Case

Abstract

A case for holding a cartridge for a disc-shaped information medium, comprising a lower half provided on the recording side of the disc-shaped information medium and an upper half provided so as to engage with the lower half with the disc-shaped information medium sandwiched therebetween in order to allow the disc-shaped information medium to be rotatably held, in which an opening window for exposing the recording side of the disc-shaped information medium in its radial direction is formed in the lower half provided for the cartridge, and shutters for opening and closing the opening window are provided between the lower half and the disc-shaped information medium, wherein said case comprises a bottom panel provided so as to be facing the lower half of the cartridge, a plurality of latching members provided to the bottom panel for latching the cartridge, and a release member provided on the bottom panel so as to lift up the lower case of the cartridge in order to release the latching of the cartridge with one of the plurality of latching members.

1 . A case for holding a cartridge, provided with: 
 a lower half and an upper half for holding a disc-shaped information medium;    an opening window provided in the lower half, for exposing part of the disc-shaped information medium in its radial direction;    shutters for opening and closing the opening window;    a front face that engages with the shutters and links the upper half and the lower half;    a rear face that is on the opposite side from the front face with the disc-shaped information medium therebetween, and that links the upper half and the lower half;    a pair of side faces that link the front face, the rear face, the upper half, and the lower half; and    a plurality of groove portions that are recessed from one of the pair of side faces toward the other side face and are formed in the direction of the front face and the rear face,    said case comprising:    a bottom panel provided so as to be facing the lower half of the cartridge;    a plurality of latching members provided to the bottom panel, for latching the cartridge by engaging with any of the plurality of groove portions, the plurality of latching members including two latching members that are disposed at opposite diagonal corners of the cartridge; and    a release member disposed at a location near one of the two latching members disposed at opposite diagonal corners of the cartridge, for releasing the latching of the cartridge with the plurality of latching members and the plurality of groove portions.    
     
     
         2 . (canceled)  
     
     
         3 . The case according to  claim 1 , wherein the release member is provided at the bottom panel so as to lift up the lower half of the cartridge in order to release the latching of the cartridge with said one latching member.  
     
     
         4 . The case according to  claim 1 , wherein the release member is provided via said one latching member and a corner of the cartridge in a state in which the cartridge has been installed.  
     
     
         5 . The case according to  claim 4 , wherein the release member is provided at the rear face of the cartridge in a state in which the cartridge has been installed.  
     
     
         6 . The case according to  claim 1 , wherein the release member includes: 
 an engagement release component provided so as to be disposed between the bottom panel and the lower half of the cartridge when the cartridge has been installed in the case;    a pressure release component provided so as to receive pressing force from the cartridge side toward the bottom panel side in order to release the latching of the cartridge with said one of the plurality of latching members; and    a linking release component that links the engagement release component and the pressure release component.    
     
     
         7 . The case according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel is square in shape, and 
 said case further comprising:    four side panels rising from the four sides of the bottom panel; and    a lid coupled to one of the four side panels and provided rotatably around said one side panel so as to cover the installed cartridge.    
     
     
         8 . The case according to  claim 7 , wherein the release member is disposed at one of the corners formed by said one side panel.  
     
     
         9 . The case according to  claim 8 , wherein a positioning portion for positioning one cartridge corner that is adjacent to the above-mentioned cartridge corner with which the release member engages is provided at another corner adjacent to the corner of the side panel where the release member is disposed.  
     
     
         10 . The case according to  claim 1 , wherein the sides of the upper half and the lower half with which the front face of the cartridge engages are chamfered in a rounded shape, and forward positioning portions for positioning the front face having the rounded chamfering are formed on one of the side panels adjacent to the side panel to which the lid is provided.  
     
     
         11 . The case according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one pedestal having a height substantially equal to the gap between the lower half and the bottom panel in a state in which the cartridge has been installed is provided within a surface area corresponding to a projection of the cartridge onto the bottom panel.