DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The present invention is generally directed to a package which can be used to accommodate one or more discs for convenient storage and display. The package of the present invention is constructed with the advantage of improved durability and enhanced disc holding capacity, while possessing minimal component parts and packaging material. The package of the present invention is adapted to protect the discs stored therein from damage such as by heat, chemicals, abrasions, contact with potentially damaging materials and the like. In addition, the package of the present invention may also be constructed in a manner which allows the user to manipulate the present package into a compact form required for convenient use, or into an open form to provide an attractive display or enable ready access to the discs contained therein. The cost effective and efficient manner by which these units are constructed and by which the package of the present invention can be used for packaging and storing discs including optical storage media (e.g. compact discs (“CDs”), minidiscs, digital video discs (“DVDs”) and the like, makes them especially suitable for consumer packaging use.

[0023] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the package generally comprises at least one section comprising a first panel, a second panel in operatively engagement with the first panel, and a disc holding space between the first and second panels, the space adapted for reversibly receiving at least a portion of the at least one disc, and select ones of the first and second panels comprising a first opening and a second opening, respectively, in communication with the space, the first and second openings each being adapted for reversibly inserting at least a portion of a disc into the space.

[0024] The package of the present invention may be configured to include a single section designed to accommodate at least one disc, or two or more sections that may be foldably connected to one another in a suitable manner to accommodate a desired number of discs. The package of the present invention may further include additional sections which may comprise single disc holding capacity. The package of the present invention may be fabricated from a unitary blank formed from a rigid, foldable and resilient sheet material including, but not limited, to paperboard.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the package of the present invention may further include an intermediate panel partitioning the disc holding space defined between the first and second panels to enhance the structural strength and disc holding capacity of the section and minimize contact between the discs inserted through the first and second openings, respectively.

[0026] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate panel may include a flap portion secured to an inside surface of the first panel to yield a disc passing slot in communication with the opening of the first panel. The slot is adapted for reversibly inserting therethrough at least a portion of the disc extending through the first opening and permitting the disc to be securely seated within the disc holding space as will be further described hereinafter.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a package 10 for storing one or more discs is shown for one embodiment of the present invention. The package 10 comprises three disc holding sections 12 each adapted to hold at least one disc 14 , and each foldably connected to an adjacent section by a portion 16 , preferably hingedly connected, to yield an arrangement in which adjacent sections 12 may be folded upon one another. Each disc holding section 12 of the package 10 includes front and rear sides. The front and rear sides may each be adapted to hold a disc 14 , thereby enhancing the disc holding capacity of the package 10 . It will be understood that the front and rear sides may each be further adapted to accommodate more than one disc as described hereinbelow.

[0028] The package 10 , if a hinged portion 16 is employed, may be manipulated into an open form (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ), or into a compact form with adjacent sections 12 folded upon one another. In the compact form, the sections 12 of the package 10 may be folded at the hinge portions 16 to cause the front and rear sides thereof to abuttingly contact one another in juxtaposition to yield a stacked arrangement. The package 10 with the stacked arrangement of sections may thereafter be optionally packaged in a box or a wrap material such as cellophane. It will be understood that the package of the present invention may be folded in any configuration depending on the number of sections and the construction of the hinge portions of the package of the present invention.

[0029] It will be understood that although the present embodiment of the package 10 is shown having three sections successively connected to one another, the present invention is not limited to such arrangement, and may include other arrangements comprising two or more sections connected to one another.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , each disc holding section 12 includes a front panel 18 and a rear panel 20 defining a disc storage area 26 therebetween. The front panel 18 and the rear panel 20 , in combination, define a disc storage area 26 (see FIGS. 3A and 4 ) adapted for reversibly receiving a portion of at least one disc 14 . One or more of the front and rear panels 18 and 20 may each include a disc receiving opening 22 and 24 , respectively, in communication with the disc storage area 26 (as best shown in FIG. 4 ). The disc receiving openings 22 and 24 are each adapted for removably receiving a portion of the disc 14 therethrough, and may be suitably positioned on the front and rear panels 18 and 20 , respectively, to securely retain a portion of the discs 14 . It will be understood that the number, size and shape of the openings and the disc holding sections of the package of the present invention may be modified as necessary to accommodate a desired number or size of discs 14 for convenient packaging. For example, each section may include a single opening to accommodate one disc, opposed dual openings to accommodate two discs, or more than two openings to accommodate the corresponding number of discs as desired. Optionally, the surface of the front or rear panels 18 or 20 may be printed or applied with indicia to provide the package 10 with a visually attractive appearance or display.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each disc holding section 12 may further comprise an intermediate panel 32 (as shown best in FIG. 4 ) occupying the disc storage area 26 . The intermediate panel 32 partitions the disc storage area 26 to prevent contact between the discs 14 contained therein, and properly position the discs 14 within the respective areas of the disc storage area 26 as will be described hereinafter. The intermediate panel 32 further serves to reinforce the structural strength and integrity of the section 12 to minimize any bending or flexing of the discs 14 contained in the package 10 .

[0032] With reference to FIG. 3 A, the section 12 of the package 10 is shown with a portion of the front panel 18 removed to illustrate the placement of a disc 14 through the opening 22 into the disc storage area 26 thereof. The intermediate panel 32 of the section 12 partitions the discs 14 from one another (as best shown in FIG. 4 ), to prevent the discs 14 from contacting one another when inserted through the openings 22 and 24 positioned in the front and rear panels 18 and 20 , respectively. By preventing the discs 14 from contacting one another, abrasions, scratches or other surface damage to the discs 14 are prevented or at least minimized particularly at the point of entry through the openings 22 and 24 . The intermediate panel 32 , in cooperation with the front and rear panels 18 and 20 , respectively, also maintains secure retainment of the discs 14 through frictional and mechanical pressure, and prevents the discs 14 from being inadvertently discharged from the openings 22 and 24 .

[0033] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate panel 32 may further include a flap 48 (shown in FIG. 3A as having a semi-circular shape) that is partially frangible from the intermediate panel 32 . The flap 48 may be secured to an inside surface of the front panel 18 (as shown best in FIG. 4 ) by an adhesive 40 or suitable fastening or connecting means. The flap 48 , when partially separated from the intermediate panel 32 , forms a slot 46 which permits the inserted portion of the disc 14 to bypass the adhesive 40 located between the intermediate panel 32 and the front panel 18 , thus facilitating a deeper seating of the disc 14 within the disc storage area 26 . In the absence of the flap 48 and the slot 46 , the disc 14 would not be insertable through the opening 22 in the front panel 18 as the adhesive 40 would obstruct the passage of the disc 14 and repeated insertion of the disc 14 can cause the front panel 18 to separate from the intermediate panel 32 at the adhesives 40 resulting in the failure of the package 10 .

[0034] It will be understood that the size and shape of the flap 48 of the intermediate panel is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3 A and may include other shapes including, but not limited to, triangles, rectangles (as specifically shown in FIG. 3B ), polygonal shapes and the like.

[0035] With reference to FIG. 4 , an exploded side view of the section 12 of the package of the present invention is shown to illustrate the arrangement of the discs 14 contained therein. The section 12 is shown in a laterally expanded state to show in better detail the respective components of the present invention. The components forming the section 12 are held together by the use of suitable fastening or connecting means including adhesives or mechanical fasteners, for example, as will be described hereinafter. The front and rear panels 18 and 20 are foldably arranged against one another with the intermediate panel 32 foldably arranged therebetween. The components are held together by adhesives 40 , 42 and 44 , respectively. In particular, the front panel 18 is secured to the intermediate panel 32 by adhesives 40 at the upper and lower ends of the section 12 , and the rear panel 20 is secured to the intermediate panel 32 by adhesives 42 and 44 at the upper end of the section 12 to yield an integral and relatively rigid and compact structure.

[0036] As described above, the front and rear panels 18 and 20 may include openings 22 and 24 , respectively, for permitting passage of a portion of the discs 14 into the disc storage area 26 . The intermediate panel 32 prevents the discs 14 from contacting one another as one or both of the discs 14 are inserted through the respective openings 22 and 24 into the disc storage area 26 , while enhancing the structural rigidity of the section 12 . The intermediate panel 32 divides the disc holding disc storage area into a first disc holding space 27 A in communication with the opening 22 , and a second disc holding space 27 B in communication with the opening 24 . The flap 48 of the intermediate panel 32 provides a surface area for facilitating securement between the front and intermediate panels 18 and 32 via adhesives 40 , and permits the disc 14 to bypass the joined portions of the front and intermediate panels 32 , thereby allowing the disc 14 to be seated more deeply within the disc storage area 26 .

[0037] The disc 14 inserted through the opening 22 passes through the disc holding space 27 A into the slot 46 between the flap 48 of the intermediate panel 32 and the upper part of the intermediate panel 32 , and bypasses the adhesives 40 securing the front panel 18 to the intermediate panel 32 . The disc 14 inserted through the opening 24 passes into the disc holding space 27 B of the disc storage area 26 .

[0038] With reference to FIG. 5A, a unitary blank 28 from which the package 10 is formed is shown for one embodiment of the present invention. The blank 28 comprises three rear panels 20 foldably attached to each other by the respective hinge portions 16 along respective fold lines 50 ; three front panels 18 each foldably connected to the respective rear panels 20 along respective fold lines 30 ; and three intermediate panels 32 each foldably connected to the respective rear panels 20 along fold lines 38 . Each of the front panels 18 , rear panels 20 and intermediate panels 32 that are immediately connected to another, in combination, form an individual section 12 of the package 10 as will be described herein. It will be understood that the blank 28 may be modified to vary the number of the connected front, rear and intermediate panels to form the desired number of sections in the package of the present invention.

[0039] Each of the front panels 18 optionally includes the disc receiving opening 22 , each of the rear panels 20 optionally includes the disc receiving opening 24 , and each of the intermediate panels 32 includes a frangible score line 34 and a slot 36 . In the package 10 formed form the blank 28 , the score line 34 of the intermediate panels 32 is adapted to perforate to form a flap 48 and a slot 46 . The slot 36 of the blank 28 is adapted to permit an edge portion of the disc 14 to pass therethrough to begin perforation of the frangible score line 34 and separate the flap 48 from the intermediate panel 32 as the disc 14 is inserted through the opening 22 . It will be understood that the shape the flap 48 is not limited to that shown, and can be modified to include other shapes as previously described.

[0040] It will be further understood that the blank 28 may be formed from a unitary rigid, foldable sheet material. Each of the frangible score lines 34 , cutouts for the openings 22 , 24 , and 36 and fold lines 30 , 38 , and 50 are all preferably stamped or otherwise cut from the blank 28 using conventional blank making techniques known in the art.

[0041] Adhesive may be applied to the blank 28 at areas 40 , 42 , 44 indicated for fastening and maintaining the structure of the package 10 . The blank 28 is folded and adhered together to the form the package 10 as will be described herein. Alternatively, the package 10 may be folded and fastened together by suitable mechanical fasteners such as, for example, staples as known in the art.

[0042] A portion 29 of the blank 28 is shown in FIG. 5B to illustrate the basic components for forming the disc holding section 12 of the package 10 . The section 12 of the package 10 may be readily formed from the blank portion 29 by folding the intermediate panel 32 onto the rear panel 20 where the adhesive 44 of the intermediate panel 32 contacts and adheres to a corresponding portion of the rear panel 20 and the adhesive 42 of the rear panel 20 contacts and adheres to a corresponding portion of the intermediate panel 32 . The front panel 18 is then folded over onto the respective intermediate panel 32 where the adhesives 40 of the front panel 18 contact and adhere to the flap 48 and other corresponding portions of the intermediate panel 32 . This folding operation may be repeated for each blank portion 29 for forming a section 12 of the package 10 .

[0043] The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.