Display/storage package and file therefor

A display/storage package for flat articles such as computer software discs, and a file for one or more display/storage packages. The display/storage package includes a bottom portion, a top portion complementary to the bottom portion, which, when engaged to constitute a closed package, form an internal compartment. The top and bottom portions are provided with corner assistance to aid in opening the package when closed. A hinge connects the top and bottom portions along one edge thereof and includes a longitudinal channel forming a guideway for a strip bearing indicia identifying the contents of the package. The file comprises a housing and a liner for the housing, with the liner including at least one pair of opposed grooves shaped to guide and retain the display/storage package within the file.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to packaging for flat articles such computer 
software discs, and in particular to a combination display/storage package 
which includes a hinge having a guideway for bearing indicia identifying 
the contents of the package, and to a file for the display package. 
Display and storage packages for articles come in a myriad of shapes and 
sizes, depending on the use of the package. A typical package is made at 
least partially of plastic and packages of the nature of the invention are 
usually entirely plastic and formed by a thermo-forming process. Such a 
package includes a top and a bottom which may be engaged as appropriate, 
and a living hinge between the top and the bottom along one edge of the 
package. 
When the package is thermo-formed, at least one edge of the top and the 
bottom includes a back draft so that the top and the bottom may be 
fastened together when closed. While the package is thus securely held 
together, it becomes difficult to open unless provided with a handle, 
knob, recess, or other means to assist opening of the package. In the 
typical thermo-formed package, the means of opening assistance is formed 
in the middle of one edge of the package but, since the package is 
flexible, force at the opening means tends to deform the package and 
actually increase the opening force necessary to open the package. 
In prior art packages, an identifying label is often applied to the package 
or a visible card or other means of identification is slipped inside the 
package when the product is inserted therein. While such may be adequate 
in most instances, for flat packages which are stacked one above another, 
it becomes almost impossible to identify the contents of the package 
without removing the package from the stack and viewing either the label 
or the internal card. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is an improved display/storage package for flat articles 
which includes, as primary components, a bottom portion and a top portion 
complementary to the bottom portion, the top and bottom portions, when 
engaged to constitute a closed package, forming an internal compartment 
for one or more flat articles. Means is provided for securing the top 
portion to the bottom portion to form the closed package, and means is 
provided for assisting opening of the package when it is closed. A hinge 
connects the top and bottom portions along one edge thereof and includes a 
longitudinal channel forming a guideway for bearing indicia identifying 
the contents of the package. 
In one embodiment of the invention, a rest for articles is formed within 
the package. The rest comprises a raised ledge in each corner of the 
bottom portion which supports the four corners of a flat article contained 
within the package. In either embodiment of the invention, the top portion 
includes a central depression formed to bear against an article within the 
package. In the first embodiment of the invention, the depression and the 
ledges are formed to cooperate to suspend an article within the package. 
In the second embodiment of the invention, the depression simply bears 
against the top-most article contained within the package. 
In order to secure the top and bottom portions together when closed, 
complementary interlocking latch elements are formed in the top portion 
and the bottom portion. Since the package is plastic which is 
thermoformed, the latching elements comprise a back-draft in the forming 
process which interlock when the package is closed. 
In either embodiment of the invention, a peripheral flange is formed in the 
top and bottom portions. The flanges contact one another when the package 
is closed. In order to assist opening of the package, in one embodiment of 
the invention a gap is provided between the flanges at the corners of the 
package opposite the hinge. In the other embodiment of the invention, one 
of the flanges overlaps the other at the same corners so that the single 
extended flange can be engaged for opening. 
A storage file is provided for one or more of the display/storage packages. 
The storage file comprises a housing and a liner for the housing, with the 
liner including at least one pair of opposed grooves shaped to guide and 
retain the package within the file. The liner is composed of four 
segments, a top, two sides and a bottom, with the segments being formed in 
a longitudinal strip and with adjacent segments being joined with a living 
hinge. Each segment includes a snap element adjacent its living hinge with 
the snap element on one side of the living hinge being shaped to engage a 
corresponding snap element on the other side of the living hinge so that 
when the liner is folded about its living hinges to its quadrangular form 
for insertion within the housing, the snap elements interlock to retain 
the shape of the liner and also strengthen the housing.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES EMBODYING BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION 
One embodiment of a display/storage package according to the invention is 
shown generally at 10 in FIGS. 1 through 3. The package 10 includes a 
bottom portion 12, a top portion 14, and a hinge 16 connecting the bottom 
portion 12 to the top portion 14. Each of the portions 12 and 14 includes 
a respective peripheral flange 18 and 20 which, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, 
contact one another when the package 10 is closed. 
The bottom portion 12 includes a rest for articles located within the 
package 10. As best shown in FIG. 2, the rest comprises a raised ledge 22 
in each corner of the quadrangular bottom portion 12. The package 10 and 
its bottom portion 12 are shaped to accommodate a flat article, such as a 
computer software disc 24 with the disc 24 resting on the corner ledges 22 
as shown in the drawings. 
The top portion 14 is formed complementary to the bottom portion 12 so that 
the two portions, when closed, form an internal compartment for the 
computer disc 24. The top portion 14 is further provided with a circular 
depression 26 centrally in the top portion 14 in general alignment with 
the center of the disc 24 when lodged within the display package 10. As 
best shown in FIG. 3, the circular depression 26 includes a circular bead 
28 which engages the disc 24 at the periphery of a center hole 30 of the 
disc 24. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, when the package 10 is closed, the bead 
28 of the circular depression 26 bears against the top of the disc 24 
while the corner ledges 22 bear against the bottom of the disc 24 to 
firmly suspend the disc 24 midway between the bottom portion 12 and top 
portion 14 of the package 10. 
The hinge 16 is preferrably a living hinge which connects the bottom 
portion to the top portion 14. As best shown is FIG. 3, the hinge 16 is 
configured with a longitudinal channel 32 forming a guideway for a strip 
34 of paper, plastic or other material shaped to be inserted within the 
channel 32. The strip 34 carries suitable identification for the disc 24 
contained in the package 10 and, as shown, is situated so that information 
on the strip 34 can readily be seen when the display packages 10 are 
stacked one upon the other. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the flanges 18 and 20 of the bottom portion 12 
and top portion 14 separate the hinge 16 from the remainder of the package 
10, thus forming the hinge 16 as a handle which is particularly useful in 
connection with the file described below in connection with FIGS. 7 
through 10. The hinge 16 therefore performs at least three functions, a 
hinging function, a display function for the strip 34, and a handle 
function for manipulating the closed package 10. 
The flange 18 is extended at 36, forming corner recesses 38. Similarly, the 
flange 20 is extended at 40, forming corner recesses 42. Preferrably, the 
recesses 42 and 38 are configured such that when the package 10 is closed, 
the flange 20 adjacent the extension 40 overlaps the flange 18 adjacent 
the extension 36 so that the corners 42 of the top portion 14 can be 
engaged to open the package 10. 
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 through 6. In this 
embodiment, the display/storage package, generally designated 50, includes 
a bottom portion 52, a top portion 54 and a hinge 56 interconnecting the 
bottom and top portions 52 and 54. The hinge 56 is identical to the hinge 
16 of the first embodiment of the invention and, in a similar fashion, may 
carry a strip 58 having suitable identification for a disc 60 to be 
contained within the display package 50. 
Like the embodiment of FIG. 1, the bottom portion 52 includes a peripheral 
flange 62. Likewise, the top portion 54 includes a peripheral flange 64. 
The flanges 62 and 64 contact one another when the package 50 is closed, 
as best shown in FIG. 5. 
Similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 3, the top portion 54 includes 
a circular depression 66 having a circular bead 68. Unlike the package 10 
of the first embodiment of the invention, the package 50 does not include 
corner ledges such as the ledges 22, and therefore more than one disc 60 
can, depending on the depth of the depression 66 and bead 68, be 
accommodated within the package 50. The bead 68 is, similar to the first 
embodiment of the invention, intended to engage the periphery of the 
central hole of the top-most disc 60 within the package 50. 
A dimple 70 is formed in the flange 62 at each corner of the bottom portion 
opposite the hinge 56. Similarly, a dimple 72 is formed in the flange 64 
at each corner of the top portion 54 opposite the hinge 56. When the 
package 50 is closed, and as best shown in FIG. 6, the dimples 70 and 72 
form a gap 74 at the corners of the package 50 which permit one to easily 
insert a finger tip between the dimples 70 and 72 to open the package 50. 
In either embodiment of the invention, the top portion 14 or 54 fits over 
the respective bottom portion 12 or 52 when the respective package 10 or 
50 is closed. The top and bottom portions are snapped together in order to 
lock them in the closed orientation. While the particular means of 
interfitting the top and bottom portions for secure closure forms no part 
of the present invention, a particular means is shown in FIG. 5. As seen, 
the top 54 has a back drafted mostly vertical leg 76 to which the flange 
64 is attached. Similarly, the bottom portion 52 has a back drafted mostly 
vertical leg 78 to which the flange 62 is attached. The back drafts of the 
legs 76 and 78 cause the top portion 54 to snap over the bottom portion 52 
when closed, in a conventional fashion. The back draft of the legs 76 and 
78 may continue about the entire peripheries of the top portion 54 and 
bottom portion 52, or any part thereof, as desired. 
One form of a file, generally designated at 80, for the display/storage 
packages 10 or 50 is shown in FIGS. 7 through 10. Although the 
display/storage package 50 is shown in association with the various 
elements of the file 80, it is evident that the display/storage package 10 
or any similar, flat package, could be employed in conjunction with the 
file 80, as set forth in greater detail below. 
The file 80 is composed of two basic components, a housing 82 and a liner 
84 for the housing 82. As shown, the housing 82 is a simple, box-like 
structure having a top 86, opposed side walls 88 and a bottom 90. Although 
it is preferred that the housing 82 also include a rear wall 92, such is 
not essential and may be omitted if desired. The housing 82 is preferably 
formed from plastic in a conventional fashion, such as by thermo-forming. 
It may, as well, be made of other materials such as cardboard which is 
formed into the cubical shape shown. 
The liner 84 is, similar to the housing 82, formed having a top 94, opposed 
sidewalls 96, and a bottom 98. The dimensioning of the liner 84 is such 
that there is a close fit between the liner 84 when assembled and inserted 
within the housing 82. 
The side walls 96 are provided with a series of pairs of opposed grooves 
100 shaped to guide and retain the package 50 within the file 80 when 
assembled. The dimensioning of the grooves 100 is dependent on the width 
of the package 50 and its flanges 62 and 64 (FIGS. 4 through 6) on the 
opposite sides thereof. It is evident that the shape of the grooves 100 
can be varied to accommodate the particular package housed therein. 
As shown in FIG. 8, the liner 84 may be thermo-formed from a single strip 
of material with adjacent elements being interconnected by a living hinge 
102. In order to maintain the configured shape of the liner 84 prior to 
insertion within the housing 82, each of the top 94, side walls 96 and 
bottom 98 is provided with a snap element adjacent the living hinges 102 
so that when the liner 84 is folded into the quadrangular configuration 
shown in FIG. 7, that configuration is maintained. As shown best in FIG. 
10, the snap elements comprise a male snap element 104 which engages a 
corresponding female snap element 106. The elements 104 and 106 are 
configured such that there is a close, tightly-retaining fit between the 
two so that the liner 84 is at least temporarily held in the assembled 
configuration (FIG. 7) before insertion within the housing 82. A pair of 
respective snap elements 104 and 106 can be located in each edge of the 
top 94, side walls 96 and bottom 98, as shown in FIG. 7. 
When the file 80 is assembled, several of the display/storage packages 50 
can be accommodated therein in the opposed grooves 100, and in the 
embodiment illustrated, five of the display/storage packages 50 can be so 
accommodated. Because of the configuration of the hinge 56, the hinge 56 
serves as a handle to permit the user to readily grasp the package and 
insert the display/storage package 50 into or withdraw it from the file 
80. 
Various changes can be made to the invention without departing from the 
spirit thereof or scope of the following claims.