Abstract:
A case for machine readable disks, such as DVDs and the like. The case preferably comprises a plastic base and cradle for storing the disk. The cradle may have a central protrusion for securing the disk in the cradle. A liner may be adhered to the bottom of the base. The liner preferably comprises a pair of stop tabs. A pair of sleeves are preferably located on either end of the base. The sleeves are positionable from a closed position to an open position. Locking panels or tabs located within the sleeves engage the stop tabs of the liner when moving the sleeves from the closed to the open position, preventing the sleeves from sliding off the end of the base when the case is being opened. Locking panels or tabs of the sleeves also engage the stop tabs when moving the sleeves from the open to the closed position, preventing the sleeves from sliding beyond approximately the mid-point of the cradle along the base.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/424,518 filed on Nov. 7, 2002. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to a packaging for machine readable disks, and more particularly to a packaging or case comprising a cradle and cover sleeves that are slidable for storing disks and the like. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Compact disks, CD-ROMs, and DVDs are typically packaged and sold in packaging that allows the disk to be stored in the packaging when not in use. DVDs are commonly sold in a case known as the Amaray case. Compact disks are often sold in what is known as a jewel case. These cases are used to store the disk while not in use, protecting the disk from dust particles and other debris. The cases also help to prevent the disk from being scratched when not in use. 
     A typical jewel case has a clear plastic cover that is connected to the base portion of the base by a hinge. A booklet with graphic materials and other information such as song lyrics, if the packaged disk is a CD, is typically placed in the inside portion of the jewel case cover. Although this provides a useful place for graphics, it prevents users from knowing whether the disk is in the case without actually opening the case. 
     SUMMARY 
     Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a packaging or case for compact disks (CDs), DVDs, and CD-ROMs and other similar storage media. The packaging may be used by manufacturers of disks for packaging disks for shipment to retail establishments. The disks may be displayed for sale at the retail establishment in the packaging according to certain embodiments of the present invention. After the packaging is opened for the first time, the disk may be replaced inside the case for storage purposes. 
     Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a packaging for disks that comprises both paperboard and plastic components and is easy to use. The packaging provides a plastic base comprising a cradle for the disk, but eliminates the plastic shell or cover of the jewel case. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a paperboard cover to the plastic base. The paperboard cover is capable of being slid open to access the disk or to replace the disk in the case. 
     According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the plastic base may be mounted to a liner. Two separate paperboard sleeves may be used to cover the base and liner. The two sleeves, when pressed together, cover a portion of the stored disk. In this arrangement, the disk may not fall out of the base or be otherwise removed. However, a portion of the disk remains exposed so that users may visualize whether the disk is in the case or not, and even determine if the correct disk is in the case. This is because most disks are printed with indicia and graphics that are visible to the user when stored in the case according to certain embodiments of the present invention. 
     Disks stored in packaging according to certain embodiments of the present invention may be easily accessed. When stored, the two sleeves are forced together, closing the case. The sleeves each have an opening allowing visual access to the stored disk. In order to access the disk, the two sleeves may be slid apart. A stop mechanism prevents the sleeves from sliding completely off the plastic base and liner. The stops are designed so that the opening of each sleeve extends to the outer edge of the cradle when the sleeves are slid apart. Thus, the disk may be easily removed from the base. 
     The packaging according to certain embodiments of the present invention provides a paperboard cover, rather than the plastic cover of the typical jewel case. This provides a thinner packaging for DVDs and the like as compared to conventional packaging. Such thinner packaging is preferable because it conserves shipping costs by allowing more DVDs to be shipped per carton or truckload. 
     By providing a paperboard cover, certain embodiments of the present invention are more conducive to printing of graphical indicia and advertising material. Such indicia may be printed directly on the paperboard used to form the packaging. Furthermore, by using a clear plastic base, advertising and graphical indicia may be printed on the liner which can be seen by users when the disk is removed from the case. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of the package in an open configuration and the sleeve. 
         FIG. 2  is a pictorial view of the package in a closed configuration with the sleeve. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the blank of the liner according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a blank of a sleeve according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a blank of a sleeve according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the bottom of the package according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the outer cover according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a pictorial view of an outer cover with a cover panel according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the blank of the liner according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a blank of a sleeve according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a top plan view of a blank of a sleeve according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a packaging or case for storing disks containing any type of media. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the packaging according to certain embodiments provides a case  10  for storing disks made from plastic and paperboard. A plastic base  11  is used to store the disk (not shown). Such plastic bases are standard in the industry, such as the base produced by DigiPack™. The plastic base is generally rectangular in shape. The interior of the base comprises a circular cradle  12  of approximately the same diameter as the disk to be stored. In the center of the cradle is a raised cylindrical protrusion  13 , preferably formed from plastic. When placed in the cradle, the circular opening in the center of the disk is placed around the cylindrical protrusion, creating a friction fit between the disk and the outer surface of the cylindrical protrusion, preventing the disk from falling out of the cradle. The cylindrical protrusion comprises a molded plastic button  15  which, when depressed, releases the disk from the cradle. It should be understood that the size of the base and cradle may vary with respect to the type of disk intended to be sold and the industry standard base for such a disk. It should be understood that the base may be elongated and contain more than one cradle if it is desired for the case to hold multiple disks. 
     The plastic base is preferably mounted to a liner  20  using an adhesive such as hot melt or tacky glue. The liner may be formed from a single blank, as shown in FIG.  3 . The liner  20  comprises a body  22 , preferably in the shape of a rectangle. The body is preferably sized to be substantially the same size as the rectangular portion of the plastic base. Two back flaps  24 ,  26  are attached to the body, one along a fold line  28  at the top of the body and the other along a fold line  30  at the bottom of the body. An end flap  32  is attached to a first end of the base along a fold line  34 , and an end flap  36  is attached to the opposite end of the base along a fold line  38 . A stop tab  40  is attached to the end panel  32  along a fold line  42  and extends outwardly, away from the body. A second stop tab  44  is attached to the end panel  36  along a fold line  46  and extends outwardly away from the body. The fold lines  42 ,  46  attaching the stop tabs to the end panels may be reverse cut-score fold lines. According to certain embodiment of the invention, the fold lines  42 ,  46  may be perforated fold lines. 
     The liner is assembled by adhering the base to the front portion of the body and folding the two back flaps  24 ,  26  backwards, away from the base, along the fold lines  28 ,  30 , against the back portion of the body. The two back flaps are preferably sized so that the outer edge of the two back flaps are adjacent when the back flaps are folded backwards. The back flaps may preferably be adhered to the back portion of the body using an adhesive, forming a relatively smooth surface along the back of the body. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the liner may not comprise back flaps, as shown in  FIG. 9 , in which case the body is simply adhered to the base. The two end panels  32 ,  36  may be folded backwards along fold lines  34 ,  38 , against the back flaps. The end panels may be adhered to the back flaps using an adhesive if desired. The stop tabs  40 ,  44  are then folded along the fold lines  42 ,  46  in the opposite direction as the end panels, forming a z-fold. The stop tabs are preferably not adhered to anything for reasons that will be described below. 
     According to certain embodiments of the present invention, each sleeve used to cover the base is formed from a single blank  48  as shown in FIG.  4 . Each sleeve comprises a blank having a cover panel  50  attached to a back panel  52 . The cover panel is attached to the back panel by a connecting strip  54 . The connecting strip is preferably slightly wider than the thickness of the plastic base and liner when assembled for reasons that will be evident to those skilled in the art. An end tab  58  is attached to the cover panel by a connecting strip  60  located on the opposite end of the cover panel from the back panel. The end tab extends away from the cover panel. The cover panel preferably comprises a cut line  56  cut along a radius approximating the perimeter of a disk of the type to be stored in the package along one of the edges of the cover panel, between the back panel and the end tab. A side panel  62  is attached to the cover panel along a fold line  64  located opposite the edge of the cover panel comprising the cut line  56 . 
     The back panel  52  of the sleeve preferably comprises a rectangle. A first locking panel  66  is attached to the back panel along a fold line  68  located adjacent to the connecting strip  54 . A second locking panel  70  is attached to the back panel along a fold line  72  located on the opposite side of the back panel from the first locking panel. According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a locking panel or tab  71  may be attached to the end tab  58  as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . The locking tab  71  may preferably be used instead of the second locking panel  70  according to certain embodiments of the invention. 
     The sleeve  48  may be formed by folding the locking panels  66 ,  70  backwards so that they are against the back side of the back panel. The locking panels may preferably be adhered to the back side of the back panel using an adhesive. The side panel  62  is also folded backwards so that it is against the back side of the cover panel where it may be adhered using an adhesive. If a blank containing locking tab  71  is used to form the sleeve, the locking tab  71  is folded against and adhered to the side panel  62 . The blank is then folded along the two edges of the connecting strip  54  so that the back side of the cover panel is facing the back side of the back panel. The end tab  58  is then folded along the outside edge of the connecting strip  60  and adhered to the back side of the back panel. This preferably forms a sleeve wherein the cover panel and the back panel are separated by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the connecting strips  54 ,  60 . It should be understood that a second sleeve  49  may be formed in a similar manner using a separate blank as shown in FIG.  5 . It should be further understood that the sleeves may be the same size if the cradle of the base is centered in the base. However, the cover panel and back panel of the sleeves may preferably be of different sizes if the cradle is not centered in the base, so that the sleeves may cover at least the entire side portions of the base when in the closed configuration. 
     According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the sleeves are placed over the end portions of the base and liner. The sleeves may be slid together so that they meet at approximately the center portion of the cradle portion of the base as shown in FIG.  2 . The stop tabs  40 ,  44  of the liner which are folded in a z-fold configuration engage the locking panels  68  of the sleeves to prevent the sleeves from sliding beyond the midpoint of the cradle. Similarly, when the sleeves are slid apart to open the case as shown in  FIG. 1 , the stop tabs abut the opposite locking panels  70  of each sleeve, preventing the sleeves from sliding off the base and liner. According to certain embodiments of the invention, if the locking tab  71  attached to the end tab is used, the locking tab  71  will engage the stop tab and prevent the sleeve from sliding off the base. Therefore, the interaction of the stopping tab of the liner and the locking panels of the sleeves creates a stopping mechanism when the case is being opened and closed as best shown in FIG.  6 . It should be understood that the size of the locking panels are preferably determined to allow the sleeves to slide up to a point so that the cut line  56  of the cover panel is adjacent to the edge of the cradle, allowing access to the cradle and/or disk, when the stop tabs meets the locking panels in the open configuration. Similarly, the locking panels are sized so that the sleeves do not surpass the center portion of the cradle when the case is in the closed configuration. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the locking panel  70  which prevents the sleeve  48  from sliding too far when the cradle is being opened is preferably 0.8125 inches and the locking panel  66  which prevents the sleeves from sliding beyond the mid-point of the cradle when the case is being closed is preferably 1.1875 inches. The locking panel  66  of the second sleeve  49  is preferably 1.875 inches and the locking panel  70  is preferably 0.8125 inches as shown in FIG.  5 . It should be understood that the size of the locking panels may be varied to accommodate different types of bases which may be designed for different types of disks and that the present description and drawings are only certain embodiments of the invention. 
     According to certain embodiments of the present invention, when the case is closed, the cut lines  56  of the cover panels of the sleeves create an opening providing visual access to the cradle. Users may therefore tell whether the disk is inside the case or even whether the correct disk is in the case if the disk has identification indicia printed on its face. The cut lines, which approximate the perimeter of the disk, form an oval type opening in the case when in the closed configuration. The opening is smaller than the disk, preventing the disk from being removed or falling out of the case when closed. When the sleeves are slid apart to open the case, the cut lines are positioned adjacent the outer edge of the cradle, forming a circular type shape which approximates the size of the disk. The cradle may thus be accessed to either remove or replace the disk, whichever is appropriate. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cradle of the base comprises four finger notches  17  for ease in removing the disk. The cut lines  56  therefore have been shown to approximate the outer edge of the finger notches as well as the remainder of the cradle. It should be understood that the cradle may not have any finger notches if desired or it may have some number of finger nothces other than four, however, the cut lines of the cover panels of the sleeves are preferably formed to approximate the outer edge of the cradle, whatever shape that may be. 
     Advertising and graphical indicia may be printed on the paperboard or other material forming the case. The cover panels of the sleeves in particular are well suited for such indicia and easily visible. The liner may also contain indicia which may be visible if the disk is removed and the base is made from a clear plastic. The remaining portions of the sleeves and the liner may contain indicia if desired. 
     An outer sleeve  19  may be used to provide further advertising space and protection for the disk. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the outer sleeve has openings at each end and is slightly larger than the case when in the closed configuration. The case, when closed, may be slid into the outer sleeve, covering the opening of the case. Both sides of the outer sleeve may be printed with indicia if desired. Finger notches  18  located in the outer sleeve provide users with easy access to the case. 
     According to certain embodiments, the outer sleeve may comprise a cover panel  76 . The cover panel may preferably be connected to the outer sleeve by a hinge panel  79 . The hinge panel is preferably connected to the side of the sleeve opposite the finger notches  18 . The cover panel  76  is preferably approximately rectangular and the same size as the outer sleeve. The cover panel can be folded along a fold line  77  connecting the cover panel to the hinge panel  79 . The cover panel therefore provides a cover, which may be used for additional advertising indicia, for the packaging. According to certain embodiments, the outer sleeve may have one or more void sections  81 , allowing visual access to the base, cradle, and disk. The cover panel may also comprise one or more void sections  81  if desired.