AU2814999A - Arc card - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of The Invention This invention relates to a CD Rom the shape of a card or similar (CD card) made of plastic with a printed business upper side with directly visually readable information.

Description of Prior Art Business cards have been known and used for a long time. Known business cards are printed on paper or other base stock and have a name, company designation and other visually recognisable information. Since the format is relatively small typically approx 90mm x 55mm only a relatively limited amount of information can be printed on known business cards. The amount of information is sufficient when directly presented to a person being visited. However, when later looking at known business cards it would be nice if considerably more information would be available, o such as related to the presenter, or respectively the company, in order to jog the memory of the person being visited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

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It is one object of this invention to provide a CD card on which information can be printed in a conventional way, and which also makes it possible to supply a large amount of information.

This object is attained by this invention as disclosed in the claims. An additional advantage of this invention is that for example the complete company information, such as the company program, catalogues, order forms and, for example, even an automatic internet access to the home page of the company, can be provided as information on the CD card.

A further advantage of this invention is that the CD card in accordance with this invention can also be produced in different formats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This invention will be described below in connection with the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a bottom view of one preferred embodiment of a CD card in accordance with this invention.

SFig 2 shows a front view of the calling card of Fig. 1, inserted into a CD-ROM drive; and Fig 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a calling card in accordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED

EMBODIMENTS

This invention will now be described in more detail in connection with the drawings.

One basic concept of this invention is a combination of a business card with a CD- ROM. On one hand, known business cards are mostly made of paper, semicardboard or plastic. Known calling cards have a defined format, approximately the S same as is customary and widespread all over the world in connection with credit cards. On another hand, various companies have already shaped CDs with music or with catalogue and company information. However, these cannot be inserted in conventional card holders, because they are too large and they are round.

oo. The CD card of this invention now makes both possible. This is a CD which can be inserted into a normal CD drive and read.

The usual CD drive is known to contain a central drive spindle and a circular-shaped drive centering device, into which a CD is inserted. The drive centering device centers the inserted CD, and the CD is driven bytheidrive spindle inthedrive.

During operation the CD is guided in the drive centering device on a small air cushion and is driven by the spindle and the central positioning device. So that normal CD's and mini-CD's can be used in the same drive, centering the CD's is accomplished in two stages matched to the two different diameters. It is known to mechanically separate the drive and the centering device, so that the CD's are not mechanically stressed and damaged in the area of the drive opening.

For advertising purposes, some conventional CD's are produced in defined shapes which differ from the round disk. Such CD's have a shape wherein the edge always corresponds at several places to the normal circumference of CD's. If such CD's are inserted into the drive, the spindle engages the central drive opening of the CD, and the CD rests with several places of its circumference inside on the centering edge of the drive centering device. These CD's are called "shaped CD's". Their shape is milled from a customary round CD.

However, a CD of the size and shape of a business card is too small for resting against the drive centering device. In no way does the format of a business card correspond to the format of a normal or a mini-CD. It is important to center a CD in a conventional CD drive. According to this invention, the CD card is designed as a CD-ROM in a business card format and has suitable means for centering the CD card, designed as a CD-ROM, in the CD drive.

A CD card in accordance with this invention is shown in Fig. 1, in a bottom view.

The calling card of this invention has a format which is customary for business cards. Like a conventional CD, the CD card is made of the same material and in the same way. As shown in Fig. 1, the drive opening 11, which is bordered by a S: placement area 15, is located in the center. Adjoining the placement area 15 is the data area 14, on which data can be written and which can be read in the CD drive.

Two centering arcs are arranged on a circular plain in the form of two arcs are arranged in such a way that, when the CD card is inserted into the CD drive, the arcs rest against the centering shoulder 23, as shown in Fig.2, and maintain the CD card centered. The means for centering in the CD drive can, in place of a number of individual nubs or pins ,13, -alternatively comprise,.

centering beads 13a, which are arranged on both sides symmetrically relative to the drive opening 11, as shown on one side only in Fig. 2. The centering beads 13a form a sector of a circle, wherein the radius is selected such that the outer edges of the centering beads 13a rest against the centering shoulder 23, with minimal play.

In Fig.2 a business card in accordance with this invention is inserted into the drive drawer 20 of a CD drive 2, as shown in a section along line A A in Fig. 1. The drive drawer 20 has a first centering shoulder 22 for a conventional CD and a second centering shoulder 23 for a conventional mini-CD. The drive spindle 21 and the 4 drive placement device 21' of the drive and the drive opening 11 of the calling card 1 are shown in broken lines since they are not located in the section A A. With downward projecting centering means 13, 13a, the calling card 1 rests against the centering edge 23 of the drive for conventional mini-CD's, which assures dependable centering of the CD card 1 in the drive. The CD card 1 simultaneously rests on the drive placement device 21', and the drive spindle 21 projects through the drive opening 11. A minimal air cushion is formed between the CD card 1 and the drawer with respect to the centering edge 23, during rotation of the CD card 1.

In this way the CD card 1 is clearly and cleanly centered when inserted into the drive and is not mechanically stressed when running.

The calling card 1 can be imprinted, as before, on the upper side with the name, address and further information. The underside, the data side, is a customary

CD,

on which data which can be read by a computer can be inscribed. For example, a company profile a company catalogue and similar information, including multimedia can be recorded. It is also possible to store an entire computer program on the CD S- card 1. Automatic access to a computer or a home page are mentioned as examples.

The technique for producing the calling card 1 and the arrangementof the centering pins 13 now makes it possible to design the calling card 1 in approximately any desired shape, such as with approximately any desired outer contour,- since the calling card 1 is centered by the drive by the centering arcs 13 and not by the exterior circumference.- Consequently, such a CDcard l can have.the exterior, contour of a company logo.

Claims (13)

1. A plastic CD card with an upper side printed with directly visually readable information, comprising: an underside (12) of the CD card having electronically processed data, which can be reproduced one of optically and acoustically by a CD drive, and the plastic CD card having means for receiving the plastic CD card in a centered position in a CD drive

2. The CD card in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means comprise a plurality of centering pins (13) projecting downward from the underside (12) wherein the centering arcs (13) are arranged in such a way that the centering arcs (13) at least approximately rest against a centering shoulder (23) for a mini-CD when the CD card is in the CD drive

3. The CD card in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means comprise a plurality of centering arcs (13a) projecting downward from the underside wherein the centering arcs (13a) are arranged to at least approximately rest against the centering shoulder (23) when the CD card is inserted in the CD drive

4. 4. The CD card in accordance with claim 3, wherein the centering arcs (13) are created by plastic deformation.

The CD card in accordance with claim, wherein one of the centering arcs (13) are glued to the underside (12). S

6. The CD card in accordance with claim 5, wherein the CD card has an arbitrary peripheral shape.

7. The CD card in accordance with claim 6; wherein the arbitrary peripheral shape is created by a stamping process.

TheCD card in accordance with claim J7, wherein one of the centering arcs o*ooe (13) and the shape is created in the stamping process.

9. The CD card in accordance with claim 2, wherein one of the centering arcs (13) are created by plastic deformation.

The CD card in accordance with claim 2, wherein one of the centering arcs (13) are glued to the underside (12).

11. The CD card in accordance with claim 1, wherein the CD card has an arbitrary peripheral shape.

12. The CD card in accordance with claim 11, wherein the arbitrary peripheral shape is created by a stamping process.

13. The CD card in accordance with claim 12, wherein one of the centering arcs (13) and the shape is created in the stamping process.