WO2010036138A1

WO2010036138A1 - Data storage device

Info

Publication number: WO2010036138A1
Application number: PCT/RU2008/000614
Authority: WO
Inventors: Андрей Владимирович ТРОПИЛЛО; Игорь Витальевич МАСОЛ
Original assignee: Tropillo Andrei Vladimirovich; Masol Igor Vitalievich
Priority date: 2008-09-23
Filing date: 2008-09-23
Publication date: 2010-04-01

Abstract

The invention relates to data storage devices. The storage device according to the invention comprises at least one substrate consisting of optically transmissive material, and also at least one additional storage device which is connected thereto. Said additional storage device may have the capability of having visual (printed) information applied thereto, or may be in the form of an additional substrate consisting of optically transmissive material. The elements of the storage device can be connected to one another either by means of projections on the substrate consisting of optically transmissive material or by means of an additional connecting element. The storage device is characterized by a sufficiently large volume of stored information, by comparatively simple and inexpensive manufacturing technology, and also by the capability of said storage device to be read in standard drives of modern reading devices.

Description

INFORMATION MEDIA

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention relates to information carriers, in particular non-standard optical information carriers, used primarily as advertising media for the promotion of goods and services, as souvenir products, as well as personal business cards containing information about a particular cardholder.

BACKGROUND

Currently, printed materials in the form of booklets, leaflets, postcards made of cardboard, plastic, paper or other similar materials are most widely used as advertising and souvenir information carriers. Such media contain graphic information.

(textual and / or graphic), which is printed on them

(most often - printing). The main disadvantage of this type of media is the low amount of information contained on it.

Electronic advertising and souvenir media are also known, as well as electronic business cards, both of which are usually carried out on the basis of technologies for the production of compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile disks (DVDs). Such media can be read in standard optical systems for reading information using a laser beam (in drives of personal computers, laptops, etc.) and carry at least two types of information - visual (graphic), similar to the rule of information contained on the above conventional (cardboard, paper or plastic) media, as well as digital. One of the sides of the described medium usually contains printed information printed on it, while the opposite side is optically transparent and digital information is read through it using a laser beam of a certain wavelength. In the case of CD-based media, digital information is recorded in CD format, and the media can be cast or cut out

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) or cut down from the preform obtained by molding (for example, disk-shaped). For the manufacture of DVD-based media, methods similar to DVD-DVD production technology are used: first, two blanks are made by casting, at least one of which has a layer for storing information, then the blanks are glued together, graphic information is printed onto the front side, after which of the obtained blanks is cut out or cut out the carrier of the desired shape.

Electronic media, unlike the traditional ones described above (cardboard or plastic), carry a significantly larger amount of information; they can contain multimedia presentations, both personally of its owner (in the case of a business card), and of the organization that he represents, a presentation of company products or audio and other types of video information (for example, Christmas carols on souvenir media).

At the same time, in the manufacture of all types of media for printing on the front side of the media, the same expensive equipment is used that is used for printing on CDs or DVDs during their industrial production. Additionally, in the production of non-standard DVD-based media, non-standard-shaped media (i.e., having a shape other than a disc) cannot be cast immediately and cut or cut out from disk-shaped blanks on special equipment. In addition, for the case of business cards, a significant drawback of known carriers is the relatively complex and costly method of individualizing them - when producing business cards for a group of company employees after making blanks containing digital information on them, it will take • a long period of time to print printed information on the front side due to the need to reconfigure the printing equipment when changing the content of printed information (i.e., when switching to printing individual information tion of the next employee).

All of the above leads to a lengthening and increase in the cost of the production cycle of electronic non-standard media, as well as to a decrease in the quality of the graphic (printed) information placed on them in comparison with the previously described traditional (cardboard or plastic) printed materials. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is aimed at overcoming the previously described disadvantages of known media, and its main task is to create a new information medium, which is characterized by a sufficiently large amount of stored information, a relatively simple and inexpensive manufacturing technology, and the fact that it can be read in standard drives of modern reading devices.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cast substrate for an information medium having a first and second side, as well as a mounting hole for fixing in a reader in which at least one protrusion is made on its first side for connecting the substrate with additional parts of the information medium.

In the particular case, one annular protrusion is made on the first side of the substrate, which may have, in particular, a cylindrical or conical side surface.

The substrate may contain at least one information area for storing digital information that can be read using an optical reading system using laser radiation. The specified at least one information site may be placed on its first side or on its second side.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage medium comprising a substrate made in accordance with one of the above-described particular cases, as well as at least one additional medium connected to the substrate by said at least one protrusion on its first side.

In this case, the additional medium may be made of material having the ability to apply information to it in a printed manner from one or both sides. In this case, the additional medium may be made of cardboard or paper or plastic, and at least on its front side printed information is printed, and on the opposite side, a molded substrate is adjacent to it.

The additional carrier may have N> 1 landing holes, the number and shape of which corresponds to the number and shape of the protrusion or protrusions on the substrate so that the additional carrier is connected to the substrate due to the interaction of these landing holes with the specified protrusion or, respectively, protrusions. The specified at least one protrusion can pass through the corresponding mounting hole on an additional medium.

In another particular case, the additional carrier is a second substrate made of optically transparent material.

The specified second. the substrate may contain at least one information area for storing digital information.

The carrier may also comprise a second additional carrier connected to the substrate and / or said second substrate of optically transparent material.

The second additional medium may be made of material having the ability to apply information to it in a printed manner on one or both sides.

In another case, the second additional carrier may be a third substrate of optically transparent material.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a cast substrate of an information carrier having a first and second side, as well as a mounting hole for fixing in a reader, characterized in that at least one protrusion is made on each side of the substrate, at least a part of which is intended to be connected substrates with additional parts of the storage medium.

On the first and second sides of the substrate can be performed on one ledge.

At least a protrusion on one side of the substrate is intended to connect the substrate with additional parts of the carrier. In a particular case, the protrusion on the first side and the protrusion on the second side are designed to connect with additional parts of the media.

In another particular case, at least on one of the sides, the protrusion is made annular, said ring is located between the diameters Dl and D2 counted from the center of the bore of the substrate, and DO <Dl <D2 <Dnar, where DO is the diameter of the bore, Dнap < 34 mm.

In the particular case, the substrate contains at least one information area for storing digital information.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage medium comprising the above-described substrate with protrusions on both sides thereof, as well as at least one additional carrier connected to the substrate using said at least one protrusion on one of its sides.

The additional medium may be made of material having the ability to apply information to it in a printed manner from one or both sides.

The media may also contain at least two additional media, the first of which is placed on the first side of the molded substrate, and the second on the second side of the substrate, while the first and second additional media are connected to the substrate using protrusions on its first and second sides. Said first and second additional carriers preferably have landing holes that allow said additional carriers to fit onto the protrusions on the corresponding side of the cast substrate.

At least one of the additional carriers may be in the form of a substrate of optically transparent material. In the particular case of the first and second carriers made in the form of the first and second additional substrates of optically transparent material.

At least one additional carrier, made in the form of a substrate of optically transparent material, may have an information area for storing information in digital form. In the particular case, each of the additional substrates has at least one information section for storing digital information.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage medium comprising at least one substrate of optically transparent material and N> 1 additional carriers connected thereto.

The carrier may contain two additional media - the first and second, and the first carrier is adjacent to the substrate from one of its sides.

Said second additional carrier may adhere to the substrate from the side opposite to that of the first additional carrier, or may adhere to the first additional carrier from the side opposite to that of the latter to the substrate of optically transparent material.

The substrate and N> 1 additional carriers can be interconnected inseparably.

The carrier may also comprise a hollow connecting element with a cylindrical lateral surface, wherein the substrate and the additional carrier or carriers have mounting holes through which said connecting element passes.

In order to connect all the carrier elements to each other, the edges of the hollow connecting element can be expanded. The subject of the present invention is information carrier of a new design, which may consist of two or more parts manufactured separately and further interconnected detachable or integral. Moreover, the carrier contains one or more cast substrates of optically transparent material, of which at least one has an information layer designed to store information in digital form with the ability to read such information using modern and promising optical reading systems using a laser beam of a given wavelength (infrared, red, ultraviolet, etc.). Within the framework of the invention, special cases are possible when one substrate will have two similar information layers - one on each of its sides, as well as cases in which two or more substrates will have one or two information layers. In accordance with the state of the art, these layers may be prerecorded (i.e., contain information applied in the manufacture of the substrate), recorded or rewritable. The substrate or substrates that do not have information layers serve mainly to strengthen the structure and / or connection of the carrier elements.

In addition to one or more cast substrates, the carrier according to the invention may also contain additional print media (visually readable) information that are made of material suitable for printing printed information, such as cardboard, plastic, paper, etc. At the same time, there is no need to print on the surface of the plastic substrate, printing quality is improved, the processes of manufacturing (casting) the substrates and the graphic design of the carrier are technologically separated, due to which the production cycle of one carrier can be reduced, the production technology itself is significantly simplified and cheaper. In addition, the technique of individualizing media is greatly simplified, for example, if it is used as a business card, one of the additional media can be individualized, manufactured separately from elements cast from optically transparent material, while the need for special printers is eliminated, operations on resetting them to display information about the next card holder.

The connection of the substrate (s) with additional carriers can be carried out using protrusions performed on one molded substrate on one or both of its sides, using adhesives (adhesives, adhesive varnishes, etc.), using auxiliary fasteners, and a combination of the above methods. At the same time, connecting the elements of the medium does not require complicated equipment, the assembly of the medium can be carried out at home, which is especially convenient in the case of a recordable or rewritable medium — the user can separately purchase substrates with recordable or rewritable information layers and blanks for additional media carrying visual information. In this case, unlike the current level of technology, for applying information on the content of the medium, the user can use the blank for additional medium and then connect it to the substrate (or substrates). In this case, the print quality can be significantly improved, and information on the contents of the medium can be printed on ordinary household printers.

In addition, the absence of multicolor printing directly on the surface of the substrate can reduce its thickness and thus reduce the cost of raw materials in the production of media. In the prior art, blanks having a thickness of the order of 1.2 mm, which is standard for CD and DVD discs, were used for the manufacture of media. Given the specifics of the operation of painting a CD or DVD media, reducing the thickness of the blank would inevitably cause difficulties when printing over the surface of the blank, would lead to excessive stresses and warping of the painted blanks during drying and, consequently, loss of quality. In the manufacture of substrate for media according to the invention, the risk of warpage of the medium during printing is eliminated, as a result of which the thickness of the substrate of optically transparent material can be reduced to 0.55-0.7 mm when recording information in DVD and 0.8-1, 2 mm when recording information in CD or Blu-Rau format. These and other advantages of the present invention will be clear from the further description of the preferred examples of its implementation, which, however, should not be construed as limiting and are provided only for a better understanding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following, references will be given to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 shows a carrier according to the invention with one substrate and one additional carrier assembly, view from the side of the cast substrate;

- figure 2 is the same as in figure 1, a section H-II; - Fig.Z - carrier according to the invention with two substrates and one additional media, view in axial cross section;

- figure 4 is a carrier according to the invention with three substrates and two additional storage media;

Figure 5 - carrier according to the invention with three substrates without additional storage media.

The positions in the drawings indicate:

1, Ia, 16, lv — cast substrates; 2 - additional storage medium (large); 3, Za, 36, Sv - information layer on. cast substrates, 4 - a landing hole in the carrier substrate, 5, 5a, 56 - the central protrusions on the substrate, 6, 6a, 66 - annular auxiliary protrusions on the substrates near their central parts, 7, 7a, 76 - edge annular protrusions on the substrates, 8 - small additional storage media.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

INVENTIONS Example 1. A carrier with one molded substrate and one additional carrier.

In accordance with this preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the carrier comprises one cast substrate 1 made of an optically transparent material such as polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate, as well as one additional carrier 2 made of cardboard, paper , plastic or the like, on which printed information can be applied. The substrate has an information section (layer) 3 for storing digital information, which can be read using known optical reading systems that use scanning laser radiation of the infrared, red or ultraviolet range. The information layer 3 may be prerecorded, recorded or rewritable, able to store and / or record and / or rewrite information in any of the known formats (CD, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.) and be performed in the process of manufacturing the substrate using methods well known in the art. To fix the carrier in standard drives of reading devices in the substrate 1, a bore hole 4 is made, which, based on existing standards, has a diameter of essentially 15 mm The substrate 1 also has two annular protrusions, the first of which 5 protrudes above the first (upper or also front) side and is intended to be fixed on the substrate by an additional carrier 2 using the mounting hole available in the carrier 2, the dimensions and shape of which correspond to the dimensions and shape of the outer the surface of the protrusion 5. The specified protrusion 5 may not necessarily be located on the edge of the landing hole 4 (as shown in figure 2), it is also possible to perform it on diameters from 15 mm to 34 mm (hereinafter, if there is no additional itelnyh explanations refers to the diameters of the imaginary circle whose center coincides with the center bore 4 of the substrate 1). In addition, the protrusion 5 may not be made annular, but have a plan shape, for example, an ellipse or other closed shape. At the same time, the annular shape can be most easily obtained using standard processes for the manufacture of the substrate (during casting), and therefore, from a technological point of view, it may be preferable to the rest. The second protrusion 5a, protruding downward from the bottom (back) side of the substrate 1, in this case acts as a compensator for internal stresses that can occur in the central zone of the substrate after casting and lead to a large number of errors in reading data, and also serves to prevent deformation substrate 1 (arching its edges up from the center). In this case, the protrusion 5a - similar to the protrusion 5 may not necessarily be located on the edge of the hole 4, and not necessarily have a circular annular shape in plan.

It can be noted that the above disadvantages (increased internal stresses and deformation of the substrate), to compensate for which the lower protrusion 5a is made, can occur with a relatively small thickness of the substrate 1 in the area of the information layer 3 (in particular, within the thickness of 0.55-0, 7 mm). With an increase in the thickness of the substrate 1 (up to 1.0 mm or more), the likelihood of stresses in the central zone of the substrate 1 and its deformation decreases, therefore, the second protrusion 5a may be absent in many special cases carrier according to the invention, and the substrate 1 will have only one protrusion 5 above its upper side. Moreover, it is preferable to perform both protrusions 5 and 5a in a single unit with the substrate 1, i.e. performing them by casting from the same material as the substrate 1 simultaneously with its manufacture. At the same time, other methods for making the protrusions 5 and 5a may be provided, for example, the protrusions may not be made of an optically transparent substrate material, but be made by applying varnish on the corresponding side of the substrate 1 (on the lower side of the substrate 1, only on its central part) with the receipt of the protrusions 5 and 5A due to the tides of varnish or by applying to the varnish layer an additional annular path of varnish, paint or other similar material. However, it should be noted that, based on the strength characteristics of the protrusions, their execution in a single unit with the substrate is preferable. The lower compensating protrusion 5a can also be made in the form of a wide ring (hub) located between the diameters Dl and D2,. counted from the center of the bore hole of the substrate 1, with DO <Dl <D2 <Dnar, where DO is the diameter of the bore hole 4, and Dнap <34 mm. The implementation of the protrusion 5a beyond the diameter of 34 mm is not advisable, since in this case, due to the difference in thicknesses on the border of the protrusion 5a in the thickness of the substrate 1 in the information zone (the execution zone of layer 3), internal stresses can negatively affect the quality of information reproduction at the beginning information zone.

The substrate 1 may also contain on its lower side one or more auxiliary protrusions. In particular, as shown. in figure 2, on the lower side of the substrate 1, an annular protrusion 6 located close to the diameter of 34 mm and also a protrusion 7 located along the edge of the substrate 1 can simultaneously be performed. These protrusions 6 and 7 mainly perform a compensating function, giving the substrate 1 the necessary rigidity in the area of the carrier clip in the reader drive (between diameters of 15 mm and 34 mm) and along its edge, thereby preventing bending deformation of the substrate 1 when reading information from the carrier. In addition, the protrusions 6 and 7 also perform a protective function, protecting the bottom surface of the substrate 1, through which information is read by a laser, from scratches and damage that may make it difficult to read the medium. However, it should be noted that the protrusions 6 and 7 may not necessarily be continuous, but may consist, for example, of a set of separate microprotrusions evenly spaced along the edge of the substrate 1 and / or near a diameter of 34 mm. In addition, in various particular cases of the invention, especially when increasing the thickness of the substrate 1 to 0.9 mm and above (up to 1.2 - 1.4 mm), one of the protrusions 6 and 7, and both of these protrusions may be absent .

In the described embodiment, the connection of the substrate 1 with the additional carrier 2 is carried out by the protrusion 5 above the upper side of the substrate I ₅ on which the additional carrier 2 is put on (the protrusion 5 passes through the hole in the carrier 2) so that its back is adjacent to the upper side of the substrate 1. After the carrier 2 is planted on the substrate 1, the edge of the protrusion 5 can be flared out, for example by applying a hot tool to melt the edge of the protrusion 5, as a result of which the flared edge will obstruct to allow free separation of the additional carrier 2 from the substrate 1, and the connection between them will be one-piece. In addition to the described method of fixing, an adhesive ring track can be applied to the upper side of the substrate 1 before landing of the carrier 2, after which the additional carrier 2 can be pressed against the surface of the substrate 1 for a short time, after which the edge of the protrusion 5 can already be expanded. the connection between the substrate 1 and the carrier 2 will be fixed, while in the previously described case (without the use of glue) the substrate 1 and the carrier 2 retain the possibility of mutual movement relative to each other ( company around their fastening axis). The described options for connecting the substrate 1 with the carrier 2 are not, obviously, exhaustive - if necessary, it is possible to provide the possibility of detachable connection of the carrier 2 and the substrate 1. In particular, like the protrusion 5 on the upper side of the substrate 1, a protrusion can be made on its upper side in the central zone having an annular shape in plan, but whose lateral surface is not cylindrical, but is made with inverse taper (larger the base of the cone is located on the upper edge of the protrusion, and the smaller base lies on the upper side of the substrate 1). In this case, the carrier 2 may have a landing hole, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the lower (smaller) base of the conical protrusion on the carrier 1, but slightly less than the diameter of the upper base of the specified conical protrusion. In this case, the carrier 2 will be able to install (snap) on the substrate 1 due to the elastic interaction of the edge of the landing hole on the carrier 2 with the upper edge of the protrusion on the substrate 1 - when additional media 2 is made of sufficiently rigid and elastic material (plastic, hard cardboard) etc.) the edge of the landing hole in the carrier 2, having experienced elastic deformation when interacting with the edge of the protrusion 5, will be returned to its original position as the carrier 2 is lowered to the upper side of the substrate 1 (to the bottom aniyu conical protrusion). In this case, the additional carrier 2 will have the possibility of free angular movement (rotation) relative to the substrate 1, since the diameter of the mounting hole on the additional carrier 2 is larger than the diameter of the lower base of the conical protrusion on the substrate 1, and the upper base of the conical protrusion of a larger diameter will block the free separation of the media (free separating the additional carrier 2 from the substrate 1), including during rotation of the carrier according to the invention in the drive of the reader. To disconnect (snap off) the carrier 2 from the substrate 1 in this case, it will be necessary to exert additional force on the carrier 2 to ensure reverse elastic deformation of the edge of the landing hole of the additional carrier when it interacts with the surface of the upper part of the conical protrusion on the substrate 1.

The described special case is one of many possible embodiments of the detachable connection between the substrate 1 and the additional carrier 2 using similar methods of snapping the carrier 2 onto the substrate 1. For example, the mounting protrusion on the substrate 1 may have a predominantly cylindrical side surface with an annular tide (in one of horizontal sections of the protrusion), similarly providing elastic deformation of the edge of the landing hole of the second carrier 2 during installation the latter on the substrate 1 and preventing the free separation of the substrate 1 and the carrier 2 without additional force. By analogy, the lateral surface of the protrusion on the substrate 1 can take the form of a part of a second-order surface (for example, parabolic), the protrusion itself can also be made not elliptical or quasi-elliptical (oval), and the landing hole on the additional carrier 2 can also be made elliptical or oval, and the connection of the substrate 1 and the carrier 2 will occur by landing an additional carrier 2 on the front side of the substrate 1 (putting holes on a ledge of the same shape) with subsequent rotation but bolt 2 (for example, at an angle of 90 °) and thus preventing the free separation of the carrier 2 from the substrate 1. On the surface of the substrate 1 can also be made not one, but several protrusions, the connection can occur not only by snapping the carrier 2 on the substrate 1 , but also due to the engagement of holes or slots in the additional carrier 2 for the protrusions on the surface of the substrate 1, there are other possible detachable connections of these two elements, similar to those known in the art at the moment and can be used with a socialist by analogy and without the contribution of inventive creativity. In this case, the protrusion on the upper side of the substrate 1 of the desired shape can also be obviously provided due to minor changes in the injection mold (by making reciprocal grooves of the corresponding shape in it).

In this example, the thickness of the substrate 1 can vary within wide limits and range from 0.5-0.55 mm to 1.2-1.3 mm. Moreover, in order to reliably secure the assembled carrier in standard drives, the additional carrier 2 must have a thickness that provides the total thickness of the carrier at least in the pressure zone (from the edge of the mounting hole 4 to a diameter of about 34 mm) in the range of 1.0-1.4 mm Accordingly, the additional thickness 2 will have the greatest thickness, connected to thin (0.5-0.8 mm) substrates, and vice versa - with a substrate thickness of 1 about 1.2 mm (i.e., with a thickness similar to the thickness of a standard disk) additional carrier 2 may have a thickness of several tenths of a millimeter (many types have such thickness cardboard).

Example 2. A medium with two substrates and one additional medium.

In this example, shown in FIG. 3, the carrier according to the invention comprises a first molded substrate Ia made of optically transparent material and having a bore hole 4 and two protrusions 5 on the upper side of the substrate 1 and 5a on its lower side. Similarly to that described in example 1, with the help of the upper protrusion 5, an additional medium 2 is connected to the substrate 1, which is intended primarily for storing visually readable information (verbal, graphic, combined) and, like in the described example, is made of cardboard, plastic, paper or similar material. New in this example implementation of the invention is that the second protrusion 5a, made on the lower side of the substrate Ia, is also used to connect the substrate Ia with an additional carrier, which is a second substrate 16 made of an optically transparent material, for example, of the same which is made substrate Ia (polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, etc.). The additional carrier 2 and the second substrate 16 can be connected to the substrate Ia in the same way as described in the previous example — or indivisibly by flaring the edges of each of the protrusions 5 and 5a (as shown in FIG. 3), on which additional carriers are already fitted (carrier 2 and substrate 16), and / or using adhesives (adhesives), or by methods that allow their releasable connection, for example, by performing one or both of the protrusions 5 and 5a with the reverse taper, the convexity of the side surface, etc.

In this example, each of the substrates Ia and 16 contains one information layer (Za and 36, respectively) - on the first substrate Ia, the information layer Za is physically located on its lower side, and on the second substrate, the information layer 36 is physically placed on its upper side, so that the substrates Ia and 16 are adjacent to each other precisely by the sides on which the information layers Za and 36 are physically placed. It will be obvious to the specialist that it is possible to perform only one of the substrates Ia or 16 s information layer, as well as the implementation of one substrate with two information layers - for example, two information layers can be performed on the substrate Ia - one on its lower side and the other on the upper. In this example, the information layers Za and 36, as well as in the previously described case, can be prerecorded, recorded or rewritable. While reading information from the medium using the optical reading system is carried out from the lower side of the second substrate 16, and the information is first read by a laser beam from the information layer 36 on the second substrate, and then is read from layer B on the first (main) substrate Ia. In accordance with the state of the art, to ensure that the Za layer is read from the substrate Ia and to prevent its “fading” by the information layer 36, the latter can be made without metallization and translucent for a laser of a given wavelength, similar to how translucent layers are made in a known medium in the format DVD-9. In this example, a standard laser-based reading system with a wavelength in the red and / or infrared range used for reading media in DVD and CD formats can be used to read media. In order to ensure that the information is read by a red laser, the thickness of the lower substrate 16 should be about 0.6 mm, and the thickness of the main substrate Ia will depend on the location of information layers on it - if it contains only one information layer Za on its lower side, its thickness can be essentially any, for example from 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm. If the substrate Ia contains an information layer on its upper side, the total thickness of the two substrates Ia and 16, at least in the area of the information layers Za and 36, should be from 0.8 to 1.2 mm, in which case reading from the information layer located on the upper side of the substrate Ia can only be carried out by an infrared laser, and the information itself on this upper layer can be recorded in CD format and its derivatives. The thickness of the additional media 2 can be, as in the previous example, selected based on the need to ensure reliable clamping of the media in standard drives and range from about 0.4 mm to several tenths of a millimeter.

As in the example described above, the lower side of the medium through which information is read can be protected from scratches and other damage with the help of protrusions located on the lower side of the second substrate 16 — protrusion 6 located in the region of diameter 34 mm and protrusion 7, which can be located on the edge of the lower substrate 16 or near it. As described previously, the protrusions 6 and 7 can be closed, open (consist of a set of protrusions), one or both protrusions may be absent.

Example 3. Media with three substrates and two additional media.

The previously discussed examples provided the ability to read information from the carrier from only one of its sides (from the bottom of the main or additional substrate). In the framework of the present invention, it is possible to perform the media bilateral, i.e. with the ability to read information from it from both the lower and upper sides. Figure 4 shows an example of such a carrier, which includes three substrates Ia, 16 and lb made of optically transparent material, although, as will be clear to a person skilled in the art, it is possible to make a double-sided carrier with both a large and a smaller number of substrates.

As in the previously described examples, the carrier comprises a main molded substrate lв, which has a landing hole 4 and two protrusions - 56 above the upper side and 5a down from the lower side. The two protrusions 5a and 56, due to the holes made in them, have two additional substrates — the lower Ia and the upper 16. Each of the substrates Ia and 16 contains one information layer (Za and 36, respectively), and the central (main) substrate lв - two information layers Sv. Physically, layer B is located on the lower substrate Ia from its upper side adjacent to the main substrate lv, layer 36 on the upper substrate 16 is located on its lower side adjacent to the main substrate lv, and information layers Sv are located on each side of the main substrate lv. As before, these Za-Zv layers can be pre-recorded, written or rewritable, reading information from layer B and the lower layer Sv (located on the lower side of the main substrate lv) can be carried out through the lower side of the carrier (through the lower side of the substrate Ia), while reading information from layer 36 and the upper layer Sv (located on the upper side of the main substrate lv ) can be carried out through the upper side of the carrier (through the upper side of the substrate 16). To inform the user about the information content on each side of the media and / or to personalize it, in this example, two additional media 8 of visual information are provided, the first of which is placed on the protrusion 56 on the protrusion 56 over the substrate 16, and the second by the landing hole is located on the protrusion 5a under the substrate Ia. However, one skilled in the art will understand that to inform the user about the contents of the medium and / or to personalize it, one additional medium 8 located on the upper or lower side may be sufficient. Additional media 8 may optionally be made from the same material (cardboard, paper, plastic, etc.), or from different. Due to the fact that reading is performed on each side of the medium and for this the side through which the reading is performed (the upper side of the substrate 16 and the lower side of the substrate Ia) must be transparent to laser radiation, additional media should not obscure the Za-Zv information layers and therefore should be relatively small in size. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the additional carriers 8 are in the form of rings, the inner diameter of which substantially coincides with the outer diameter of the protrusions 56 and 5a, and the outer diameter is about 33mm. The outer edge of the additional media 8 is adjacent to the protective protrusions ba and 66, which, as in the examples described above, together with the protrusions 7a and 76 located along the edge of the substrates Ia and 16, protect the upper side of the substrate 16 and the lower side of the substrate Ia from scratches and other damage . However, it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the sizes of the additional carriers 8 can be both larger (if the protrusions 6a and 66 are absent) or smaller than those shown in FIG. The connection of the substrates Ia-I with each other and with additional media 8 can, as in the examples described above, be implemented as one-piece (for example, with flaring of the edges of protrusions 5a and 56 and / or using adhesive compositions), and detachable (using suitable, previously described forms of protrusions 5a and 56). With a one-piece connection without the use of glue, as well as with a detachable connection, all carriers (substrates Ia-I and additional carriers 8) retain the possibility of mutual movement (rotation relative to each other around the axis of their fixation - the axis of the mounting hole 4 in the main substrate lв).

To ensure the reading of the carrier in question in standard drives, as in the previously described examples, it is necessary that the total thickness of the carrier in the zone of its fastening (within the diameters from 15 mm to 34 mm) be about 1.2 mm. In this case, the minimum value of the thickness of the carrier in the fixing zone can be about 1.0 mm, the maximum can reach 1.7 mm (closer to the edge of the hole 4), however, with significant deviations of the thickness of the carrier from the standard (about 1.2 mm) reading it in individual drive models may be difficult. To ensure reliable reading of information (in particular, by a red laser), substrates Ia and 16 can have a thickness of 0.5-0.6 mm, the thickness of the main substrate lv in the region of the information layer 3 can be 0.3-0.4 mm, and the thickness additional media 8 may be tenths of a millimeter. Example 4. A media with three substrates without additional media.

In the framework of the present invention, it is also possible embodiment of a medium with several substrates, but without additional carriers of visual information, shown in figure 5. As in the previous example, the carrier contains the main substrate lv with two protrusions 5a (down) and 56 (up), as well as upper 16 and lower substrates Ia placed on these protrusions. In the shown example, each of the additional substrates contains one information layer (Za and 36), which are physically located on the sides of these substrates adjacent to the main substrate lv and can be prerecorded, recorded or rewritable. Moreover, on the most basic substrate lв in the described example, information layers are absent and in this case it plays the role of binding and reinforcing element of the carrier structure. If necessary, colorful labels containing visual information identifying the data contained on the medium can be applied on the upper or lower side of the main substrate lв in the visibility zone (i.e., outside the location of information layers Za and 36). At the same time, if necessary, the label or labels can be applied to one or both of the additional substrates Ia and 16, in particular, in the same areas in which the additional information carriers 8 were located in the previous example.

The described carrier, as in the previous example, is two-sided, that is, information can be read both through the upper side of the substrate 16 and through the lower side of the substrate Ia. To protect the surfaces of the medium through which information is read on the substrates Ia and 16, protrusions 6a, 66 and 7a, 76 can be provided, as in the cases described above, cast from the same material as the substrates, or printed (made from varnish or paint). The connection of the substrates can be detachable or one-piece, the substrates can be movable relative to each other (connect with the possibility of rotation around the axis of the hole 4) or fixed (when using glue to connect them). The thickness of the substrates is selected in the same way as described in the previous example. Example 5. A carrier with a central fastener.

In the previously described cases, the connection of the carriers was carried out using a protrusion or protrusions made on the main cast substrate. At the same time, within the framework of the present invention, an option may be provided when the main cast substrate is made essentially flat, without protrusions, and its connection with the remaining media elements (additional substrates or additional visual information carriers) is carried out using fasteners.

In particular, the connection of the main cast substrate with additional elements made in accordance with one of the above examples can be carried out using a hollow connecting element with a cylindrical lateral surface (hollow “barrel”), the height of which is comparable with the distance between the edges of the protrusions 5a and 56 described above and is sufficient to connect the desired number of carriers, the total thickness of which is at least 1.1 in the pressure zone in the standard drive , 4 mm. In this case, the main cast substrate and additional carriers may have bore holes through which said connecting element passes so that its edges protrude above the upper side of the upper carrier element and under the lower side of the lower element. In this case, the connection of all elements to the carrier according to the invention using the specified connecting cylindrical element can be carried out by flaring its edges in the same way as connecting when flaring the edges of the protrusions 5A and 56. Landing of the carrier on the spindle in the drive will be carried out using the holes in the cylindrical connecting element, which preferably has a diameter of about 15 mm. It will also be clear to a specialist that the connecting element may also have another suitable shape - for example, a ring can be connected to one of the bases, the central opening of which has dimensions that allow the carrier to fit onto the spindle in the reader drive (it can also be about 15 mm), and the diameter of the outer edge is greater than the diameter of the side surface of the cylindrical part of the connecting element and, accordingly, the diameter of the mounting holes. In this case, when connecting the main substrate with additional media elements, they can be sequentially worn on a cylindrical connecting element, the lower of the media elements will rest on the specified ring on the connecting element, and after all elements are sequentially placed on the connecting element, the free (upper) edge of the connecting element It can be, as in previous cases, expanded by the application of a suitable hot tool.

The connection using the additional connecting element is essentially similar to the above options using the protrusions on the substrate, but it has one technological advantage over these options - for to obtain a carrier that is connected without the aid of protrusions on a cast substrate, changes in the casting form are minimal and can be caused only by a change in the thickness of the substrate relative to the standard 1.2 mm, and grooves under the protrusions are not required. In all the above-described embodiments of the carrier according to the invention, its main elements (main and additional substrate, as well as additional carriers of visual information printed by printing) can have any suitable shape - disks, rectangular or square cards, or have any shape due to the purpose of the carrier, moreover, an arbitrary, fantasy form of one or more elements of the medium may be most in demand when it is used as a souvenir product. Moreover, as can be seen from the attached figures, the individual media elements do not need to have the same shape and size - in examples 1 and 2, the additional visual information medium is essentially rectangular and with dimensions larger than the main (and additional) substrate, while in Example 3, on the contrary, has a disk shape and significantly smaller dimensions than substrates.

It should be noted that in order to successfully fix the carrier according to the invention in the trays of reading devices that are currently adapted for receiving disk media with a diameter of 120 mm and 80 mm, the largest transverse dimensions of the entire carrier should preferably be entered into the specified limits (from 80 to 120 mm ) Moreover, the size that allows you to correctly position the media in the tray, can have only one of its elements, for example, an additional medium of visual information 2, while the remaining elements can be smaller - in particular, in examples 1 and 2, the substrates can be made in the form of disks with an outer diameter of less than 80 mm, which may be enough to record and store the required amount of information on the medium, and significantly reduces the cost of raw materials necessary for the manufacture of the medium. Note that the implementation of media from an optically transparent material with a maximum transverse size (in the case of a disk with a diameter) of less than 80 mm in the prior art was essentially impossible due to the difficulty placing such media in most standard reader trays.

Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, which simplify the design and technology for producing information media, in particular non-standard shapes and sizes, improve print quality and speed up the production cycle by using separate print media. Additionally, material savings in the manufacture of substrates can be achieved by reducing their transverse dimensions below the allowable level in the prior art without losing media capacity (by performing several information layers). At the same time, the described examples do not limit all possible embodiments of the present invention, and other special cases of implementation and additional advantages, not described directly, but not beyond the scope of the claimed legal protection, the scope of which is determined solely by the attached claims, will be clear to a specialist. Industrial applicability

The media of the invention can be used in various industries for storing and / or writing and / or rewriting and reading information and can be performed on standard equipment known in the art. The substrates included in the carrier can be molded from polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, lavsan or other known optically transparent material in the same way as optical disks are made (in CD, DVD or Blu-Rau format), information layers can be performed exactly and with the structure exactly as prescribed by optical disc standards. Differences can only consist in a slight change in the injection mold to the required edge shape of the substrate, as well as, if necessary, in grooves in the injection mold for making protrusions on the substrates. Moreover, these changes in injection molds can be made by a specialist based on the information disclosed in the description, as well as data known from the prior art, without the contribution of inventive creativity.

Claims

CLAIM

1. Cast substrate of an information carrier having a first and second side, as well as a mounting hole for fixing in a reader, characterized in that at least one protrusion is made on the first side of the substrate to connect the substrate with additional parts of the information carrier.

2. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein one annular protrusion is made on the first side.

3. The substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that said protrusion has a cylindrical or conical side surface.

4. The substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it contains at least one information area for storing digital information.

5. The substrate according to claim 4, characterized in that said at least one information section is placed on its first side.

6. The substrate according to claim 4, characterized in that said at least one information section is placed on its second side.

7. A storage medium containing a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, as well as at least one additional medium connected to the substrate using the specified at least one protrusion from its first side.

8. The medium according to claim 7, characterized in that the additional medium is made of material having the ability to apply information to it in a printed manner from one or both sides.

9. The medium according to claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the additional medium is made of cardboard or paper or plastic, and at least printed information is printed on its front side, and a molded substrate adheres to it from the opposite side.

10. A carrier according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the additional carrier has N> 1 mounting holes, the number and shape of which corresponds to the number and shape of the protrusion or protrusions on the substrate so that the additional carrier is connected to the substrate due to the interaction of these landing holes with the specified protrusion or, respectively, protrusions.

11. The carrier of claim 10, wherein said at least one protrusion passes through its corresponding mounting hole on an additional carrier.

12. The carrier according to claim 7, characterized in that said additional carrier is a second substrate made of optically transparent material.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the second substrate comprises at least one information area for storing digital information.

14. The carrier according to claims 12 or 13, characterized in that it also comprises a second additional carrier connected to the substrate and / or said second substrate of an optically transparent material.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the second additional medium is made of material having the ability to apply information to it in a printed manner from one or both sides.

16. The carrier of claim 14, wherein the second additional carrier is a third substrate of optically transparent material.

17. A cast substrate of an information carrier having a first and second side, as well as a mounting hole for fixing in a reader, characterized in that at least one protrusion is made on each side of the substrate, at least part of which is designed to connect the substrate with additional parts of the storage medium.

18. The substrate according to 17, characterized in that from its first and second sides made on one ledge.

19. The substrate according to p. 18, characterized in that at least the protrusion on one side is designed to connect the substrate with additional parts of the carrier.

20. The substrate according to PP.18 or 19, characterized in that the protrusion on the first side and the protrusion on the second side are designed to connect with additional parts of the media.

21. The substrate according to claims 18 or 19, characterized in that the protrusion is made annular on at least one of the sides, said ring is located between the diameters Dl and D2 counted from the center of the bore of the substrate, and DO <Dl <D2 <Dnar, where DO is the diameter of the bore hole, Dнap <34 mm.

22. The substrate according to any one of paragraphs.17-19, characterized in that it contains at least one information area for storing digital information.

23. A storage medium containing a substrate according to any one of paragraphs.17-22, as well as at least one additional medium connected to the substrate using the specified at least one protrusion on one of its sides.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the additional medium is made of material having the ability to apply information to it in a printed manner from one or both sides.

25. The media according to item 23, characterized in that it contains at least two additional media, the first of which is placed on the first side of the molded substrate, and the second on the second side of the substrate, while the first and second additional media are connected to the substrate at relief projections from its first and second sides.

26. The media according A.25, characterized in that the first and second additional media have a landing hole, providing a landing of these additional media on the protrusions on the corresponding side of the cast substrate.

27. A carrier according to claims 25 or 26, characterized in that at least one of the additional carriers is made in the form of a substrate of an optically transparent material.

28. The media according to item 27, wherein the first and second carriers are made in the form of the first and second additional substrates of an optically transparent material.

29. A medium according to claims 27 or 28, characterized in that at least one additional medium, made in the form of a substrate of optically transparent material, has an information section for storing information in digital form.

30. A medium according to claims 28 or 29, characterized in that each of the additional substrates has at least one information section for storing digital information.

31. A storage medium containing at least one substrate of optically transparent material and N> 1 additional carriers connected to it.

32. A carrier according to claim 3, characterized in that it contains two additional carriers — the first and second, the first carrier being adjacent to the substrate on one of its sides.

33. The carrier of Claim 32, wherein said second additional carrier abuts the substrate from a side opposite to the fit of the first additional carrier.

34. The carrier according to claim 32, wherein said second additional carrier is adjacent to the first additional carrier from the side opposite to the abutment of the latter to a substrate of optically transparent material.

35. The media according to any one of paragraphs.31-34, characterized in that the substrate N> 1 additional media are interconnected inseparably.

36. The carrier according to any one of paragraphs.31-35, characterized in that it also contains a hollow connecting element with a cylindrical side surface, with this substrate and the additional carrier or media have landing holes through which the specified connecting element.

37. A carrier according to claim 3, characterized in that the edges of the hollow connecting element are expanded.