Abstract:
A combination compact disc holder and informational booklet comprising a cover and a plurality of pages, the cover and pages being made of substantially rectangular paper sheets, the cover being of heavier stock and including at least one pocket having such size and shape as to retain a compact disc therein, and the pages being of lighter stock and carrying printed information concerning the content of the compact disc stored in the at least one pocket, the pages being folded and sewn along a fold line and the cover being glued to an outer surface of an outermost page.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to holders for compact discs, and more particularly, to compact disc holders that include printed information that accompanies the discs.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Compact discs have become a convenient, durable, and efficient means for digitally storing recorded music and computer software and data. Compact discs are round discs that are about 4¾ inches in diameter and slightly over 1 millimeter thick. Therefore, these discs are generally stored and transported in containers that are relatively flat.  
           [0005]    Audio compact discs and compact discs containing computer software or data are typically stored in flat square plastic cases known as “jewel boxes”. These cases include a square hard plastic base with a receptacle for holding a compact disc, and a hinged hard plastic cover that is attached to the base. While these cases have proven to be effective for storing compact discs, the plastic cases can be fragile and the simple hinge connections are prone to breakage. These cases are particularly subject to breakage when transported by mail. These cases also are relatively expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the inclusion of printed material on or with such cases is problematic. It is often desirable to include printed information such as song lyrics or information about the recording artist with audio compact discs. For computer software compact discs, it is often desirable to include printed information with the compact discs such as instructions for using the software. While jewel boxes can be sized to include printed inserts inside the cases with the compact discs, such inserts are easily separated from the case and can easily be lost or misplaced. Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive holder for compact discs that protects the compact discs, is durable, and includes space for printed material in a form that is easily accessible and permanently attached to the compact disc holder.  
           [0006]    Others have attempted to provide compact disc holders that are less expensive to manufacture and are less prone to breakage than jewel boxes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,318 discloses a compact disc folder formed from a single piece of cardstock. The cardstock is folded upon itself in tri-fold fashion to form a front and rear panel with an inside pocket for holding a compact disc. While this folder appears to be relatively inexpensive to produce, the area available for printed material is limited to the front and rear panels. U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,491 discloses a compact disc folder booklet that includes a cover, a pocket on an inside portion of the cover for holding a compact disc, and a plurality of pages for providing printed text relating to the content of the compact disc. While this folder addresses the need for providing a means for including printed material that is integral with a compact disc holder, the construction of this folder is complex, and accordingly, its production cost is unnecessarily high. For example, the cover and packet portion are formed from a single piece of material that is complex in shape and includes a series of tabs which must be punched from cardstock using expensive punches and dies. Simplifying the construction of such a folder would greatly reduce its cost of production. In addition, this folder requires a plurality of staples to connect the pages of the booklet to the cover. These staples are necessarily exposed on the outside of the folder along its spine. The exposed staples are unattractive in appearance, may snag on clothing or skin, and may rust if exposed to moisture. Therefore, a compact disc holder and booklet without staples and having a more finished appearance is needed.  
           [0007]    Therefore, there remains a need for an inexpensive, durable, and attractive compact disc holder that includes no exposed staples and provides a means for including printed matter that is integral with the compact disc holder.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention therefore is directed to a combination compact disc holder and informational booklet including a cover and a plurality of pages. The cover includes at least one pocket that is sized and shaped to receive and retain a compact disc. The cover, pages, and pocket are all constructed of rectangular sheets of paper. In addition, the pages carry printed information concerning the content of the compact disc. The cover includes a first panel having a first pocket on an inside surface of the first panel. Also, the cover may further include a second panel having a second pocket on an inside surface of the second panel.  
           [0009]    In one embodiment, a cover has a fold which divides the cover into a first panel and a second panel. The first and second panels each include an inside surface, an outside surface, a bottom edge, a side edge, and a top edge. A pocket sheet is provided that is substantially coextensive with the first panel. The pocket sheet is attached to the inside surface of the first panel along the bottom edge, the side edge, and the top edge by a C-shaped strip of adhesive, thereby forming a pocket. The pocket is of suitable size to receive and retain a compact disc and has an opening adjacent to the fold. The unglued edge of the pocket sheet includes a cutout to facilitate insertion and removal of a compact disc from the pocket. At least one additional leaf is connected to the cover at the fold to form additional pages.  
           [0010]    In another approach, a first leaf is attached to the cover at the fold to form a first page and a second page. The first leaf and the cover are coextensive, and the first page has an upper edge. A first adhesive strip attaches the first page to the inside surface of the first panel along the bottom edge, and a second adhesive strip attaches the first page to the inside surface of the first panel along the side edge. A pocket which is of suitable size to receive and retain a compact disc is thereby formed between the first panel and the first page. The first page may further include a cutout along its upper edge to facilitate grasping a compact disc contained in the pocket. Further, the holder and booklet may include at least one additional leaf that is attached to the cover and to the first leaf along the fold to form additional pages. Each additional leaf, the first leaf, and the cover are substantially coextensive.  
           [0011]    In still another approach, the first leaf is again attached to the cover at the fold to form a first page and a second page, but the first page is narrower and shorter than the first panel of the cover. A flood coated adhesive covers the inside surface of the first and second panels, and seals the first page to the inside surface of the first panel and the second page to the inside surface of the second panel. Portions of the adhesive along the bottom edge and side edge of the first panel are uncovered by the smaller first page, thereby forming an L-shaped strip of adhesive on the inside surface of the first panel. A second leaf attached to the cover along the fold forms third and fourth pages. The third page is attached to the inside surface of the first panel along its bottom edge and side edge by the L-shaped strip of adhesive. A pocket is thereby formed between the first page and the third page. The pocket has an opening along its upper edge and is of suitable size to receive and retain a compact disc. A plurality of additional leaves may be attached to the cover and first and second leaves along the fold to form additional pages.  
           [0012]    In yet another approach, the cover has an extended panel (a third panel) approximately the same size as the first panel. A second fold parallel to the first fold divides the cover between the first panel and the third panel. The first panel has an inside surface, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The first leaf has a first page that is narrower than the first panel, so that when it is secured to the inner surface of the cover, it leaves exposed a first and second adhesive strip along the top and bottom edge of the inner surface of the cover. The first adhesive strip extends along the top edge of the first panel and the second adhesive strip extends along the bottom edge of the first panel. The third panel is then attached to the inside surface of the first panel along the top and bottom edges. A pocket is thereby formed between the first panel and the third panel of the cover, wherein the pocket has a pocket opening adjacent to the second fold and the pocket is of suitable size to receive and retain a compact disc. At least one additional leaf is folded and attached to the cover along the second fold to form pages, each leaf being coextensive with the assembled cover.  
           [0013]    In an alternate approach, the first leaf may be coextensive with the cover and a pattern of L- or C-shaped adhesive strips may be applied between the first panel and first page to form a pocket. Also, in any of the above approaches, the rear cover panel may include a second pocket for a second compact disc.  
           [0014]    In an additional approach, the cover again includes a first cover panel and a second cover panel. The cover is attached to the first page or fly leaf of a paper booklet by a flood coating of adhesive on the inside surface of the cover. The first leaf is folded and divided into a front page and rear page. The front page is cut to expose a C-shaped strip of adhesive. The second leaf and all other leaves include a fold that divides the leaves into front and rear pages. The front page of the second leaf includes a slit or cutout that is parallel to and adjacent to the fold and is at least as wide as the diameter of a compact disc. The front page of the first leaf is attached to the top, side, and bottom edges of the inside of the first cover panel by the C-shaped strip of adhesive. The cutout in the front page of the second leaf forms an opening to a pocket formed between the front pages of the first and second leaves. A cutout is provided along the edge of the slit away from the fold to facilitate grasping a disc in the pocket. A slit may also be provided in the rear page for similarly forming a second pocket inside the second cover panel.  
           [0015]    The holder/booklet may also include at least one leaf formed into additional pockets. The leaf is longer by fifty percent and has first and second folds which form a first page, a middle page, and a third page. The first page is folded along the first fold and is connected to the middle page by a C-shaped strip of adhesive which has been rolled, screened, or printed onto the middle page, thereby forming a pocket. A cutout along the unglued and unfolded edge of the first page facilitates grasping a disc in the pocket. One or more of these pocketed leaves can be assembled into any of the holders and booklets summarized above to provide additional pockets for holding discs.  
           [0016]    The pocketed leaf may also be even longer and include a third fold forming a fourth page. The fourth page is folded along the third fold and is connected to the third page by a second C-shaped strip of adhesive, thereby forming a second pocket. A cutout along the unglued and unfolded edge of the fourth page facilitates grasping a disc in the second pocket. One or more of these double-pocketed leaves can be assembled into any of the holders and booklets summarized above to provide additional pockets for holding discs.  
           [0017]    These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered with the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b ) are environmental views of a combination compact disc holder and informational booklet according to the present invention;  
         [0019]    FIGS.  2 ( a )- 2 ( d ) are perspective views illustrating a construction for the combination compact disc holder and informational booklet of FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b );  
         [0020]    FIGS.  3 ( a )- 3 ( c ) are perspective views illustrating another construction for the combination compact disc holder and informational booklet of FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b );  
         [0021]    FIGS.  4 ( a )- 4 ( c ) are perspective views illustrating a third construction of the combination compact disc holder and informational booklet of FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b );  
         [0022]    FIGS.  5 ( a ) and  5 ( b ) are perspective views illustrating another embodiment of a combination compact disc holder and informational booklet according to the present invention;  
         [0023]    FIGS.  6 ( a )- 6 ( c ) are perspective views showing a construction for the combination compact disc holder and informational booklet of FIGS.  5 ( a )- 5 ( c );  
         [0024]    FIGS.  7 ( a ) and  7 ( b ) are perspective views illustrating a construction for a leaf having a pocket for inclusion in a combination compact disc holder and informational booklet according to the present invention; and  
         [0025]    FIGS.  8 ( a ) and  8 ( b ) are perspective views illustrating a construction for a leaf having a front pocket and a rear pocket. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]    In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “first”, “second”, “outside”, “inside”, “top”, “bottom”, “side” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.  
         [0027]    Referring now to the drawings in general and FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b ) in particular, it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b ) illustrate a first embodiment  10  of a combination compact disc holder and informational booklet constructed in accordance with the present invention. The holder  10  has the general form of a booklet, and includes a cover  16  having an inside pocket  12  for holding a compact disc  14 . The holder/booklet  10  folds to a compact size as shown in FIG. 1( b ). Preferably, the holder/booklet  10  is about 5¼ inches wide by 5¼ inches tall when closed. The inward opening pocket  12  of the holder/booklet  10  is preferred because a compact disc  14  in the pocket is prevented from inadvertently falling or otherwise being dislodged from the pocket when the cover is closed. The holder/booklet  10  includes pages  26  for printed information about the disc  14 . The holder/booklet  10  is preferably constructed entirely from paper and/or paperboard sheets that are substantially rectangular. The outer surfaces of the paper cover  16  may include a protective plastic coating  39 .  
         [0028]    A preferred construction for the holder/booklet shown in FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b ) is illustrated in FIGS.  2 ( a ) through  2 ( d ). As seen in FIGS.  2 ( a ) and  2 ( b ), a plurality of paper leaves are stacked together as indicated by the arrows to form booklet  30 . A first leaf or fly sheet  20  is divided by a central fold  21  into a front fly page  22  and a back fly page  24 . The front fly page  22  is die cut to form a semi-circular edge  23  having a radius slightly greater than the radius of a compact disc. A second leaf  40  is divided by a fold  46  into a front page  42  and a rear page  44 . The front page  42  includes an opening formed by cutout  49  and a narrow slit  48  that is itself parallel and closely adjacent to the fold  46 . The length of the slit  48  is at least slightly greater than the diameter of a compact disc. The cutout  49  is included in the front page  42  along one side of the slit  48  away from the fold  46 . One or more additional leaves  50  are provided which are divided by folds into additional pages  51 .  
         [0029]    As seen in FIG. 2( b ), a booklet  30  is formed from the stacked leaves. The booklet  30  is bound along a fold line  32  by a stitched seam  34 . As indicated by arrow “A” in FIG. 2( b ), the booklet  30  is assembled to a cover  16 . The cover  16  includes a fold  17  which divides the cover into a first panel  18  and a second panel  19 . The inside surfaces of the cover  16  are flood coated with an adhesive layer  36 . As best seen in FIG. 2( c ), the back fly page  24  is glued to the inside surface of the second panel  19  by the adhesive layer  36 . Also, the front fly page  22  is glued to the inside surface of the first panel  18  by the adhesive layer  36 . Because the front fly page  22  is smaller than the first panel  18 , a C-shaped strip of adhesive  38  is left uncovered by the front fly page  22 .  
         [0030]    The slotted front page  42  is attached to the first panel  18  as indicated by arrow “B” in FIG. 2( c ). As shown in FIG. 2( d ), the slotted front page  42  is glued to the first panel  18  by the C-shaped strip of adhesive  38 , thereby forming a pocket  52 . The semicircular shape of the adhesive strip shown in FIG. 2( c ) causes the pocket  52  to have a semicircular bottom for closely supporting a compact disc  14  inserted into the pocket  52  through the slit  48 . Alternatively, the C-shaped adhesive strip  38  may have a square-like shape like that shown in FIG. 3( c ) to form a square bottom in the pocket  52 . The cutout  49  along the slit  48  permits a person to more easily grasp a compact disc  14  in the pocket  52 . The cutout  49  may be shaped as shown in FIG. 2 d , an arcuate shape like cutout  49  in FIG. 3( c ), or any other suitable shape. The additional pages  51  contain printed information about the content of the compact disc  14 . The stitched seam  34  of the booklet  30  is hidden along the spine of the holder/booklet by the cover  16 , thereby providing a finished, high-quality outer appearance. Therefore, no staples are used in the construction of the holder/booklet  10  and no staples are exposed along the spine of the holder/booklet.  
         [0031]    The glue which is flooded onto the inner surfaces of the first and second panels  18 ,  19  comprises a resin emulsion adhesive (Evans No. 04053, Evans Adhesive Corp., Columbus, Ohio). The composition of Evans No. 04053 is a vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer emulsion. The adhesive may include other additives, for example, a defoamer. The copolymer emulsion is water-based and contains approximately 45% water, and the vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer emulsion content is approximately &gt;95.0 wt. %. It is contemplated that any comparable adhesive may be used as to form the glue strip  38 .  
         [0032]    FIGS.  3 ( a )- 3 ( c ) illustrate a second construction of the combination compact disc holder and informational booklet  10  in accordance with the present invention. The holder  10  includes a cover  16 . The cover  12  is folded in half at the fold  17  which divides the cover  16  into a first panel  18  and a second panel  19 . A booklet  30  has a stitched seam  34  connecting a fly sheet  20  to additional leaves  50 . The fly sheet  20  includes a front fly page  22  and a back fly page  24 . The front fly page  22  has a width W 2  and height H 2 . The width W 2  and height H 2  are respectively narrower and shorter than the width W 1  and height H 1  of the first panel  18 . The inside surfaces of the cover  16  are flood coated with an adhesive layer  36 , and the booklet  30  is assembled to the cover  16  as indicated by arrow “C” in FIG. 3( a ).  
         [0033]    The front fly page  22  is glued to the first panel  18  as seen in FIG. 3( b ). The back fly panel  24  is similarly glued to the second panel  19 . The narrower and shorter front fly page  22  leaves a portion of the adhesive  36  on the first panel uncovered, thereby forming a C-shaped strip of adhesive  38 . Preferably, the adhesive strip has a width between about one-eighth inch and about one-quarter inch. As seen in FIG. 3( c ), a separate pocket sheet  54  is attached to the inside of the first cover panel  18  by the C-shaped adhesive strip  38 , thereby forming a pocket  52 . The pocket  52  preferably is square and is sized to receive and retain a compact disc  14  as shown. The edge of the separate pocket sheet  54  adjacent to the fold of the booklet includes a cutout  49  to facilitate grasping a compact disc  14  in the pocket  52 . The cutout  49  may have an arcuate shape as shown, or any other suitable shape that facilitates grasping a disc  14  in the pocket  52 . The additional pages  51  are used to print information about the content of the compact disc  14 .  
         [0034]    FIGS.  4 ( a )- 4 ( b ) illustrate another construction for the holder/booklet  10  shown in FIGS.  1 ( a ) and  1 ( b ). In this construction, the cover  60  includes a front panel  62 , a middle panel  64 , and a rear panel  66 . A booklet  30  like that described above is attached to the middle panel  64  and rear panel  66  as indicated by arrow “D.” The booklet  30  is attached by a flood coated adhesive layer  36  on the inside surfaces of the middle and rear panels  64 ,  66 . As seen in FIG. 4( b ), the front fly page  22  is glued to the middle panel  64  and a back fly page  24  is glued to the rear panel  66 . The front fly page  22  is sized to leave a top adhesive strip  70  and bottom adhesive strip  72  exposed along top and bottom edges of the middle panel  64 . The front panel  62  is folded against the middle panel  64  as indicated by arrow “E” in FIG. 4( b ). As best seen in FIG. 4( c ), the front panel  62  is glued to the middle panel  64  by the adhesive strips  70 ,  72 , thereby forming the pocket  52  for a compact disc  14 . The side edge of the front panel  62  includes a cutout  63  to facilitate grasping a disc  14  in the pocket  52 .  
         [0035]    In each of the various constructions of holder/booklet  10  described above, the adhesive strips used to form the pocket  52  are formed by flood coating inside surfaces of the cover panels with an adhesive layer and overlaying a fly sheet that leaves adhesive strips uncovered. Alternatively, the fly sheets  20  and fly pages  22 ,  24  may be omitted altogether, and the adhesive strips may be applied directly to the cover panels only in the desired areas of the cover panels. The strips of adhesive may be applied to the cover panels by rolling, screening, or any other suitable means.  
         [0036]    Also, each of the embodiments described above includes a single pocket  52  on the inside of one of the two cover panels. Alternatively, a second pocket (not shown) may also be formed on the second cover panel in the same manner as the first pocket.  
         [0037]    FIGS.  5 ( a ) and  5 ( b ) generally illustrate another embodiment  100  of a compact disc holder and booklet according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the pocket  132  has a pocket opening  134  along an upper edge  130  of the front cover panel  116 . FIGS.  6 ( a )- 6 ( b ) illustrate one construction for the holder booklet  100 . As seen in FIG. 6( a ), a booklet  140  includes a fly leaf  150  having a front fly page  152  and a back fly page  154 . A second leaf  160  includes a pocket page  162  and a last page  164 . The upper edge of the pocket page  162  includes a cutout  163 . The booklet  140  also includes one or more additional leaves  166  including additional pages  168 . The leaves forming the booklet  140  are connected by a stitched seam  142  along a central fold.  
         [0038]    The holder booklet  100  also includes a cover  112 . A central fold  114  divides the cover into a front cover panel  116  and a back cover panel  118 . The inside surfaces of the cover  112  are flood coated with an adhesive layer  113 . The booklet  140  is assembled to the cover  112  as indicated by arrow “F” in FIG. 6( a ).  
         [0039]    Referring to FIG. 6( b ), the front fly page  152  is glued to the inside surface of the front cover panel  116  by the adhesive layer  113 . Because the front fly page is smaller than the front cover panel  116 , a portion of the adhesive  113  is not covered by the front fly page  152 , thereby forming an L-shaped strip of adhesive  158  as shown in FIG. 6( b ). The back fly page  154  is glued to the back cover panel  118 . The pocket page  162  is laid against the front cover panel  116  and front fly page  152  as indicated by arrow “G” in FIG. 6( b ).  
         [0040]    As seen in FIG. 6( c ), the pocket page  162  is glued to the front cover panel  116  by the L-shaped adhesive strip  158 , thereby forming a pocket  132 . The cutout  136  facilitates grasping a disc  14  in the pocket  132 . The last page  164 , and the additional pages  138  can be used to print information about a disc  14  in the pocket. Of course, the pocket  132  could be likewise constructed on the back cover panel  118  instead of on the front cover panel  116 . Similarly, a first pocket may be located on the front cover panel  116  and a likewise constructed second pocket located on the back cover panel  118  (not shown).  
         [0041]    Because it may be desirable to include more than one or two pockets for compact discs in a CD holder/booklet, the invention also includes a pocketed leaf  200  as shown in FIGS.  7 ( a ) and  7 ( b ). One or more of these pocketed leafs  200  may be included in the booklets  30  or  140  of the holder/booklets described above. As seen in FIG. 7( a ), each pocketed leaf  200  includes a sheet  210  that has a first panel  212 , a first fold  213 , a second panel  214 , a second fold,  215 , and a third panel  216 . An outer edge of the first panel includes a cutout  222 . A C-shaped adhesive strip  220  is screened or otherwise applied on the inside surface of the second panel  214  as shown. The first panel  212  is folded against the second panel as indicated by arrow “H” in FIG. 7( a ) and is adhered thereto by the adhesive strip  220 . As seen in FIG. 7( b ), a pocket  270  is formed for receiving a compact disc  14 . The cutout  222  facilitates grasping a disc  14  in the pocket  270 . The pocketed leaf  200  may be included in a booklet  30  or  140  in the holder/booklets  10 ,  100  described above and stitched with the other leaves in the booklet along the fold  215 .  
         [0042]    FIGS.  8 ( a ) and  8 ( b ) illustrate another embodiment  300  of a pocketed leaf for inclusion in a booklet  30  or  140 . In this embodiment, two pockets  370 ,  372  are provided. As seen in FIG. 8( a ), the pocketed leaf  300  includes a sheet  310  that has a first panel  312 , a first fold  313 , a second panel  314 , a second fold,  315 , a third panel  316 , a third fold  317 , and a last panel  318 . Outer edges of the first and last panels  312 ,  318  include cutouts  322  as shown. A C-shaped adhesive strip  320  is applied to the inside surfaces of both the second panel  314  and third panel  316  as shown. The first panel  312  is folded against the second panel as indicated by arrow “J” in FIG. 8( a ) and is adhered thereto by the adhesive strip  320 . Similarly, the last panel  318  is folded against the third panel  316  as indicated by arrow “K” and is adhered thereto by adhesive strip  320 . As seen in FIG. 8( b ), two pockets  370 ,  372  are formed for receiving compact discs  14 . The cutouts  322  facilitate grasping discs  14  in the pockets  370 ,  372 . The pocketed leaf  300  may be included in a booklet  30  or  140  in the holder/booklets  10 ,  100  described above and stitched with the other leaves in the booklet along the fold  315 .  
         [0043]    The adhesives used to assemble the various embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are set by pressing the assembled holders/booklets in a flat state. Preferably, the stacked and adhered leaves and cover are squeezed together in an air-powered vise which sets the adhesive between adjacent panels/pages. Each time, the vise is squeezed under approximately 2800 lbs/in. of pressure for a sufficient amount of time in which to properly seal the adhesive. The pressure may range between about 2000 and 4000 lbs/in. In a preferred embodiment, the vise may be squeezed between about 30 seconds and about one minute, respectively  
         [0044]    While this invention has been illustrated and described in accordance with a preferred embodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention as set forth in the claims.  
         [0045]    Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the forgoing description. By way of example, it is contemplated that the combination compact disc holder and booklet of the present invention can be modified or adapted for use with other storage media such as digital video discs or other similar optical discs or the like. It should be understood that all such modifications are not contained herein for the sake of conciseness and readability, but are properly within the scope of the following claims.