by a hole 48 through which a ribbon or string may be passed, if desired, by a user to ease portability of the tool. In passing from the end piece 46 the handle flares as shown in the drawings to form a bell like housing 52 with a wall 54 surrounding a central void.

A generally frustro-conical wall 56 extends from the end of housing 52 the outer surface of which tapers in a direction away from the housing 52; whilst the inner diameter of wall 56 is the same as the inner diameter of the housing 52 the maximum outer diameter of wall 56 is less than the maximum outer diameter of housing 52 so that a shoulder 58 is formed as shown. The outer surface of wall 56 is formed with a four lands 60 equi-spaced around the circumference of the wall as shown. The body 44 of the tool comprises a generally frustro-conical, hollow member having an inner wall 62 conforming to the shape of the wall 56 of handle 42. Wall 62 is formed with four equi-spaced slots 64 configured to receive the lands 60 of the handle 42. Moving along the tool, away from the handle 42, the body 44 has a shoulder 66 and then a length 68 which only slightly converges until the end of the tool is reached. The end of the tool comprises a bevelled end face 70 having a stud or boss 72 centrally located thereon. The two portions of the tool are preferably separately moulded from a plastics materials such as a medium

impact polystyrene or crystal styrene and are then fitted together - the wall 56 being passed into the hollow body with the lands 60 thereon fitting in the slots 64. Desirably as shown a metal ring 74 placed over the wall 56 before the two portions are inter engaged so that ring 74 becomes interposed between the shoulder 58 and the end face 76 of the body as shown.

It is normally sufficient for the for the handle and body parts simply to be push fitted one on the other, however, if desired the meeting surfaces of the walls 56 and 62 may be coated before the two parts are brought together with an impact adhesive, or suitable solvent for the plastics material sufficient to cause them to be 'solvent welded* together. It is also possible for these walls to be provided, if desired, with serrations or other means positively holding the two portions together.

The diameter of the stud 72 is slightly less than the spacing of the ends of the resilient fingers forming the support upon which a disc is located in its container, and the maximum diameter of the length 68 of the body of the tool is less than the diameter of the hole in such a disc; however, the outer diameter of the shoulder 66 is greater than the diameter of the hole in a disc so that whilst a disc can slide along the length 68 it cannot pass the shoulder 66.

Once assembled the tool may be used to release a disc from a container housing it in the method described in above with reference to Figures 1 to 3, namely, a user grasps the handle 42 the tool between thumb and forefinger and locates the stud or boss 72 within the ends of the fingers on which the disc is mounted, presses the end face 70 against uppermost parts of the fingers to cause the resilient fingers to bend inwardly so the disc 76 becomes free to move along them. Whilst holding the tool in position deforming the fingers the user inverts the container allowing the disc 76 to pass out of the container along length 68 of the body part

until it comes to rest on the shoulder 66.

To replace the disc in its container the user reverses the action just described.

In order that the tool works efficiently the stud 72 should have a diameter only slightly less than spacing of the ends of the fingers upon which a disc is supported within its container and so fit fairly accurately within that space. However, it is possible that containers of different manufacturers will have different finger end spacings. To my knowledge one manufacturer of disc containers makes a container having a smaller spacing between the ends of the resilient fingers on which a disc is mounted. Clearly it is possible to provide a range of different tools each having a stud 72 sized to cooperate with the finger end spacing of different manufacturers designs. However, to overcome this difficulty I provide the particular modification to the operative end of the tool shown in Fig. 6.

In the arrangement of Figure 6, the stud 72 is in two parts; a first part 80 rising from the end face 70 of the portion 44 of the tool and a second part 82 of diameter smaller than the diameter of the part 80 formed on the end face of part 80. The exposed end face of the part 80 forms a shoulder 84 as shown. The diameter of the part 82 is sized to cooperate with the smaller - and the diameter of the part 80 sized to cooperate with the larger - of the two finger end spacings presently know to me.

The tool is used to remove a disc from a container having the larger finger end spacing as described above viz. the stud 72 (i.e. both parts 80 and 82) passes within the space between the ends of the resilient fingers to bring the shoulder 70 into engagement with the top portions of those fingers. When a user wishes to remove a disc from a container having a smaller finger end spacing the tool is used in the same way, however, whilst part 82 can pass within ends of the fingers the part 80 cannot and shoulder 84 is carried into engagement with the top sections of the fingers.

Further pressure on the tool toward the disc causes the shoulder 84 to bear on the resilient fingers in turn causing them to flex and allow the disc to be removed from the container. Other arrangements for the operative end of the tool may be provided, e.g. a three or four ^•■ step" stud 72 - or a cone having a suitably roughened outer surface; and other features of the shape, materials and method of construction used may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

It will be seen that by using the method and tool now disclosed the disadvantages of the normal method of releasing the disc from the container are obviated. The disc does not need to and will not flex as it is taken from or replaced on the support member,. The action required to remove the disc from the support member is simple and the disc is not allowed freedom to spring free of the support member and fall. Upon replacement of the disc in the container the hole is positively guided towards the support member and the disc is not allowed to move freely thereacross with the result that the playing surface cannot become scratched by being moved in contact with the support member. Finally it will be appreciated that the arrangement now described maintains at all times the playing surface of the disc remote from the fingers of a user and as a result the playing surface cannot be contaminated by sweat, grease or dirt on the users fingers.

The tool now disclosed may, it will be appreciated be varied (for example in shape, configuration as well as methods of construction and materials used therefor) without materially altering the method diclosed and without departing from the scope of the invention.

It will also be appreciated that the tool, and the method of its use, described herein is applicable to the release of items other than compact audio discs from the containers in which they are sold and stored and may be used,

for example, to release any item supported upon a resilient support member of the kind disclosed.