Protective retainer for a compact disc

Abstract

A protective retainer for a planar disc having an outer peripheral edge, an information containing area, and a central portion defining an aperture. The protective retainer includes a first cover having a first surface and a second cover having a second surface. The first cover also has a first and second layer. A retaining device includes a flange that is interdisposed between and retained by the first and second layers in order to prevent the retaining device from inadvertently becoming detached from the protective retainer after repeated use. The retaining device includes an outwardly projecting retainer button that is adapted to be engageable to the aperture of the disc so as to maintain the relative position of the disc and the first surface. The retainer button is also resiliently deformably detachable from the aperture of the disc when pressure is exerted on the retaining device. The retainer button includes a pair of opposing upright curved walls, each having a curved base and a curved rim. The curved rims have a radius of curvature greater than its respective curved base and define respective chords. Each of the chords and curved rims together define the periphery of a pair of opposed shoulders. The retainer button includes a central channel interdisposed between and interconnecting shoulders. The channel exerts outwardly directed pressure on the curved walls to maintain an engaged disc in position, while also being resiliently deformable to permit the retainer button to engage to and detach from the aperture of the disc.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.