US20060102501A1

US20060102501A1 - Locking structure for disks

Info

Publication number: US20060102501A1
Application number: US10/986,808
Authority: US
Inventors: Kai Hu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-15
Filing date: 2004-11-15
Publication date: 2006-05-18

Abstract

A locking structure for disks includes a box and a locking element. There are two plugholes defined on one side of the box. The locking element has two hooking portions. Each of the two hooking portions engages with each of the respective two plugholes to lock the box. The present invention cooperates with an unlocking mechanism comprising a controlling portion, a rod and a hooking element. The rod extends from an outside edge of the controlling portion. The hooking element is connected with an end of the rod. The hooking element has two hooks forming two engaging portions. Each of the two engaging portions match each of the two hooking portions for unlocking the locking element that connects with the box.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking structure for disks, and more particularly, to a locking structure disposed on a disk box to prevent the disk from being stolen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a composition view of a conventional disk box in accordance with the prior art. A conventional disk box is a box 10 a. The box 10 a includes an upper cover 12 a and a bottom cover 14 a. The upper cover 12 a combines with the bottom cover 14 a. The box 10 a further has an unlocking portion 16 a on a side thereof, and the unlocking portion 16 a is a concave groove so that a user can use their fingers to open the box.
The above-mentioned disk box structure usually performs a fixing structure. The fixing structure is designed for a disk to be fixed onto it. If you want to remove the disk, just pressing gently on the fixing structure will release the disk from the fixing structure. However, it is also possible for somebody to use their fingers to press upon an outside surface of the box 10 a and wrench the box 10 a, thereby causing the disk to be released from the fixing structure. A thief who wishes to steal a disk can also use a knife to piece the cellophane packaging on the outside surface of the box 10 a and, by placing force on the two sides of the box 10 a, form a groove. At this stage, simply shaking the box will make the disk drop out of the box 10 a.
As has been explained, a disk is very easy stolen. A salesperson could very easily not notice that a disk has been stolen from them. Therefore an improvement upon the prior art is necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a principal objective of the present invention to provide a locking structure disposed on a disk box that prevents disks from being stolen.
To achieve the above objective, one feature of the present invention that is provided is a locking structure for disks, including a box having an upper cover and a bottom cover; a plurality of plugholes defined on an abutment of the upper cover with the bottom cover; and a locking element defining a plurality of perforations with each of the perforations having two opposite side edges extending to form two hooking portions respectively, wherein the two hooking portions having two hooks respectively at two front ends outside thereof to be engaged opposite to each of the plugholes for locking the upper cover with the bottom cover.
To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detail description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention, this detailed description being provided only for illustration of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings included herein provide a further understanding of the invention. A brief introduction of the drawings is as follows:
FIGS. 1 is a composition view of a conventional disk box in accordance with prior art.
FIGS. 2 is a decomposition view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a composition view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a decomposition view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention cooperating with an unlocking mechanism.
FIG. 5 is a composition view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention cooperating with an unlocking mechanism.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional profile of the preferred embodiment of the present invention cooperating with an unlocking mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a composition view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention cooperating with another embodiment of an unlocking mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings wherein the drawings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and not for purposes of limiting the same.
Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 showing the present invention that provides a locking structure for a disk including a box 10 and a locking element 20. The box 10 is a rectangular box. The box 10 has an upper cover 12 and a bottom cover 14. The upper cover 12 is combined with the bottom cover 14 forming a box structure for placing a disk inside. There are two plugholes 16 defined on an abutment of the upper cover 12 with the bottom cover 14. Each of them is a square hole. The box 10 further has an unlocking portion 18 on a side thereof, and the unlocking portion 18 is a concave groove so that a user may open the structure using their fingers.
The locking element 20 has two perforations 21. Each of the two perforations 21 is a square perforation. Each of the two perforations 21 further has two opposite side edges extending vertically to form two hooking portions 22 respectively. The two hooking portions 22 further have two hooks 221 respectively at two front ends outside thereof and two concaving portions 222 respectively at two front ends inside thereof. Each of the two hooks 221 is a triangle hook having a bevel 2212, a projecting portion 2214 and a retention portion 2216. Each of the hooking portions 22 interlocks with a respective plughole 16. Each of the two retention portions 2216 of each of the two hooks 221 is retained at two opposite inside edge of each of the two plugholes 16 for locking the upper cover 12 with the bottom cover 14. The two perforations 21 are opposite the two plugholes 16 for forming two keyways 23.
So the locking element 20 is retained on the box 10 through the two hooking portions 22 disposed thereof for providing a locking structure for a disk box. The locking structure for disks is designed to prevent disks placed inside the box 10 from being stolen.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a decomposition view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention cooperating with an unlocking mechanism. The present invention cooperates with an unlocking mechanism 30. The unlocking mechanism 30 is for unlocking the locking element 20 of the box 10, comprising a controlling portion 31, a rod 32 and a hooking element 33, wherein the controlling portion 31 is a circular pulling-ring provided so that it can be held and rotated to turn the hooking element 33. The rod 32 extends from an outside edge of the controlling portion 31. The rod 32 is a circular rod. The hooking element 33 is connected with an end of the rod 32. The hooking element 33 has a smooth portion 332 at a top surface thereof and two sides of the smooth portion 332 extend outwardly to form two engaging portions 334. Each of the two engaging portions 334 is designed to match each of the two projecting portions 2214.
Please refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. FIG. 5 shows the unlocking mechanism 30 being plugged into a keyway 23 to unlock the locking element 20 retained on the box 10. Because the top surface of the locking element 20 is a smooth portion 332, the unlocking mechanism 30 plugs easily into the two keyways 23. After it is plugged into a keyway 23, the controlling portion 31 is rotated by the user until the engaging portion 334 of the unlocking mechanism 30 engages with the projecting portion 2214 of the hook 221 (as shown in FIG. 6. The engaging portion 334 accommodates the bevel 2212 of the hook 221 and the hooking portion 22 has the concaving portion 222 at the front end inside thereof. At this time, the controlling portion 31 can be pulled back, so that the two opposite disposed hooks 221 pinch the rod 32. Thereby the retention portion 2216 of the hook 221 is released from the inside edge of the plughole 16, so that the locking element 20 retained on the box 10 is released from the box 10. In this way the disk can now be easily removed from the box 10.
Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a composition view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention cooperating with another embodiment of an unlocking mechanism. The unlocking mechanism 30 is fixed upon a working table. The controlling portion 31 of the unlocking mechanism 30 is a knob. The knob can move the hooking element 33 through a driving mechanism (not shown). The hooking element 33 of the unlocking mechanism 30 plugs into the keyway 23. The controlling portion 31 can then be rotated until the engaging portion 334 of the hooking element 33 engages with the projecting portion 2214 of the hook 221. The box 10 can now be with two hands and pulled up. This releases the retention portion 2216 of the hook 221 from the inside edge of the plughole 16, so that the locking element 20 retained on the box 10 escapes from the box 10. The disk can then be removed from the inside of the box 10.
There has thus been described a new, novel and heretofore unobvious locking structure for disks eliminating the aforesaid problem of the prior art. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the above description is only illustrative of specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.

Claims

1. A locking structure for disks, comprising:

A box having an upper cover and a bottom cover;

A plurality of plugholes defined on an abutment of the upper cover with the bottom cover; and

A locking element defining a plurality of perforations and each of the perforations having two opposite side edges extending to form two hooking portions respectively, wherein the two hooking portions having two hooks respectively at two front ends outside thereof to be engaged opposite to each of the plugholes for locking the upper cover with the bottom cover.

2. The locking structure for disks of claim 1, wherein each of the perforations corresponding to each of the plugholes form a plurality of keyways.

3. The locking structure for disks of claim 1, wherein each of the hooks have a projecting portion and a retention portion and each of the retention portions retain an inside edge of each of the plugholes.

4. The locking structure for disks of claim 1, wherein each of the hooking portions have a concave portion at a front end inside thereof.

5. An unlocking mechanism for cooperating with the locking structure for disks of claim 1, comprising:

At least one hooking element;

At least one rod connected with the hooking element; and

A controlling portion connected with the rod.

6. The unlocking mechanism of claim 5, wherein the controlling portion is a pulling-ring providing a place for the user's fingers to hold and rotate the hooking element.

7. The unlocking mechanism of claim 5, wherein the controlling portion is a knob for moving the hooking element through a driving mechanism.

8. The unlocking mechanism of claim 5, wherein the hooking element has a smooth portion at a top surface thereof and two sides of the smooth portion extend outwardly forming an engaging portion to engage with the projecting portion.