# US 5,704,494 A · Disc holder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,704,494 A - Document ID: US5704494A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/663,700 - Filed: 1996-06-14 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1995-06-16 - Assignees: Nihon Plast Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kazuhiko Nishikiori; Hiroshi Hirano; Taiki Kawasumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704494A ## CPC - G11B 33/0444: {for discs without cartridge} - B65D 25/107: {Grooves, ribs, or the like, situated on opposed walls and between which the articles are located} - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES ## Abstract A plastic disc holder for holding a plurality of discs separately, comprises axially opposed end walls; and laterally opposed side walls which are united with the end walls to constitute a rectangular parallelopiped box which is fully opened at upper and lower portions. Each side wall includes spaced side posts; an upper beam extending between upper portions of the side posts; an intermediate beam extending between intermediate portions of the side posts; a lower beam extending between lower portions of the side posts; first group of strut portions which extend between the upper and intermediate beams; and second group of strut portions which extend between the intermediate and lower beams. Each of the intermediate and lower beams is formed at an inner surface with a plurality of guide grooves for guiding the discs when the discs are put into the disc holder from the above. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A disc holder for holding a plurality of discs separately, comprising: axially opposed end walls; and laterally opposed side walls which are united with said end walls to constitute a rectangular parallelopiped box which is fully opened at upper and lower portions, wherein each side wall includes: spaced side posts; an upper beam extending between upper portions of said side posts; an intermediate beam extending between intermediate portions of said side posts; a lower beam extending between lower portions of said side posts; first group of strut portions which extend between the upper and intermediate beams; and second group of strut portions which extend between the intermediate and lower beams, and wherein each of said intermediate and lower beams is formed at an inner surface with a plurality of guide grooves for guiding the discs when the discs are put into the disc holder from the above. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A disc holder as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper beam is formed at an inner surface with a plurality of guide grooves for guiding the discs. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A disc holder as claimed in claim 2, in which each guide groove of said upper beams is an elongate opening through which an interior of the box is communicated with the exterior of the same. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A disc holder as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said opposed end walls is formed with a larger recess through which an interior of the box is communicated with an exterior of the same. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A disc holder as claimed in claim 1, in which each guide groove has a triangularly enlarged inlet part for facilitating insertion of a disc thereinto. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A disc holder as claimed in claim 1, in which each guide groove is defined between adjacent guide ribs which are formed on said inner surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A disc holder as claimed in claim 6, in which each guide rib has tapered tip. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A disc holder as claimed in claim 7, in which each guide rib has sloped side surfaces, so that each guide groove defined between adjacent guide ribs has a trapezoidal cross section, the width of said guide groove gradually increasing with increase of the distance from a bottom of said guide groove. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) A disc holder as claimed in claim 3, in which the distance between paired guide grooves respectively possessed by the opposed intermediate beams is greater than the distance between paired guide grooves respectively possessed by the opposed upper beams. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A disc holder as claimed in claim 1, in which the width of the bottom of each guide groove possessed by the intermediate beam is smaller than the width of the bottom of each guide groove possessed by the lower beam. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A disc holder as claimed in claim 1, further comprising coupling assuring means which assures coupling of the disc holder with another disc holder when the former is put on the latter or vise versa, said coupling assuring means including: means for defining at upper portions of each end wall recesses; and means for defining at lower portions of each end wall projections, wherein when the former disc holder is put on the latter disc holder, the projections of said former disc holder are led into the recesses of the latter disc holder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) A disc holder as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: a lid member which is sized and constructed to cover the upper open portion of said disc holder; and connecting means for detachably connecting said lid member to said disc holder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A disc holder as claimed in claim 12, in which said connecting means comprises: a tongue-like plate extending from said lid member; and means for defining a guide groove along a peripheral portion of said larger recess of the end wall, wherein said tongue-like plate is sized and constructed to be slidably received in said guide groove. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A disc holder as claimed in claim 1, in which said rectangular parallelopiped box is constructed of a molded plastic. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A disc holder as claimed in claim 14, in which the material of said molded plastic is a PEEK/thermotropic liquid crystal polymer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A disc holder as claimed in claim 12, in which said lid member is constructed of a molded plastic.