GB2310421A - Packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

A package for storing or displaying articles such as compact discs comprises first and second panels (5,6) between which the article (2) is stored in use. The first and second panels (5,6) are pivotable one with respect to the other to open the package. Means attached to the first and second panels is operable on opening of the package to support the article away from the first and second panels (5,6).

Description

PACKAGING The present invention relates to packaging for storing and displaying planar objects, in particular compact discs, or articles mounted on planar objects such as jewellery.

Available cases for CDs typically comprise a mounting tray for the CD contained within a plastic case, the tray having a circular recess slightly larger than the CD and a plurality of teeth arranged in a generally circular pattern protruding from the centre of the circular recess, the teeth being deflectable towards the centre of the recess by the application of pressure to the top of the teeth, such that when said pressure is released, the teeth return to their original position. A CD is fixed to the tray by being positioned over the recess so that the teeth are aligned with the hole in the centre of the CD, and the CD is then pressed into the recess, causing the teeth to be pressed into the hole in the centre of the CD which then frictionally engage the sides of the hole, thereby holding the CD on the tray.The CD is then removed from the tray by applying a pressure to the top of the teeth so as to deflect the teeth towards the centre of the recess, thereby reducing the frictional engagement between the teeth and the sides of the CD hole and so enabling the CD to be lifted from the tray.

This known CD packaging has the disadvantage that the CD can be damaged during removal from the packaging if the person removing it does not know the correct procedure for doing so, and in any event, it can be awkward to remove the CD from this known packaging with one hand whilst holding the packaging with the other hand. Also, the teeth protruding from the recess can become permanently bent or even broken, resulting in the CD not being retained on the tray which can lead to the CD becoming lost or damaged.

One preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a package for storing or displaying articles comprising first and second panels between which the article is stored in use, the first and second panels being pivotable one with respect to the other to open the package, and means attached to the first and second panels and operable on opening of the package to support the article away from the first and second panels.

Thus, the package may simply be opened in order to present the article for display.

The supporting means preferably comprise a pair of supporting members arranged to grip the article from opposite sides. In the open configuration of the package, the supporting members may define a slot for receiving the article.

The pair of supporting members may be hingedly attached to the first and second panels. Each supporting member preferably includes two panels arranged to be parallel to the first and second panels in the closed configuration of the package. The two panels of each supporting member are preferably pivotably attached to each other.

For flat articles such as discs, the package according to the invention may comprise first and second panels joined to each other along a fold line. Likewise the supporting members may each comprise two panels joined to each other along a fold line. The supporting members may be formed out of the material of the first and second panels and may be joined to the first and second panels along fold lines. Thus, the package may be formed from a single sheet of material, such as cardboard or plastic of suitable rigidity.

Regardless of whether the package holds flat or three dimensional articles, the first and second panels are preferably square or rectangular. Likewise, the two panels of the supporting members are preferably triangular.

Packaging in accordance with the present invention has the advantage that articles are reliably retained within the packaging when the packaging is closed, but can easily be removed from the packaging with one hand when the packaging is open.

Also, the packaging can be used to display the stored object due to the manner in which the stored object is presented away from the panels of the packaging when the packing is open.

In order that the invention may be well understood, two preferred embodiments will now be described in greater detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a package of the present invention fully opened; Figure 2 is a separate view of a pop-up part of the packaging of figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the packaging slightly opened with a CD shown in phantom; Figure 4 is a side view of the packaging of the invention half opened with the CD, shown in phantom, presented for removal; Figure 5 is a top view in the direction of arrow A in figure 3 of the packaging opened to the same degree as shown in Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a top view of a card blank which can be used to produce an alternative package suitable for storing CDs.

Referring firstly to figures 1 to 5, there is shown a package for storing a compact disc 2 having a first panel 5 and a second panel 6 hinged together along a line of intersection of the two flaps XY. In a preferred embodiment of the package, the two panels 5,6 are produced from a single piece of material, preferably card, folded in half, the fold line XY forming the hinge.

The package also has a first support member in the form of a pop-up member 9 and a second support member in the form of a pop-up member 10, the two pop-up members 9,10 being mirror images of each other and generally being in the shape of isosceles triangles. As shown in figure 2, the first pop-up member 9 has a base side JK and angle LJK equal to angle LKJ, slightly greater than 45 degrees in this example. The pop-up member 9 also has a fold line LM which bisects the triangle base JK so that movement of the vertices J and K towards each other results in the fold line LM folding upwards out of the paper as drawn in figures 1 and 2, thereby causing the point M on the base side JK of the triangle JKL to move in an arc about the vertex L out of the paper.

The two pop-up members 9,10 are positioned centrally on the two panels 5,6 as shown in figure 1 with the fold lines LM,NP co-linear with the hinge line XY of the two panels 5,6 and the vertices L and P positioned at points X and Y respectively.

The first pop-up member 9 is fixed to the first panel 5 by a hinge joint along line JL and is fixed to the second panel 6 by a hinge joint along line KL. When the first panel 5 is moved towards the second panel 6 by rotation of the first panel 5 about the hinge line XY, the fold line LM of the first pop-up member 9 lifts away from the hinge line XY and moves in an arc about the vertex L until the pop-up member 9 is completely folded in half and the panel 5 has closed fully onto the panel 6.Similarly, the second pop-up member 10 is fixed to the first panel 5 by a hinge along line JP and is fixed to the second panel 6 by a hinge along line KP, so that as the first panel 5 is closed onto the second panel 6, the fold line NP of the second pop-up member 10 also lifts away from the hinge line XY and moves in an arc about vertex P and the triangle JNP folds over onto triangle KNP.

Each pop-up member 9,10 has a slit 15,16 cut in it extending from the mid-point of its base side JK partially along the fold line LM,NP towards the opposite vertex L,M, which slits 15,16 receive the CD 2 being packaged as can be seen in figures 3, 4 and 5.

When the package is closed with the first panel 5 folded onto the second panel 6 and the pop-up members 9,10 folded outwards and in half and pressed between the two flaps, the CD 2 is similarly pressed between the two panels 5,6. In this position the slits 15; 16 extend parallel to each other tangential to the edges of the disc. As the panel 5 is lifted away from the second panel 6, the pop-up members 9,10 begin to unfold, causing the fold lines LM,NP and the slits 15,16 to rotate inwardly about the vertices L and P respectively. The CD 2 is gripped by the slits 15,16 and lifted away from the second panel 6 to sit at an angle which bisects the angle between the first and second panels as can be seen in figure 3.

Figures 4 and 5 show the package half open with the first panel 5 perpendicular to the second panel 6 and the CD 2 being presented for removal from the package at an angle of 45 degrees to the two panels 5,6. The CD 2 can now be easily removed from the package by simply gripping the edge of the CD 2 and sliding it out of the slits 15,16 and away from the package. The CD 2 is similarly replaced into the package by reinserting the CD 2 into the slits 15,16 where it is lightly gripped. In order to facilitate the replacement of the CD into the package, the slits 15,16 are preferably widened at their open end, for example in V-shapes indicated by numerals 18,19, which guide the CD 2 into the slits 15,16 during replacement.

It will be appreciated from a comparison of Figures 1 and 5 that as the package is opened, the outer ends of the slits 15,16 move closer to each other. As this occurs, the edges of the disc ride along the ends of the slits 15,16 so that the disc is pushed away from the fold line X-Y as the package is opened.

In the position shown in Figure 4 the disc is firmly gripped and usefully presented. If the package is opened completely as shown in Figure 1, the slots 15,16 coincide with the fold line X-Y and the disc is ejected from the package.

It is advantageous for the pop-up parts 9,10 to have, a sector of material 41,42 removed from the corner JLK,JPK in order to facilitate the unhindered folding of the pop-up members 9,10, and therefore to produce a better opening action of the package.

It will be clear from Figures 1 to 5 that the whole package may be produced from a single piece of card folded in the correct way along the fold lines shown. It is also possible for the package to be housed with the known "standard" CD plastic outer casing in such a way that the two flaps 5,6 are held closed by the casing when the casing is closed, to either automatically open as the outer case is opened, or be operable separately after the outer case has been opened.

Figure 6 shows a flat blank for forming a complete disc package according to the invention. Fold lines are shown as dotted lines. The panels 5,6 are each formed in two halves from side panels 45,46 which are folded inwardly over a central panel 47. The panels 45,46 are glued to the panel 47 except in the region of the pop-up members 9,10. The pop-up members 9,10 are suitably creased such that when the glued blank is folded about the line X-Y the pop-up members fold inwardly as previously described. The central panel 47 has an extra flap 50 along one of its edges which may be folded over the opposite edge and inserted in a cut slot 51 to secure the flap 50.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5 may also be provided with a flap and slot similar to flap 50 and slot 51, for securing the package in the folded condition.

Whilst the package has been described for use with compact discs, it can also be used to store and display other essentially planar articles such as jewellery mounted on a card backing or the like by simply varying the dimensions of the package and the width and length of the slits 15,16.

Furthermore, the package can be readily modified to accommodate thicker articles by varying the thickness of the slots 15, 16 and possibly providing additional panels at the foldlines X-Y and, L-M and N-P to accommodate the thickness of the article.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS:

1. A package for storing or displaying articles comprising first and second panels between which the article is stored in use, the first and second panels being pivotable one with respect to the other to open the package, and support means attached to the first and second panels and operable on opening of the package to support the article away from the first and second panels.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support means comprises a pair of supporting members adapted to grip the article from opposite sides.

3. A package as claimed in claim 2, wherein the supporting members define a slot for receiving the article when the package is in the open configuration.

4. A package as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein one of the supporting members is hingedly attached to the first panel and the other supporting member is hingedly attached to the second panel.

5. A package as claimed in claims 2 to 4, wherein each supporting member includes two panels arranged to be parallel to the first and second panels when the package is in the closed configuration.

6. A package as claimed in claim 5, wherein the two panels of each supporting member are pivotably attached to each other.

7. A package as claimed in claim 6, wherein the two panels of the supporting members are joined to each other along a fold line.

8. A package as claimed in claims S to 7, wherein the two panels of the supporting members are triangular in shape.

9. A package as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support means is formed out of the material of the first and second panels, and joined to the first and second panels along fold lines.

10. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second panels are joined to each other along a fold line.

11. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second panels are square or rectangular in shape.

12. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the package is formed from a single sheet of material, such as cardboard or plastic.

13. A package as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.