A STORAGE BOX FOR A DATA CARRIER DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a storage box for image, sound or other kind of data carriers and to a storage rack comprising said storage box.

Data carrier storage boxes are known in the art. Most of them comprise an housing containing holders which usually comprise sliding or rotating members in order to allow the movement of the data carrier from a storage position to an ejected position in which the data carrier disposed thereon can be picked and removed. In spite of their apparent functionality, known technical solutions are not fully satisfactory since they have some drawbacks due to their structure and their working principle.

Patent application US 5676246, for example, discloses a container for compact discs having a recess with an opening through a side wall of the container. An ejector is arranged inside the container to slide the compact disc towards the opening to a position at which a portion of the data carrier extends out the recess. The ejector is actuated by trigger means which extend through an aperture in the housing. In spite of its reduced number of constructive elements, this solution does not allow the user to pick correctly the compact disc. This latter, as known, should be grasped in correspondence of its central hole to avoid damaging of its surfaces. In the cited solution, this is not possible in practice since the disc extends only partially outside the housing thereby forcing the user to grasp it in correspondence of the surfaces. Patent application US 5346295 discloses a storage box for compact discs consisting of a flat housing wherein a disc carrier is drawer like supported so as to be slidable between inserted and outer position. The movement of the disc carrier is performed by ejection means comprising a spring clip mounted pivotally on the bottom plate of the housing and engaged the disc carrier to push it towards said end positions. The ejection means are actuated by a push button via a double arm lever operatively connected to the disc carrier. As evident, in this solution the movement of the disc carrier is performed by a large number of components mutually interconnected which consequently require complicated and expansive operations for their assembly. Moreover, this solution presents the same drawback of the previous example since the data carrier extends outside the housing by a portion which is not sufficient to allow a correct grasp of the compact disc.

Also the patent application GB 2336149 discloses a storage box with a disc carrier slidably inserted in a casing, wherein a spring acts on the back of the disc carrier to push it outside of the casing. With respect to the previous example, the box comprises also a latch slidably placed in the housing for engaging a notch of the disc carrier to retain this latter in a storage

position. A knob with a tapered surface is used for disengaging the latch from the disc carrier releasing the spring and consequently allowing the movement of disc carrier. Also in this case the working of the box is performed by a large number of components which, among the other drawbacks, increase the risk of failures and consequently reduces the reliability of the storage box. Moreover the use of a latch mechanism to retain the disc carrier in the storage position is not reliable since such mechanism, as known, have short life due to their delicate structure.

Also known storage racks present some drawbacks especially those used for containing CD in motor vehicle installation such as, for example, a console of a motor car. Patent applications US 4875578 and US 5141103, for example, relate to a storage rack comprising an housing having an open front end and slider supporting members for CD which are internally arranged. The housing comprises two lateral walls provided with longitudinal guides for driving each sliding member during its movement between a storage and a removal position. In particular the slider members are pushed out towards the removal position by opening spring elements. A locking mechanism is provided for each slider member to lock this latter inside the housing in the storage position. In spite of its apparent functionality, these storage racks present a complex structure with many components having a complicated shape. That means the number of operations and costs for the assembly are considerable. Especially the locking mechanism of known storage racks are particularly complex with the result, for example, that the injection moulding dies, needed for to produce them, are complicated to manufacture and, consequently, expensive.

Also in these known storage racks, the grasp of the data carrier is difficult for the same reasons above indicated. Consequently an user must take particular care for this purpose and that is evidently dangerous when such user is a driver. In many cases, the structure and the working principle of known racks increase this drawback since, for example, they force the user to perform particular movements or to apply a established pressure to extract or to insert the compact disc in the housing.

Thus the main aim of the present invention is to provide a storage box for image, sound or other data carrier that will enable above drawbacks to be overcome.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage box which has a simple structure with a reduced number of components easy to manufacture and to assemble. Another object of the present invention is to provide a storage box which allows a correct grasp of the data carrier in order to avoid damages to its surfaces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a storage box which has an easy working principle so as to make easier the actions of an user.

Yet another, not necessarily last object of the present invention is to provide a storage box that is reliable and relatively easy to manufacture at competitive costs.

This aim, these and other objects that will become more apparent herein below are achieved by a storage box for image, sound or other data carrier comprising a casing containing a movable holder for the carrier. The movable holder comprises an handling lever which protrudes from the casing to activate the rotation of the holder from a first to a second operative position. The storage box according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises at least one elastic fin having means for holding the movable holder in correspondence of said operative positions. The elastic fin and the movable holder comprise respectively a first and a second shaped portion mutually in contact during the movement of the holder. Such movement is performed around a fixed axis whereby the elastic fin acts against the holder to make easier the rotation.

In the storage box, according to the invention, the elastic fin acts on the holder to perform the rotation of the same, acting in practice like an ejector mean. At the same time, it is also used to keep the holder in correspondence of its operative positions acting in practice like a locking element. Consequently two different functions, traditionally obtained by many different elements, are performed by the same element with obvious advantages. Moreover, differently from a large part of known solutions, the holder has a rotating movement which allows to achieve an extracting position sufficient for a correct grasp of the carrier.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the storage box according to the present invention, illustrated only by way of indicative and non-limitative examples, with the aid of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 and 2 are a first and a second prospective view of an embodiment of a storage box according to the present invention having respectively the holder in a storage position and in an extracted position;

Figure 3 and 4 are a first and a second prospective view of the storage box of figures 1 and 2 without the upper plate of the casing;

Figure 5, 6 and 7 are views of the storage box of the figures from 1 to 4 which show the rotation of the holder between its operative positions;

Figure 8, 9, 10 and 11 are prospective views of a possible embodiment of a modular storage rack comprising a plurality of storage boxes according to the present invention.

With reference to the mentioned figures, the storage box 1 according to the invention comprises a casing 2 containing an holder 3 for a sound, image or other kinds of data carrier 5 such as, for example, CD, DVD, as well as similar storage data media. The holder 3 comprises a handling lever 6 which protrudes from the casing 2 to activate the rotation of the holder 3 from a first to a second operative position. In particular, the first operative position preferably corresponds to a condition according to which the carrier 5 is included in the casing 2 (storage position), while the second operative position corresponds to a condition according to which the carrier 5 is at least partially extracted from the casing 2 (extracted position).

The storage box 1 is characterized in that it comprises at least one elastic fin 10 having means for holding the rotating holder 3 in correspondence of said operative positions. The elastic fin 10 and the holder 3 further comprise respectively a first and a second shaped portion which rest mutually in contact during the rotation of the holder 3. According to the invention, the rotation of the holder 3 is performed around a fixed axis whereby the elastic fin 10 acts against the holder 3 to make easier the rotation. In other words, the elastic fin 10 acts on the holder 3 to complete its rotation between the operative positions. In this way the action of the user is restricted to an initial action on the handling lever 6 needed to start the rotation. Figure 1 and 2 are two views related to a possible embodiment of a storage box 1 in which the holder 3 is illustrated respectively in the storage and extracted position. The figures also show a possible embodiment of the casing 2 comprising a lower plate 61 and an upper plate 62 mutually connected each other by connecting means which can be, for example, of the male- female type. In alternative the connecting means could be pins, screw or other traditional means functionally equivalent.

The casing 2 illustrated in the figures has a prismatic configuration rounded in correspondence of two corners 2A of the same side. It must be considered part of the present invention alternative forms of the casing such as, for example, the traditional prismatic forms of CD boxes.

With reference again to the cited figures, at least one of the plates 61 and 62 comprise a perimetrical rim 66 for closing a lateral portion of the casing 2 in order to protect the carrier 5 when it achieves the storage position. As illustrated, the perimetrical rim 66 only partially closes the casing 2 so as to leave an opening 2B for the passage of the holder 3 towards the extracted position.

Figure 3 and 4 show the storage box 1 of figures 1 and 2 without the upper plate 62. As illustrated, the holder 3 is advantageously formed in a single body with the handling lever 6

and is provided with a slip surface, substantially flat, which rest on a face of the lower plate 61 so as to stabilize the relative movement of the holder 3 with respect to the casing 2. The holder 3 comprises preferably a first part 71 (see figure 5) for accommodating the carrier 5 and a second part 72 from which protrudes the handling lever 6. The second part 72 also comprises means for performing_the rotation of the holder 3 or better to give a rotation axis to the same.

Figure 5 is a view of the storage box of figure 3 without the data carrier 5 and allows to observe better the shape of the holder 3. The first part 71 is C-shaped with a sloping surface 75 to make easier the accommodation of the carrier 5. In particular this latter is placed between a flat surface 76 and grip means 77 placed along the edge of the flat surface 76. The grip means 77 advantageously avoid the sliding of the carrier 5 from the holder 3 during the rotation between the operative positions.

The means for performing the rotation of the holder 3 comprise a pivot 82 (see figure 4) which protrudes from the second part 72 to be coupled to a corresponding slot of the lower 61 and/or upper plate 62 as evident, for example, from figure 1. According to a preferred embodiment the pivot 82 protrudes from the second part 72 to be coupled to aligned holes performed on the upper 61 and lower plate 62. Obviously to give a rotation axis to the holder other solution could be used. For example the means for performing the rotation could comprise a through holes performed on the holder 3 and the plates 61 and 62 so as to be mutually aligned for accommodating a longitudinal pin used as rotation axis. Figures from 3 to 5 also show a possible embodiment of the fin 10 according to the present invention. The fin 10 is performed in a single body with the lower plate 61 of the casing 2 (or in alternative with the upper plate 62). To be more precise, the fin 10 comprises a first part 1OA connected to the plate 61 or 62 and a free part 1OB that can move elastically with respect to the first part 1OA. The free part 1OB is provided with means for holding firm the rotating holder 3 in correspondence of its operative positions. In particular such means comprise at least a blocking element which is preferably formed by a bended end 11 of the free part 1OB. This solution reduces the number of components, but the blocking element could be also formed, for example, by an independent element operatively connected to the fin 10 for the same purpose.

According to the invention, when the holder 3 reaches one of the operative positions, for example the extracted position (see figure 7), the blocking element engages a corresponding first engagement element connected to the holder 3. As illustrated in figure 5, the first element can be advantageously formed by a first concave recess 51 of the holder 3 geometrically

shaped to be coupled with the convex profile of the bended end 11 of the fin 10. In practice when the holder 3 reaches the extracted position, the ended bend 11 engages the first recess 51 generating a coupling sufficient to maintain firm the holder 3 in order to allow the user to remove or place the carrier 5 into its side. To be more precise the ended bend 11 engages the first recess 51 after a rotation of the holder 3 sufficient to allow the user a correct grasp of the data carrier 5 (see also figure 2).

When the holder 3 is in the other position (for example the storage position to continue the previous example) the blocking element acts on the holder 3 generating a resistant torque which objects to possible torques tending, for example, to bring back the holder 3 towards the extracted position. This resistant action is generated by virtue of the elastic reaction of the fin 10 which is compressed by the geometrical profile of the holder 3 during the movement of the same towards the second position. In other words, the elastic reaction of the fin 10 is oriented by the geometrical coupling between the bended end 11 and the holder 3 so as to generate a constant resistant moment (see arrow W of figure 5).

In an alternative embodiment, shown in figure 3, in correspondence of the second position, the blocking element engages a second engagement element formed, for example, by a second concave recess 31 of the holder 3. In particular this second recess 31 is shaped to be coupled with the bended end 11 of the fin 10. In practice, this embodiment employs the same feature to stop the holder 3 in both operative positions. Other means and features functionally equivalent must be considered part of the present invention as well as an alternative bended end having a concave profile to be coupled to a corresponding convex profile of the engagement elements.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show successive phases of the rotation of the holder 3 between the operative position and allow to observe the first and the second shaped portion respectively of the elastic fin 10 and the holder 3. In particular, the first shaped portion preferably corresponds to the bended end 11 while second shaped portion is a portion of the holder 3 comprising at least a projection 33 which extends so as to rest against the bended end 11 during the rotation of the holder 3. As illustrated, the projection 33 preferably extends as physical continuation of the first concave recess 51 , while in other solution above described (see figure 3) it extends between the first 51 and the second concave recess 31. To explain the function of the shaped regions and, it will be considered the first embodiment described in which only a recess (the first recess 51) is used to keep the holder 3 in one of the operative position.

With reference to figure 5, when the holder 3 is in the storage position the elastic fin 10, by its bended end 11, acts on the holder 3 generating a constant resistant moment. To eject the carrier 5, the user acts on the handling lever 6 starting the rotation of the holder 3 according to the arrow V. The ended bend 11 is moved by the action of a first side 33A of the convex profile of the projection 33 and consequently the fin 10 stores elastic energy until this condition reaches a dead center as illustrated in figure 6. Further this point, the elastic fin 11 acts on a second side 33B of the projection 33 releasing its elastic energy and speeding up the rotation of the holder 3. In other words, according to the invention, further said dead point the fin 10 acts on the second side 33B generating a rotation moment in agreement with the intention of the user. Therefore the rotation comprises an initial rotation performed by the action of the user on the handling lever 6 and a final rotation performed by the action of the elastic fin 10 (in particular of its first shaped region) on the second shaped region of the holder 3. Obviously, to bring back the holder 3 in the storage position, the user acts again on the handling lever 6 so as to actuate the same mechanism in the opposite direction. The extension of the shaped portions is designed to reduce the action of the user in order to improve the practicality of the storage box 1. At the same time, the movement of the holder 3 between the operative positions is fast and reliable by virtue of the simple structure of the components. Moreover the rotation of the holder 3 is designed to be sufficient to allow a correct grasp of the carrier 5, when it is in the extracted position, and a complete insertion of the same in correspondence of the storage position.

All the components above described can be advantageously performed in plastic material by traditional low cost industrial processes. About this possibility, the simple shape of the components does not require complex injection moulding dies and consequently also the manufacture costs are reduced.

The present invention is also relative to a modular storage rack 100 for containing image, sound or other data carriers, such as for example CDs in a motor vehicle, characterized in by the fact it comprises a plurality of storage box according to the present invention. Figures from 8 to 11 are relative to a possible embodiment of the storage rack 100 in which the storage boxes IA, IB are mutually connected each other by means of compacting means so as to be laid one on the top of the other. Figures 8 and 9, in particular, show the storage rack 100 respectively when all the holders 3 are in the storage position and when some of them are in the extracted position. The practicality of the storage rack 100 is evident. Acting on the corresponding handling lever 6, the user selects the wanted carrier or extracts an empty holder to storage a carrier 5.

The compacting means hold the storage boxes IA, IB in their operative position allowing to have a compact structure. They comprise, for example, pins or screw which are inserted in one or more corresponding holes 88 (see figure 8 and 9) prepared on the plates of the storage boxes IA and IB to be aligned during the assembly.

According to a preferred embodiment of the storage rack 100, well illustrated in figure 10, the lower plate 61 A of a first storage box IA is the upper plate of a second storage box IB which lies just below the first IA. Moreover, by this last feature, the holder 3 of the second storage box IB is hinged on the lower plate 61 A of the first storage box IA. It is evident that, by this technical solution, the assembly of the storage rack 100 is extremely fast and easy. With reference again to figure 10, the handling levers 6A and 6B of two adjacent storage boxes IA and IB protrude alternately from their housing in correspondence of opposite sides of the rack 100. Consequently the holder 3 A of the first storage box IA, for example, turns clockwise while the adjacent storage box IB turns anticlockwise. For this purpose, each storage box 1 could be advantageously performed including two elastic fins 10 and 13 placed in correspondence of opposite sides to act on a corresponding holder 3 according to its layout. In this way the storage rack 100 can be made using storage boxes 1 having the same structure of the housing 2 with obvious economical advantages.

Figures 11 shows a storage rack 100 according to the invention ready to be placed in a console of a motor vehicle such as, for example, a motor car. In particular it comprises a frontal cover 111 provided with an opening 102 to allow the passage of the handling levers 6 and the holders 3 during their rotation. As illustrated, from the frontal cover 111, at least a stiffening surface 104 protrudes in the direction of the storage boxes in order to compact the structure. This stiffening surface 104 can be advantageously provided with removable fixing means (not shown) which allows a stable insertion of the storage rack 100 in a relative console. In an alternative embodiment, the stiffening surface 104 could be replaced by a metallic strip which surrounds the pile of storage box 1 providing at the same time the fixing means for the storage rack 100.

The technical solutions adopted for the storage box and the storage rack according to the present invention enable the established aims and object to be fully achieved. In fact the storage box is reliable and performed by a reduced number of components easy to manufacture and to assembly. Moreover the working principle of the storage box allows a correct grasp of the data carrier and makes easier the action of the user.

In practice, the materials used and the contingent dimensions and shapes can be varied according to need and depending on the state of the art.