Cleaning apparatus for optical and magneto-optical disks

A cleaning apparatus for an optical or magneto-optical storage disk, comprising:

• a first rectangular part having four lateral edges and a raised interior, the interior including four troughs for holding utensils for cleaning an optical or magneto-optical storage disk, each of the four troughs having a shape adapted to contours of utensils to be held;
• a plurality of utensils including a bottle, cleaning composites, and a rotary knob wherein the bottle contains a cleaning liquid for a recording layer of a storage disk and the bottle is snapped into the first trough, the second and third troughs are filled with the cleaning composites, and the fourth trough houses the rotary knob which can be mounted on a hub of a storage disk which is inserted in a second rectangular part, in order to rotate the storage disk manually with the aid of the rotary knob;
• the second rectangular part comprising:
• four lateral edges;
• an interior which is shaped complementary to the interior of the first rectangular part;
• a border which runs completely along the four lateral edges for enclosing a disk cassette of a magneto-optical or optical storage disk inserted for cleaning;
• a disk bearing which, when a disk cassette is inserted in the second part, raises a storage disk inside the disk cassette to such an extent that the storage disk is rotatable without friction;
• and
• a locking means on the interior of the second part for keeping a shutter of a disk cassette open wherein the locking means includes a web which is mounted parallel to the border;
• and
• the cleaning apparatus further comprising a back strap for connecting the first and second parts to each other such that the first and second parts can be folded together, similarly to a book, and locked along their lateral edges;
• wherein the rotary knob includes a knurled grip piece, an attachment having a base surface and conically widening downward toward the base surface, and a rubber ring fitted into the base surface, which ring, when the rotary knob is placed on a storage disk in frictional connection with the disk, drives the disk during the rotation of the rotary knob.