Abstract: Systems and methods for harnessing bubbles generated by an effervescent cleaning tablet, to better clean an object (e.g., jewelry, straw, retainer, dental or orthodontic tray, mouth guard, denture, etc.). The system may include a housing including first and second housing portions, each defining a respective cavity. The first housing portion may be configured to hold the cleaning tablet, while the second cavity may hold or at least attach to the object being cleaned (e.g., hold a ring or other piece of jewelry, a retainer, orthodontic or dental tray, mouth guard, denture, etc.). In the case of a reusable straw, the straw may attach over the second housing cavity. In any case, the bubbles generated by the tablet are forced to flow over the object or surface to be cleaned. Such forced pathway of the bubbles causes them to impart mechanical/kinetic cleansing action to the surface of the object being cleaned.

Abstract: Collapsible, substantially pre-assembled carts include a collapsible folding cart for hanging files with folding assemblies at each end of the cart, such ends being folded inwardly to a stored position and moveable to a deployed open position. Locking members removably are attached to folding assemblies and maintain the folding assemblies in a deployed position and such members are between spaced elongated legs, which have a caster on the lower ends thereof. A horizontal support is removably attached to the legs adjacent to the casters and remote from the locking members. Each locking member includes a handle generally medial thereof with a handhold usable to maneuver the cart. The locking member may include a rigid planar member or a U-shaped rigid member with spaced slots or keyholes that connect to spaced headed pins on the folding assemblies.

Abstract: A one-piece, injection molded intended for display by positioning it upright includes a spine, a front cover coupled to the spine via a first living hinge, and a back cover coupled to the spine via a second living hinge. When in a closed configuration, the case has generally semi-cylindrical sidewalls which intersect in generally quarter-spherical corners. The case incorporates a flexible, polymeric sleeve that wraps around the spine sidewall, is bonded to the front and back covers near the edges of the closure sidewall.

Abstract: A stackable container for carrying and scooping material has a body, a lower handle mounted in a recess in the lower portion of the container body, and an optional upper handle attached to the upper portion of the container body. The lower handle is an elongated continuous member, like a stiff metal rod, shaped into a handle. When not in use, the lower handle can be stowed in the recess beneath an optional retainer flange. To use the lower handle, the handle can be urged from beneath the optional flange to extend outwardly from the container body. The optional upper handle is an elongated member with a grip mounted in the center. A total of three recesses in the exterior of the container body and three corresponding protuberances in the interior are used to stack multiple containers together.

Abstract: An injection molded one-piece optical disc case with a front cover and a back cover attached to a spine via live hinges. The case, when closed, has generally semi-cylindrical rimwalls, including upper and lower rimwalls, a spine rimwall, and a closure rimwall. The rimwalls intersect in generally quarter-spherical comers. The generally semi-cylindrical rimwalls may be optionally flattened slightly to prevent multiple closed cases that are being pushed down an assembly line from climbing over one another. Another novel feature of the optical disc case is an off-center disk mounting hub on each cover to leave room for a title band at the top of the case and also to leave room for the attachment of an EAS tag inside the case. The case also optionally incorporates antitheft elements.

Abstract: An ultra-thin, two-piece sheet metal case includes a receptacle and a lid. The receptacle is a generally rectangularly shaped tray-like item having rounded corners, a generally planar bottom panel, and a short perimetric wall extending from and unitary with the bottom panel, with outwardly rolled edges that form a tubular, semi-tubular, or fold-back flange. The lid of the case is slightly wider than the receptacle, and has a generally planar top portion which transitions to downwardly-bent walls on three sides thereof. The outer edges of the downwardly-bent walls are inwardly rolled to form a tubular, semi-tubular, or fold-back rim at the bottom thereof. The lid is designed and sized to slide over the receptacle so that the outwardly-rolled flange of the receptacle is trapped between the planar top panel and the inwardly-rolled rim of the lid.

Abstract: A one-piece, injection molded intended for display by positioning it upright includes a spine, a front cover coupled to the spine via a first living hinge, and a back cover coupled to the spine via a second living hinge. When in a closed configuration, the case has generally semi-cylindrical sidewalls which intersect in generally quarter-spherical corners. The case incorporates a flexible, polymeric sleeve that wraps around the spine sidewall, is bonded to the front and back covers near the edges of the closure sidewall.

Abstract: A one-piece, injection molded intended for display by positioning it upright includes a spine, a front cover coupled to the spine via a first living hinge, and a back cover coupled to the spine via a second living hinge. When in a closed configuration, the case has generally semi-cylindrical sidewalls, including upper and lower sidewalls, a spine sidewall, and a closure sidewall, which intersect in generally quarter-spherical corners. The case also has a pair of spaced-apart feet positioned along the lower sidewall of said case, each of said feet being medially split into first and second halves, said first half being integral with the front cover and said second half being integral with the back cover. The case may incorporate a flexible, polymeric sleeve that wraps around the spine sidewall, is bonded to the front and back covers near the edges of the closure sidewall.

Abstract: An injection molded DVD case includes a spine, a front cover coupled to the spine via a first living hinge, and a back cover coupled to the spine via a second living hinge. The case, when in a closed configuration, has generally semi-cylindrical rimwalls, including upper and lower rimwalls, a spine rimwall, and a closure rimwall, which intersect in generally quarter-spherical corners. The generally semi-cylindrical rimwalls have been flattened slightly to prevent multiple closed cases that are being pushed down an assembly line from climbing over one another. The new DVD case has an off-center disk mounting hub so that the disk cannot be seen through a transparent title band at the top of the case and also to leave room for the attachment of an EAS tag inside the case. The case also incorporates significant anti-theft features.

Abstract: A three-piece jewel case for information storage discs, such as CDs and DVDs, is of the clam-shell type, and includes a base portion having a pair of generally rectangular hinge recesses positioned at adjacent corners along a rear side edge thereof, a lid portion having a pair of generally rectangular hinge arms positioned at adjacent corners along a rear side edge thereof, and a media tray having a lid portion supporting hub, which snaps into the base portion. For a preferred embodiment of the case, the media tray is hingeably connected to the base portion along the rear side edge. Each hinge arm has a rectangular solid component that extends from the outer edge to the inner edge and from the front edge to the back edge thereof. This feature rigidifies the rectangular hinge so that it is much more resistant to mechanical damage from crushing or dropping loads.

Abstract: A protective container is provided for a magnetic card, such as a gift card or credit card, which shields the enclosed card from potentially damaging magnetic fields, thereby greatly reducing the possibility that information stored on the card will be erased. A preferred embodiment container having high magnetic permeability is stamped from metal containing nickel and iron. Other embodiments of the container, which provide less protection from unwanted magnetic fields, are stamped from mild steel. The protective container may take a variety of shapes and may include an injection molded or vacuum-formed plastic insert which retains the stored card in a preferred position. A protective container preferably has a lid which provides a full surround enclosure. The lid may be of a slide-on, press-on, or hinged type.