Patent Publication Number: US-2005121342-A1

Title: Compact disc protective sleeve package

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      (a) Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to compact disc protective sleeves, and more particularly to a compact disc protective sleeve package utilized to prevent compact discs from falling out of a protective sleeve.  
      (b) Description of the Prior Art  
      Current everyday usage of compact discs is becoming more and more widespread. People are using the compact disc to store a great deal of important data, and after saving data on a compact disc, a critical factor emerges as to how to protect the compact disc used to store the data.  
      Presently, a protective sleeve is generally used to protect the compact disc from being scratched when not in use or when being carried around by a user, and therewith-averting regret for being unable to read the data stored on the compact disc because of damage to the compact disc.  
      Currently, a common compact disc protective sleeve is simply configured with an opening at a top edge of a pocket, see  FIG. 1 , thereby facilitating placing the compact disc through the opening, and containing the compact disc within the protective sleeve, thus achieving effectiveness of protecting the disc. However, such a configuration easily results in the compact disc falling out from the opening. If the user does not notice that the compact disc has fallen out, then the compact disc is at risk of being scratched or mislaid, and backup of important data loses its significance.  
      Therefore, a “drop preventable compact disc holder” invention was made available, comprising a main body and at least one pocket. Edgings of the pocket are joined to corresponding edgings of a surface of the main body, with an opening is formed between the pocket and the main body, and a space within the opening provides a contain space for retaining of the compact disc therein. The compact disc holder is characterized in having a check portion, having a protrusion configured in middle of the contain space formed between the pocket and the main body, and is located on a side edge of the adjoining opening. Length of the protrusion of the check portion is slightly greater than width of the inner edge of the contain space less diameter of the compact disc, and the check portion is configured at a height not lower than height of the central horizontal line of the compact disc after being inserted and positioned within the contain space. Therewith, upon the compact disc being inserted in the contain space of the compact disc holder and accordingly positioned, the check portion protrudes over and catches on circumference of the compact disc. Therefore, prior to exerting a force in direction of opening to extract the compact disc, the check portion catches and securely retains position of the compact disc within the compact disc holder. However, because aforementioned configuration confines the compact disc within the contain space, it still utilizes additional friction between the compact disc and circumjacent components to prevent the compact disc from dropping out. Yet this design still contains components exposed outside of the pocket, and thus there exists a possibility of being mistakenly handled and the compact disc being pulled out from the contain space. Thus does not achieve requirement of fully preventing the compact disc from dropping out of the contain space. Moreover, processing of such compact disc holder is comparatively complicated, and manufacturing costs are also comparatively high, and hence difficult to effectively enhance competitiveness of such compact disc holder.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A primary objective of a compact disc protective sleeve package of the present invention is to provide a configuration having low manufacturing costs and effectively preventing a compact disc from falling out of a protective sleeve, and thereby positively achieving objective of protecting the compact disc.  
      The compact disc protective sleeve package of the present invention is configured with a flap extending from a top edging of a first surface layer. The flap can fold over and cover an opening of the compact disc protective sleeve, thereby forming a closed package, and achieves objective of preventing the compact disc from falling out from the protective sleeve.  
      To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of a traditional compact disc protective sleeve.  
       FIG. 2  shows an elevational view of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  shows a plain view according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  shows an elevational view of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  shows an elevational view of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  shows an elevational view of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 8  shows an elevational view of another preferred embodiment according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4 , which show the present invention comprising a first surface layer  10  and a second surface layer  20 , moreover, the first surface layer  10  and the second surface layer  20  are configured to be corresponding layers, such that two side edges and a bottom edge of the first surface layer  10  and two edges and a bottom edge of the second surface layer  20  are conterminously sealed, and because top edges of the first surface layer  10  and the second surface layer are left unsealed, openings  101  and  201  are formed there between. In addition, an intermediary layer  30  is further configured between the first surface layer  10  and the second surface layer  20 , thereby compartmentalizing the first surface layer  10  and the second surface layer  20 , and separately forming a contain space  31  with the first and second surface layers  10  and  20  respectively.  
      The present invention is characterized in having a top edging of the first surface layer  10  extended to form a flap  11 , which can fold over and cover the openings  101  and  201 . Upon the flap  11  folding over the openings  101  and  201 , the present invention thereby forms a closed package. A gap  21  is cut in a top edging of the second surface layer  20 , and shaped so as to correspond with a shape of the flap  11 , as well as forming a retainer tab  211  that extends from the gap  21 .  
      When a compact disc  40  is inserted into the contain space  31  through the opening  101  (or opening  201 ), then the flap  11  is employed to fold over and cover the openings  101  and  201 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , which shows the compact disc protective sleeve of the present invention with a compact disc  40  already retained within the contain space  31 , and placed therein through the opening  101 . After folding over the flap  11  and appropriately fitting within the gap  21 , thereby forming a single packet with the second surface layer  20 , a retaining check of the retainer tab  211  achieves effectiveness of securing the flap  11  thereof. Therefore, aforementioned embodiment of the present invention not only allows the flap  11  to be utilized as a component to cover the openings  101  and  102 , but also be employed as a countercheck component to prevent the compact disc  41  from falling out from the opening  101 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 5 , which shows another embodiment, whereby an insertion slot  202  is defined in the second surface layer  20 , thereby allowing the flap  11  to tuck into therein, and thus achieve objective of securing the flap  11 .  
      In order to achieve requirement of securing the flap  11 , other means can be employed to achieve such objective. Referring to  FIG. 6 , which shows therein mutually fastenable male fasteners  111  and female fasteners  203  configured on the flap  11  and the second surface layer  20  respectively. Thus, mutual fastening the male fasteners  111  and female fasteners  203  thereby achieves objective of securing the flap  11 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , which depicts another means to secure the flap  11 , whereby hook and loop fastener strips  112  and  204  are configured on the flap  11  and the second surface layer  20  respectively, which are utilized to mutually adhere, and thereby achieve objective of securing the flap  11  thereof.  
      In addition, referring to  FIG. 8 , which shows several intermediary layers  30  (2 to 3 layers) can also be established as another embodiment of the present invention  30 . Hereat, 2 intermediary layers  30  are configured as an instance of the embodiment, thus the intermediate layers  30  compartmentalize the contain space  31 , and thereby allows number of contain spaces  31  to correspondingly increase. Because of increase in number of contain spaces  31 , number of compact discs  40  that can be inserted and held within the contain spaces  31  is likewise increased, and further adds to value of the present invention.  
      It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.