Patent Publication Number: US-2007119731-A1

Title: Memory media carrier and method of manufacture

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application is a Continuation In Part of application Ser. No. 11/164,581 filed Nov. 29, 2005 and titled Memory Media Carrier and Method of Manufacture the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The sale to consumers of memory media, for example, CD&#39;s and DVD&#39;s is popular and demand is growing. Until recently, most memory media was sold and distributed in singles i.e., a single media device in a package. Such memory media typically contained movies or music. Recently, however, multi packs of memory media have grown in popularity. For example, for some long movies, multiple DVD discs were needed to contain the entire movie and promotional material. Additionally, many television series are now sold on memory media having an entire season sold in a single package requiring multiple discs. Many devices have been provided for the sale of multi-pack memory media. One example of such a package is a sleeve assembly with each of the memory media being stored in a respective tray or other holder and the trays are not connected together but individually inserted into the sleeve for storage. In order to extract an appropriate memory media, the entirety of the stack is removed to determine which individual tray contains the desired memory media. A package for holding a plurality of memory media is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. U.S. 2003/0106814 published Jun. 12, 2003. This patent discloses a package having a jacket comprised of a plurality of interconnected panels including a front panel, rear panel and spine panel. A stack of trays is hingedly connected together by an adhesive sided hinge member which is applied to the trays when the trays are positioned in an elongated stack or row with the strip of adhesive material being applied across the hinge edges of the trays. The joined trays are then being separated into smaller stacks by a suitable cutter. This requires an indexing mechanism to ensure that the appropriate number of and the correct trays, if the trays already contain the memory media. Each stack of trays is then secured to a single panel of a respective jacket. Each of the trays may then be individually hingedly moved about the hinge member. The hinge member is connected only to the hinge edges of the trays. This is necessitated by the method of manufacture and the associated cutting device for separating the hinge strip into segmented sections each segment securing a respective stack of trays together.  
      Another problem with current multi disc packages such as that discussed above is the requirement for gluing one of the disc trays to a package panel. Not only is a separate processing step required, the gluing of a tray to a panel eliminates that panel from use to present graphical information, text information since the tray covers and hides at least a significant portion one of the surfaces of one of the panels. It would be desirable to provide a package that utilizes the simple to use hinge tape for hinged movement of the trays relative to one another and in addition uses the hinge tape to mount the stack of trays to the jacket.  
      There is thus a need for an improved carrier for releasably mounting individual memory media in a single package containing a plurality memory of media devices.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention provides a carrier for storing a plurality of individual memory media devices in a single package with each memory media device being individually removable. The carrier is constructed to provide individual access to a memory media device amongst a plurality of memory media devices stored therein by hingedly moving one storage tray relative to another storage tray. The carrier includes ajacket having a plurality of panels including a panel portion secured to a portion of a hinge member hingedly connecting the plurality of trays together. The hinge member may be a strip of material with adhesive on one side thereof which is attached to a hinge edge of each of the trays providing a hinge joint between each tray of a adjacent pair of trays. The panel portion mounts the hinge member at one edge margin to the jacket.  
      The present invention also involves the provision of a method of making a carrier for storing a plurality of memory devices wherein the method includes first forming a jacket having a plurality of panels including a panel portion. Preferably the jacket is formed as an integral structure with fold lines separating each of the panels from an adjacent panel. A plurality of stacks each containing a plurality of trays is provided with the stacks of trays moving through an assembly machine in end edge to end edge relationship. A strip of hinge material is applied to hinge edges of the trays in each stack with the hinge member preferably extending lengthwise along a stack of trays and then to a trailing stack of trays also along its length. The hinge member is applied to the hinge edges to hingedly connect the stack of trays together. Adjacent stacks of trays are separated from one another. The hingedly connected stack of trays is then mounted to the panel portion of the jacket wherein the stack of trays is movable relative to an underlying panel for selective exposure of a face of the underlying panel. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a carrier including a plurality of hingedly connected storage trays adapted for releasably mounting a memory device within the carrier assembly.  
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged fragmentary view of a hinge portion connecting the stack of trays together with its overlying panel member.  
       FIG. 3  is an end view of the carrier shown in an open condition.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the carrier of  FIG. 1  but shown in a closed condition.  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a modified form of carrier including a plurality of hingedly connected storage trays adapted for releasably mounting a memory device within the carrier assembly.  
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged fragmentary end view of a hinge connecting a stack of trays together.  
       FIG. 7  is an end view of the carrier shown in an open condition.  
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the carrier of  FIG. 5  but shown in a closed condition. 
    
    
      Like reference numerals throughout the various Figures designate like or similar parts and structure.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The reference numeral  1  designates generally a carrier for use in containing for distribution and storage a plurality of memory media devices  3  such as CD&#39;s and DVD&#39;s that contain machine readable information, e.g., digital information such as music, movies, television shows and the like. A plurality of containers  5 , are hindgedly attached to a hinge member  7  which is in turn secured to the jacket  9 . The containers  5  are movable about gap bridging portions of the hinge member  7  allowing the stack to open up in a fan like manner to expose the media devices each within a respective container  5  for removal and/or reinsertion.  
      The jacket  9  is comprised of a plurality of panels that are connected to one another. In the illustrated structure, the panels include a front panel  11 , spine panel  12 , back panel  13  and an interior panel  14 . The panels  11 - 14  may be formed of any suitable material as for example paperboard having a thickness on the order of about 0.01 inch to about 0.04 inch. Preferably the panels  11 - 14  are formed as an integral structure and may be die cut prior to formation from a single sheet of paperboard. The panels  11 - 14  may be single layer or multiple layers as desired. In the illustrated structure, the front panel  11  is a multi layer panel preferably formed by having portions  11 A,  11 B,  11 C secured to one another at interengaging faces and formed by folding at an outer edges  16 A,  16 B,  16 C and having inner and outer surfaces  11 D,  11 E. Likewise, the back panel  13  may be multi-layered with the layers  13 A,  13 B being secured at interengaging faces and connected at edge  17  and providing inner and outer surfaces  13 C,  13 D. The spine panel  12  is connected to each of the front panel  11  and back panel  13  at the fold lines  18 ,  19 . The interior panel  14  is preferably an extension of one of the panels  11 - 13  and is shown as an extension of the panel  13  joined together at the fold line  20 . Another panel  22  may be provided extending from a portion of the front panel  11  to provide a removable tab or tabs  21  for such things as proof of purchase, discounts and the like. The panel  22  is joined to the front panel  11  at fold line  23 . While the interior panel  14  is shown as connected to the back panel  13  along an interior fold line  20 , it is to be understood that it may also be connected to a top edge or outside edge of any of the panels that provide for different folding arrangements as desired. For example, the interior panel  14  may be connected to an outer edge  24 , a top or bottom edge  25 ,  26  of the back panel  13  or spine panel can be mounted to the front panel  11 .  
      A pocket  27  may be provided between portions  11 B,  11 C. The containers  5  for DVD&#39;s and CD type media devices are typically in the form of a molded tray and are made of a polymeric material, e.g., styrene or polystyrene and may be clear. The containers  5  have a recess  30  for receipt therein of a respective media device  3  which may be mounted on a post  31  located in the recess  30  and projecting from a bottom surface thereof into the recess. The containers  5  have a thickness and an outer perimeter. The outer perimeter is defined by a plurality of side or end edges  32 A-D having height substantially the same as the thickness of the container  5 . One of the edges  32  is utilized as a hinge edge for the securement of the hinge member  7  thereto. The containers  5  are in a stack having the hinge edges which is noted as  32 A in the drawings, aligned and define a plane. When the carrier  1  is folded to a closed condition the hinge member  7  is secured to the hinge edges  32 A and extends between the edges  32 B, C which extends from opposite ends of the hinge edge  32 A. The edge  32 D is a distal edge while the hinge edge  32 A is a proximal edge. Preferably, the corresponding edges  32 A-D of each container  5  also define a plane and are aligned as are the edges  32 A. That is, the edges  32 B are aligned, the edges  32 C are aligned and the edges  32 D are aligned.  
      The hinge member  7  is preferably a polymeric strip or tape having adhesive preferably on one face  35  thereof. By having adhesive pre-applied to the hinge member  7 , the installation of the hinge member adhesively to the edges  32 A of containers  5  can be facilitated and preclude, adhesive from flowing between the containers possibly interfering with their hinged movement relative to one another. However, it is to be understood that adhesive could be applied to the edges  32 A and a flexible hinge member  7  be adhesively secured thereto. The hinge member  7  may be made of polyethylene, polypropylene or any other suitable flexible polymeric material. Other materials can be used to construct the hinge member  7  including paper and composites depending upon the strength needed and the number of flex cycles anticipated for the hinge member  7 . The hinge member  7  bridges the gaps  37  between adjacent containers  5  forming a hinged joint between each of the adjacent containers  5 . In a preferred embodiment, the hinge member  7  has adhesive applied to both the face  35  and its opposing face  36 . However, it is to be understood that adhesive could be applied to one face  38  of the interior panel  14  or to face  36  of the hinge prior to its securement to the face  38  of the panel  14 . The interior panel  14  is then used to at least partially mount a stack container  5  in the jacket  9  and also serves the function of reinforcing at least a portion of the hinge  7 . While the interior panel  14  is shown as being secured to each of the edges  32 A of all the containers  5  to bind them together, it may be secured to one or more as desired. However, it is preferred that the interior panel  14  be secured to all of the container  5  at least to the extent that it bridges the gaps between the containers  5  to reinforce the hinge joints  39  between the containers  5 . In a preferred embodiment an element is provided to assist or bias the panel  14  to bend or hinge at the gaps  37 . Lines of perforations  39  can be provided at the gaps  37 . The perforations  39  may go through the panel  14  or partially through the panel  14 . A crease line may be provided with or instead of the perforations  39 . Score lines may also be provided.  
      In a preferred embodiment, the stack of containers  5  is secured to a plurality of panels with one of the panels preferably being the panel  14 . As shown, the stack of containers  5  is also secured to the back panel  13  as with adhesive  41 . Other forms of attachment may be used if desired. As shown, the adhesive  41  is applied to a face  42  of the panel  13  with the adhesive being positioned to adhere to portions of a container  5  abutting the face  42 . Spot depositing of the adhesive  41  is preferred to reduce the amount of adhesive used for securement. A hot melt adhesive can be used.  
      The present invention also includes a method of making a carrier for storing a plurality of memory devices. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of sets of stacks of containers  5  are formed. The appropriate number of carriers is positioned in each stack and the stacks are arranged in end to end relationship along a conveyor. The hinge edges  32 A preferably are positioned facing upwardly or otherwise exposed for the application of the hinge member  7  thereto. Preferably the hinge member  7  is formed from an elongate strip of material which may be cut into proper length segments either before application to the hinge edges  32 A or after application. The plurality of stacks of trays are positioned in end edge to end edge relationship and preferably abut one another when the hinge member  7  is applied in the form of a continuous strip and cut after application to the hinge edges  32 A. A completed jacket is then positioned where the panel  14  overlies the hinge member  7  and is then applied, to its respective hinge member  7 . The adhesive on the opposite faces of the hinge member  7  is preferably a pressure sensitive adhesive wherein securement is effected by applying force to the panel  14  which will help secure the panel  14  to the hinge member and the hinge member to the hinge edges  32 A of the containers  5 . The jackets  109  are extracted from a magazine storing a plurality of jackets. Prior to depositing in the storage magazine, the jackets are suitably formed. The material comprising the jackets  9  is suitably cut as for example die cutting, laser cutting or the like. The various panels are then formed by forming the various crease lines therebetween. In the event of a multi layer panel for example the front panel  11  and the back panel  13 , they are folded along the edges for example the edges  16 A-C and  17 , wherein the faces are adhesively secured together as for example with pressure sensitive adhesive or hot melt adhesive. Each of the panels  11 ,  12 ,  13  and  14  have generally opposite surfaces. Some of the surfaces for example the surfaces  11 D and  13 C will be on the interior of the jacket  9  when in a closed condition and the surfaces  11 E and  13 D will be on the exterior of the jacket when the jacket is in a closed condition. The surfaces may be provided with graphic elements for example the name of the set, advertising graphics, promotional graphics, and marketing graphics as is well known in the art. The graphics will be printed on the panels at any suitable time during the formation of the jacket which can be either after forming the multi layer panels or before folding the cut blank. The sequence of attaching the stack to the two panels may be in the order of securing first to the panel  14  and then the back panel  13  or the back panel  13  and then the binder panel  14  depending upon the particular construction of the assembly line. The panels  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  22  are preferably formed as an integral structure from a cut blank. Simple folding of the blank to form the jacket  9  may be easily accomplished.  
      The reference numeral  101  designates generally a modified form of the carrier  1 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 5-8 , for use in containing, for distribution and storage, a plurality of memory media devices  103 , such as CD&#39;s and DVD&#39;s that contain machine readable information, e.g., digital information such as music, movies, television shows and the like. A plurality of containers  105  are hingedly attached to a hinge member  107  which is in turn secured to the jacket  109 . The containers  105  are movable about gap bridging portions of the hinge member  107  allowing the stack to open up in a fan like manner ( FIG. 6 ) to expose the media devices  103  each within a respective container  105  for removal and/or reinsertion.  
      The jacket  109  is comprised of a plurality of panels that are connected to one another. In the illustrated structure, the panels include a front panel  111 , spine panel  112 , back panel  113  and panel portions  114 A,  114 B extending from the spine panel  112  with the panel portion  114 A being connected to the spine panel  112  at fold line  119  and the panel portion  114 B being part of the back panel  113 . The panels and panel portions  111 - 114  may be formed from any suitable material as for example paperboard having a thickness on the order of about 0.01 inch to about 0.04 inch. Preferably, the panels and panel portions  111 - 114  are formed as an integral structure and may be die cut (or otherwise suitably cut) prior to formation from a single sheet of paperboard or the like. The panels and panel portions  111 - 114  may be single layer or multiple layers as desired. In the illustrated structure, the front panel  111  is a multi-layer panel preferably formed by having portions  111 A and  111 B secured to one another at interengaging faces and portion  111 C overlying portion  111 B and formed by folding at outer edges  116 A,  116 B,  116 C and having inner and outer surfaces  111 D,  111 E respectively. Likewise, the back panel  113  may be multi-layered with the layers  113 A,  113 B thereof and preferably being secured at interengaging face portions and connected at edge  117  providing inner and outer surfaces  113 C,  113 D. The back panel  113  can be provided with an edge margin portion that includes panel portions  114 A and  114 B with the portion  114 A preferably being a edge margin of the layer  113 A and connecting to the spine panel  112  at fold line  119  and the portion  114 B being an edge margin of layer  113 B. The edges  114 C,  114 D are generally parallel to the fold line  119  and may be superposed when the jacket  109  is closed. The panel portion  114 B overlies the panel portion  114 A with an interface therebetween when the jacket  109  is closed. There may be a fold or crease line  115  between the panel portion  114 A and the remainder of the panel  113  and is preferably generally parallel to the fold line  119 . The spine panel  112  is connected to each of the front panel  111  and back panel  113  at the fold lines  118 , 119 . A panel  122  may be provided and extends from a portion of the front panel  111  to provide a removable tab or tabs  121  for such things as proof of purchase, discounts and the like. The panel  122  is joined to the front panel  111  at fold line  123  but may be joined elsewhere. A pocket  127  may be provided between portions  111 B,  111 C as shown broken away in  FIG. 5 .  
      The containers  105  for DVD and CD type media devices are typically in the form of a molded tray that are made of a polymeric material, e.g., styrene or polystyrene and may be clear. The containers  105  each have a recess  130  for receipt therein of a respective media device  103  which may be mounted on a post  131  located in the respective recess  130  and projecting from a bottom surface thereof into the recess  130 . The containers  105  have thickness and an outer perimeter. The outer perimeter is defined by a plurality of side or end edges  132 A-D having heights substantially the same as the thickness of the container  105 . One of the edges,  132 A, is utilized as a hinge edge for the securement of the hinge member  107  thereto. The containers  105  are in a stack having the hinge edges, which are denoted as  132 A in the drawings, aligned and defining a plane when the containers  105  are in a closed orientation as seen in  FIG. 8 . When the carrier  101  is folded to a closed condition as seen in  FIG. 8 , the hinge member  107  portion  107 B attached to the edges  132 A is generally parallel to the spine panel  112  and extends between the edges  132 B,  132 C which extend from opposite ends of the hinge edge  132 A when the carrier  101  is closed, the spine panel  112  and hinge portion  107 B are generally normal to the panel portion  114 A,  114 B and the hinge portion  107 A. The edge  132 D is a distal edge while the hinge edge  132 A is a proximal edge. Preferably, the corresponding edges  132 A-D of each container  105  also define a plane and are aligned as are the edges  132 A, that is, the edges  132 B are aligned, the edges  132 C are aligned, and the edges  132 D are aligned when the carrier  101  is closed.  
      The hinge member  107  is preferably a polymeric strip of tape having adhesive preferably on one face  135  thereof and optionally two faces as described below. By having adhesive pre-applied to the hinge member  107 , the securement of the hinge member adhesively to the edges  132 A of containers  105  can be facilitated and preclude liquid adhesive from flowing between the containers possible interfering with their hinged movement relative to one another. Additionally, the hinge member  107  is adhesively secured to the panel  113 B at preferably an inside face of the panel portion  114 B. When the carrier  101  is closed, the hinge edge margin portion  107 A is captured between the panel portions  114 A,  114 B. It is to be understood, in the alternative, that adhesive could be applied to the edges  132 A and a portion of the layer  113 B and a flexible hinge member  107  can be adhesively secured thereto. The hinge member  107  may be made of polyethylene, polypropylene or any other suitable flexible polymeric material. Other materials can be used to construct the hinge member  107  including paper and composites depending upon the strength and the number of flex cycles anticipated for the hinge member  107 . The hinge member  107  bridges the gaps (interface zones)  137  between adjacent containers  105  forming a hinge joint between each of the adjacent containers  105  and the container  105  overlying and abutting the surface  113 C. In a preferred embodiment, the container  105  overlying and abutting the surface  113 C is not secured to that surface and may move in a hinged manner relative thereto about a portion of the hinge  107  for exposure of the surface  113 C. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, the hinge member  107  may have adhesive applied to both the face  135  and its opposing face  136  so an additional layer of material  140  (shown in phantom in  FIG. 6 ) may be adhesively secured to the hinge member  107  as in the above described structure for the form of invention shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . Such a multi-layered member is shown in phantom in  FIG. 6 . Additionally, the hinge member  107  may be secured to the panel portion  114  eliminating the fold line  115  if desired.  
      The form of the invention shown in  FIG. 5-8  also includes a method of making a carrier for storing a plurality of memory devices. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of stacks of containers  105  are formed. The appropriate quantity of carriers is positioned in each stack and the stacks are arranged in end to end relationship along a conveyor. The hinge edges  132 A preferably are positioned facing upwardly or otherwise exposed for the application of the hinge member  107  thereto. Preferably the hinge member  107  is formed from an elongate strip of material which may be cut into proper length segments either before application to the hinge edges  132 A or after application. A plurality of stacks of trays are positioned in end to end relationship and preferably abut adjacent stacks when the hinge member  107  is applied in the form of a continuous strip and cut after application to the hinge edges  132 A. A completed jacket  109  is positioned adjacent a respective stack of trays with one of the containers  105  preferably abutting and overlying the surface  113 C. A side edge marginal portion  107 A of the hinge member  107  is positioned in overlying relationship to the portion  114 B of the layer  113 C and is folded and pressed into engagement with the layer  113 C to effect the adhesive engagement therebetween. The adhesive used to secure the hinge member  107  to the containers  105  and the panel  113  is preferably a pressure sensitive adhesive wherein securement is effected by applying force to the margin portion  107 A and the remainder of the hinge member  107  to effect the securement of the components together. The jackets  109  are extracted from a magazine storing a plurality of jackets. Prior to depositing in the storage magazine, the jackets  109  are suitably formed. The material comprising the jackets  109  is suitably cut as for example by die cutting, laser cutting or the like. The various panels of the jacket  109  are then formed by forming the various crease lines therebetween. In the event of a multi layer panel, for example, the front panel  111  and the back panel  113 , they are folded along the edges for example the edges  116 A-C and  117  wherein the adjacent overlying faces are adhesively secured together as for example with pressure sensitive adhesive or hot melted adhesive. Each of the panels  111 ,  112  and  113  and the panel portion  114  have generally opposite surfaces. Some of the surfaces for example the surfaces  111 D and  113 C will be on the interior of the jacket  109  when in a closed condition and the surfaces  111 E and  113 D will be on the exterior of the jacket when the jacket  109  is in a closed condition. The surfaces may be provided with graphic elements for example the name of the set, advertising graphics, promotional graphics, and marketing graphics as is well known in the art. The graphics will be printed on the various panels at any suitable time during the formation of the jacket which can be either after forming the multi-layer panels or before folding the cut blank from which the jacket  109  is formed. The panels  111 ,  112 ,  113  and  122  and the panel portion  114  are preferably formed as an integral structure from a cut blank. Simple folding of the blank to form the jacket  109  may be easily accomplished as is well known in the art.  
      Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.