Special receptacle or package – For holding a machine readable recording medium – For holding a grooved phonograph disc
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-31
2003-10-21
Fidei, David T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For holding a machine readable recording medium
For holding a grooved phonograph disc
C206S308100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634495
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a modular storage system for recording media, and more particularly to such a system including a plurality of folders of similar size and configuration for holding one or more recording media and one or more slipcases in which such folders are stored.
For ecological reasons relating to the difficulty in recycling plastic (relative to paperboard), it is presently highly desirable-and in fact may one day be legally required-that a storage system for recording media, such as a compact disk (CD), CD-ROM, and the like, be plastic-free and essentially composed only of paperboard.
The public is familiar with conventional books formed of a plurality of leaves or sheets for successive reading of the pages on each side thereof by turning of the leaves laterally, one at a time, from left to right. It is thus desirable that a storage system for recording media have folders which are book-like in appearance and usable like a book, but with recording media storable on one or both pages of a leaf. The inner pages of the two outer leaves and both pages of the inner leaves would be available for storage of the recording media, for printed matter (such as instructions for use of the recording media, promotional material, biographical or background material relating to the subject matter of the recording, and the like) or both. The outer pages of the two outer leaves would be available only for printed matter. Of course, the presence of a recording media on a particular page may decrease the availability of space on that page for printed matter. Accordingly, it is desirable for such a book-like folder to have six pages formed by three leaves so that it is capable of storing anywhere from one to four recording media (one per page, excluding the outer pages).
For manufacturing economy, each individual folder should be formed from a single longitudinally extending paperboard blank. Thus, there will be no need for additional material, such as a backing or binder, to join together the various leaves of the folder. This avoids both the expense of additional material and the expense of the manufacturing operation which would be required to secure the additional material to the leaves.
Finally, in order to appeal to the consumer, the storage system should be modular in design. Thus each of the folders, whether designed to hold one, two, three or four recording media, should be of the same orthogonal outer dimensions (that is, each folder having the same height, the same width and the same depth as the other folders). Because the folders are modular, one or the same plurality of folders would be capable of fitting into any of a plurality of folder-receiving slipcases having common orthogonal inner and outer dimensions. On the other hand, if desired, the slipcases may have the same height and width dimensions (inner and outer) as the other slipcases, but differ in the third dimension (i.e., depth or thickness) so that the various slipcases may be able to receive one, two or three folders. Assuming that a given slipcase holds three folders, it can then hold up to twelve CDs (up to four CDs per folder).
In the service of modularity, the various folders should apparently be of the same configuration and dimensions, differing only in the number of recording media each contains or can contain (or the number of slits or apertures provided therein to retain such number of recording media). Such apparent modularity is not the same thing as actual modularity. For example, the actual construction of a particular folder panel may differ from one folder to another so long as it appears to be the same to the typical user. On the other hand, actual modularity is even more desirable because it reduces manufacturing costs if all folders have the same or substantially the same construction (i.e., differ only in the number of slits or apertures provided to receive recording media). Indeed, in the interest of achieving the manufacturing economies of scale afforded by actual modularity, it is not unknown to increase material and construction costs by using the materials and construction used in the most expensive product in even the cheaper products where the same are not required.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a modular storage system for recording media which in a preferred embodiment is eco-friendly and eschews the use of plastic.
Another object is to provide such a system wherein in one preferred embodiment the folder is book-like in appearance and in the way that the leaves are turned laterally.
A further object is to provide such a system wherein in one preferred embodiment the folder is formed from a single longitudinally extending paperboard blank without requiring any additional material to maintain together the various leaves.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a system which in one preferred embodiment affords apparent modularity.
It is another object to provide such a system which in one preferred embodiment uses substantially modular folders and substantially modular slipcases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been learned that the above and related objects of the present invention are obtained in a modular storage system for recording media. The system comprises a plurality of folders and a plurality of slipcases. Each folder has orthogonal outer dimensions in common with each other folder. Each individual folder is formed from a single paperboard blank and is capable of storing therein at least one recording media. Each folder defines a plurality of panels, at least one of the panels being capable of storing a recording media, and the panels being laterally turnable like the pages of a book. Each folder is characterized by the absence of any additional member joining together the panel. Each slipcase has at least two perpendicular outer dimensions in common with each other slipcase, and each slipcase is configured and dimensioned to store therein at least one of the folders.
In a preferred embodiment, each folder defines a front panel and a back panel, the front and back panels cooperatively contributing to define a spine directly connecting the front and back panels. At least one of the folders is capable of storing therein a different number of recording media than at least one other of the folders, and at least one of the slipcases is configured and dimensioned to store therein a plurality of the folders. At least one of the slipcases has a third perpendicular outer dimension different from a third perpendicular outer dimension of at least one other of the slipcases.
Preferably in one embodiment, each individual folder is capable of storing therein N recording media where N=1, 2, 3 or 4. Each folder defines three laterally aligned panels consisting of a front panel, a back panel and an intermediate panel disposed intermediate the front and back panels. The front and back panels cooperatively define a spine directly connecting the front and back panels, each of the front and back panels being of double blank thickness and the intermediate panel being of at least double blank thickness. The panels are defined exclusively by lateral folding of the blank about transverse foldlines.
Preferably in another embodiment, each folder defines at least two laterally aligned panels including a front panel and a back panel. The front and back panels cooperatively contribute to define a spine directly connecting the front and back panels, each of the front and back panels being of double blank thickness, and at least one of the front and back panels being capable of storing a recording media. The panels are defined exclusively by folding of the blank about foldlines.
The present invention also encompasses a modular storage system for recording media comprising at least one folder and at least one slipcase. Each folder has orthogonal outer dimensions in common with each other folder, and each individual folder is formed from a single paperboard blank and is capable of storing therein at least
Amster Rothstein & Ebenstein
Fidei David T.
Ivy Hill Corporation
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