Abstract:
A device for carrying a compact disc having a central aperture and a method of forming the same are provided. The device comprises a blank formed from a single piece of paper board stock, with the blank including a plurality of fold lines dividing the blank into a plurality of panels. A first one of the panels and a second one of the panels are foldable along a first one of the fold lines to a confronting position, with the first and second panels cooperating to form a pocket therebetween when in the confronting position. At least one of the first and second panels defines a receiving area and includes a receiving aperture. A third one of the panels is foldable along a second one of the fold lines to a folded position overlying the receiving area. The third panel includes an elongated protrusion sized for insertion through the receiving aperture and into the pocket. A compact disc may be secured adjacent the receiving by inserting the elongated protrusion through the central aperture of the compact disc, through the receiving aperture, and into the pocket.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a folded paper board device for holding articles such as compact discs, and more specifically, to a compact disc (CD) carrier device suitable for use as a CD mailer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Compact discs, which are commonly referred to as “CD&#39;s” are generally well known in the art. Standard CD&#39;s having a nominal diameter of about four and three quarters (4¾) inches are commonly used to store prerecorded music, prerecorded video (commonly referred to as digital video discs or “DVD&#39;s”), and data for reading by a computer. All may be referred to collectively as CD&#39;s. Due to technical advances, a CD can store an incredible amount of data, and thus CD&#39;s are greatly preferred over other storage mediums, such as, by way of example, magnetic recording tape. 
     It is well known that CD&#39;s are commonly employed as a convenient medium for storing computer software, and, owing to the capacity of CD&#39;s to store such great amounts of data, CD&#39;s are commonly employed to store all of the data necessary for a wide variety of applications. For example, CD&#39;s are often used to store data for entire sets of encyclopedias, dictionaries, legal treatises, legal reporters, maps, games, etc., not to mention to store music for CD players and to store entire movies for viewing with DVD players. Many other applications are also well known. 
     Owing to the advances in technology that have given rise to the proliferation of CD&#39;s as a storage medium, the purveyors of the above-described items, such as book and magazine publishers, music companies, video companies, software companies, and internet-related service providers and search engines now frequently mail their goods on CD&#39;s directly to consumers. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for cost-effective yet secure packaging in which to mail CD&#39;s to the end user. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folded paperboard CD carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention and shown in an unfolded state; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the CD carrier in one possible partially folded state; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a CD secured to the CD carrier; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the CD carrier shown in an unfolded state; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the CD carrier shown in FIGS. 1-4 and shown in a generally unfolded state; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating a compact disc being positioned on the compact disc carrier; 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 and illustrating the compact disc secured in place in the CD carrier; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a folded paperboard CD carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of a second disclosed embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a plan view thereof and illustrating the device in its flat or unfolded state; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating the device in a fully folded state and storing therein a pair of CD&#39;s; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a folded paperboard CD carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of a third disclosed embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a folded paperboard CD carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of a yet another disclosed embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view thereof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Rather, the following embodiments have been chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to follow the teachings thereof. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-7 of the drawings, a CD carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral  20 . The CD carrier  20  may be used to carry a compact disc  22  (viewable in FIGS. 3 and 6, and hereinafter referred to as a “CD”) which is commonly used in the art to store machine readable data. It will be noted that the CD  22  will typically have a central aperture  24  having a nominal diameter of about 1.5 centimeters. 
     The CD carrier  20  is constructed of a paper or paperboard blank  26 . The blank  26  is preferably formed from a single piece of stock, and still preferably may be constructed of eighteen (18) point stock. The blank  16 , when positioned flat or fully unfolded as shown in FIG. 1, may be generally rectangular in shape. The blank  26  includes a pair of fold lines  28  and  30 . The fold lines  28  and  30  divide the blank  26  into a plurality of panels, which in the embodiment shown includes panels  32 ,  34 , and  36 . 
     The panel  34  is foldable with respect to the panel  32  along the fold line  28 , while the panel  36  is foldable with respect to the panel  32  along the fold line  30 . The panel  34  includes a receiving aperture  38 . In the disclosed embodiment, the receiving aperture may have a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the central aperture  24 . The panel  32  includes a first face  40   a  and a second face  40   b , the panel  34  includes a first face  42   a  and a second face  42   b , and the panel  36  includes a first face  44   a  and a second face  44   b . As shown in FIGS. 2,  3 ,  5  and  6 , the second face  42   b  of the panel  34  defines a receiving area  46 , which receiving area  46  will be positioned to receive the CD  22  in the manner to be more fully explained below. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the panel  32  is bounded by the fold lines  28  and  30 , and also by edges  48  and  50 . The panel  34  is bounded by the fold line  28 , and also by edges  52 ,  54  and  56 . Finally, the panel  36  is bounded by the fold line  30 , and by a pair of edges  58 ,  60 , which converge toward a base or root  62  of a protrusion  64 . The protrusion  64  preferably includes an elongated portion  65  which terminates in a rounded tip  66 . The rounded tip  66  will preferably have a radius roughly equivalent to the radius of the central aperture  24  of the CD  22 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2, and  5 - 7 , when the panel  34  is folded along the fold line  28 , a pocket  68  is formed by the panels  32  and  34 . More specifically, the pocket  68  is formed by the face  42   a  of the panel  34  and the face  40   a  of the panel  32 . It will be noted that, for ease of illustration, the thickness of the blank  26  as well as the space between the adjacent panels  32 ,  34 , and  36  have been exaggerated in FIGS. 5-7. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, the face  42   a  of the panel  34  preferably includes a pair of adhesive strips  70 . The adhesive strips may be a double coated film such as is sold under the Scotch® brand name, or, in the alternative, a line of adhesive covered with release tape may be used. Further, the adhesive strips may be applied to the face  40   a  of the panel  32 . As a still further alternative, strips of hook and loop closure material (not shown) may be employed, or any other suitable adhesive system of mechanical fasteners may be employed, in order to maintain the panels  32 ,  34  in the confronting position illustrated in FIG.  2 . As another alternative, other conventional gluing or attachment methods may be used. Finally, in some applications the strips  70  may be dispensed with entirely. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, the elongated portion  65  of the protrusion  64  includes a pair of spaced apart edges  72 ,  74 . In the disclosed embodiment, the edges  72 ,  74  are spaced apart so that the width of the elongated section roughly matches the diameter of the receiving aperture  38  in the panel  34 . 
     In operation, the device  20  may be formed by stamping, forming or otherwise cutting the blank  26  from a single piece of stock. The strips  70  of adhesive may then be applied to the appropriate face, such as the face  42   a  of the panel  34 . As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the panel  34  is folded along the fold line  28 , which places the panel  34  over the panel  32 , with the face  42   a  of the panel  34  facing the face  40   a  of the panel  32 , thereby forming the pocket  68 . When so positioned, the receiving area  46  now faces upwardly when viewing the FIGS. The panels are secured in place by the adhesive strips  70 . As shown in FIG. 6, the CD  22  may now be placed adjacent the receiving area  46 . 
     When the CD  22  is placed on the receiving area  46 , the aperture  24  of the CD  22  is generally aligned with the receiving aperture  38  located in the panel  34 . Subsequently, the panel  36  is folded along the fold line  30 , and the protrusion  64  is manipulated to extend through both the aperture  24  of the CD  22  and the receiving aperture  38  in the panel  34 . Owing to the flexibility of the paperboard stock, the panel  36  and the protrusion  64  are slightly flexible and will deflect slightly, enabling the protrusion  64  to be inserted through the apertures  24  and  38 . The CD  22  is thus secured to the CD carrier  20  as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the protrusion  64  extends into the pocket  68 . As shown in FIG. 3, the root  62  is positioned roughly at the center C of the aperture  24  of the CD. Further, the edges  72 ,  74  will preferably frictionally engage an inner edge  24   a  of the central aperture  24  of the CD  22 , and will further frictionally engage an inner edge  38   a  of the receiving aperture  38  in the panel  34 . 
     As shown in FIG. 7, when the protrusion  64  is disposed in the pocket  68 , the protrusion  64  may be slightly deformed at the root  62  and/or along a central portion  65   a  of the elongated section  65 . At least a portion of the protrusion  64  may also experience frictional forces at the contact points A (adjacent the inner edge  38   a  of the receiving aperture) and B against the face  40   a  of the panel  32 . These frictional forces may help to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the protrusion from the pocket  68 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8-10 of the drawings, a CD carrier constructed in accordance with the teachings of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral  120 . The CD carrier  120  may be used to carry a pair of CD&#39;s  22  of the type described above in conjunction with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7. 
     The CD carrier  120  includes a pair sections  120   a ,  120   b , with each of the sections  120   a  and  120   b  being substantially identical to the device  10  described above with respect to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9, the section  120   a  includes fold lines  128   a  and  130   a , which divide the section  120   a  into a plurality of panels  132   a ,  134   a , and  136   a . Similarly, the section  120   b  includes fold lines  128   b  and  130   b , which divide the section  120   b  into a plurality of panels  132   b ,  134   b , and  136   b . The sections  120   a  and  120   b  are joined by an additional panel  137 . The panel  137  meets the panel  132   a  at a fold line  139 , and meets the panel  132   b  at a fold line  141 . 
     The panels  134   a  and  134   b  are foldable with respect to the panels  132   a  and  132   b  along their respective fold lines  128   a ,  128   b , while the panels  136   a  and  136   b  are foldable with respect to their adjacent panels  132   a ,  132   b  along the fold lines  130   a  and  130   b . Both panels  134   a ,  134   b  include a receiving aperture  138   a ,  138   b , respectively. The receiving apertures may have a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the central aperture  24  of the CD  22 . The panel  132   a  includes faces  140   a ,  140   b , while the panel  132   b  includes faces  141   a ,  141   b . The panel  134   a  includes faces  142   a ,  142   b , while the panel  134   b  includes faces  135   a ,  135   b . When the panels  134   a ,  134   b  are folded along the fold lines  128   a ,  128   b  to the position of FIG. 8, a receiving area  146   a ,  146   b  is defined on the faces  142   b ,  143   b , respectively, which receiving areas  146   a ,  146   b  face upwardly in FIG. 8 As shown, the receiving areas  146   a ,  146   b  are each positioned to receive a CD  22 . The panels  136   a ,  136   b  each include a protrusion  164   a ,  164   b , respectively, which are substantially identical in all respects to the protrusion  64  described above with respect to the first disclosed embodiment, and thus neither of the protrusions  164   a  or  164   b  need be described further. 
     Referring to FIG. 8, upon folding the panels  134   a ,  134   b  along the fold lines  128   a ,  128   b , two pockets  168   a  and  168   b  are created. The pocket  168   a  is defined between the panels  134   a  and  132   a , while the pocket  168   b  is defined between the panels  134   b  and  132   b . The CD&#39;s  22  may be secured to their respective receiving areas  146   a ,  146   b  in a manner identical to that discussed above using the protrusions  164   a ,  164   b  by folding and manipulating the panels  136   a ,  136   b  as described above. Finally, the sections  120   a ,  120   b  may be positioned as shown in FIG. 10 upon folding the device  120  along the fold lines  139  and  141 . 
     FIG. 11 illustrates a CD carrier  220  similar in all respects to the CD carrier  20  discussed in detail above, but having an edge portion  221  adapted for mounting to a ring binder by inclusion of a line of perforations  223 . Alternatively, the device  220  could be glued to a separate, perforated sheet (not shown). 
     FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a further CD carrier  320  assembled in accordance with the teachings of yet another disclosed embodiment of the invention. The CD carrier  320  includes a panel  332  and a panel  336  separated by a fold line  330 . The panel  332  includes a protrusion  364  identical to that discussed above with respect to the first, second and third embodiments. The panel  332  includes a receiving aperture  338  and defines a receiving area  346 . As shown in FIG. 13, the protrusion  364  secures the CD  22  adjacent the receiving area  346  similar to the manner described above, but without the inclusion of a pocket. 
     Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which come within the scope of the claims is reserved.