Storage container having an improved hub for gripping an optical disk

Claim 1

An enclosure for protecting and securing an optical disk having a centralized hole, said enclosure comprising: a base adapted to house the disk therein; a cover hingedly connected to said base; and a hub disposed on a surface of said base for securing the disk thereon, said hub including, a cylindrical wall having a geometrical center, said cylindrical wall extending upward from said surface, a plurality of vertical slits formed in said cylindrical wall, a plurality of radially resilient arcuate gripping teeth for radially engaging the centralized disk hole, each said tooth including an arcuate section of said cylindrical wall disposed between two circumferentially adjacent vertical slits, an annular lip comprising a protrusion disposed on an upper edge of said arcuate section for engaging a bottom edge of the centralized disk hole, wherein said annular lip is adapted to cause said tooth to move radially inward when the disk is placed on said hub, and said annular lip is adapted to resiliently engage a top edge of the centralized disk hole when the disk is placed over said hub, and thereby removably securing the disk onto said hub, first and second radial edges on each said tooth formed from said vertical slits, and first and second radial slits formed in said surface, extending radially outward from said first and second radial tooth edges and collinear with radii extending from said geometrical center, respectively, for increasing the radial flexibility of each said tooth, while transferring radial deflection of each said tooth to said surface between said radial slits extending from each said radial tooth edge; wherein an inclusive angle between radial edges of each tooth, as measured from said geometrical center of said cylindrical wall, is between approximately 60 and approximately 120 degrees, whereby said inclusive angle provides sufficient stiffness in each said tooth to transfer radial tooth deflection from said arcuate cylindrical wall section of said tooth to said surface between radial slits extending from radial edges of each tooth.