Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCT/SE97/00489
1
A PACKAGE ASSEMBLY FOR KEEPING, STORING, DISPLAYING AND HANDLING
DISC-SHAPED PRODUCTS
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a package assembly for keeping,
storing, displaying and handling disc-shaped products, such as
compact discs and the like, wherein the assembly is comprised of
a sleeve or pocket that is produced by folding and/or gluing a
first paperboard or cardboard-like blank, and a slide or tray
which is intended to removably receive at least one disc-shaped
product and which is produced by folding and/or gluing a second
paperboard or cardboard-like blank, wherein the sleeve has an
opening through which the product-carrying slide can be inserted
and withdrawn, wherein the slide includes product-constraining
means, and wherein the sleeve and the slide include mutually
coacting means which function to maximize the extent to which the
slide can be withdrawn from the sleeve for the removal and
insertion of a product into the space intended therefor.
BACKGROUND IF THE INVENTION
US-A 5,421,452 teaches a case of the kind defined in the preamb:Le
of the main Claim. This known case includes a product-carrying
tray or slide that can be inserted into a sleeve or pocket
section. The extent to which the slide can be withdrawn from t:he
sleeve is restricted by mutually coacting stop members on the
slide and the sleeve. Both the construction and the use of this
known case have disadvantages. In order to enable a package
assembly to be mass-produced at favourable costs, it is necessary
to be able to produce the component parts of the assembly in an
automatic machine as far as possible. The known assembly has a
complex construction and the production costs of each assembly
are apparently very high. Certain drawbacks are also revealed
CA 02250793 2005-02-24
20615-1121
2
when using the known disc assembly. Normal handling of a
package assembly of this kind involves the user gripping the
assembly between the thumb and index finger of one hand
while pressing towards respective opposing side edges of the
assembly and holding the assembly firmly while withdrawing
the slide from the sleeve with the other hand. The grip
between thumb and index finger causes the sleeve to flex
outwards towards the surface that faces towards the viewer,
thereby causing side flaps on the slide to slip over and
past the stop members on the sleeve, such as to allow the
slide to be withdrawn beyond its intended limit. If the
disc assembly is held in a position other than flat, there
is also the danger that the product will fall out of the
sleeve/slide and be damaged in the process. The slide of
the known package assembly can only accommodate one product,
and hence that part of the assembly sleeve that functions as
a lid is configured as a pocket in which printed information
can be stored, for instance.
The sleeve is provided with a cover flap which is
folded into abutment with another sleeve surface. Because
of the inherent resiliency of the material used, the cover
flap tends to spring out and therewith make it difficult to
store the package assembly, unless the cover flap is secured
to another sleeve surface in some way or another.
2 5 SUN~1ARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a package
assembly of the kind defined in the introduction and having
the features set forth herein.
According to one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a package assembly for keeping, storing,
displaying and handling disc-shaped products wherein the
assembly is comprised of a sleeve that is produced by
CA 02250793 2005-02-24
20615-1121
3
folding and/or gluing a first paperboard or cardboard-like
blank, and a slide which is intended to removably receive at
least one disc-shaped product and which is produced by
folding and/or gluing a second paperboard or cardboard-like
blank, wherein the sleeve has an opening through which the
product-carrying slide can be inserted and withdrawn,
wherein the slide includes product-constraining means, and
wherein the sleeve and the slide include mutually coacting
means which function to maximize the extent to which the
slide can be withdrawn from the sleeve for the removal and
insertion of a product into the space intended therefor,
wherein a folded part of the slide in the region of its
bottom part functions both as a part of a product-receiving
pocket and as a partition wall that enables two products to
be received in mutually parallel and mutually separated
relationship, wherein the folded part includes a separate
foldable flap that forms a bottom abutment for products
received on respective sides of the partition wall, wherein
the bottom abutment of said flap also functions to restrict
the extent to which the slide can be withdrawn from the
sleeve.
A package assembly of this kind has many
advantages in relation to known package assemblies. For
instance, the slide partition panel formed by the bottom
part of the blank enables two products to be placed in the
slide while mutually separated by said partition panel. The
flap that is formed partially from the partition panel
functions as a bottom abutment for products that are placed
on respective sides of said partition wall. When folded,
i.e. when extending the slide upwards along the surface of
the partition wall that faces towards the viewer, the bottom
CA 02250793 2005-02-24
20615-1121
3a
of the flap will be present on both sides of the partition
wall. Because the flap strives to lie against the internal
surface of the sleeve that faces towards the viewer and also
functions as that part of the slide which coacts with means
bent in the upper sleeve part, the flap will never be able
to slide beneath and past said means and will therewith
ensure that the extent to which the slide can be withdrawn
from the sleeve will always be limited maximum, although to
an extent that will enable the user to grip one and/or the
other of said products and remove the same from the slide,
or conversely return one and/or the other product to the
intended space in the slide, whereafter the cover part is
folded down and the slide inserted as a unit into the
sleeve. Because the sleeve has no cover member, the
inventive package assembly can be easily stored in existing
storage racks. Other features of the inventive package
assembly, particularly with respect to the configuration of
the slide and sleeve, will be evident from what is described
herein.
According to another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the part of~the slide that functions as a
partition wall includes integrally therewith mutually
opposing and foldable flaps that function as side abutments
for the product receivable on one side of the partition wall
and also functions as further abutment means for the slide
in achieving limited maximum withdrawal of the slide from
the sleeve.
According to another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the side flap that functions as a bottom
abutment is created by cut-outs in two adjacent panels; and
wherein the bottom part of the flap is comprised of two
CA 02250793 2005-02-24
20615-1121
3b
mutually parallel and mutually spaced fold lines located in
the panel, wherein the space between said fold lines forms
said bottom abutment.
According to still another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the free parts of the flap on the folded
slide are essentially in abutment with the front side of the
partition wall; and wherein the bottom free end of the
partition wall is situated between the rear surface of the
flap and the slide panel.
According to yet another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the slide panel that functions as an
intermediate wall is generally circular in shape.
According to a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein which includes a slide which is adapted to receive at
least one product and which is insertable into a sleeve and
withdrawable therefrom to~only a limited maximum extent,
wherein the sleeve has in the region of its opening an
inwardly folded flap that is adapted to coact with the slide
flap that functions as a bottom abutment surface for the
product, in a manner such as to prevent the complete
withdrawal of the slide from the sleeve.
According to yet a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the sleeve flap is frusto-conical in shape,
and wherein its sloping edges coact with side flaps that
flank the flap.
According to still a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
CA 02250793 2005-02-24
20615-1121
3c
herein, wherein the folded flap on the sleeve has a frusto-
conical configuration.
According to another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the sleeve and the slide are so configured
and shaped and have such thickness as to enable printed
information to be applied to both side surfaces and edge
surfaces.
According to yet another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the slide has a foldable cover having a
bottom part which forms a part that lies flush with the
sleeve opening after folding the cover and with the slide
fully inserted into the sleeve.
According to still another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a package assembly as described
herein, wherein the disc-shaped products are compact discs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention will be more readily
understood and further features thereof made apparent, the
invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 illustrates a prepared paperboard blank
from which there is fabricated a first part of the inventive
package assembly, i.e. the slide;
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCT/SE97/00489
4
Fig. 2 illustrates a slide that has been fabricated from the
blank of Fig. 1 by folding/gluing and that is in a state ready to
receive a disc-shaped product;
Fig. 3 illustrates a prepared paperboard blank from which there
is fabricated a second part of the inventive package assembly,
i.e. the sleeve;
Fig. 4 illustrates a sleeve that has been fabricated by bend
ing/gluing the blank in Fig. 3 and which is ready to receive and
coact with the slide shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 illustrates the slide and the sleeve according to Figs. 1
4 in a mutually cooperating state in which the slide is inserted
fully into the sleeve;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an
inventive package assembly comprising a slide and a sleeve; and
Fig. 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the inventive package
assembly.
Shown in Fig. 1 is an inventive package assembly which includes
a slide, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, said slide
constituting one of two major component parts of the novel
package assembly. The slide 10 is fabricated from an elongated
paperboard blank that includes a first panel 11 and a second
panel 12 that are intended to be folded along the transverse
folding line 13 and then glued together to form a panel 14 (Fig.
2) of double thickness. (The panel 14 may, of course, be of
single thickness). The panel 14 is intended to form a slide cover
member, as described hereinafter. There next follows two mutually
spaced and mutually parallel fold lines 15, 16. The distance
between the fold lines 15, 16 defines the thickness of the
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCT/SE97/00489
fabricated slide 10. There next follows a panel 17 from which the
rear side of the pocket-like slide 10 is formed and against which
the disc-shaped product (not shown) lies. The panel 17 can be
folded rearwardly about a fold line 18, as explained in mora
5 detail below. The lower part of the panel 17 is terminated in a
centre f lap 18 , wherein two mutually parallel and mutually spacE:d
fold lines 19, 20 define the thickness of the slide bottom
against which the disc-shaped product rests. Flaps 21 and 22 ar_e
cut out on respective sides of the centre f lap 18 and can each be
folded along a respective fold line 21' and 22' that forms a
continuation of the lower fold line 20. There then follows a
recess lowermost 23. Subsequent to folding the blank, two
longitudinally extending fold lines 24 , 25 on respective sides of
the panel 23 will define together with the folded panel 23 an
upwardly open pocket-like space ( Fig . 2 ) in which the disc-shaped
product is placed. The cut-out or recess in the panel 23 enables
the disc-shaped product to be gripped without touching any
sensitive part of the product, e.g. the sensitive surface of a
compact disc. The flaps 24', 25' thus form slide side-walls and
slide guides.
Fig. 2 shows a slide 10 that has been fabricated in the
aforedescribed manner. It will be noted that the opening 26
provided in the panel 17 functions as a finger grip when with-
drawing the slide 10 from the sleeve to said restricted maximum
extent, as explained in more detail hereinafter.
The aforedescribed slide 10 is intended to cooperate with the
sleeve of the novel package assembly. The sleeve will now be
described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.
Shown in Fig. 3 is an elongated paperboard blank, generally
indicated at reference numeral 3, from which there is fabricated
an upwardly open sleeve that coacts with the slide 10. The blank
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCTlSE97/00489
6
30 has a first panel 31 that defines a first closure part that
may include a recessed upper edge part or a notch cut into said
edge part (at 32). The thickness of the folded slide-receiving
sleeve 30 is defined by two transverse and mutually parallel fold
lines 33, 34. A second panel 35 forms a second closure part and
has mutually opposite and outwardly projecting flap parts 36, 37.
Each of the flap parts 36, 37 has two mutually parallel and
mutually spaced fold lines 36', 36" and 37', 37" respectively,
such as to form upstanding surfaces S. The flaps or guides 40, 41
on the panel 39 will then be located beneath the surfaces S. In
stage 3, the panel 31 is folded along the fold lines 33, 34 and
glued to the surfaces S. Folding of the panel 31 results in a
sleeve 11 that is open solely upwards. Fig. 4 shows in broken
lines the folded state of the panel 39, whose transverse edge
part 43 is adapted to form a stop or restricting abutment.
Figs. 2 and 4 illustrate a fabricated slide 10, intended to
accommodate the disc-shaped product in the aforedescribed manner,
and a sleeve 30. As before mentioned, the slide is secured in
the sleeve in a manner which allows the slide to be withdrawn
only to a limited maximum extent. The Figures clearly show the
coaction between slide 10 and sleeve 30 and illustrate the manner
in which the mutually coacting locking or latching means between
the upstanding flaps 21, 22 of the slide 10 and the abutment edge
43 of the sleeve enable the slide 10 to be withdrawn from the
sleeve to only a limited extent. It will be noted that the fold
line 18 on the slide 10 (Fig. 1} is provided to enable the panel
17 to be folded back to facilitate removal of the product.
Fig. 5 is a perspective and partially broken view that illus-
trates the slide 10 in its maximum withdrawal position in
relation to the sleeve 30, and it will be evident from the
aforegoing that both the slide 10, i.e. the pocket-like part of
the novel package assembly in which the disc-shaped product
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCT/SE97/00489
7
rests, and the slide-embracing sleeve 30 are so configured that
the package assembly (with the slide 10 inserted in the sleeve
30) will present two opposite large surfaces and four narrow side
or edge surfaces, on which selected information/means of identi-
fication may conveniently be printedor otherwise applied. For
instance, when the products are to be displayed for sale upstand-
ing in a sales rack, one upwardly facing edge surface of the
package can be provided with any desired information relating t.o
the contents of the package, so as to enable the package to be
identified quickly without needing to make other time-consuming
searches.
An inventive package assembly may readily be constructed t:o
enable the slide 10 to accommodate, for instance, two disc-shaped
products. In this case, the slide 10 is provided with a permanent
or removable partition wall that separates two such products one
from the other. The thickness of the slide 10 and the sleeve 30,
i.e. the distance between the fold lines 15, 16 (Fig. 1) and the
fold lines (33, 34; 36'; 37', 37" (Fig. 3) is determined with
respect to whether the slide 10 shall accommodate one or more
products. The space shall also accommodate an information sheet
describing the contents of the product. It will also be evident
from the drawings that when the slide 10 is withdrawn to said
maximum extent from the sleeve 30, the disc-shaped product wi:Ll
be exposed to an extent corresponding preferably to half its
diameter and can then be removed from the slide, either by
gripping the edges of the product between thumb and index finger
of one hand, or by bending down the panel 17 in the slide 10 and
gripping the product at its centre.
Fig. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the inventive package
assembly, in which the inwardly bent mutually opposing flaps 61,
62 of the sleeve 60 have mutually opposing abutment edges 63, 64.
These abutment edges 63, 64 have the same function as the
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCT/SE97/00489
8
abutment edge 43 of the sleeve 30 illustrated in Fig. 3, for
instance. In the modified version shown in Fig. 6, the slide 10
has a foldable pocket-part 65, wherein the outer edges of the
folded part (at 66) abut the abutment edges 63, 64 and thus allow
the slide to be withdrawn from the sleeve solely to only a
limited extent. The principle, however, is the same as the
principle of the Fig. 5 embodiment for instance, i.e. that slide
and sleeve shall include mutually coacting latching means. The
edges 61, 62 of the sleeve 60 function as side guides for a
product placed in the slide 10. This embodiment has been included
to show that the latching arrangement between slide and sleeve
that functions to allow the slide to be withdrawn from the sleeve
solely to a limited extent can also be achieved in ways other
than through the medium of flaps and abutment edges according to
Figs. 1-5.
Figs. 7, 7a and 7b illustrate a further embodiment of a package
assembly for compact discs or like products, comprising a
prepared first sheet-like blank comprised of cardboard, paper-
board or some equivalent material, which is useful in the
fabrication of a product-receiving slide (Fig. 7a), and a
prepared second sheet-like blank comprised of cardboard, paper-
board, or some equivalent material, that is useful in fabricating
a slide-receiving sleeve 80' (Fig. 7b). Fig. 7 illustrates that
folding of the blank will result in a slide 70 which is capable
of receiving at least one product P. Fig. 7 illustrates the case
in which the slide 70 is withdrawn to its maximum extent from the
sleeve 80' that has been fabricated by folding the blank shown in
Fig. 7b, such as to provide access to the product P.
Similar to the earlier embodiments, the slide 70 and the sleeve
80' are fabricated by folding/gluing the respective prepared
blanks shown in Figs. 7a and 7b.
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCTISE97/00489
9
The first sheet-like blank (the slide) 70 includes in the upper
part (Fig. 7a) a part 73 (single or double thickness material.)
that serves as a cover member and that is foldable along mutually
parallel and transversely extending fold lines 71, 72. The blank
70 (Fig. 7a) is prepared so as to provide a lower panel 74 for
forming a product storage space (Fig. 7). The lower panel 74 has
a preferably rounded lower edge part that is delimited upward7_y
by a transverse fold line 75. The blank 70 (Fig. 7a) also
includes a panel 80 that is located above the panel 74 as seen in
the plane of the drawing and that is delimited downwardly by fold
lines 75 and upwardly by a fold line 79, this latter fold line 79
constituting a lower limitation of a further panel that _i.s
delimited upwardly by the aforesaid double fold lines 71, 72. A
flap 76 is cut out of the blank 70 (Fig. 7a) on three sides
thereof, and extends from the panel 74 into the panel 80 located
thereabove. The flap 76 is foldable along mutually parallel and
mutually spaced transverse fold lines 77, 78 located in the panel
80. The fold line 75 thus extends transversely across the flap
76. When folding the panel 74 upwards, the panel will be orien-
tated parallel with the panel 80, whereafter the flap 76 is
folded along the fold lines 77, 78 and orientated so as to extend
approximately centrally along the front surface of the folded
panel 74 (Fig. 7).
When the first sheet-like blank 70 is folded in the
aforedescribed manner, the panel 74 will form a wall that
partions respective pockets formed on each side thereof, the
common bottom of both pockets being defined by the fold lines 77,
78 of the flap 76. This will be evident from Fig. 7. In the
package assembly exemplified in Fig. 7, a product P, e.g. a
compact disc, is placed so as to lie against the surface of the
panel 75 which faces towards the viewer, wherewith the bottom
part of the product P will lie against that part of the bent flap
76 which is defined by the fold lines 77, 78 and which serves as
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97/38919 PCT/SE97/00489
a bottom surface. However, since these fold lines 77, 78 also
serve as a bottom abutment, the other pocket defined by the
surface of the panel 74 distal from the viewer and the rearwardly
lying panel 80 in the slide 70 will also be able to removably
5 receive a second product (not shown), which is thereby separated
from the first product P that faces towards the viewer. This
second product may either comprise printed information relating
to the first product or may be a second disc-shaped product.
10 In order to support the product P laterally and to prevent the
product from moving sideways as a result of play that may occur
between sleeve and slide, the panel 74 includes mutually opposing
flaps 76' , 76" that in the folded state of the panel 74 will
flank the central flap 76 and therewith form product side
supports (see Fig. 7), which thus have three abutment surfaces,
namely the bottom abutment edge of the flap 76 and the two
flanking side flaps 76', 76". When the product P, or the product
P and a further product, is/are placed on one side or a respec-
tive side of the partition wall (the folded panel 74), the cover
member 73 is folded down and the slide and its contents are now
ready for insertion into the sleeve, as hereinafter described in
more detail.
The aforedescribed slide 70 is intended to coact with a sleeve
that has been fabricated from a prepared, elongated paperboard
blank 80' (Fig. 7b). The blank 80' is, in principle, composed in
the same manner as in the earlier described embodiments (c. f.,
for instance, Fig. 3) and is folded/glued so as to form an
upwardly open sleeve, wherein the panel 81 shown in Fig. 7b,
particularly the edge part 82 of said panel will form, when
folded, a stop means that limits the extent to which the slide 70
can be withdrawn from the sleeve 80', as described in more detail
below.
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97!38919 PCT/SE97/00489
11
Subsequent to having inserted the slide 70 and its contents into
the sleeve 80', there is obtained a generally rectangular
package. As shown in Fig. 7, a finger grip 85 is provided for
limited withdrawal of the slide 70 from the sleeve 80'. As the
slide 70 is withdrawn from the sleeve 80', the inwardly folded
panel 81 of the sleeve 80', and then particularly the bottom edge
part 82 of said panel, is guided in between the product P and the
folded flap 76 and caused to lie against the same bottom abutment
surface as that against which the product P abuts. The panel 81
has a frusto-conical shape and consequently its sloping side
edges will slide in beneath the side flaps 76', 76" that flank
the flap 76 and therewith further ensure that the slide can only
be withdrawn from the sleeve 80' to a maximum limited extent..
Fig. 7 thus shows the slide 70 withdrawn to its limited maximum
extent from the sleeve 80' and it will be seen that the outer
periphery of the product P will then project slightly beyond the
rounded periphery of the panel 74, so as to enable the product P
to be gripped between the thumb and index finger of one hand (the
arrows A, A') and removed from the slide 70 with the other hand.
If required, the panel 81 of the slide 70 can be flexed rearward-
ly above the fold line 79 so as to provide a better grip on the
product.
It will be noted that although the inherent springiness of the
flap 76 on the slide 70 causes the flap to strive to move
upwards, the flap will be pressed back by the front-wall panel 84
of the sleeve 80'. This ensures the aforedescribed latching
engagement between the flap bottom 77, 78 of the slide 70 and the
edge 82 of the sleeve for maximum withdrawal of the slide 70.
As will be understood by one skilled in this art, variants of
this last described embodiment are conceivable. For instance, the
folded flap 76 on the slide 70 may be longer in its transversal
direction than the flap illustrated in Fig. 7. It is also
CA 02250793 1998-09-30
WO 97138919 PCT/SE97/00489
12
conceivable to provide two such flaps 76, in that case the
abutment part 82 must, of course, be configured in a manner
adapted thereto.
It will also be understood by the person skilled in this art that
the invention is not restricted to the aforedescribed and
illustrated embodiments and that modifications can be made within
the scope of the following Claims.
