Folded paper board CD carrier

Details Folded paper board CD carrier Folded paper board CD carrier

1998-12-10

2001-06-05

Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3728)

Special receptacle or package

For holding a machine readable recording medium

For holding an optical disc

C206S312000, C206S806000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06241085

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a folded paper board device for carrying compact discs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Compact discs, which are commonly referred to as “CD's” are generally well known in the art. Standard CD's having a diameter of four and three quarters (4¾) inches are commonly used to store prerecorded music, prerecorded video, and data for reading by a computer. Due to technical advances, a CD can store an incredible amount of data and thus CD's are greatly preferred over other storage mediums, such as magnetic recording tape.
Most CD's are packaged in rigid plastic containers or boxes. The rigid containers serve to protect the CD from inadvertent damage, such as scratching or impact damage. However, in actuality the CD's stored therein are relatively durable and thus do not need such a rigid container.
Moreover, the standard container is bulky, has many sharp corners, has a hinge which frequently comes apart or breaks altogether, and is generally disliked by many consumers. Accordingly, many consumers have long desired a more convenient, less bulky and altogether more user friendly alternative for storing CD's.
One solution has been to provide a CD carrier made from paper or from a paperboard material. Such containers are softer, less bulky, and have the added advantage of being made from recycled material. A variety of such folded paper CD carriers have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,419,433 and 5,421,453 show paper board CD carriers formed from a sheet of material which is folded and then glued together to form a pocket sized to hold a CD. However, the gluing process is very difficult to control, and thus many such prior art CD carriers are not well suited for mass production.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing need for an improved paper board CD carrier.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a CD carrier formed from a single piece of stock comprises a paper board blank having a central portion divided or bisected by a fold line into first and second planar portions or halves. Each portion or half includes a side edge having a tab and a pair of opposing flaps foldable along a fold line lying perpendicular to the central portion fold line. Each flap is foldable to an inward position wherein the flaps define with their corresponding planar portion or half an enclosure adapted to receive a CD. Upon folding the first and second planar portions or halves along the central portion fold line the enclosures are placed in spaced apart parallel relationship with the side edge tabs of each planar half disposed adjacent each other. The CD carrier so formed requires no glue or other adhesives and will hold up to two (2) CD's.
In further accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, each planar half of the paper board blank includes an insertion cutout sized to receive a CD, thus permitting a CD to be inserted into each of the enclosures. Each insertion cutout is adapted to prevent lateral movement of a CD placed in the enclosure.
One of the side edge tabs preferably includes a locking flap foldable along a fold line. The locking flap locks one side edge tab in its position adjacent the other side edge tab.
Moreover, each of the side edge tabs includes a plurality of apertures adapted to be secured to a ring binder. Preferably, each of the flaps on the first half is separated from the adjacent flaps on the second half by slots or cutouts. The cutouts are adapted to prevent buckling of the carrier upon folding along the central portion fold line. Finally, each of the opposing flaps are preferably long enough to partially overlap each other when folded to the inward position.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a CD carrier comprises a generally rectangular central portion being bisected by a fold line into first and second planar halves. Each planar half includes a pair of ends and a pair of interconnecting side edges. One of the side edges of each planar half is defined by the central portion fold line, and the other side edge of each planar half defines a tab. Each end of each planar half is defined in part by a protruding flap foldable along a fold line, with each flap fold line being generally perpendicular to the central portion fold line. The flaps are thus inwardly foldable to define with their adjacent planar half an enclosure adapted to receive a CD. The defined enclosures are thus positionable in spaced apart parallel relationship upon folding the first and second planar halves along the central portion fold line.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a CD carrier comprises a generally rectangular central portion being bisected by a fold line into first and second planar halves. Each planar half includes a pair of ends, with each end having a protruding flap foldable along a fold line disposed generally perpendicular to the central portion fold line. The flaps are inwardly foldable so that each flap defines with a portion of its corresponding planar half an enclosure adapted to receive a CD, such that each half defines a pair of enclosures. A pair of side edges extend between the ends of each planar half. A side edge of each planar half is defined by the central portion fold line. A pair of coplanar side-by-side enclosures is defined upon the inward folding of the flaps for each planar half. Upon folding along the central portion fold line, the coplanar and side-by-side enclosures formed by each planar half are positionable in spaced apart parallel relationship.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, a folded paper board CD carrier comprises a generally rectangular central portion bisected by a fold line into first and second planar halves. Each planar half includes a pair of ends and first and second interconnecting side edges, with one of the side edges being defined by the central portion fold line. Each end includes a protruding flap foldable along a fold line, with the fold line for each flap being disposed generally perpendicular to the central portion fold line such that the flaps are inwardly foldable to define with their adjacent planar half at least one generally planar enclosure adapted to receive a CD. Upon folding the flaps to the inward position and folding the halves along the fold line, the defined enclosures are positionable in spaced apart parallel relationship.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following description.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5101973 (1992-04-01), Martinez
patent: 5154284 (1992-10-01), Starkey
patent: 5188229 (1993-02-01), Bernstein
patent: 5199743 (1993-04-01), Rosinski, III
patent: 5419433 (1995-05-01), Harrer et al.
patent: 5421453 (1995-06-01), Harrer et al.
patent: 5472083 (1995-12-01), Robinson et al.
patent: 5501540 (1996-03-01), Ho
patent: 5620271 (1997-04-01), Bergh et al.
patent: 5647482 (1997-07-01), Kleinfelder
patent: 5662217 (1997-09-01), Durr

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