US 6,186,322 B1Granted

Device for removing a compacts disk from its container

OwnerJoseph Hubertus Dautzenberginventor

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Abstract

A device for removing a compact disk from a container, wherein the container has a bottom surface and a plurality of resilient fingers for removably holding the compact disk in the container. The fingers are disposed in a center of the container in spaced relation to one another such that the disk is mountable in the container with the fingers disposed in a central opening of the compact disk so as to hold the disk with the disk resting on the bottom surface. The device includes: (a) a spring of thin resilient material that is mountable in the container with respective end portions of the spring extending through spaces between the plurality of fingers; and (b) a push button mountable in the container for applying a downward force for deforming the spring. The push button includes supports having a plurality of portions each of which is insertable into a bend in the spring to cause a force exerted downwardly against the push button to deform the spring so as to increase the force that the spring exerts against a compact disk at a second bend in the spring. In a preferred embodiment, the device is used with a container having twelve fingers.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A device for removing a compact disk from a container, wherein the container comprises a bottom surface and a plurality of resilient fingers for removably holding the compact disk in the container, the compact disk comprising a central opening, said fingers being disposed in a center of the container in spaced relation to one another such that the disk is mountable in the container with the fingers disposed in the central opening to hold the disk and with the disk resting on the bottom surface, said device comprising:

(a) a spring of thin resilient material that is mountable in the container with respective end portions of the spring extending through spaces between the plurality of fingers, said spring comprising a base portion with a plurality of legs extending therefrom, the legs having (i) first portions that extend downwardly toward the bottom surface of the container with the spring mounted in the container, said base portion and first portions collectively having an inverted U shape, (ii) second portions that are bent upwardly with respect to the respective first portions such that the first and second portions form respective first bends of curved shape therebetween;
and (iii) third portions that are bent downwardly with respect to the respective second portions such that the second and third portions form respective second bends of curved shape therebetween;
said spring for exerting a force against the compact disk at the respective second bends with the fingers holding the compact disk and with the spring mounted in the container;
and
(b) push means mountable in the container for applying a downward force for deforming the spring, said push means comprising support means having a plurality of portions each of which is insertable into one of the first bends for causing a force exerted downwardly against the push means to deform the spring so as to increase the force that said spring exerts against the compact disk at the respective second bends with the fingers holding the compact disk and with the spring and push means mounted in the container.

2 more elements

An apparatus for use with a compact disk having a central opening, said apparatus comprising

(i) a container;
the container comprising a bottom surface and a plurality of resilient fingers for removably holding the compact disk in the container, said fingers being disposed in a center of the container in spaced relation to one another such that the disk is mountable in the container with the fingers disposed in the central opening holding the disk and with the disk resting on the bottom surface;
and
(ii) a device for removing the compact disk from the container, said device comprising
(a) a spring of thin resilient material that is mounted in the container with respective portions of the spring extending through spaces between the plurality of fingers, said spring comprising a base portion with a plurality of legs extending therefrom, the legs having (i) first portions that extend downwardly toward the bottom surface of the container, said base portion and first portions collectively having an inverted U shape, (ii) second portions that are bent upwardly with respect to the respective first portions such that the first and second portions form respective first bends of curved shape therebetween;
and (iii) third portions that are bent downwardly with respect to the respective second portions such that the second and third portions form respective second bends of curved shape therebetween;
said spring for exerting a force against the compact disk at the respective second bends with the fingers holding the compact disk and with the spring mounted in the container;
and
(b) push means mounted in the container for applying a downward force for deforming the spring, said push means comprising support means having a plurality of portions each of which is insertable into one of the first bends for causing a force exerted downwardly against the push means to deform the spring so as to increase the force that said spring exerts against the compact disk at the respective second bends with the fingers holding the compact disk and with the spring and push means mounted in the container.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.