DE9217900U1 - Packaging for a disc-shaped recording medium - Google Patents

Description

Schwerdtle & Schantz GmbH 30 December 1992

W-1000 Berlin 47

S42.G4

Packaging for a disc-shaped recording medium

Description

The invention relates to a packaging of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1.

Packaging for disc-shaped recording media, preferably compact disks (CD) and those designed as compact disks

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Data storage media (CD-ROM) are known in a variety of designs, which on the one hand allow the data storage media to be stored in a way that is essentially safe from mechanical damage and on the other hand are intended to ensure convenient access by the user. The packaging has various information printed on its outside and/or inside, associated with the data storage media, and also has suitable options for storing supplements inside. The usual type of packaging is the well-known plastic packaging, in which a carrier element with a holder that centers the CD is provided inside a folding plastic box. This packaging is costly and consists of various cardboard inserts, making it difficult to dispose of.

Furthermore, EP-A-0 503 171 discloses a protective cover for a disk-shaped recording medium, which has a base surface for receiving the recording medium, on which relief-like elevations are provided outside the area occupied by the recording medium and a central elevation, possibly divided, for centering the center hole of the recording medium. A cover surface is hinged to the base surface by means of a hinge-like connection, with the elevations on the base surface projecting beyond the thickness of the recording medium. The elevations mentioned consist of an inherently rigid plastic film and are produced in the desired dimensions by a deep-drawing or embossing process.

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The known packaging for disc-shaped recording media are also disadvantageous because, on the one hand, placing the recording media in the packaging is relatively cumbersome due to the fixation of the center hole in the centering elevation and, on the other hand, if the recording media is removed frequently, the retaining lugs of the centering elevation can wear out, so that secure holding of the recording media in the packaging is no longer guaranteed.

Furthermore, it is unfortunate that such packaging, which is composed of different materials, cannot be recycled as raw materials without the laborious separation of these materials.

Finally, packaging in which the recording media must be locked in the wrapping by mechanical pressure requires special measures to be taken when carrying out automated packaging processes and is therefore also more costly to produce.

Based on the deficiencies of the prior art, the invention is based on the object of creating a material-uniform packaging of the type mentioned at the beginning, which ensures secure positioning of the recording media in the packaging and at the same time is suitable for reducing the effort involved in the automatic packaging of such recording media.

This object is achieved with the characterizing features of claim 1.

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The invention includes the realization that, in the case of a generic packaging for CDs, the functionality of the known plastic packaging can also be achieved by a solution made of folding cardboard, which is on the one hand cheaper to produce and on the other hand can be disposed of without any special material separation. The packaging is very rigid and can be produced in a wide variety of variants and can also be processed cheaply on packaging machines, since all insertion and unfolding processes can be carried out with simple handling from the material supplied in a flat form.

In the packaging according to the invention, which consists exclusively of cardboard, desired optical effects can be produced directly by printing, so that no further inserts and the like are required in this regard, which would require additional manufacturing and assembly processes.
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Since the production of the outer packaging can be achieved using form-fitting connections by folding - while at the same time avoiding any adhesive connections - automated production can also be significantly simplified.

The recess in the cover of the outer packaging allows a view of the recording medium, so that the title or other information relating to the recording can be easily read without having to slide it out.

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Furthermore, the invention is advantageous in that a disk-shaped recording medium can be placed more securely and more easily in the outer packaging than with the position fixation known from the prior art if the recording medium is gripped at its periphery by a pocket-shaped carrier element having folded side walls and is arranged within this holder so that it can be displaced essentially only in one plane.

The position of both the carrier element within the outer packaging and the recording medium in the holding device is secured by positive and/or force locking. The recording medium is advantageously inserted into the carrier element by pushing it in and removed again by simply pulling it out if necessary. If the recording medium is removed from the packaging together with the carrier element, an additional clamping effect is created in the area of the fold edge between the recording medium and the carrier element due to the tendency of the folded side walls of the carrier element to stretch. This additional clamping effect is dimensioned in such a way that on the one hand it prevents the recording medium from accidentally slipping out of the carrier element and on the other hand it enables the recording medium to be removed without any special effort.

The structure of the die-cut for the outer packaging as well as the form of positioning of the recording medium within this packaging ensures, on the one hand, a uniform

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simplified production of the overpackaging using automated processes and, on the other hand, convenient and uncomplicated handling of the recording medium and, at the same time, contributes significantly to simplifying and reducing costs in processes for the automated packaging of such recording media.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a cardboard die-cut is provided for the outer packaging, which has a base surface, to the side edges of which a cover surface element is hinged via folded edges. On two opposite side edges there is an angle-shaped cover surface element, which is connected to the long side of one of the angle legs on the side edge of the base surface. The free angle leg has an incision extending to the outer edge. A third cover surface element, consisting of several sections separated by folded edges, is located on the side edge of the base surface lying between the angle-shaped cover surface elements. A rectangular cover is hinged to the fourth side edge of the base surface.

To unfold the outer packaging, the angular cover surface elements are first moved towards each other and connected to each other via the cuts in the free legs in such a way that the angle legs lie in a plane parallel to the base surface. This position is fixed by the third cover surface element by holding the connected legs of the angular cover surface elements

S42.G4 Sheet 7

encompasses both sides and at the same time rests on the base surface with its free end. This folding creates a substantially cuboid-shaped outer packaging. The folding connection used gives the outer packaging sufficient dimensional stability and strength, which is further increased when the outer packaging is closed with the corresponding hinged lid that is hinged to the base surface of the die-cut product.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the carrier element for the recording medium positioned in the outer packaging consists of a pocket-like, essentially cuboid-shaped hollow body which has an open front and rear wall.

The folding of the carrier element provided on the two side walls ensures - due to the associated elasticity of the carrier element perpendicular to the movement of the recording medium when it is removed from or inserted into it - a clamping effect sufficient to secure the position between the folding elements of the side walls and the periphery of the disc-shaped recording medium when it is inserted into an area of the fold with edges pointing outwards. On the other hand, the clamping effect is dimensioned in such a way that only a small amount of force is required to remove the recording medium from the packaging by pulling it out of the carrier element.

The folding of the side walls extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support element on both sides, it is designed in the same way on both side walls and is in

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stretching direction into two sections. The section of the straight fold on the side walls facing the insertion or removal side of the packaging for the recording medium has a fold edge that points out of the volume enclosed by the carrier element. The distance from the fold edge of one side wall to the corresponding fold tip of the opposite side wall corresponds essentially to the diameter of the disk-shaped recording medium. The recording medium introduced into this area is fixed at its periphery between the corresponding walls of the respective fold mainly by positive locking and - due to the elasticity of the folded side walls and their tendency to assume an unfolded state - additionally by frictional locking. The frictional locking consists of a relatively slight clamping effect directed towards the axis of the recording medium, which can be easily overcome when inserting or removing the recording medium or can be advantageously eliminated by gently compressing the carrier element.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the second section of the side wall folds each has a fold edge that is directed into the interior of the volume enclosed by the carrier element. On the one hand, these fold sections advantageously limit the insertion path when inserting the recording medium into the holding device and, on the other hand, according to an advantageous development of the invention, create two additional contact points for the edge of the recording medium.

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Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are described in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention using the figures. They show:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a die cut as a preliminary stage of a first preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic representation,

Figures 2a to 2c show individual stages in the production of an embodiment of the outer packaging according to the invention from the die-cut product shown in Figure 1 in a schematic representation,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line A...A through an outer packaging according to the invention according to Figure 2c,

Figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the carrier element according to the invention in a schematic representation,

Figure 5 shows another advantageous embodiment of the carrier element according to the invention,

Figure 6 shows a further advantageous embodiment of the carrier element according to the invention,

Figure 7 shows a favorable development of the invention shown in Figure 6,
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Figure 8 shows the invention shown in Figure 2c with a recording medium arranged in a carrier element,

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Figure 9 is a plan view of a carrier element according to the invention with inserted recording medium,

Figure 10 shows an advantageous further development of the carrier element according to the invention,

Figure 11 shows another advantageous development of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2c and

Figure 12 shows another advantageous development of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4.

The die-cut 1 shown in Figure 1 as a top view consists of a base surface 2.1 to which a cover part 2.2, two angle-shaped cover surface elements 4.1, 4.2 and a head part 5 consisting of the four sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4 are hinged via a fold line 11. The cover 2.2 has an insertion tab 9 at its free end, which is brought into engagement with the recess 10 in the head part 5 when the base part of the outer packaging (compare positions 2, 2.3 in Figure 2c) is to be closed by the cover 2.2. The cover surface elements 4.1 and 4.2 are designed as angles, which are attached to the bottom surface 2.1 of the die-cut 1 with the long side of one of their legs and each have a notch 7., 7.2 on their free legs 6.1, 6.2.

These extend to the outer edge of the angle leg, are arranged alternately and are used to connect the two cover surface elements 4.1 and 4.2 when the outer packaging is produced. The tabs

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8.1 and 8.2 are hinged to the angles and, after unfolding the angle-shaped cover surface elements 4.1 and 4.2, serve to support them on the base surface 2.1 of the die-cut product 1.
5

The die-cut 1 shown in Figure 1 as a top view consists of a base surface 2.1 to which a cover part 2.2, two angle-shaped cover surface elements 4.1, 4.2 and a head part 5 consisting of the four sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4 are hinged via a fold line 11. The cover 2.2 has an insertion tab 9 at its free end, which is brought into engagement with the recess 10 in the head part 5 when the outer packaging (compare positions 2, 2.3 in Figure 2c) is to be closed by the cover 2.2. The cover surface elements 4.1 and 4.2 are designed as angles, which are attached to the bottom surface 2.1 of the die-cut 1 with the long side of one of their legs and each have a notch 7., 7.2 on their free legs 6.1, 6.2.

These extend to the outer edge of the angle leg, are arranged alternately and are used to connect the two cover surface elements 4.1 and 4.2 when the outer packaging is produced. The tabs 8.1 and 8.2 are hinged to the angles and, after the angular cover surface elements 4.1 and 4.2 have been unfolded, serve to support them on the base surface 2.1 of the die-cut 1.

The support element 3.1 shown schematically in Figure 5 has two, each multi-

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folded side walls 12, which are connected to the base surface 20. The fold in the middle of the side wall is divided into two sections 2 3 and 24, the fold tips 25 and 26 of which have a different orientation. The section 2 3, which has fold tips 25 pointing outwards, serves to accommodate the recording medium, while the section 24, with the fold tip 26 pointing into the interior of the carrier element 3.1, is used both to limit the insertion path when the recording medium is inserted into the packaging and to form two further support points for the recording medium. The support parts 31 of the folded side wall 12 are in active contact with the cover surface of the outer packaging when the carrier element 3.1 is inserted into the outer packaging and thus stabilize the vertical position of the side walls 12.

Figures 6 and 7 show further advantageous embodiments of the carrier element 3.3 for a disk-shaped recording medium in schematic form. The base plate 15 of the carrier element 3.3 consists of solid-colored, strong cardboard and has an edge element 16.1 or 16.2 on two opposite side edges. The narrow, essentially cube-shaped edge elements 16.1, 16.2 also consist of solid-colored cardboard and are flush with the side edges of the base plate 15. They differ only in the single-layer or multi-layer design (16.1 or 16.2). The edge elements 16.1, 16.2 are attached to the base plate 15 by gluing. The recesses 17 serve to secure the position of the

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disc-shaped recording medium. The symmetrically arranged recesses 18 in the base plate 15 advantageously enable convenient handling of the recording medium. The height of the carrier element 3.3 corresponds to that of the carrier elements 3.1 and 3.2 shown in Figures 4 and 5, so that the different carrier elements can be placed in the same outer packaging as required.

The outer packaging 2 shown in perspective in Figure 8 for a disk-shaped recording medium 13, preferably a compact disk, consists of a pocket-shaped outer packaging 2.3, to which a lid 2.2 is hinged on one side. A carrier element 3.1 (as shown in Figure 5) for the recording medium 13 is arranged in the cavity enclosed by the outer packaging 2.2. The carrier element 3.1 is designed as an essentially cuboid-shaped insert with an open front and rear wall. It advantageously has two accordion-like folded side walls 12 with a symmetrical structure.

The middle fold 14 of the side wall fold serves as a receptacle for the disk-shaped recording medium 13, which is conveniently fixed in the carrier element by the respective fold 14 at only two points on its periphery. Since the outer packaging 2.3 has a partially open cover surface, handling the recording medium 13 when removing it from the packaging or when reinserting it does not cause any difficulties. The

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The insertion tab 9 provided is located in the recess 10 when the outer packaging is closed and enables the lid 2.2 to be locked in place in a simple manner.

Figure 9 shows a schematic top view of a carrier element 3.2 with an inserted recording medium 13. The fold divided into two sections 2 3 and 24 in the middle of the folded side wall 12 ensures that the recording medium 13 inserted between the fold parts that run out into the fold tips 25 and 26 only comes into effective engagement with the carrier element 3.2 at four points on its periphery. Two of the support points are located in the middle of the fold section 23 formed by the fold walls 19. The other support points are located in the fold section 24, which simultaneously serves as an insertion limit for the recording medium 13. To create the support points in the fold section 24, an oblique dividing line 27 between the sections 2 3 and 24 of the side wall 12 is particularly advantageous. Contact between the sensitive surface of the recording medium 13 and the base surface or the top surface of the carrier element 3.2 is advantageously avoided by this bearing principle, since the recording medium 13 is essentially only supported on the respective carrier element at four points. The folded side walls 12 of the carrier elements 3.2 enable, due to their flexibility (perpendicular to the base or top surface of the carrier element), a sufficiently elastic bearing of the recording medium in a favorable manner, which protects it from possible impact loads.

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The holding device 3 shown in Figure 10 has three slots arranged one above the other and of the same design, as shown in Figure 4 (position 3.2). Using such carrier elements in packaging for disk-shaped recording media is particularly advantageous when all of the advantageous properties described above are used, especially when several of these carrier elements are arranged vertically and with recesses 22 pointing upwards in a box-shaped outer packaging that is open on one side and can be closed with a lid, and a larger number of recording media are to be packaged automatically. The carrier element 3 can be manufactured particularly favorably when the individual slots are alternately connected to one another in the direction from bottom to top on the front and rear narrow sides.

Figure 11 shows a schematic representation of a further development of the outer packaging 2 shown in Figure 8. The lid 2.2, which is hinged to the bottom surface 2.1 of the outer packaging, has two identically designed holding tabs 28 on its inside, with which a supplementary booklet containing information about the data content on the recording medium can be easily accessed and at the same time securely positioned within the outer packaging 2. The tuck-in tab 9 provided on the free end of the lid 2.2 serves to lock the lid in place when the outer packaging is closed.

Due to the uniform material design of the outer packaging 2 and the various carrier elements 3, 3.1, 3.2

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and 3.3, the packaging meets the increased requirements of environmental protection and is more easily recyclable. In addition, automated production and assembly of the packaging and simplified handling of the recording media 13 stored in it are ensured in a more favorable manner.

The invention is not limited in its implementation to the preferred embodiment described above. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which also make use of the solution presented in fundamentally different embodiments.

Claims (17)

S42.G4 Sheet 17 Claims 1. Packaging for a disc-shaped recording medium, preferably a CD or CD-ROM, consisting of a carrier element for the recording medium and an essentially cuboid-shaped outer packaging for the carrier element holding the recording medium, wherein the outer packaging has two cover surfaces, the external dimensions of which are adapted to the dimensions of the disc-shaped recording medium, to which cover surfaces narrow side surfaces are connected, which keep the cover surfaces at a distance and wherein one narrow side forms an opening side for removing the recording medium, characterized, that both the outer packaging and the carrier element consist exclusively of cardboard and that the outer packaging (2) is folded out from a die-cut (1), the cover surface of which, forming the base surface (2.1), has cover surface elements (4.1, 4.2, 5) hinged to adjacent narrow side surfaces (5.1) via folding edges, wherein at least one first cover surface element (4.1, 4.2) adjoining a narrow side surface has a region (6.1, 6.2) which has an edge set back in the direction of the folding edge to which a further cover surface element (5.2) is hinged, around which an extended tongue-like region (5.3) adjoining the further cover surface element is folded, so S42.G4 Sheet 18 that the cover surface elements (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) together form a cover surface which contains a recess extending towards the opening side. 2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the tongue-like region (5.3) which adjoins the further cover surface element (5.2) is folded around the recessed edge of the first cover surface element and extends in particular up to the narrow side surface (5.1) from which it starts. 3. Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the tongue-like area (5.3) is adjoined by a further projection (5.4) which, when the outer packaging is in the unfolded state, rests against the narrow side surface (5.1) to which it extends, from the inside. 4. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover surface elements surrounding the recess extending towards the opening side form a U-shaped surface as a cover surface. 5. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two S42.G4 Sheet 19 ste cover surface elements (4.1, 4.2) are angularly formed, wherein on the respective free angle leg (6.1, 6.2) there is provided a notch (7.1, 7.2) extending to opposite outer edges of the angle leg for connecting the two angle legs by mutually inserting the free angle legs into the notch of the respective other leg. 6. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a tab (8.1, 8.2) is hinged to at least one of the first cover surface elements (4.1, 4.2), which tab rests against the narrow side surface (5.1) in the unfolded state of the outer packaging, which is connected to the tongue-like region (5.2) and is also adapted to this in terms of its dimensions. 7. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lid surface (2.2) closing the opening side is hinged to the base surface (2.1) via a further narrow side surface, wherein this lid surface is provided in particular with a tab (9) which can be inserted into a slot-shaped recess (10) provided in the region of an edge of the outer packaging. 8. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element is designed as a cuboid-shaped tray and can be inserted into the outer packaging. S42.G4 Sheet 20 9. Packaging according to claim 8, characterized in that the carrier element comprises: two areas are provided which are held at a distance which essentially corresponds to the diameter of the recording medium and are directed essentially parallel, forming V-shaped profiles - folded as angles or connected in some other way - folds, the opening sides of which face each other, the recording medium can be inserted into the folds from at least one side in such a way that the fold edges are directed tangentially to the outer circumference of the recording medium and the recording medium is guided or held in the area of its circumference essentially exclusively within the V-shaped profiled areas and the fold edges of the folds are each connected to fold walls which are essentially strip-shaped and are supported by those of their edges which face away from the fold edge of the V-shaped region within the outer packaging and/or on adjacent carrier elements, so that the carrier element is guided in these regions, while the recording medium in turn is supported in the depth of the V-shaped region near the fold edges. S42.G4 Sheet 21 10. Packaging according to claim 9, characterized in that the outer packaging has an inner cross-section with two mutually opposite, essentially U-shaped profiled areas which receive the folds and form guides for them, the edges of the fold walls facing away from the fold edge of the V-shaped area being supported in the area of the inner sides of the legs of the "U" - in particular under pre-tension.
10 11. Packaging according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the opposing U-shaped regions are held or connected at a fixed distance from one another. 12. Packaging according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the folds over a part of their length for which the recording medium stored in the holding device is not adjacent to the associated fold walls, at least for a part of the width of the fold walls are turned over to form a "V" of opposite orientation, so that this turned over "V-shaped area forms a one-sided barrier against displacement of the recording medium parallel to the direction of the fold by reducing the free cross section available for displacement of the recording medium in the outer packaging. S42.G4 Sheet 22 13. Packaging according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the fold walls are supplemented to form a profile with a &Sgr;-shaped cross-section (Figure 6) which encloses the V-shaped region. 14. Packaging according to claim 8, characterized in that the carrier element consists of a flat base plate (15), on the top of which, on two opposite side edges, a plate-shaped edge element (16.1, 16.2) with a substantially rectangular base area and an inwardly open, concave recess (17) is arranged, which are adapted in shape to the external dimensions of the recording medium in such a way that they form a receptacle with lateral guidance for the latter. 15. Packaging according to claim 14, characterized in that the edge element (16.1, 16.2) is designed in multiple layers. 16. Packaging according to one of claims 14 or 15, characterized in that the base plate (15) and the edge elements (16.1, 16.2) are made of the same material. 17. Packaging according to claim 16, characterized in that the base plate (15) and S42.G4 Sheet the edge elements (16.1, 16.2) made of coloured cardboard consist.