ENCLOSURE HOLDING DATA CARRIER

Abstract: The enclosure comprises: a base portion (3); retaining means (2, 2A, 4) provided on the base portion (3) for releasably holding a data carrier such as a CD within the enclosure; and a closure member (6), e.g. a plastics sheet, attached to the base portion (3) so as to prevent removal of the CD from the enclosure, an irreversibly breakable join, e.g. a heat weld, being provided between the closure member (6) and the base portion (3) which, when broken, enables the closure member (6) to be opened to allow the CD to be removed from the enclosure. The closure member (6) may be removed entirely or may be hinged to the base portion (3) so it is retained for use as a lid.

Description: ENCLOSURE HOLDING DATA CARRIER TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to an enclosure holding a data carrier such as a compact disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD). BACKGROUND ART There are many types of enclosure available for housing CDs and other forms of data carrier, the most well-known being a hinged box formed of clear polystyrene known as a " jewel box " used to hold CDs. The present invention provides an enclosure for a data carrier having features and advantages not provided by known data carrier enclosures. It should be noted that the term data carrier is used herein to cover any form of object capable of carrying machine or computer-readable data, including but not restricted to compact disks (of 15cm diameter or other sizes), digital video disks (of 15cm diameter or other sizes), floppy disks, tape cassettes (eg audio tape or video tape), smart cards, data cartridges and computer read-only only or random access memory chips (ROM or RAM). The term data is also used in a broad sense to cover any form of information or programs in any machine or computer-readable format. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an enclosure holding a data carrier comprising: a base portion; retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding the data carrier within the enclosure; and closure means a sufficient portion of which is attached to the base portion to prevent removal of the data carrier from the enclosure, an irreversibly breakable join being provided between at least part of the closure means and the base portion which, when broken, enables the closure means to be opened to allow the data carrier to be removed from the enclosure. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an enclosure for holding a data carrier, the enclosure comprising: a base portion; retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding the data carrier within the enclosure; and closure means bonded to the base portion so as to be movable between a closed position and an open position in which the data carrier can be removed from the enclosure, the closure means comprising a plastics film or sheet. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of an enclosure or apparatus as described above for holding a data carrier without a cover for the outermost face of the data carrier. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the subsidiary claims of the specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an enclosure for housing a disk according to a first embodiment of the invention (with the disk removed); Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an enclosure for housing a compact disk according to a second embodiment of the invention (with a disk shown held therein); Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the third embodiment taken along line A-A shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention, shown in an open position; and Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment, taken along line B-B of Figure 5, but shown in a closed position. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT INVENTION Figures 1 a shows an enclosure for housing a disk, eg a CD. The disk 1 (see Figure 2) is releasably held in the enclosure by disk-holding means which engage the central aperture of the disk. There are many types of disk-holding means known in the art including those described in the applicants patent specifications WO 96/14636 and WO 97/41563 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. The disk-holding means shown in Figures 1 comprises three arms 2 resiliently cantilevered from a base 3, the inner end of each arm 2 being provided with a segment-shaped portion 2A connected by a hinge to one side of a triangular portion 4 which thus joins the inner ends of the three arms 2. The portions 2A and 4 together form a substantially circular button-like portion which is shaped to fit through the central aperture of a disk. The curved side of each segment shaped portion 2A is provided with a projection or lip 2B (see Figure 2) which, when a disk 1 is mounted on the device, engages on the outwardly facing surface of the disk, i.e. the upper surface of the disk 1 in the orientation shown in Figure 2, to securely retain it thereon. To release the disk, the button-like member is depressed so as to cause the arms 2 to flex about their connections to the base 3 whereby the diameter of the button-like member decreases until the lips 2B release their engagement on the disk. Release of the disk from the disk holding means is further facilitated by provision of support means 5 on the base 3 such that as the button-like member is depressed the periphery of the disk is supported by the support means 5 so the central portion of the disk is flexed downwards by the action of the button-like member until the engagement of the lips 2B thereon is released, whereupon the disk is able to revert to its unflexed state and the centre of the disk moves upwards to prevent it being re-engaged by the disk-holding means when the button-like member is released. It should be noted that the degree of flexing in this process is small, the movement of the centre of the disk relative to the periphery often being only 1mm or even 0.5mm or less. It should also be noted that, as the disk flexes in the form of a diaphragm, this flexing is evenly spread over the disk and not concentrated along a line. The action of this and other disk-holding means is described in more detail in WO 96/14636 and in WO 97/41563. As shown in Figure 1 , the enclosure is also provided with peel-off closure means 6 (shown partially peeled back). This typically comprises a plastics film which may have or one or more other films of plastics, metal or paper laminated therewith. The peel-off closure means is releasably secured to the top of an upstand 7 provided around the periphery of the base 3, eg by adhesive or a welded bond therewith. The welded bond may be formed by a simple heat seal between the closure means and the base 3. The film 6 is provided with a tab 6A which may be gripped by a user and used to peel the film away from the upstand 7 so as to provide access to a disk held within the enclosure and the disk holding means. The tab 6A may project from one side of the closure means 6 (as shown in Figure 1) or may comprise a liftable comer of the closure means 6. The plastics film may, for example, be approximately 100 microns thick, and comprise a laminate including a polyethylene layer heat welded to the upstand 7 and other layers to provide the required strength, stiffness and printability. The peel-off closure means 6 may be used to carry information, eg describing and/or advertising the contents of the disk held in the enclosure and in particular may be used to inform the user that removal of the peel-off closure means 6 indicates acceptance by the user of specified conditions of purchase, eg acceptance of a license agreement. Prior art disk enclosures use the breaking of a seal provided by an adhesive label or removal of packaging to indicate acceptance of a license agreement and the peel-off closing means 6 provides another way of indicating this. The peel-off closure means 6 may thus be regarded as a label secured to the base 3 which both provides information to the user and serves as closure means. If desired, the peel-off closure means may be wholly or partially transparent so the disk 1 can be seen therethrough. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an enclosure similar to that of Figure 1 but with a different form of disk holding means, eg of the form shown in Figures 8 and 9 of WO 97/41563, which comprises two arms 2 resiliently cantilevered from the base 3, the inner ends of which form a button-like member divided by an S-shaped gap. The action of this disk holding means is, however, similar to that of Figure 1 , as described further in WO97/41563. Figure 2 shows a disk 1 held in the enclosure and the peel-off closure means 6 in the closed position. The disk 1 is held so the side carrying the data faces and is thus protected by the base 3. Peeling back of the peel-off closure means 6 breaks the bond between the closure means 6 and the upstand 7 and results in irreversible damage to the bond between the closure means 6 and the upstand 7 and/or to the closure means 6, eg due to stretching, creasing, tearing or the like, so it is not possible to re-seal the enclosure with the peel-off closure means 6 once it has been opened. The above feature also renders the enclosure tamper-evident in that any attempt to open it to gain access to the disk held therein is irreversible and will result in visible damage to the closure means 6 and/or visible damage to the bond between the peel-off closure means 6 and the upstand 7. If adhesive is used to secure the peel-off closure means 6 to the upstand 7, this is preferably of a nature which does not readily re-seal once the bond has been broken. The adhesive used may, for example, be a heat-cured adhesive or an adhesive cured by ultra-violet or infra-red radiation. Once the peel-off closure means 6 has been removed, the underside of the disk (which carries the data held thereon) remains protected as it faces towards the base 3 and by the provision of an upstand 8 adjacent the periphery of the disk. Various forms of upstand 8 may be provided and the reader is again referred to WO96/14636 and WO97/41563 for examples and further details. As shown in Figure 2, the support 5 may comprise a step on the inner side of the upstand 8. In an alternative arrangement (not shown), the peel-off closure means 6 may be secured to the upstand 8 instead of (or in addition to) the upstand 7. The upstand 7 and/or 8 should preferably project from the base 3 by a distance sufficient to ensure that the peel-off closure means 6 does not touch the disk 1 when secured to the upstand 8, although, in some cases, the arrangement may be such that the peel-off closure means 6 engages the disk 1 when it is in the closed position. In other arrangements, the enclosure may be arranged so there is room for a leaflet or booklet to be positioned on top of the disk 1 beneath the peel-off closure means 6. The peel-off closure means 6 may be similar to known peel-off closure means used in other applications, e.g. a thin plastics film, or foil-like closure means as used in the food industry for sealing food containers or the medical industry for sealing sterile containers. Alternatively, the enclosure means may be relatively rigid, e.g. in the form of a cardboard or plastics sheet which has a tendency to adopt a flat form. However, unlike such prior art, in which the container is usually a disposable item, the apparatus described herein is designed to be retained and used to hold the disk after the closure means 6 has been removed and thrown away. The peel-off closure means 6 is used to provide extra protection for the disk between the time it is manufactured to the time it is sold to the end user and to provide sales information and/or an indication of the acceptance of a license agreement as discussed above. Once the enclosure has been opened by the end user, the remaining apparatus provides sufficient protection for the disk. This arises from the fact that the function of the disk holding means is independent of the presence of the peel-off closure means 6 and by the fact that the disk is positively held on the apparatus by the disk-holding means as described above and can only be removed therefrom by depression of the button-like member. In particular, as discussed further in WO96/14636 and WO97/41563 referred to above, the disk holding means and/or the upstand 8 are preferably designed so that it is not possible to prise the disk off the apparatus by lifting an edge of the disk. Furthermore, end users are likely to store their collection of disks in a box or a racking system which provides additional protection so it is not necessary for each disk to be enclosed in its own individual container. This is in contrast to the usual practice in this field and stems from the realisation that, as only one side of the disk, i.e. the side that carries the data, requires particular protection, a disk holder need only be one sided, i.e. it need only protect one side of the disk and does not need to be in the form of an enclosure. As described above, the apparatus described herein, in effect, encloses the sensitive side of the disk, by means of the base 3, the upstand 8 positioned close to the periphery of the disk and the opposite side of the disk itself which protects the recorded side of the disk from potential harm originating from sources on the other side of the disk. Furthermore, the apparatus described herein provides a rigid support which helps protect the disk from flexing, bending or warping which are often the main causes of damage to a disk. In addition to the above, the upstand 7 (or 8) is preferably of a height such that if the apparatus is laid on a flat surface with the rear surface of the base 3 uppermost, at least the disk 1 , and preferably also the disk-holding means, do not touch the surface. The disk 1 may, for example, be held at least 0.3mm and preferably 1mm or more away from the surface. The button-like member of the disk holding means may be at the same level as the upstand 7 (or 8) so it may just touch the surface (but not be pressed thereby) or may be spaced from the surface, e.g. by up to 0.7mm or more. Thus, the upstand 7 is configured such that if the apparatus is positioned with the upstand against a substantially flat surface, the disk 1 , and preferably the disk holding means as well, are held away from the surface. The enclosure after the peel-off closure means 6 has been removed thus provides apparatus for holding the disk, there being no necessity to provide an additional cover, lid or other container over the outermost face of the disk. The rear face of the base 3 may be provided with a label 9 and, in effect, be used as the front face of the product with the disk held on the other side of the apparatus. As indicated above, such apparatus can be laid on a flat surface such as a table or desk with the disk on the underside, protected from contact with the table by the upstand 7 (or 8), with the label 9 uppermost. The rear face of the base portion 3 is also preferably provided with a small upstand 7A (see figure 2) e.g. less than 1 mm high and preferably less than 0.5mm, around the periphery thereof to protect the label 9 from being worn or scuffed when the enclosure is placed on a surface with its rear face nearest the surface. The base 3 may also be formed of transparent or translucent material in which case the label 9 may be printed on both sides as the side secured to the underside of the base 3 will be visible through the base 3. In a further embodiment (not shown), disk holding means may be provided on both major faces of the base 3 so a disk can be held on each side of the base, e.g. by affixing two enclosures back to back or by using an alternative form of disk holding means that can be formed on both sides of a single base. As the upstand 7 (or 8) functions to support the apparatus when laid against a surface as well as providing a frame around the apparatus, it is preferably of a substantially rigid and sturdy construction. The base 3, disk-holding means and upstands 7 and 8 are preferably formed as an integral plastics moulding which can be formed in a one-shot injection moulding process. As indicated above, the reverse side of the base 3 may be used to provide information and/or advertising relating to the contents of the disk held on the device. This may be provided by a printed sheet 9 (see Figure 2) held within a sleeve (not shown) or, preferably, by a printed sheet or label adhered to the reverse side of the base 3. In the latter case, the sheet 9 also serves to provide a seal across apertures in the base 3 formed during the fabrication of the arms 2 and button-like member. The reverse side of the base 3 preferably comprises a large flat surface as shown in Figure 2. As mentioned above, a small upstand is preferably provided around the periphery of the reverse side of the base to protect the sheet or label 9 from scuffing when the apparatus is laid down with the sheet or label underneath. If the upstand 7 or 8 to which the peel-off closure means 6 is secured is continuous, the disk is held in a sealed enclosure whilst the peel-off closure means is in place and thus sealed against the ingression of dust or moisture whilst it is in transit or in storage prior to its use and whilst it is on display in a retail outlet. Once the enclosure has been opened by the end-user, a similar level of protection is not generally required as end-users are more likely to take care of their disks and often store them in purpose-made racking systems. The home or office environment in which a disk is used also usually subjects the disk to less extreme conditions than it might experience before it reaches the end-user. In further embodiments of the invention, the closure means may be arranged so that it can be peeled back to open the enclosure but not removed therefrom, so it is retained to provide re-usable closure means for the enclosure. Whilst the base 3 can alone protect the sensitive side of the disk as described above, in some applications it is still desirable for the enclosure to retain a lid. In a simple form (not shown), this may be achieved by bonding one edge of the closure means 6, e.g. the edge opposite the tab 6A, to the base 3 by a stronger form of adhesive, heat weld or any other permanent method of fixing, so the closure means remains attached to the base portion 3 when opened in the manner shown in Figure 1. In addition, a re-sealable form of adhesive (or other form of holding means) is provided on the closure means, e.g. on the tab 6A, so when the closure means is closed again, it can be releasably held in a closed position by this re-sealable means. Figures 3 and 4 show an embodiment in which the closure means remains attached to the enclosure so it can be retained as a lid for the enclosure. The enclosure shown in Figures 3 and 4 has a base 3, upstands 7 and 8 and disk holding means similar to those of Figures 1 and 2, although the base 3 has an extension 10 on one side 3A thereof. The closure means comprises a sheet 11 which is adhered to the underside of the base, extends around an edge 3B of the base, and then extends across the upper surface of the base to the opposite side 3A of the base and is provided with a fastener portion 11A for fastening to the extension 10 of the base 3. The sheet 11 is initially bonded to the upstand 7 along side 3A and sides 3C and 3D (which extend between sides 3A and 3B) of the base by a welded joint or by an adhesive which does not readily re-seal once the bond has been broken, e.g. a heat-cured adhesive or an adhesive cured by ultra-violet or infra-red radiation as described in relation to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2. The sheet 11 may also, if desired, be secured to the edge 3B of the base or to the upper surface of the base in the region of the edge 3B in addition to its securement to the rear face of the base. The fastener portion 11A of the enclosure means is releasably fastened to the extension 10 of the base by means of a re-useable adhesive strip, such as that used on Post-it (Trade Mark) notes manufactured by 3M, which can be repeatedly released and re-sealed, or by some other form of releasable fastening. When the enclosure is first used, the fastener portion 11A is lifted away from the extension 10 and the sheet 11 peeled back so the irreversibly breakable bond with the upstand 7 along sides 3A, 3C and 3D of the base 3 is broken. The sheet 11 remains attached to the base 3 along (or adjacent) the edge 3B thereof, and the join therebetween acts as a hinge between the base 3 and the portion 11B of the sheet that has been peeled away from the upstand 7. This portion 11 B can then be used as a lid and used to close the enclosure again by laying it over the upper surface of the base 3 and re-fastening the fastener portion 11A thereof to the extension 10. In a further arrangement (not shown), the irreversibly breakable join between the closure means and the base may be provided by a weak portion adjacent the edge of the closure means, such as a partially cut through area or a line of spaced cuts, or by a tear off strip along the edges of the closure means. The base 3 is again preferably provided with a small upstand, similar to that shown at 7A in Figure 2, along sides 3A, 3C and 3D of its underside to protect the portion 11C of the sheet on the underside of the base from being worn or scuffed when the enclosure is laid on a surface such as a desk or table. This upstand may also extend around the edge 3B of the base to protect the portion of the sheet extending around this edge. The extension 10 is preferably formed so as to provide an upper surface to which the fastener portion 11A can be fastened and a lower surface which forms a continuation of the underside of the base 3 to which the portion 11C of the sheet can be affixed. The sheet 11 used in the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be printed as a single flat sheet prior to being adhered to the base. The sheet 11 may, thus, be used to provide information on the underside of the base, information along the edge 3B of the base (which, in use, is, in effect, similar to the spine of a conventional CD box) and information on the upper side of the base. The portion 11B of the sheet 11 which lies over the upper side of the base 3 is, preferably, at least partially transparent, so a disk held in the enclosure can be seen there through. The enclosure shown in Figures 3 and 4 comprising a base and a sheet extending from one side of the base around to the other side thereof, can be made very thin, especially if the sheet is in the form of a thin, foil-like sheet or a thin plastics or laminated plastics sheet. The sheet may typically have a thickness in the range 150 - 200 microns, eg around 170 microns. Figures 5 and 6 show a further embodiment of an enclosure in which the closure means is initially joined to the base portion in such a manner that, at least part of the join can be broken to enable the closure means to be opened to allow removal of the disk but in which the closure means remains attached to the base portion so it can subsequently be used as a re-sealable lid. In this embodiment, the peripheral portion 1 D of the closure means around sides 3A, 3C and 3D of the base is integrally formed with the base portion 3, and joined thereto by a breakable portion 12, such as a thin or weakened area of the plastics material extending around the edges of the closure means. The remainder of the closure means comprises a sheet 11 similar to that described above but in this case permanently adhered or affixed to the peripheral portion 11 D of the closure means rather than to an upstand on the base portion 3. The breakable portion 12 may comprise a narrow area of the plastics material which extends along the edges of the closure means and has a thickness less than the adjacent areas so that the closure means and base can be pulled apart by a tear propagating along this narrow, weakened area of plastics material. The breakable portion 12 is preferably provided at the corner between the vertical edge 3A of the base and a horizontal portion of the peripheral portion 11 D (as shown in Figure 6) so it can be easily formed during a moulding process. The breakable portion may also be provided by an intermittent line of cuts or incisions extending along the edges of the closure means to provide a weakened area which enables the closure means and base to be torn apart. Figure 5 shows this embodiment in an open position after the join between the peripheral portion 11 D of the closure means and the sides 3A, 3C and 3D of the base portion has been broken, so the closure means can be opened. As in the embodiment described above, the closure means remains attached to the base 3 along the edge 3B of the base, this attachment forming a hinge for the closure means. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the enclosure shown in Figure 5, along the line B-B, but with the closure means shown in the closed position. As shown, the peripheral portion 11 D of the closure means is initially joined to the edge 3A of the base (and also to the edges 3C and 3D which are not shown in Figure 6) by the breakable portion 12. When the part of the peripheral portion 11 D joined to the edge 3A is first lifted away from the base 3, e.g. by means of a tab provided on the peripheral portion 11 D at one end of the edge 3A, the join 12 therebetween is broken and as the closure means continues to be lifted away from the base 3, the break in this join travels along the sides 3A, 3C and 3D of the base in the form of a tear. Once the closure means has been opened in this manner, the disk held in the enclosure can be removed. The closure means can then be moved to the closed position again and may be held in this position by an interference fit between the sides of the base 3 and the sides of the peripheral portion 11D which overlap with each other (as shown in Figure 6). A fastener or clip or other re-sealable means may, if desired, also be provided between an edge of the base 3 and a side of the peripheral portion 11 D to releasably hold the peripheral portion, and hence the closure means, in the closed position. In a modified form of the enclosure shown in Figures 5 and 6, the peripheral portion 11 D and the edges 3A, 3C and 3D of the base may be integrally formed with each other and separated by means of a tear-off strip as used to provide tamper-proof lids of some medicine or food jars. In another arrangement, the tear-off strip may be formed separately and joined to the closure means and base by irreversibly breakable joins. In a further arrangement, a tear-off strip may be provided along one edge of the base, e.g. along edge 3A, and narrow, weakened areas (as described above) provided along edges 3C and 3D. In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, it will be appreciated that the base 3, disk engaging means and the peripheral portion 11 D of the closure means are initially formed as a one-piece moulding, a disk is then inserted into the enclosure through the opening between the sides of the peripheral portion 11D and the sheet 11 then attached to the peripheral portion 11 D and base 3. In this case, the sheet 11 is permanently adhered to the peripheral portion 11D and to the base 3 as it is not designed to be removed again. In a further embodiment (not shown), the peripheral portion 11D of the closure means may be a separate item to the base portion 3 and arranged to be irreversibly mounted on the base portion, e.g. by a one-way, snap-on fit (similar to that used for lids of medicine or food containers provided with integrally formed, tear-off strips). In this case, the breakable join or tear-off strip would be between an openable portion of the peripheral portion 11 and a portion thereof which has been irreversibly mounted on the base 3. The portion(s) of the base 3 and closure means joined by the irreversibly breakable join should be sufficient to prevent removal of the disk from the enclosure. Preferably, this join extends around a substantial portion of the periphery of the disk or of the enclosure. In a preferred arrangement, the join between the base 3 and the closure means prior to initial opening of the enclosure, provides a seal against the ingress of dust and/or moisture into the enclosure so, prior to initial opening of the enclosure, the disk is held within a sealed space. The irreversibly breakable join between the closure means and the base, together with the permanently affixed portion thereof (when applicable), thus preferably extend around the entire periphery of the disk and /or of the enclosure. Another advantage of the invention is that it provides an enclosure which is relatively easy and is inexpensive to manufacture. As indicated above, the apparatus shown in the drawings is preferably designed so it can be manufactured by a one-shot injection moulding process. It will also be appreciated that other forms of enclosure (not shown) may be formed by other processes, e.g. vacuum forming, which similarly provide a fast and inexpensive manufacturing process and which is compatible with the provision of peel-off closure means. The manufacture of an enclosure with peel-off closure means is also less expensive than, for example, a folded cardboard cover. The invention also enables the enclosure to be made very thin, e.g. less than 5 mm in thickness, and preferably as thin as 3 mm. As indicated above, disks are often stored by the end-user in a racking system. To facilitate this, the base 3 is preferably shaped to fit conventional racking systems and/or may be provided with suitable engagement means (not shown) to facilitate its installation within a racking system. The base 3 may, if desired, also be provided with a removable tag, or means for receiving a tag, for identification purposes when the base 3 is held in a racking system in the form of a conventional card index. The enclosure need not necessarily be of a square or rectangular shape and any other shape capable of housing and releasably holding the disk (or other form of data carrier) may be used. Whatever the shape of the enclosure, the irreversibly breakable join should be arranged to initially prevent removal of the disk from the enclosure but, when broken, enable the closure means to be opened to an extent sufficient to permit removal of the disk from the enclosure. Although the apparatus described above is sufficient to hold and protect a disk as described, it may also be used as an insert or tray, e.g. for fitting within another enclosure such as a conventional jewel box or within a folded cardboard cover. Although the invention has been described with particular reference to an enclosure holding a disk such as a CD, it will be appreciated that the use of peel-off closure means for similar purposes is applicable to enclosures adapted to releasably hold other forms of data carrier. In a further aspect of the invention, an enclosure similar to those described above may be provided but with the irreversibly breakable join omitted or replaced by a re-sealable join. Such an enclosure is suitable for holding a blank, recordable data carrier, e.g. a CD-R, or for providing as an empty enclosure to house a data carrier already owned by a user. In such circumstances, the provision of an irreversibly breakable join to indicate acceptance of a licence agreement or to provide additional protection for the data carrier may not be required. Blank data carriers may, nevertheless, be provided in an enclosure such as described in relation to figures 1 to 6 and, similarly, such enclosures may also be provided without a data carrier held therein, the user inserting their own data carrier once the enclosure has been opened.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An enclosure holding a data carrier, the enclosure comprising: a base portion; retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding the data carrier within the enclosure; and closure means a sufficient portion of which is attached to the base portion to prevent removal of the data carrier from the enclosure, an irreversibly breakable join being provided between at least part of the closure means and the base portion which, when broken, enables the closure means to be opened to allow the data carrier to be removed from the enclosure. 2. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 1 having an upstand which surrounds or partially surrounds the data carrier, the said join being provided between at least part of the upstand and the closure means. 3. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the closure means can be peeled off the base portion. 4. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 1 , 2 or 3 provided with information informing the user that removal of the closure means indicates acceptance by the user of specified conditions of purchase, e.g. acceptance of a license agreement. 5. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 4 in which the said information is provided on the closure means. 6. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the closure means comprises a tab by which a user can grip the closure means to pull it away from the base portion. 7. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the closure means comprises a plastics film. 8. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 7 in which the plastics film is laminated with one or more films of plastics, metal and/or paper. 9. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim, the interior of which is sealed against the ingression of dust until the irreversibly breakable join is broken. 10. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the retaining means is provided on a major face of the base portion and the enclosure means extends across said major face, around an edge of the base portion and across a major face on the other side of the base portion. 11. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the retaining means is arranged to releasably hold the data carrier independently of the presence of the closure means. 12. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 11 in which data is provided on only one side of the data carrier and the retaining means holds the data carrier so the side carrying the data is protected by the said base portion. 13. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon, in which the upstand is configured such that if the enclosure is positioned with the upstand against a substantially flat surface, the retaining means and the data carrier are supported clear of the surface. 14. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the data carrier is a disk. 15. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 14 in which the disk is a CD having a central aperture. 16. An enclosure as claimed in Claims 12 and 15 in which the retaining means comprises a plurality of arms resiliently cantilevered from the base portion, the inner ends of the arms together forming a button-like member for engaging the central aperture of the CD. 17. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 16 in which the retaining means comprises three, equi-angularly spaced arms resiliently cantilevered from the base portion. 18. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 16 or 17 in which the button-like member comprises projections or lips for engaging on the outer facing surface of the disk for positively retaining the disk on the retaining means. 19. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 13 or any claim dependent thereon from which the closure means has been removed. 20. An enclosure as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 18 in which a sufficient portion of the closure means can be separated from the base portion to allow removal of the data carrier whilst a further portion of the closure means remains attached to the base portion so the closure means can subsequently be re-used to close the enclosure. 21. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 20 in which said further portion of the closure means is permanently secured to the base portion. 22. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 20 or 21 in which the closure means is provided with holding means for releasably holding the closure means in a closed position once said irreversibly breakable join has been broken. 23. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 22 in which the closure means comprises a sheet permanently secured to or adjacent a first edge of the base portion, secured to one or more other edges of the base portion by the irreversibly breakable join and provided with said holding means on an edge opposite to that permanently secured to the base portion. 24. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 20, 21 or 22 in which part of the closure means is integrally formed with part of the base portion, the irreversibly breakable join being provided therebetween. 25. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 24 in which the irreversibly breakable join comprises an elongate weak area between the said parts. 26. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 25 in which said parts are formed of a plastics material and are integrally moulded together, the weak area being a thin area of the plastics moulding between the said parts. 27. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 26 in which the part of the closure means integrally formed with part of the base portion comprises a peripheral portion of the closure means. 28. An enclosure for holding a data carrier, the enclosure comprising: a base portion; retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding the data carrier within the enclosure; and closure means bonded to the base portion so as to be movable between a closed position and an open position in which the data carrier can be removed from the enclosure, the closure means comprising a plastics film or sheet. 29. An enclosure as claimed in claim 28 in which the plastics film or sheet is secured to the base portion along or adjacent to an edge thereof so as to be hingeable thereabout. 30. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 29 in which the closure means is provided with holding means for releasably holding the closure means in a closed position. 31. An enclosure as claimed in claim 28, 29 and 30 in which the plastics film or sheet extends around an edge of the base position and across the reverse face of the base portion. 32. An enclosure holding a data carrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 33. An enclosure as claimed in my preceding claim without a data carrier held therein. 34. The use of an enclosure as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 19 for holding a data carrier without a cover for the outermost face of the data carrier. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 14 May 1999 (14.05.99); original claim 1 amended ; remaining claims unchanged (1 page)] CLAIMS 1. An enclosure holding a data carrier, the enclosure comprising: a base portion; retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding the data carrier within the enclosure; and closure means a sufficient portion of which is attached to the base portion to prevent removal of the data carrier from the enclosure, an irreversibly breakable join being provided between at least part of the closure means and the base portion which, when broken, enables the closure means to be lifted or hinged away from the base portion so as to allow the data carrier to be removed from the enclosure. 2. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 1 having an upstand which surrounds or partially surrounds the data carrier, the said join being provided between at least part of the upstand and the closure means. 3. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the closure means can be peeled off the base portion. 4. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 1 , 2 or 3 provided with information informing the user that removal of the closure means indicates acceptance by the user of specified conditions of purchase, e.g. acceptance of a license agreement. 5. An enclosure as claimed in Claim 4 in which the said information is provided on the closure means. 6. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the closure means comprises a tab by which a user can grip the closure means to pull it away from the base portion. STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19 Claim 1 has been amended to clarify the fact that, after the irreversibly breakable join is broken, the closure means can be lifted or hinged away from the base portion so as to allow the data carrier to be removed. This provides a simpler and potentially much slimmer enclosure than prior art which uses a base portion in the form of a drawer which can be slid out of a shell once a tamper seal has been broken. It also avoids the risk of scratching the surface of the data carrier doing this sliding motion. The cited prior art also does not disclose retaining means provided on the base portion for releasably holding the data carrier within the enclosure or an arrangement in which a sufficient portion of the closure means is attached to the portion to prevent removal of the data carrier prior to breaking of the irreversibly breakable join. N or does it disclose closure means comprising a plastics film or sheet bonded to the base portion so as to be movable between a closed position and an open position as claimed in claim 28.

Inventors: FRASER ANTHONY HENRY JOSEPH, PIJANOWSKI STEFAN ALEXANDER, FRASER, ANTHONY, HENRY, JOSEPH, PIJANOWSKI, STEFAN, ALEXANDER
Applicants: DUBOIS LTD, FRASER ANTHONY HENRY JOSEPH, PIJANOWSKI STEFAN ALEXANDER, DUBOIS LTD., FRASER, ANTHONY, HENRY, JOSEPH, PIJANOWSKI, STEFAN, ALEXANDER
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G11B33
IPC codes: B65D85, G11B23, G11B33