CD Holder of Cardboard and Method of Construction

The present invention relates generally to a Holder for a Compact Disc (CD) fabricated entirely out of cardboard construction material, and thus obviating the use of plastic or other such non-biodegradable materials, and more particularly to the use of cardboard without detracting from providing an effectively functioning enclosure or holder for the CD for transporting, mailing or merely storing inbetween use this fragile product, and thus effectively substituting for the heretofore rigid plastic CD holder popularly known as a "jewel box".

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,318 issued to Leverick for "Secured Disc Folder" on Feb. 4, 1992, the shortcoming of using a plastic container for a CD holder is similarly acknowledged and, as similarly proposed herein, a cardboard substitute is proposed for the plastic container. However, the Leverick CD enclosure or holder is not fabricated out of the cardboard in a manner which uses to advantage the attributes of cardboard to make up for the lack of strength and rigidity this material possesses in relation for the substituted plastic, with the result that the cardboard Leverick CD holder is not effective for the purposes intended, namely to protect the fragile CD against surface damage, shape distortion and the like, during transporting, mailing or storage during inbetween use of the CD.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cardboard CD holder overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a CD holder effectively enclosing the CD in a multi-ply cardboard structure which resists compressive forces as might cause damage to the CD to an even greater extent than rigid plastic, and in other ways contributes to better serving as a protective container for the CD, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.

The description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the invention to the example shown and described, because those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains will be able to devise other forms thereof within the ambit of the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open cardboard CD holder according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the compact closed condition of the CD holder;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cardboard blank used in the fabrication of the CD holder;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 3 being folded into the within CD holder; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are each perspective views illustrating subsequent folding of the blank.

The patentable advance herein disclosed and illustrated is a holder, generally designated 10, intended primarily for transporting, mailing, or merely storing inbetween use, without causing damage to a musical or sound-playing component consisting of a compact disc and popularly known by its acronym CD. As further well known a CD, herein designated 12 and shown in FIG. 1 in phantom, is commercially available in a circular shape of approximately 4 11/16 inches in diameter and a thickness of 1/32 inches.

The within inventive holder 10 as shown in its folded or three dimensional configuration in FIG. 1 is a construction exclusively of panels of cardboard construction material, i.e. avoiding any plastic or other such non-biodegradable material, which presents a superposed arrangement of plies, individually and collectively designated 14 which cooperate in forming a wall 16 bounding a CD storage compartment 18. Wall 16 has a height 20, shown in slightly exaggerated proportion in FIG. 1, and similarly shown in slightly exaggerated proportion is the compartment 18 having a 4 11/16 inches diameter. The CD 12 having the dimensions above noted is thus sized and shaped to be seated with a slight friction fit about its peripheral edge 22 to the wall 16 when placed by a user 24 into the compartment 18. Openings 26 and 28 are provided for handling of the CD 12 during placement into and removal from the compartment 18 at the CD edges aligning with the openings 26 and 28.

Still referring to FIG. 1, it will be noted that holder 10 is further embodied with a laterally extending literature-enclosing pocket 30 and, more pertinent to the inventive advance represented by the holder 10 has, in a narrow connecting strip 32 two adjacent fold lines 34 and 36 which contribute to the strip 32 functioning as a spine of a book when the pocket 30 panel construction is folded over the CD seated in the compartment 18. The resulting compact book-like configuration of the holder 10 is best understood from FIG. 2.

The fabrication of the holder 10 is illustrated in sequence in FIGS. 3 through 6. More particularly, preliminarily there is die-cut from cardboard stock, preferably solid bleach sulphate which is commercially available from Westvaco of New York, N.Y., a blank 38 which is delineated by fold lines, individually and collectively designated 40, into eight panels, designated in accordance with their co-operating relationship with each other as sets, as 42 and 42A, as 44 and 44A, as 46 and 46A, and as 48 and 48A. In the previously described folded configuration of FIG. 1, panel 44A is the bottom of the compartment 18 and panel 46A the top ply, and the designated panels 44, 46 and 48 and 48A the superposed construction which results in the wall 16. The remaining panels 42, 42A, along with a sealing tab 50 provide the pocket 30.

Although in the condition of a flat blank 38 as shown in FIG. 3 there is not yet any removal of any cardboard by die-cutting as would provide the CD-shaped compartment 18 for enhancement in understanding of the contribution of this method step subsequently to be practiced, on panel 46A there is shown in phantom and designated 52 the die-cut location and the size relation of the die-cut relative to the size of panel 46A.

In the fabrication of holder 10 and proceeding next to FIG. 4, adhesive is applied in any known appropriate manner to the surfaces of the panels in the areas illustrated individually and collectively designated 54, thus covering the entire surfaces of panels 46 and 48, the peripheral surface of bottom panel 44A, and the surface of the sealing tab 50, after which the panels are then folded in accordance with the directional arrows 40 to form, starting from left to right as viewed in FIG. 4, the pocket 30, and successively a two-ply construction of panels 44 and 44A, separated by the strip 32 from the pocket 30, a two-ply construction of panel 46 and top panel 46A delineated by fold line 56 from the panels 44, 44A, and a two-ply construction of panels 48 and 48A delineated by fold line 56 from the panels 46, 46A.

Proceeding next to FIGS. 5 and 6, the within inventive method contemplates applying adhesive 58 to the exposed opposite surfaces of panels 44 and 46, and then folding the panels according to the directional arrows 60 and 62.

Returning again to FIG. 1, there results after the folding step of FIG. 6, a superposed arrangement of plies 14 above the bottom panel 44A in proper condition for the die-cutting and removal of cardboard construction material that will provide the compartment 18. This die-cutting and selective material removal is achieved in a well understood manner using die-cutting equipment, such as is commercially available from Bobst S. A. of Lausanne, Switzerland, to impart a so-called "kiss cut" die-cut in the superposed plies 14, said "kiss cut" die-cut being denoted by the reference arrow 64 indicating a descending cutting action into the plies along the location 52 previously noted in FIG. 3 which imparts the desired shape to the resulting compartment 18 and, most important, said die-cut is only carried out to the depth of all but the bottom panel 46A and thus leaves intact the bottom panel 46A so it can serve as a support surface for the CD 12 positioned in the compartment 18.

For completeness sake, it is noted that when the holder 10 is commercially used as for mail order or retail sales of CDs, that descriptive literature (not shown) will be placed through an opening 65 into the pocket 30.

While the apparatus for practicing the within inventive method, as well as said method herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.