US20110108443A1

US20110108443A1 - Compact Disc Holder

Info

Publication number: US20110108443A1
Application number: US13/001,829
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman Fraser Mackenzie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-11-01
Filing date: 2009-06-26
Publication date: 2011-05-12
Also published as: GB0812123D0; GB0721526D0; GB0723315D0

Abstract

Apparatus for packaging a Compact Disc (21), formed from a plurality of panels (5, 6, 7) of paper, card, plastic or the like, comprising a tray formed from a section (9, 16) cut out from one or more of said panels (5, 6), rotatable about an axle (14) located near an outer edge of the tray, from a closed position in which a recess (8) for holding a disc is closed by said one or more panels or by another of the panels (7), to an open position allowing access to the disc. Alternative embodiments include further recesses and are arranged to hold more than one disc.

Description

The present invention relates to packaging for a range of goods, including Compact Discs, confectionery, cosmetics and a range of items and products from a wide spectrum of commerce. However, for the purposes of precision, coherence and brevity this description centres on the invention's application to the Compact Disc.
Companies are constantly seeking to encourage people to purchase their goods, and to encourage existing customers to purchase more. They are also constantly looking for interesting ways of presenting both their products and the imagery related to them. Furthermore, companies are constantly looking for new ways to promote these products, and therefore there is a constant demand for the kind of packaging which will not only protect, but enhance and promote the products by providing an impression of quality and value. The packaging is the first thing a customer sees, so it needs to be both attractive and functional. The combination of quality with low-cost is almost always part of the requirement for the packaging of most goods. In the case of a Compact Disc, the packaging would have to offer protection for the product, simplicity of operation, and provide a means of storing or filing the product in an attractive and convenient way in the office or home, and be robust enough to withstand constant handling over a period of time.
The present invention provides apparatus for packaging a Compact Disc according to claim 1. Optional features of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.
In the present embodiments, the apparatus comes in a number of different configurations, three of which are based on one basic mechanism and a fourth which takes a different format. As many Compact Disc-holders are made of plastic which requires moulding and other complex industrial processes, the requirement for something simpler called for a design which could be applied to paper or card, which would require only to be printed, die-cut and glued, while offering a similar protection and impression of quality as a plastic holder.
In the FIRST configuration, using three of more layers of card, a pack may be made whereby the user partially pulls out a cut-out section from one of the panels, in which is located a recess in which a DVD or CD is held. This ‘carrier’ section may be cut from an interior panel, which is ‘sandwiched’ between two or more outer panels of a similar size. By cutting out a circular section from near the base of the carrier section, and by gluing it flat to the adjacent panels on either side, an ‘axle’ is formed around which the moving or carrier section, may rotate. The whole panel is glued on three sides, while the un-glued carrier section is cut out from the rest of the panel. From out of the carrier section may be cut out a circular aperture corresponding in size to a CD.
In all configurations, this aperture forms the surround of a recess which can hold a CD. The carrier section may have its leading edge parallel to, and corresponding to the edge of the other panels, and it's trailing edge, which separates it from the panel from which it is cut, defined by a series of semi-circular cuts radiating from a common centre which allow the moving carrier section to rotate easily and smoothly outwards along those cuts. The first may be a cut which follows the circumference of the disc aperture at such a distance as to create an outer ‘ring’ which forms the outer edge of the strip which forms the recess which holds the CD, and which also forms the trailing edge of the movable carrier section. At the base, this circular cut joins another smaller circular cut, extending down to the base of the panel, which takes its radius from the centre of the axle-disc, which it surrounds, and around which the carrier section rotates. The upper edge of the carrier section is formed by a transversal cut extending as an arc, again taking its radius from the centre-point of the ‘axle’ disc, extending tangentially from the top of the outer, circular cut on the trailing edge of the carrier section all the way across to the leading edge. The carrier section is then totally separated from the rest of the panel from which it has been cut, and is held only by the ‘axle’ disc which is glued on both surfaces to its adjacent panels. In two of the configurations, a base for the recess holding the CD is formed when the carrier section is glued flat against a section cut out from the back outer panel. This outer section mainly follows the same cuts as the carrier panel to which it is glued, except at the bottom a smaller arc has been cut, again radiating from the centre of the ‘axle-disc’, and which the circular cut on the trailing edge meets at almost 90 degrees. The outer section, therefore, forms the same section of a circle moving along the same ‘arc’ or circumference as the carrier section to which it is glued, the arcs taking their differing radii from the same point, i.e., the centre of the ‘axle-disc’. This outer section which forms, on the inside, the interior base of the CD recess within the carrier section is completely separated from the rest of the outer panel from which it is cut, by having both top and bottom arcs joined by another cut, this time following a line determining the trailing edge of the carrier section, i.e., just outside of the circumference of the CD recess.
In order to prevent the movable sections from coming out too far, there has been incorporated a number of small features, which both anchor the mechanism, and streamline the movement. The first is the creation of two small ‘spurs’ located at either end of the top transversal arc on the carrier section, achieved by clearing a strip from the carrier section, following and immediately above the line of the arc on the panel from which the carrier section is cut, but leaving a small spur at either end, the one at the leading edge remaining attached to the upper edge of the fixed remainder of the panel from which the carrier section has been cut out, which points downwards and remains fixed, while the other is located at the top of the far, or trailing edge of the carrier section, so that when the carrier section has reached the end of the arc when pulled outwards, the spur on the far end meets the spur at the front, or open edge of the apparatus, stopping the carrier section from moving outwards any further, exposing enough of the CD recess in the carrier section to remove or replace the CD. Additionally, the top-arc of the carrier section may also extend partially upwards, beyond the top edge of the outer movable section, creating a ‘vane’ which extends below the surface of the top part of the outer main panel, operating like a rail, keeping the carrier section and it's outer section to which it is glued from opening out and damaging the mechanism.
As the user therefore grips and pulls outwards the carrier section through an access aperture on the front surface, and grips the movable back surface, the carrier section and the cut out back section, move easily outwards, as one unit, rotating around the axle-disc, by about 50 degrees, and is stopped by the ‘spurs’ as described earlier, exposing the CD recess on the top surface of the carrier section. The outer edge of the CD recess has a cut-out ‘finger-access’ of a size enough for a finger to grip and remove or insert a CD.
The SECOND embodiment on this theme has an extra panel between the front panel and the carrier section, where a second recess, which can contain another CD is located. This recess may take a slightly different position within the apparatus, e.g., being ‘offset’ by being placed a short distance from the existing recess in the carrier section, so as to avoid either disc falling into the neighbouring recess and ‘locking’ the apparatus. The apparatus may be constructed from material thick enough such that a CD will sit within the recess, with it's surface level with the plane of the section within which it is seated. Additionally, using a thicker material would allow more CD's to be seated within the recesses.
The THIRD embodiment also has an additional panel with another carrier section, this time almost a mirror image of the previously described carrier section, which is glued face-to-face with it's opposite, and which does not attach to an outer section, but which functions as a single moving unit between two flat outer panels. The CD recesses are offset against each other by a short distance, providing a lip' at either edge against which the CD sits, and is thus prevented from slipping into the neighbouring recess. This embodiment operates in the same way as the previous two, except that there are two ‘axle’ discs at the base, which are glued together and glued to the outer panels, and remain fixed within the apparatus. The combined carrier sections pull out by means of being gripped by the user through two finger-sized accesses cut out from both outside edges of the outer panels, and is stopped in the same way as the previous two embodiments, i.e., when a ‘spur’ on the trailing edge of the carrier panel meets a spur projecting down from the remaining part of the panel from which it is cut, at the leading edge.
The FOURTH embodiment is different insofar as it retains the disc within the body of the apparatus, and uses a ‘slide-open’ mechanism as opposed to the ‘rotating’ feature previously described. In this version which may again be formed from a single piece of material, the panel sandwiched between two or more outer panels may contain the recess in which the CD is held, and may be divided horizontally, such that an upper and lower section is formed, the upper section having half of the recess divided horizontally through the mid-point by two cuts on either side of the CD recess, extending about halfway to the edge of the panel before each meets a vertical cut running down all the way to the bottom of the panel, creating a separate section which is free to move up and down within that part of the panel which is glued to the base and top panels at the top and down the sides. In order that the lower panel may stop and some point, the vertical cuts separating the moving from the fixed parts, the vertical lines may at a point just lower than halfway down may be positioned a short distance inwards, and a small section cleared just above where the cuts indent, to set a lower limit on the downward movement of the lower section of the panel, when the projections on both sides of the ‘T’ section—which has been formed by moving the lower cuts inwards and clearing the material above—meets the ‘shoulders’ formed by the same. Also, at the point where the lower moving section stops on it's downward track, a horizontal transversal fold is made near the bottom and at the point where the inner sliding section stops at the bottom edge of the back panel. The front panel is glued at the top and sides to the stationery parts of the middle panel, and from it is cut out the cover, or access section which may follow at the top end, the line of the CD recess, either directly on top or slightly out from it, while extending down the sides from the ends of the downward-pointing crescent, are two vertical cuts going all the way don to the bottom and set slightly further in from, and therefore concealing the cuts below, on the middle panel so that the sliding section within is now confined within the body of the apparatus. This central section on the top surface, then, is glued to the moving section immediately below it, along the horizontal surface below the horizontal fold-line on the moving section, so that when the assembly is pulled downwards from the bottom, the fold line reaches the edge of the base panel and may then be pushed downwards at its bottom edge, raising the cut-out cover panel and allowing access to the recess in which a CD may be accessed or placed.
A variant of this may be formed by having the entire CD recess set within the sliding section, as opposed to the division of the sliding section as described previously. In such a case, a finger-access allowing the disc to be lifted out would be incorporated into the circumference of the CD recess. In all configurations, the layouts have been configured so that glue may be applied to one side only
A variant on the first three embodiments, concerns the axle or ‘fulcrum’ around which the carrier panel rotates on it's outward/inward movement, whereby the axle may be created as an extension of the carrier panel, and which rotates within the slot from which it is cut out from the surrounding panel. In a further variant, the axle may be dispensed with altogether, the carrier panel rotating on a pivot point which acts as a fulcrum positioned into a ‘V’-cut, cut out from the same panel, but from which material has been cleared to allow the carrier panel to rotate around the pivot point. In both these cases the outward course of the carrier panel is stopped, as in embodiments one, two and three, by the collision of the spur located at the top of the trailing edge of carrier panel with the downward-pointing spur located at the outside upper edge of the panel from which the carrier panel is cut.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the FIRST configuration of the apparatus prior to folding, showing the three panels left-to-right: the interior panel with CD carrier section and ‘axle’ disc cut out from it, the outer surface of the back panel showing the cut out moving section which forms the bottom of the CD-recess, moves with the carrier, the outer surface of the front panel.

FIG. 2 shows the obverse, or glue-side.

FIG. 3 shows the front surfaces of the back and front panels, the carrier section now folded into the inner surface of the back panel.

FIG. 4 shows the obverse.

FIG. 5 shows the finished apparatus front surface with finger-access and trims removed.

FIG. 6 shows the back of the finished apparatus, with the moving panel in the closed position.

FIG. 7 shows the finished apparatus from the front in the ‘open’ position with a CD in-situ.

FIG. 8 shows the obverse with the back section also in the open position.

FIG. 9 is a cut-away drawing showing the interior with the carrier section in the open position.

FIG. 10 shows the SECOND configuration of the apparatus prior to folding, showing the four panels, clock-wise from top left: the front surface of the back panel, the front panel, the carrier section with CD recess and axle-disc, and the fourth panel with the other CD-recess.

FIG. 11 shows the obverse, or glue-side.

FIG. 12 shows the first fold, the carrier section being folded behind the second CD recess panel.

FIG. 13 shows the same from the obverse.

FIG. 14 shows the second fold with second CD recess panel, with the carrier section folded over it, being folded over the front panel.

FIG. 15 shows the obverse.

FIG. 16 shows the front of the finished apparatus with trims cut.

FIG. 17 shows the obverse.

FIG. 18 shows the front of the apparatus, the carrier in the open position with a CD in situ.

FIG. 19 shows the obverse with another CD in the inner recess.

FIG. 20 is a cut-away drawing showing the mechanism in the open position.

FIG. 21 shows the third configuration from the glue-side.

FIG. 22 shows the carrier panels being folded on top of one another, with the CD-recesses staggered.

FIG. 23 shows the carrier sections folded over the back panel.

FIG. 24 shows the back view of the finished apparatus with trims off.

FIG. 25 shows the front.

FIG. 26 shows a front view of the apparatus in the open position, with a CD in the front recess.

FIG. 27 shows an obverse view with a CD in situ in the back recess, and the CD from the front recess halfway out.

FIG. 28 shows a back view of the apparatus with the other CD in situ.

FIG. 29 shows the FOURTH configuration the three panels left to right: the cover panel, the back panel and the interior panel showing the CD recess and the sliding section.

FIG. 30 shows the interior panel folded inwards on top of the back panel.

FIG. 31 shows the front of the complete apparatus prior to trimming, and showing the sliding cover panel in the closed position.

FIGS. 32-34 show the apparatus after trim, with a partial cut-away showing the interior sliding section (in dotted line) and how the mechanism works, as follows:

FIG. 32 shows the apparatus in the closed position.

FIG. 33 shows the top cover panel being slid down to its full extent, i.e., when the shoulders meet the stops inside and when the bottom fold on the inner slide meets the bottom edge of the apparatus.

FIG. 34 shows the top cover panel being folded down at the base, causing it to ‘cantilever’ upwards to reveal the CD inside.

FIGS. 35-37 are schematic drawings showing the same operation.

FIGS. 38-41 show alternate methods of creating an axle or fulcrum, with regard to the embodiments in FIGS. 1-28.

N.B. It should be noted that whilst the drawings show packages formed from a single piece and folded together, in practice the apparatus is formed from separate panels.
According to FIGS. 1 & 2, the FIRST embodiment of the apparatus 1 consists of three panels, 5, 6, 7 separated by folds A-A & B-B, configured so that glue may be applied to one side, and that they may be folded according to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 & 6 along folds A-A & B-B so as to form the complete apparatus 1. In FIG. 1 therefore, from the panel 5, of the apparatus 1, has been cut out another complete section 9 (the ‘carrier section’) separated from the panel 5 by a series of arced cuts, 12, 13, 15. From panel 9 two circular sections 8, 14 have been cut. The larger circle 8, which may be at or near the centre of the panel 9, is the same size as a CD, and the section cut out is removed, while the other circle 14, the ‘axle-disc’ is smaller and remains in situ, and may be left connected by a series of small nicks until broken by the user. The back panel 6, of the apparatus 1 has cut out from it a curving section 16, where the top cut X-Y, and the bottom cut N-Z, are sections of the radii of circles with their centre located at the centre M1 which corresponds with the centre P1 of the axle-disc 14 which when the apparatus 1 is complete, will lie directly above the centre P1 of the axle-disc 14 below. At one side these cuts X-Y, N-Z extend all the way to the outer edge of the apparatus 1. The two cuts X-Y & N-Z, are joined on the inner or trailing edge by another cut Y-Z, also the section of a circle, but with it's radius centred at M2, which will lie directly above the centre of the CD recess aperture P2. The section 16 is now separated from the panel 6 from which it was cut, but may be held in situ during manufacture by a series of small nicks which break when pulled by the user. The front panel 7 is featureless apart from a small finger-access indent 18 cut into the outer edge of the apparatus 1.
The apparatus 1 is glued at a number of points on the obverse side (FIGS. 3 & 4) and panel 5 containing the carrier section 9, is folded along line A-A over the back panel 6. The outer edges of the panel 5, not including the carrier section 9, but including the axle-disc 14, are glued to the back panel 6. The carrier section 9 is glued to the movable section 16 cut out from the back panel 6. At their trailing edges, defined by a narrow cleared ‘gutter’ 12, and a circular cut 13 on the carrier section and by cuts X-Y and Y-Z on the outer section 16, both sections 9, 16 will concur, except for a number of small features. The edge X-Y at the top of the movable back panel 16 may meet the gutter 12 on the carrier section 9 at a slightly lower position, leaving a small extension of a few millimetres along the length of, and just below the gutter 12 which will continue upwards below the top of the panel 6, acting as a guiding vane, or rail, and preventing the sections 9, 16 from popping outwards from the body of the apparatus 1. The other feature involves the creation of two small ‘spurs’ 10, 11 at either end of the gutter 12, and which are the same depth as the gutter, designed to stop the trajectory of the carrier section 9 at the end of its outward journey. The front spur 10 is located at the end of the gutter 12 and is attached to and points downwards from the outer part of the panel 6. This spur 10 is fixed to the body of the apparatus 1 and does not move. The second spur 11 is located at the top of the trailing edge 13, and at the inner end of the gutter 12 of the carrier section. The spur 11 extends fully into the gutter 12 and below the top of the outer back panel 6, and when the carrier section 9 and the movable section 16 is fully extended. (FIG. 9) The gluing together of the carrier section 9 and the movable section 16 creates a ‘bottom’ for the circular recess 8 which will contain a CD. The circular recess 8 also has a small semi-circular finger-access 17 cut into the area outside of the recess 8 at the leading edge, to facilitate the lifting out of the CD.
In FIGS. 5 & 6 the front panel 7 is folded inwards over panel 5, 9 along fold line B-B, and glued to the outside parts of the panel 5, and to the other side of the axle-disc 14, where said axle-disc 14 will remain stationery and immovable between the back panel, 5, and the front panel 7. The conjoined carrier section 9 and the moving back section 16 are now configured to rotate as one unit around the axle-disc 14. FIGS. 5 & 6 show the finished apparatus 1 front and back with trims 20 off.
FIG. 7 shows the apparatus 1 fully extended in the open position from the front, showing the finger access 17 and the CD 21 in situ. FIG. 8 is the back view of the same operation. FIG. 9 is a partially cut-away drawing showing how the carrier section 9, with the movable back section 16 to which it is attached, rotates around the axle-disc 14 and is stopped by the collision of the interior spur 11 with the front fixed spur 10.
FIG. 10 shows the SECOND configuration of the apparatus 2 where a fourth panel 22 has been added to include an additional CD recess 23 with a finger access 24 incorporated in its circumference. In FIG. 10 the panels 6, 7, 5, 22 are clockwise from top left: the back panel 6 incorporating a movable section 16, the front panel 7, the inside panel 5, with cut out from it the carrier section 9, incorporating the CD recess 8, and the axle-disc 14, and the additional panel 22 incorporating another CD recess 23. FIG. 11 shows the obverse or glue-side of the apparatus 2. This configuration, according to FIG. 11 has been laid out in a quadrant format separated by fold lines C-C, D-D and by a cut E-E to fold as follows: In FIGS. 12 & 13 the panel 5 including the carrier section 9 is folded across panel 22 along the lower section of fold line C-C, where it can be seen that the CD recess 8 on the carrier section 9 occupies a slightly different or staggered position from the second recess aperture 23 on panel 22. The relationship of the CD recesses 8, 23 with each other has been indicated by a dotted line in FIGS. 12 & 13 showing the position of the CD recesses 8, 23 in relation to one another below. The axle-disc 14 is also glued to the additional CD recess panel 22.
In FIGS. 14 & 15, the additional CD recess panel 22, now with the carrier panel 5, 9 folded over it and glued to it has been folded upwards along fold line D-D, so that the panel 5 with the carrier panel 9 cut out from it lies directly over the back panel 6, with the panel 22 directly on top of the panel 5 with the carrier section 9. From here, the way the panel 9 meets with the back panel 6 and the way the mechanism operates has been described in full in the description of the FIRST embodiment as referenced in FIGS. 1-9. However, instead of being glued between the front and back panels as in the apparatus 1, the whole of panel 5, 9 and the axle-disc 14 in this configuration 2 is now glued between the additional CD recess panel 22, and the back panel 6, completely anchoring it to be stationery within the apparatus 2. The final folding along the upper part of fold line C-C of the back panel 6, now with the panel 5, 9 glued on top of it, and with the additional CD-recess panel 22 on top of that, completes the basic assembly of this embodiment Of the apparatus 2 by the top panel 7 being glued to the additional CD recess panel 22 with the front panel 7 now forming on it's interior surface, a bottom within the second CD recess 23. A finger-access 18 is cut into the top panel's 7 outside edge.
In FIG. 16, the front view, with trims 20 taken off and the obverse, in FIG. 17 show the completed apparatus 2. FIG. 18 shows the apparatus 2 from the front in the fully open position with a CD 26 in situ. FIG. 19 shows the other side of the same with the movable panel 16 rotated outwards and with the other, second CD 27 also in situ. FIG. 20 is a partial cut-away drawing showing the basic mechanism in operation.
FIGS. 21-28 show the THIRD configuration of the apparatus 3 which although employing the same basic mechanism as the first two, differs in a number of ways, and in particular by the obviation of the movable section 16 from the outside panel 6 of the apparatus 1 and 2, and the provision of another CD carrier section 35 cut out from within an additional fourth panel 22, as a matching mirror-image, except having the CD recesses 8, 32 slightly offset from one another, and contained within the body of the apparatus 3.
According to FIG. 21 therefore, the apparatus 3 has been configured in a quadrant format separated by fold lines C-C, D-D and by a cut E-E. These are, clockwise from top left as follows: The front panel 6, the back panel 7, the back interior panel 22 incorporating the carrier section 35, with axle-disc 33, the front interior panel 5 incorporating the carrier section 9, with axle-disc 14.
In FIG. 22 the interior panel 5 incorporating the carrier section 9 is a duplicate of the same panel from both two previous configurations, apparatus 1 & 2. Panel 5, 9 is folded along the lower part of fold-line C-C and the outer part of the panel 5 is glued along three sides to the corresponding parts of the panel 22 beneath. The axle-panel 14 is glued to axle-panel 33 immediately below, and the carrier section 9 is glued to the carrier section 35 below. The edges of those carrier sections 35, 9 will concur so that to all intents and purposes the conjoined element 35, 9 will function as one member within the body of the apparatus 3. As indicated in FIG. 22 the respective CD apertures 8, 32 are offset slightly against one another, forming a lip' in both recesses, preventing either CD slipping into the neighbouring recess. A finger access has not been indicated in either carrier section, as the CD's may be removed by pressure from either side although it would be an option. Additionally a membrane, made from either paper or plastic film of one kind or another may also be incorporated between the two carrier sections, but has not been indicated in the drawings. In FIG. 23 the conjoined panels 22, 5 with their respective cut outs, carrier panels 35, 9 and axle- discs 33, 14 are folded upwards along folded line E-E to be glued to the back panel 7 where the outside edges of panel 5 will be glued along three sides, excluding those parts contained within the carrier panel 9, except the axle-disc 14, which will also be glued to the inner surface of back panel 7. FIG. 23 shows the stage just before the two panels 5, 22 and the back panel 7 are folded along the upper section of fold line C-C onto the front panel 6, where the outer sections of the panel 22 are glued on three sides, excluding all within the carrier section 35. The axle-disc 33 is glued to the front panel 6, and since this axle-disc 33 is also glued to it's corresponding axle-disc 14, which in turn is glued to the back panel 7, both axle- discs 33, 14 remain fixed and stationery between the front panel 6 and the back panel 7, allowing the conjoined carrier sections, 35, 9 to rotate outwards around the fixed axle- discs 33, 14. Finger accesses 18, 25 have been indicated at the open side of the front panel 7, and back panel 6 to correspond with the location of the leading edge of the carrier sections 35, 9. As in the previous configurations, in apparatus 1, 2, the carrier sections 35, 9 have been equipped with spurs 31, 11 located at the top end of each trailing- edge 28,13 and upwards into, the top- arc gutters 30, 12, along which they travel during opening, to be stopped when the spurs 31, 11 on the carrier sections 35, 9 collide with the fixed spurs 29, 10 which are formed fixed at the outside edge of panels 22, 5, and point downwards into the gutter 30, 12. Another variant of this mechanism may be to allow one of the upper arcs defined in this apparatus by the gutters 30, 12 to extend further than the other, upwards, by not clearing out one of the gutters 30, 12 on either of the conjoined carrier sections 35, 9 and allowing the remaining strip of material to function as a vane or rail guiding the carrier sections 35, 9 as they move in and out. The stopping mechanism would then rely on the spurs on one of the sections only. In FIG. 24 the back of the completed apparatus 3, is seen with trims 20 taken off, and in FIG. 25 the front is shown, both surfaces having finger access indents 18, 25 cut into either side to access the leading edge of the carrier panels 35, 9. FIG. 26 shows the apparatus 3 being operated from the front in the open position showing a CD 26 in situ in the recess 32. FIG. 28 shows the obverse with another CD 27 in situ in the other recess 8. FIG. 27 shows the apparatus 3 again from the back with the CD 27 in situ in recess 8, with the CD 26 from the front recess 32, coming out.
FIGS. 29-37 show the FOURTH embodiment, the apparatus 4, which differs from the previous embodiments 1, 2, 3 insofar as the principle of having a carrier section which rotates outwards, or indeed which comes out of the body of the apparatus has been changed. In FIG. 29 three panels 36, 37, 38 are separated along fold-lines G-G and H-H. From left, panel 36 is the front panel, with a movable cover section 39 cut out from it by two parallel cuts moving up vertically to meet the two ends of an inverted semi-circle where they converge in a ‘dome’ shape just short of the top of the panel 36. The next is the panel 37 which forms the back of the apparatus 4 and is without features, except for a finger access indent which may be cut into the middle of the bottom edge. At the other end is the panel 38 which will form the centre panel of the apparatus 4, sandwiched between the two other panels 36, 37. This panel 38 has cut out from it near the top a circular aperture 40, cut to the same size as a CD, from which the material has been cleared to create a recess. At the horizontal mid point of the edges of the recess two horizontal cuts extend a short distance outwards from the either edge, and then before meeting the outside edges of the panel 37, turn sharply downwards for a short distance where they again turn inwards for a very short distance before turning downwards again and running to the bottom of the panel. This leaves another section 41, corresponding roughly in shape to the letter ‘T’ being a vertical section with two short outcropping projections on either side, with the concave semi-circular indent of the lower half of the CD-recess reaching down into the top of the ‘T’, isolated from the panel 37. The ‘T’ section 41 however, is unable to move up and down within the main panel 37, and to achieve this a space is cleared by continuing the two vertical cuts from the base which turn outwards as they go towards the top of the panel 37, past the first turn, running parallel to the two descending cuts and then, when they reach the level of about the base of the CD recess 40 make a right-angled outward turn to meet the first set of vertical cuts as they descend from the horizontal mid-point cuts from the CD recess. This creates two small areas 42 which are cleared of material, allowing the centre section 41 to descend to the point where the crossbar of the ‘T’ may be stopped at the ‘shoulders’ at the base of the cleared spaces 42 created when the sections were removed. FIG. 30 shows the panel 38 being folded inwards on top of the back panel 37, where the outer sections of the panel 38 are glued to the back panel 37, leaving the sliding section 41 free to move up and down, being stopped on it's downward journey when the outward projections above the spaces 42 meet the indents below the spaces 42, and being stopped on its upward journey when the top edges of the sliding section 41 meet the edges of the cuts extending outwards from the edges of the CD recess 40.
At the point where the sliding section 41 is as far down as it can go, with the bottom end projecting out over the bottom of the apparatus 4, a fold line 43 is created running across the width of the sliding section 41 at the point where the bottom of the back panel 37 crosses the width of the fully extended sliding section 41. When therefore, the top panel 36 is folded over the centre panel 37, and glued around the top and sides, the cover panel 39, cut out from the top panel 36, is glued to the sliding section 41 below the fold line 43. The apparatus is now finished and may be trimmed at this stage. FIG. 32 shows the apparatus 4 in the closed position with cover panel 39 down, and the interior sliding section 41 (shown by dotted lines) in the un-extended position. FIG. 33 shows the cover section 39 being pulled down to the point where the fold 43 reaches the bottom edge of the apparatus 4, where the overlapping end of the extended panel 39 may be depressed downward with the fold 43 as the fulcrum, over the bottom edge of the back panel 37, at which point the top end of the cover section 39 will rise upwards in a cantilever-movement to reveal the CD recess 40, with a CD 26 in situ. Since the edges of the CD recess 40 are moved apart, the CD 26 may be easily removed, and may be replaced in same way. The apparatus 4 is kept closed because the cover panel 39, is held flat against the back panel 37 by being glued at the bottom edge below the fold 43 and by being dependent on the fold 43 being freed to descend by its being pulled beyond it's restriction of being supported by the panel 37 below.
FIGS. 35, 36 & 37 are schematic drawings showing the same action.
Variants to this format with the apparatus 4 will be apparent. One such variant may be to allow the CD-recess 40 to be kept entirely as part of the sliding section 41, and not separate it across the CD recess 40.
It will be appreciated, as stated in the preamble, that although the embodiments described herein are described in relation to the Compact Disc, there are other products and goods to which such a packaging configuration might be suited.
FIGS. 38 & 39 show variant methods of achieving rotation from those described in apparatus 1-3, whereby in apparatus 5, the axle 14 is cut from and is an extension of the carrier panel itself, and which rotates within the circular slot within the panel 5 from which it is cut out. Material has been removed from the lower end of the leading edge of the carrier panel 9 to create a gap 17 which is the section of the radius of the circular path followed by the carrier panel 9 on it's outward track, and which allows the panel to come out fully before being stopped by the collision of the spur 11 on the top end of the trailing edge 13 of the carrier panel 9, with the stationery spur 10 located on the outer edge of the panel 5. In FIGS. 40 & 41, the axle 14 has been replaced by a pivot point 15 extending from the underside of the carrier panel 9 into a ‘V’ recess 16 from which material has been cleared to make the recess 16 larger than the pivot-point 15. The outward movement is facilitated by the removal of the same section of material as described for FIGS. 38 & 39, creating a radial gap 17 which closes when the carrier panel 9 is fully extended.

Claims

1. Apparatus for packaging a Compact Disc, formed from a plurality of panels of paper, card, plastic or the like, one or more of said panels being cut into a section forming a tray and a remaining section, the tray being rotatable about an axis located near an outer edge of the tray, from a closed position in which a recess for holding a disc is closed by said one or more panels or by another of the panels, to an open position allowing access to the disc.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recess is in the tray.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a further recess for holding a further disc, formed in a panel adjacent the tray and arranged to be opened by rotating the tray.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tray comprises a first section cut out from a first panel and having a circular aperture forming a periphery of the recess, and a second section, cut out from a second panel, attached to the first section and forming a base of the recess.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tray includes first and second recesses, each for holding a disc, on opposed sides thereof.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tray comprises a first section cut out from a first panel and having a circular aperture forming a periphery of the first recess, a second section, cut out from a second panel, attached to the first section and forming a common base of the first and second recesses, and a third section, cut out from a third panel attached to the second panel and forming a periphery of the second recess.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least part of respective edges of the first and second sections are parallel and spaced apart.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a stop for arresting rotation of the tray.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least three panels, the tray being sandwiched between two of said panels in the closed position.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the or each cut out section is arranged to rotate around an axle formed from a cut-out portion of the cut out section(s), and attached to at least one other panel.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the or each cut out section is arranged to rotate with an axle formed as an extension of the cut out section(s) and journalled within a remainder of the one or more panels from which said section is cut out.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the or each cut out section is arranged to pivot with respect to a remainder of the one or more panels from which said section is cut out.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least part of an edge of the cut out section(s) forms an arc of a circle centred on the axis.