Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Rear loading media storage device

Rear loading media storage device description/claims

This non-provisional application claims priority to the provisional application having Ser. No. 60/957,854 with a filing date of Aug. 24, 2007 which is commonly owned by the same inventor.

The rear loading disc storage device generally relates to packaging for disc shaped media and more specifically to a package that loads a disc from the rear of the package.

People have artistic aspirations in varying degree. A few show noticeable artistic talent and go on to success. The success can be in arts with a manual component such as painting, drawing, needlepoint, embroidery, etching and the like. These arts use tools held in the hand, such as a brush, pen, or needle, to make an image. These arts create an image of a scene, person, or abstract concept upon a medium, generally for exhibition upon a flat surface. The image can be mono-chrome or colorful and have varying degrees of detail. Talented artists can create such images from scratch. For others, such as novices, a little guidance assists a person in completing the creation of an image.

Over the years, the guidance has taken the form of various patterns. The patterns allow a novice artist to size an image, define details within the image, and to apply colors in appropriate locations. Patterns vary from paint by number where numbers upon a lined drawing indicate color locations, to templates for cutting cloth for sewing, to entire patterns including sizing and coloration for threads used in embroidery, and the like. Patterns have been published in paper form and sold through catalogs for many years. However, recently developments in computing and automation of embroidery and sewing machines have encouraged migration of patterns from paper to digital media. The digital media has taken various forms.

From early Winchester hard disks, digital media has used disks of various kinds. The arrival of the personal computer brought with it external floppy disk drives that used magnetic media read by a head in a drive unit. The floppy disks started at eleven inch width, migrated to five and one quarter inch width, and generally remain at three and one half inch width at present. The floppy disk has a maximum storage limit, presently 1.44 MB.

Recent years have seen the evolution of optical memory storage devices, commonly called compact discs. Initially deployed for audio playback, optical discs have migrated into personal computers and digital media. An optical disc has pits printed onto a plastic medium that are read by a laser on a head in a drive or machine component. Initially, optical discs had read only capability which allowed for distribution of music and software but not storage to the optical discs. The optical discs then evolved read and write once capability which allowed users to store programs and self-created data to replace floppy disks. In time, optical discs gained the read and write many capability and the cost dropped noticeably. An optical disc also has a storage limit of approximately 720 MB again depending on formatting type. Optical discs, commonly called CDs, can store many patterns and be readily mailed.

Returning to patterns for novice artists, published printed patterns remained relatively secure from theft as a an entire magazine or book would have to be lifted. Vendors placed anti-theft tags readily upon the book covers. In recent years, publishers have now placed CDs within books and magazines and sold CDs standing alone. CDs have a generally small size and thickness. Thieves have been known to remove CDs from books and magazines only to leave the looted books and magazines behind for the frustrated merchant to discover.

Over the years, various forms of mailers, envelopes, and packages of many kinds have sought to protect CDs at a minimum from handling but also to secure the CDs to the package until removed by the ultimate, or paying, consumer of the CD. Mailers have encased CDs and protected them from handling in the mails and an empty mailer indicates loss of the CD readily to the consumer. Packages can hold CDs but an overlying flap or lid may conceal the absence of a CD from the consumer and the merchant. The prior art packages receive CDs from various directions and generally require additional labor or mechanization for the insertion of a CD within the package. Prior art mailers and packages have had varying degrees of success in securing CDs for the ultimate consumer at minimal labor or machining cost.

For example, the U.S. patent to Drier, U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,907 shows an insert for a periodical that has four continuous panels. The panels fold from left to right and the first panel 22 has a punched opening, as at 32, for holding a media disc, across its entire diameter. The second panel has a semi-circular cover that detaches from line 36. Upon folding the first onto the second panel, a gap 64 remains for insertion of a media disc. Generally, the first panel adheres to the second panel with adhesive. The present invention though has a semi circular cut out cooperating with radial bands that secure a media disc without an adhesive and consecutive folding of panels.

The patent to Lux, U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,417 shows a folding sleeve for holding an article, or a media disc, where the folding sleeve has a round window 16 that displays an article adhered to the bottom wall 31. A retaining flap 15 follows the perimeter of the window and has three finger holes. The retaining flap further has a perimeter scoring that allows a person to detach the retaining flap with a thumb. This patent is similar to the present invention however, it uses adhesive and a perimeter flap where the present invention secures an article with friction and radial bands. Additionally, this patent is for a method of packaging and not for the particular structure of a packaging blank.

The patent application to Lux, 2003/0006153 shows again a folding sleeve for holding a media disc as a packaging blank. The application discloses a three part panel that folds to reveal a round display window. As above, the display window has a perimeter flap that detaches from scoring using finger holes. The present invention with the radial bands and semicircular opening differs from this application.

The patent to Pace et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,605 has a folder for storing media discs in a mailer or publication with two panels that fold upon a centerline. One panel has a round hole for viewing of a media disc and the other panel has a tear off flap to access the media disc. The media disc has a releasable adhesive for securing upon the second panel. The present invention though has a single panel perforated with radial bands for accessing a media disc therein. The patent to Kato, U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,462 shows a short book like casing for media discs. This casing has covers that accept media discs into an accommodating space 18 within an intermediate member 19 that is closed by a lining member 20. The intermediate member has a round aperture for the accommodating space while the lining member has a detachable flap 24.

The patent to Wynalda and Hulbert, U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,865 is similar to Drier with four consecutive folding panels. Two panels have a round opening for placement of a media disc and a third panel has a removable door that releases a media disc from the container. The removable door and a fourth panel secure the media disc within the container but do not permit viewing of the disc. The door also reveals the entire disc whereas the present invention has a portion of a disc revealed behind radial bands of a single panel.

The patent application to Telleen, No. 2005/0116462 shows a three panel holder for the magnetic room keys used in hotels. This application showed a holder that has incentives upon it so a user separates a key from the room number identified upon the holder. One incentive is a media disc inserted halfway into a slot. Though similar to the present invention, this application does not disclose radial bands that secure a media disc within a holder while allowing a person to see the disc.

And the patent to Liddel, U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,288 describes a three sheet envelope for a media disc. The envelope has parallel and spaced apart top and bottom sheets. A center sheet has a rounded aperture upon one end and the sheet inserts between the other two sheets. The three sheets are laminated to each other with adhesive. A media disc then is inserted between the sheets into the aperture and secured with a flap from the bottom sheet. The present invention using a single sheet of material and radial bands that reveal a media disc contained.

The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art. That is, the prior art has utilized various packages with interleaving panels that contain CDs and various means of retaining a CD within a panel. Generally the prior art has loaded CDs from the front of the package which incurred higher labor and assembly costs.

Generally, the present invention is a planar sheet that secures at least one CD or other media disc, onto the sheet for placement within printed material upon public display for sale. The invention notifies later shoppers and the merchant that a CD has been lifted from it. The sheet has at least one flap extending from a cut line and partially over a CD leaving the upper half visible. The flaps can be radial upon the left and right edges or the center only, a band across the cut line, or an artistic flap. Opposite the flap, the sheet has one tab that grips the CD across from the visible CD portion. The cut line extends about 1.5 times the thickness of the CD to each end of the cut line. A CD is inserted into the rear of the sheet below the tab and beneath the flaps. The cut line, flaps, and tab can be used singly or in multiples. The CD remains secured until a consumer breaks the flaps upon purchasing the CD and printed material.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws