Ejecting compact disk case

Abstract

A case for storing compact disks has a substantially rigid housing comprised of two side panels and at least two edge walls for surrounding and containing the disk. Additionally, a rigid C-shaped ejector, sized to partially surround the compact disk's peripheral edge, is disposed within the housing and adapted to swing relative to the housing about an integral hinge that connects the housing to the ejector. The ejector is adapted so that a portion thereof covers the open front edge of the housing when the ejector is in its “closed” state, and that portion also serves as a manually operable lever to actuate the ejection of the disk from the housing as it simultaneously exposes the open front edge of the housing.

1 . A case for storing compact disks comprising; 
 first and second rectangular side panels disposed parallel to each other in a rectilinear configuration and spaced from each other by a given distance to define a storage space there-between, said panels each having rectilinearly disposed top, bottom, rear and front peripheral edges, each edge of said first panel being arranged parallel to the equivalent edge on said other panel and spaced there-from by said given distance,    a top wall extending between and connecting said side panels along at least a portion of said top edges,    a bottom wall extending between and connecting said side panels along at least a portion of said bottom edges,    an opening between said front edges sufficient in size and shape to allow the disk to pass there-through and into or out of said storage space,    a rigid ejector pivotally connected to at least one of said first and second panels at a pivot axis and adapted to swing relative to said panels about said axis between at least a first state and a second state, said ejector comprising a rear arm and a front arm, and wherein during said first state, said rear arm is disposed between said rear edges and said front arm covers said opening, denying passage of the disk there-through, and wherein    said rear and front arms and said top and bottom walls are adapted to cooperatively contain the disk within said storage space when said ejector is in said first state, and said rear arm is adapted to force the disk from said storage space, and simultaneously, said front arm is adapted to uncover said opening as said ejector is manually moved from said first state toward said second state, to thereby cause and allow the disk to be ejected from said storage space through said opening along a substantially straight line that is parallel to said top and bottom walls.    
   
   
       2 . The case of  claim 1  wherein said first and second side panels and said top and bottom walls are comprised of an injection-molded polymer material  
   
   
       3 . The case of  claim 2  wherein said first and second side panels and said top and bottom walls are first integrally molded as a single component in an open state and adapted for capturing said ejector at said pivot axis as said component is then folded at one or more of said edges into said rectilinear configuration.  
   
   
       4 . The case of  claim 3  wherein said top and bottom walls and said front and rear arms each comprise a channel, said channels being coplanar and adapted for capturing a peripheral edge of the disk and holding the disk from contacting the side panels.  
   
   
       5 . The case of  claim 4  wherein said channels of said top and bottom walls are further adapted for guiding the disk from said storage space as the disk is ejected through said opening.  
   
   
       6 . The case of  claim 5  wherein said polymer material is translucent.  
   
   
       7 . The case of  claim 5  wherein said polymer material is transparent.  
   
   
       8 . The case of  claim 1  wherein said front arm comprises a lever adapted for grasping and pulling by a user to cause said ejector to pivot about said pivot axis as said opening is uncovered and the disk is ejected.  
   
   
       9 . The case of  claim 8  wherein said first and second side panels and said top and bottom walls are comprised of an injection-molded polymer material  
   
   
       10 . The case of  claim 9  wherein said first and second side panels and said top and bottom walls are first integrally molded as a single component in an open state and adapted for capturing said ejector at said pivot axis as said component is then folded at one or more of said edges into said rectilinear configuration.  
   
   
       11 . The case of  claim 10  wherein said top and bottom walls and said front and rear arms each comprise a channel, said channels being coplanar and adapted for capturing a peripheral edge of the disk and holding the disk from contacting the side panels.  
   
   
       12 . The case of  claim 11  wherein said channels of said top and bottom walls are further adapted for guiding the disk from said storage space as the disk is ejected through said opening.  
   
   
       13 . The case of  claim 12  wherein said polymer material is translucent.  
   
   
       14 . The case of  claim 12  wherein said polymer material is transparent.  
   
   
       15 . A case for storing a first plurality of compact disks comprising; ‘first and second rectangular side panels disposed parallel to each other in a rectilinear configuration and separated from each other by a given distance to define a storage space there-between, said panels each having rectilinearly disposed top, bottom, rear and front peripheral edges, each edge of said first panel being arranged parallel to an equivalent edge on said other panel and spaced there-from by said given distance, 
 a top wall extending between and connecting said side panels along at least a portion of said top edges, said top wall comprising a second plurality, at least equal to said first plurality, of equally spaced top channels disposed parallel to said top edges of said first and second panels,    a bottom wall extending between and connecting said side panels along at least a portion of said bottom edges, said bottom wall comprising a third plurality, at least equal to said first plurality, of equally spaced bottom channels disposed parallel to said bottom edges of said first and second panels,    an opening between said front edges sufficient in size and shape to allow all of the disks to pass there-through and into or out of said storage space,    a fourth plurality of rigid ejectors, equal to said first plurality, each ejector being associated with one of the compact disks and with one of said top channels and one of said bottom channels, said fourth plurality of ejectors connected to at least one of said first and second panels at a pivot axis and each ejector adapted to independently swing relative to said panels and said other ejectors about said axis between at least a first state and a second state, said ejectors each comprising a rear arm and a front arm, and wherein during said first state, said rear arm is disposed between said rear edges and said front arm covers a portion of said opening, denying the disk associated with said ejector to pass there-through, and wherein    said rear and front arms of said ejectors and said associate top and bottom channels are adapted to cooperatively contain the disks within said storage space when said ejectors are in said first state, and    each of said rear arms is adapted to force the associated disk from said storage space and, simultaneously, said front arm is adapted to uncover said opening as said ejector is manually moved from said first state toward said second state, to thereby cause and allow the associated disk to slide within said associated top and bottom channels and be ejected from said storage space through said opening along a substantially straight line that is parallel to said top and bottom walls.    
   
   
       16 . The case of  claim 15  wherein said first and second side panels and said top and bottom walls are comprised of an injection-molded polymer material  
   
   
       17 . The case of  claim 16  wherein said first and second side panels and said top and bottom walls are first integrally molded as a single component in an open state and adapted for capturing said fourth plurality of ejectors at said pivot axis as said component is then folded at one or more of said edges into said rectilinear configuration.  
   
   
       18 . The case of  claim 17  wherein said polymer material is translucent.  
   
   
       19 . The case of  claim 18  wherein said polymer material is transparent.  
   
   
       20 . A method of making a case for storing compact disks, said case comprising; 
 first and second rectangular side panels disposed parallel to each other in a rectilinear configuration and separated from each other by a given distance to define a storage space there-between, said panels each having rectilinearly disposed top, bottom, rear and front peripheral edges, each edge of said first panel being arranged parallel to an equivalent edge on said other panel and spaced there-from by said given distance,    a top wall extending between and connecting said side panels along at least a portion of said top edges,    a bottom wall extending between and connecting said side panels along at least a portion of said bottom edges,    an opening between said front edges sufficient in size and shape to allow the disk to pass there-through and into or out of said storage space,    a rigid ejector pivotally connected to at least one of said first and second panels at a pivot axis and adapted to swing relative to said panels about said axis between at least a first state and a second state, said ejector comprising a rear arm and a front arm, and wherein during said first state, said rear arm is disposed between said rear edges and said front arm covers said opening, denying passage of the disk there-through,    and said method comprising;    integrally molding first and second side panels and said top and bottom walls as a single component of a polymer material in an open state,    folding said component at one or more of said edges into said rectilinear configuration, and    capturing said ejector at said pivot axis as said component is folded into said rectilinear configuration.