U.S. patent application number 10/776336 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-09 for book format data package.
Invention is credited to Gelardi, Tatiana L..
Application Number | 20040245137 10/776336 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32869532 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040245137 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gelardi, Tatiana L. |
December 9, 2004 |
Book format data package
Abstract
A book-like package for holding, protecting and displaying
products, such as data storage devices. The present invention has a
book like cover with graphics imprinted upon it. The cover wraps
around rigid plastic trays stacked to look like pages of a book.
The rigid plastic trays hold compact discs, DVDs, descriptive
booklets and other materials on the front, back or both surfaces.
The package can be made as large or small as needed by simply
adding additional trays and increasing the width of a flexible
spine. The flexible spine is located between the front and back
cover of the package. Adhesive binder attaches the rigid trays to
the flexible spine. The binder is then heated to about 150 C in
order to set and stabilize it. After the binder has been heated,
the rigid trays are permanently adhered to the book covers.
Inventors: |
Gelardi, Tatiana L.;
(Kennebunkport, ME) |
Correspondence
Address: |
James C. Wray
Suite 300
1493 Chain Bridge Road
McLean
VA
22101
US
|
Family ID: |
32869532 |
Appl. No.: |
10/776336 |
Filed: |
February 12, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60446555 |
Feb 12, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/472 ;
206/307; G9B/33.015 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 33/0427 20130101;
G11B 33/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/472 ;
206/307 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/57 |
Claims
1. A book format package comprising: a cover, the cover further
comprising a rigid front and a rigid back, the cover further
comprising a flexible spine disposed between the rigid front and
the rigid back, a stack of one or more rigid trays, a binding
material adhesive placed on the flexible spine, and the stack of
one or more trays attached to the cover at the flexible spine by
curing the adhesive.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rigid front and rigid back
wrap around opposite sides of the stack of one or more rigid
trays.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rigid trays hold compact
discs, DVDs, digital media, or descriptive materials.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front and back hold
compact discs, DVDs, digital media, or descriptive materials.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein graphic surfaces cover the
rigid front and the rigid back.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein leafing through individual
rigid trays raises a subsequent rigid tray.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the binding material adhesive
is heated to about 150 C for curing the adhesive.
8. A book format package comprising: a cover, the cover further
comprising a front and a back, the cover further comprising a
flexible spine disposed between and interconnecting the front and
the back, a stack of one or more trays, a binding material adhesive
placed on an inside of the flexible spine, and the stack of one or
more trays attached to the cover at the flexible spine by the
binding material.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the front and back lie against
opposite front and rear surfaces of the stack of one or more
trays.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the trays hold compact discs,
DVDs, digital media, or descriptive materials.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising inward facing
trays bonded to the front and back and wherein the front and back
hold compact discs, DVDs, digital media, or descriptive
materials.
12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the front and back are rigid
and surface coverings with graphics cover the rigid front and the
rigid back.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein leafing through individual
rigid trays raises a subsequent rigid tray.
14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the binding material adhesive
is heated for curing the binding material.
15. A method of forming a book format package comprising: providing
a cover, providing the cover with a rigid front and a rigid back,
providing a flexible spine and interconnecting the rigid front and
the rigid back with the flexible spine, providing a stack of one or
more trays, providing a binding material adhesive between the
flexible spine and the stack of one or more trays, attaching the
stack of one or more trays attached to the flexible spine by the
binding material adhesive, and covering a front and back of the
stack of one or more trays with the rigid front and the rigid
back.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising wrapping the rigid
front, the flexible spine and rigid back around opposite sides of
the stack of one or more trays.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising holding compact
discs, DVDs, digital media, or descriptive materials in the
trays.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising holding compact
discs, DVDs, digital media, or descriptive materials on the rigid
front and the rigid back.
19. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing graphic
surface coverings on the rigid front and the rigid back.
20. The method of claim 15, further comprising heating the binding
material adhesive and curing the binding material adhesive.
Description
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
No. 60/446,555 filed Feb. 12, 2003.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Data storage devices are delicate devices that are easily
damaged by scratches, dirt and other consequences of handling. As
such, there is a need for carrying cases and other devices that
protect compact discs, DVDs and other digital and analog media
devices during transport and between uses.
[0002] Additionally, data storage devices are often used as
advertising mechanisms to sell contents. Data storage devices are
often displayed directly on shelves in retail stores. Attractive
packaging designs provide benefits in sales at stores.
[0003] Most digital media storage devices are only capable of
storing one or two discs at a time. A common media storage device
is a jewel case for storing compact discs. In a jewel case, a disc
fits into a plastic tray and a hinged cover snaps onto the tray to
close the jewel case. Two discs may be held in a jewel case if a
double-sided tray is used inside the case. However, jewel cases are
not visually appealing, are difficult to open and often break.
Similar problems exist with packaging for DVDs.
[0004] Methods for carrying and storage of multiple digital media
discs are also unsatisfactory. Multiple disc carriers often involve
bulky and hard to use media cases that allow the user to carry
multiple discs at once. Most of these devices are not user-friendly
and are not visually appealing.
[0005] Needs exist for improved methods for storing, protecting and
displaying data storage devices in a less expensive and more
visually appealing manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is a book-like package for holding,
protecting and displaying storage devices, such as, for example,
trays for holding CDs and DVDs. The present invention has a book
like cover with graphics printed on the one or more outer surfaces.
The cover has a spine connecting a front panel to a back panel. The
three sections of the cover wrap around a bottom side edge and a
top of a stack of rigid plastic trays. The rigid trays are stacked
and aligned to look like pages of a book. A back edge of the stack
of trays is covered by the spine and in one embodiment is attached
to the spine with adhesive.
[0007] The rigid plastic trays hold compact discs, DVDs,
descriptive booklets and other materials on the front, back or both
surfaces of each individual rigid plastic tray. The book format
storage device of the present invention may have several leaves of
graphics and text included in the design. The book format package
can be made as large or small as needed by simply adding additional
trays and increasing the corresponding width of the flexible spine.
There can be between one and an infinite number of trays.
Preferably, the number and thickness of the trays are limited so
that the bound book is easy to hold.
[0008] The flexible spine is located between the front and back
cover of the package and is the only place where the rigid trays
are attached to the cover. Adhesive binder attaches the rigid trays
to the flexible spine. The binder is placed where the rigid trays
are to be attached to the spine of the book. The binder is then
heated to about 150 C in order to set and stabilize the adhesive.
After the binder has been heated, the rigid trays are permanently
adhered to the spine of the book cover.
[0009] In preferred embodiments, the trays are made of clear
polystyrene. The adhesive binder is a soft flexible material such
as, for example, polyurethane. The polyurethane may be cured at a
temperature that facilitates its adherence to the back edges of the
trays and to the material of the spine of the book.
[0010] In one preferred embodiment, the book covers are made of
multiple, stiff, adhesively joined paper board layers or
bookbinders board. The layers are joined at a back edge portion by
a bookbinders fabric tape that forms the spine. The inner tray
edges are adhered to the inside of the spine by the flexible,
cured, polymer binding. The covers are wrapped with a finish layer
or book cloth, and inner surfaces of the covers are finished with
glued overlayers. The result is a fine book suitable for storage
and viewing on a bookshelf and suitable for repeated openings and
closings when reviewing, retrieving and replacing the discs.
[0011] These and further and other objects and features of the
invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above
and ongoing written specification, with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stack of rigid trays.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the book format package with
the covers fully closed.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the book format package with
the covers partially opened.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the book format package
showing the details of the binding mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] The present invention is a book format package for holding
compact discs, DVDs, booklets and other data storage devices. The
present invention resembles a book in outward appearance but
instead of paper pages, rigid plastic trays are substituted.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a stack of rigid trays 11 that act as pages in
the completed book format package 13. The rigid tray 11 generally
includes a central depression 15 that corresponds in shape to a
data storage device 17 that is to be held. In this example, the
central depression 15 is shaped to match a compact disc 17. The
central depression is formed with tolerances that permit minimal
movement of the compact disc 17 when it is locked in place. In the
middle of the central depression 15 is a spindle 19 that fits
through the central spindle hole 21 on the compact disc 17. The
spindle 19 may or may not have a locking mechanism to secure the
compact disc 17 on the spindle 19. Other features of the rigid tray
11 include one or more finger holds 23 that allow a user to more
easily extract the digital media device 17. The shape and
configuration of the elements of the rigid tray 11 may be altered
to fit a wide variety of digital media devices 17 or booklets,
pamphlets or other materials.
[0018] Individual rigid trays 25 sit on top of one another to form
a stack of rigid trays 11. The top surface 27 of each individual
tray 25 may have a beveled edge 29 that allows for easier and more
secure stacking. This edge 29 fits within the walls of the next
above tray and ensures that the individual trays 25 are properly
aligned during stacking and that the trays 25 do not shift with
respect to one another during assembly.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows the book format package 13 in a fully closed
position. The pages of the book is the stack 11 of individual,
rigid plastic trays 25 that hold the data storage devices 17, such
as compact discs, DVDs or other devices. The front 27, back 31 or
both surfaces of each rigid tray 25 are capable of holding a data
storage device 17. Generally, the package 13 can be expanded to
accommodate from one to an infinite number of rigid trays 25. The
size of the package 13 is increased by increasing the size of a
flexible spine binding 33 in relation to the number of additional
individual rigid trays 25. The flexible spine binding 33 attaches
to an edge 35 of the stack of rigid trays 11.
[0020] A book cover 37 attaches to the stack of rigid trays 11. The
book cover 37 includes a front cover 39, a back cover 41 and the
flexible spine 33. The flexible binding 33 is attached to the
inside surfaces of the front cover 39 and back cover 41, or the
flexible binding 33 may be sandwiched between layers of the front
39 and back 41 covers. The flexible binding 33 has a dimension
similar to the edge 35 of the stack of rigid trays 11. The flexible
binding 33 then becomes the spine of the package 13. The front 39
and back 41 covers of the package 13 are generally formed from
multiple glued layers of bookbinders board, cardboard or other
suitable materials covered with conventional bookbinding facings.
The covers 39, 41 are folded around the stack of rigid trays 11 to
form a package 13 with the appearance of a book. The front 39, back
41 or both covers of the package 13 may be printed with graphics,
or may be composed of preprinted graphic materials. The front 39
and back 41 covers may be cut so that, when folded, one or more
outer edges 43 are flush with outer edges 45 of the stack of rigid
trays 11. Alternatively, the outer edges 43 of the covers 39, 41
may overhang the stack of rigid trays 11 similar to covers of a
book overhanging the pages themselves.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows the package 13 with the covers 39, 41 partially
opened. The individual rigid trays 25 are leafed through like the
pages of books. As each individual rigid tray 25 is flipped, the
next individual rigid tray 25 is partially raised. This movement
allows the user to more easily grasp the next tray 25 in succession
without having to try and separate individual trays 25 manually.
The flipping and lifting process is repeated as the user continues
through the entire package 13. Through this process, the user can
easily see the data storage devices in the book and quickly flip
through the entire book. When the user finds the appropriate rigid
tray 25, the data storage device 17 is removed from the molded
depression 15 holding it.
[0022] The individual rigid trays 25 are attached to the spine 33
of the package 13 with pliable adhesive material 47. FIG. 4 shows a
binding material 47 used to adhere the individual rigid trays 25 to
the flexible binding 33. The binding material 47 is placed on the
flexible material 33 wherever the stack of rigid trays 11 will
contact the flexible material 33. The binding material 47 is then
heated to about 150 C to set the adhesive material 47. When the
adhesive material 47 is set, the rigid trays 25 are securely,
flexibly and permanently attached to the flexible spine material
33. The package 13 is then completed and ready for use.
[0023] While the invention has been described with reference to
specific embodiments, modifications and variations of the invention
may be constructed without departing from the scope of the
invention.
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