U.S. patent application number 11/736228 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-23 for fixed panel, hinged disc storage package.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hub Folding Box Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to Patrick O'Brien.
Application Number | 20080257765 11/736228 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39871148 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080257765 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
O'Brien; Patrick |
October 23, 2008 |
Fixed Panel, Hinged Disc Storage Package
Abstract
A package for discs that includes a frame and a planar insert.
The frame includes a front face and a rear face, connected by a
hinge allowing access to the disc housed between the faces. The
planar insert is attached to both faces of the frame. The hinge is
flexible, allowing the faces to pivot and the frame to open to
accommodate relative movement of the planar insert and the
frame.
Inventors: |
O'Brien; Patrick; (York,
ME) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISH & RICHARDSON PC
P.O. BOX 1022
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55440-1022
US
|
Assignee: |
Hub Folding Box Company,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
39871148 |
Appl. No.: |
11/736228 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/308.1 ;
206/312; G9B/33.011 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 33/0427
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/308.1 ;
206/312 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/57 20060101
B65D085/57 |
Claims
1. A disc package comprising a frame and a planar insert the frame,
the frame comprising a front face and a rear face connected by a
hinge; the planar insert being attached to the front frame face and
to the rear frame face; the hinge being connected to an edge of the
front face and to an edge of the rear face, so that the faces pivot
about their edges with respect to the hinge as the package moves
from a closed position in which the faces abut each other to an
open position in which the faces are positioned so that they do not
abut one another, and, the hinge being flexible so that, when
moving between the first and second positions, the distance between
the face edges does not change enough to distort or damage the
planar insert.
2. The package of claim 1 in which the frame and hinge are a single
injection molded plastic piece,
3. The package of claim 2 in which the frame and hinge comprise
polypropylene or polyethylene.
4. The package of claim 1 in which the planar insert is attached to
at least one frame faces with an adhesive.
5. The package of claim 4 in which the planar insert is attached to
both frame faces with an adhesive.
6. The package of claim 4 in which the adhesive is a hot melt
adhesive.
7. The package of claim 1 in which the hinge comprises at least one
hinge piece, said piece comprising two generally planar segments
separated by at least one central fold line; each of the generally
planar segments being attached to one of the frame faces by a
frame-face fold line; whereby the hinge moves between the open and
closed positions by flexing along the central fold line and along
the frame-face fold lines, and the angle between the two planar
segments changes.
8. The package of claim 7 in which the hinge piece comprises
multiple central fold lines.
9. The package of claim 7 or claim 8 in which the hinge comprises
multiple hinge pieces.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] This invention is in the general field of storage packages
for discs, such as CD or DVD discs.
[0002] Storage packages that house discs should be simple,
inexpensive to produce, and easily assembled with printed matter
such as graphics and printed information about the disc contained
within the box. It is desirable to insert a single printed sheet or
blank that provides information on multiple faces of the package,
thus avoiding multiple insertion operations. When a single printed
sheet is used, it is desirable to avoid a design in which the
printed material interferes with opening/closing the package, or
where opening and closing the package can damage the printed
material.
[0003] Wetsch U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,607 discloses a storage package
that accommodates a planar blank that fits within a frame. The
blank includes scores allowing it to be folded to present various
printed surfaces for the package. The panel slides within its
enclosure in the frame, to allow movement as the frame is opened
and closed.
[0004] Roth et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,242 and U.S. Pat. No.
5,551,559 disclose a disc package having a plastic frame that is
slotted at opposite ends to allow a paperboard blank to extend
through the frame from the inside to the outside.
SUMMARY
[0005] Generally stated, the invention features a package for discs
that includes a frame and a planar insert. The frame includes a
front face and a rear face, connected by a hinge allowing access to
the disc housed between the faces. The planar insert is attached to
both faces of the frame. The hinge is flexible, allowing the faces
to pivot and the frame to open without substantially altering the
distance between the faces at the location of the hinge, so that
the planar insert is not stretched or distorted by the operation of
the hinge.
[0006] Preferably the frame and hinge are a single injection molded
plastic piece such as polypropylene or polyethylene. The planar
insert is attached to at least one and preferably both frame faces
with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. The hinge is
collapsible, so that a section folds out of the original hinge
plane when it opens. For example, the hinge includes two generally
planar segments joined by a central fold line, each of which is
attached to one of the frame faces by a fold line, and the hinge
operates by folding along the central fold line so that the two
planar segments move from a first (closed) position in which they
are generally in the same plane to a second (open) position in
which the segments are at an angle with respect to one another.
[0007] The packaging enables firm attachment of the planar insert
to both faces of the frame, providing an aesthetically pleasing
package without the need to permit the insert to slide relative to
the frame as the frame is opened. Assembly of the packaging is
relatively straightforward and readily mechanized, without the need
to slip the insert into the frame.
[0008] The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are
set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below.
Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the description and drawings, and from the
claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a plastic frame, omitting the
paperboard insert of the disc for clarity.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a top view of the same frame with the paperboard
blank inserted.
[0011] FIG. 3A is an edge on view of the disc package of FIG. 1 in
a fully opened position, and FIG. 3B is an enlargement of the hinge
in FIG. 3A.
[0012] FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the disc package of FIG. 2 in
a closed position, showing the plastic frame and the paperboard
insert, and FIG. 4B is an enlargement of the hinge portion of FIG.
4A.
[0013] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] In FIGS. 1 and 2, open disc package 10 includes a front
plastic frame 12 and a rear plastic frame 14 for containing a disc
(not shown) on a central hub 16. A hinge 19 connects front frame 12
to rear frame 14. The package includes a planar insert 20 (FIG. 2),
e.g., a paperboard printed with material relevant to the disc.
Insert 20 is a single piece of paperboard, positioned around the
frames, with scores 21 to permit it to bend at the spine 23. FIGS.
1 and 2 show the package in the open position in which the disc is
accessible and the hinge is fully stretched. The hinge 19 includes
several (e.g. five) connectors 18, each of which has two planar
segments 22 and 24. Segment 22 is connected to frame 12 along fold
line 26 and segment 24 is connected to frame 14 along fold line 28.
Central fold line 30 connects segments 22 and 24. Note that in the
open position, the hinge 19 tends to be more extended at fold lines
26, 28 and 30, whereas in the closed position, the folds are more
acutely angled. Without the flexibility provided by the folds in
hinge 19, opening/closing the package would result in relative
movement between the panel and the paperboard, causing the panel to
move (if not attached to the panel) or to buckle or rip or to
separate from the panel (if adhered to the panel).
[0015] FIG. 3A is a view of frames 12 and 14 and hinge 19 edge on,
showing the edges 32 and 34 of frame. FIG. 3B is a close up of
hinge 19 from FIG. 3A.
[0016] FIG. 4A shows the package edge on in the closed position,
including the paperboard insert 20. Note that hinge 19 (best shown
in the enlargement that is FIG. 4B) is more compressed in the
closed position than in the open position.
[0017] An embodiments of the invention has been described.
Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. For example, the accordion type hinge may have multiple
central fold lines. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the
scope of the following claims.
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