OPTICAL DISC MAILCARD
The invention provides packaging and mailable apparatus suitable for a variety of uses, such as in the postal system for the purpose of mailing, mass mailing, or self-mailing of optical discs or other optical and non-optical cards, displaying such discs or cards at point of purchase locations, and/or carrying them in one's wallet or pocket. Such packaging comprises mailcards, such as standard postcards or greeting cards; card-sized gift packaging; or protective packaging of various sizes, which such packages house optical discs or cards that may or may not be visible through the packaging.
This application incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/835,025, entitled Optical Disc Mailcard and filed Aug. 2, 2006.
COPYRIGHT NOTICEA portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention provides packaging or mailing apparatus suitable for a variety of uses, such as in the postal system for the purpose of mailing, mass mailing, or self-mailing of optical discs or other optical and non-optical cards, displaying such discs or cards at a point of purchase locations, and/or carrying them in one's wallet or pocket. Such packaging comprises mailcards, such as standard postcards or greeting cards; card-sized gift packaging; or protective packaging of various sizes, where such packaging houses optical discs or cards that may or may not be visible through the packaging.
Packaging in accordance with the invention may comprise one or more layers of stock paper, and in various embodiments also may comprise one or more layers made from a variety of materials such as cloth or film, including especially clear or colored translucent films such as PVC or other forms of plastic that may form a protective layer. In various embodiments such films also may be used to hold optical discs or cards in place on the packaging, such as through heat molding to an optical disc's hub. In various embodiments such film layers are provided with tapered or beveled edges in order to facilitate the passage of packaging through transit handling such as the various postal systems without the packaging being torn or damaged in the process.
Alternatively, optical discs may be held in place by an interference-fit retainer, for example a flexible hub attached to a carrier and adapted for engagement of a drive opening in the center of a disc. Such retainers may be attached to any portion of the carrier, and may engage any suitable portion of the disc. For example, a hub according to such embodiments may be either convex or concave. Alternatively, a separate hub need not be attached to the carrier and optical discs may be held in place on a carrier by brads or other means that secure the optical disc to the carrier via the disc's hub.
Packaging according to the invention may comprise a single carrier housing an optical disc or card or may comprise a plurality of foldable parts and/or inserts that allow for varied and flexible uses of the packaging and that enhance the appearance of the packaging.
Packaging and mailable apparatus according to the invention may be used with particular advantage in the transfer of optical discs that have non-round shapes and are approximately wallet-sized, such as credit card- or business card-shaped optical discs.
Optical discs suitable for use with aspects of the invention may have multimedia or other digital content recorded thereon.
Embodiments of this invention are further discussed herein below.
The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which like references are intended to refer to like or corresponding parts, and in which:
In the embodiment shown, cut-out 34 is located substantially in the middle of support portion 32 of carrier 16 and is provided with a translucent covering 30 such as plastic film, or blister packaging, which may be vacu-formed and/or applied to portion 32 and/or other portion(s) of carrier 16 using adhesive or other attachment means or device. Translucent covering 30 restrains or holds optical disc 18 in place on carrier 16 and is one of many suitable means that may be employed in removably attaching optical disc 18 to carrier 16.
Any type of translucent film or other covering 30 consistent with the purposes suggested herein is suitable for use in implementing the invention. For example, translucent films may be provided using ultra-thin polymer sheets of 0.02 mm thickness or less. A wide variety of such films and other coverings, including a wide variety of blister packs, are now available commercially; doubtless others will hereafter be developed.
In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
In another embodiment of packaging 10 according to the invention, optical disc 18 may be removably attached to carrier 16 by brads or other deformable fasteners that are attached to, or project through, carrier 16 and project through the hub 20 of optical disc 18 to restrain it on carrier 16.
In different embodiments, removable attachment can be provided, for example, by one or more of a brad, hub, vacu-form, blister pack, a pocket, any other attachment means known in the art, or a combination thereof. In embodiments with vacu-form or blister pack, removable attachment can be provided by the breaking of one or more sections of a packaging.
The foldable connections of this and various other embodiments can be achieved by any means known in the art, such as for example perforations 14, folds, and/or scored lines in the carrier stock. Such connection means may be frangible but preferably are sufficiently rigid to allow for movement while remaining attached.
Referring to
Referring to
Further referring to
Foldable portion 17 preferably is connected adjacent to the side of carrier 16 that is closest to the housing and is appropriately sized to fold over carrier 16 such that window 19, 30 overlaps at least a portion of the housing and covers at least a portion, but preferably all, of optical disc 18, for example as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In various embodiments packaging 10 according to the invention may be provided with one or more extra foldable portions allowing for additional advertising or marketing or other informational material to be included in package 10. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that alternative embodiments of the present invention may comprise a plurality of additional foldable or insertable sections providing for increased potential to include advertising, educational, or other material with or as part of packaging 10. Although the folding sequence may change with each additional foldable or insertable section, such sequences will be apparent to one of skill in the art.
Pocket 90 may, as will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts, be used for delivery and/or return of objects such as cards 18, currency, and other documents or items. For example, the packaging shown in
Packaging 10 according to the invention can be produced automatically, such as for example on an assembly line. Packaging 10 also can be produced by hand and can be a self-mailer, wherein a consumer places an optical disc 18 into packaging 10 and seals such packaging.
Packaging 10 according to the invention may come in many different sizes, including those of a postcard and is suitable for both optical and non-optical objects, such as for example cards.
This scope of this invention encompasses a great variety of means for attaching an optical disc to packaging, including for example, brads, tabs, suitable glue, vacu-form, blister pack, or using a plastic window to cover an optical disc such that the disc moves freely within the window.
It will be understood that the specification is illustrative of the present invention and that other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.
While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant arts, once they have been made familiar with this disclosure, that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention in the appended claims. The invention is therefore not to be limited to the exact components or details of methodology or construction set forth above. Except to the extent necessary or inherent in the processes themselves, no particular order to steps or stages of methods or processes described in this disclosure, including the Figures, is intended or implied. In many cases the order of process steps may be varied without changing the purpose, effect, or import of the methods described.
Claims
1. A mailable apparatus for an optical card or disc, comprising: wherein the carrier is made of one or more materials that are sufficiently light so that the packaging apparatus can qualify for standard postcard postage for at least one post system.
- a carrier formable to define an interior of the packaging apparatus, the carrier having at least one section of translucent material to permit viewing of the interior of the packaging apparatus;
- an optical card or disc removably attached to the carrier at a location so as to permit viewing, through the at least one section of translucent material, of the optical card or disc attached to the interior of the packaging apparatus; and
- one or more perforations on the carrier for permitting access to the interior of the packaging apparatus;
2. The mailable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the section of translucent material has a shape of the optical card or disc.
3. The mailable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the section of translucent material has a shape of a hub.
4. The mailable apparatus of claim 3, wherein the hub shape of the section of translucent material is convex.
5. The mailable apparatus of claim 3, wherein the hub shape of the section of translucent material is concave.
6. The mailable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the section of translucent material further includes tapered edges.
7. The mailable apparatus of claim 6, wherein the optical card or disc is removably attached by one of a brad, a hub or a pocket provided with the carrier at the location.
8. The mailable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical card or disc is removably attached by the translucent material.
9. The mailable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the translucent material is one of a vacu-form or a blister pack.
10. The packaging of claim 6, wherein the carrier is formed into a post-card sized package.
11. The packaging of claim 6, wherein the carrier is formed into a greeting-card sized package.
12. A packaging for an optical card or disc, comprising:
- a carrier having a snap-on/snap-off attachment for removable attachment of the optical card or disc to the carrier; and
- a protective layer for the optical card or disc over one or more sections of the carrier.
13. The packaging of claim 12, wherein the protective layer is translucent.
14. The packaging of claim 13, wherein the protective layer is attached to the one or more sections of the carrier, and the one or more sections permit viewing through the protective layer.
15. The packaging of claim 12, wherein the protective layer is opaque.
16. The packaging of claim 15, wherein the protective layer is attached to the one or more sections of the carrier, and the one or more sections permit viewing of the protective layer when the carrier is formed around the optical card or disc.
17. The packaging of claim 16, wherein the snap-on/snap-off attachment is a hub connector.
18. The packaging of claim 16, wherein the carrier is foldable into a post-card sized package.
19. The packaging of claim 16, wherein the carrier is foldable into a greeting-card sized package.
20. A mailable apparatus comprising an optical card or disc attached to a carrier, the carrier having a plurality of portions each foldable with respect to another portion, so that the carrier when fully folded substantially defines an envelope-shape having an interior for the optical card or disc, wherein one or more portions is unfoldable from the fully folded mailable apparatus to expose at least one portion of the optical card or disc.
21. The mailable apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of portions is used to present viewable information.
22. The mailable apparatus of claim 21, wherein the viewable information is advertising information.
23. The mailable apparatus of claim 21, wherein the optical card or disc is transactional, and the at least one portion of the optical card or disc that is exposed when the one or more portions of the carrier is unfolded from the fully folded mailing apparatus is readable by a compatible device.
24. The mailable apparatus of claim 23, wherein the carrier comprises at least one translucent window for viewing the interior of the mailable apparatus.
25. The mailable apparatus of claim 24, wherein the optical card or disc is attached to the carrier via a removable attachment.
26. The mailable apparatus of claim 25, wherein the removable attachment is one of a brad, a hub or a pocket.
27. The mailable apparatus of claim 25, wherein the optical card or disc is removably attached by the translucent material.
28. The mailable apparatus of claim 27, wherein the translucent material is one of a vacu-form or a blister pack.
29. The mailable apparatus of claim 25, wherein the envelope-shape defined when the carrier is fully folded is of post-card size.
30. The mailable apparatus of claim 25, wherein the envelope-shape defined when the carrier is fully folded is of greeting-card size.
31. A packaging comprising an attachment device for attaching an optical card or disc attached to a first portion of a carrier, the carrier having a second portion for placement of information and a third section foldable over at least partially the first portion, the third portion being securable in place after its folding over at least partially the first portion.
32. The packaging of claim 31, wherein an adhesive is provided for securing the third portion of the carrier in place after its folding over at least partially the first section.
33. The packaging of claim 32, wherein the third portion of the carrier includes a window.
34. The packaging of claim 33, wherein the window is covered with a translucent material.
35. The packaging of claim 33, wherein the window is covered with an opaque material.
36. The packaging of claim 32, wherein the attachment device provides removable attachment.
37. The packaging of claim 36, wherein the attachment device is one of a brad, a hub or a pocket.
38. The packaging of claim 36, wherein when the third section is folded over at least partially the first portion, the carrier is of post-card size.
39. The packaging of claim 36, wherein when the third section is folded over at least partially the first portion, the carrier is of greeting-card size.
40. A mailable apparatus comprising an optical card or disc removably attached to a carrier, the carrier having a plurality of portions each foldable with respect to another portion, so that the carrier when fully folded substantially defines an envelope-shape having an interior for the optical card or disc, wherein at least one portion of the carrier is shaped to fold into an aperture defined in another portion of the carrier for securing the fully folded mailable apparatus in place in the envelope-shape.
41. The mailable apparatus of claim 40, wherein at least one of the portions of the carrier includes a window.
42. The mailable apparatus of claim 41, wherein the window is covered with a translucent material.
43. The mailable apparatus of claim 41, wherein the window is covered with an opaque material.
44. The mailable apparatus of claim 41, wherein the optical card or disc is removably attached to one of a brad, a hub or a pocket.
45. The mailable apparatus of claim 42, wherein the optical card or disc is removably attached by translucent material.
46. The mailable apparatus of claim 45, wherein the translucent material is one of a vacu-form or a blister pack.
47. The mailable apparatus of claim 42, wherein the envelope-shape of the apparatus when the carrier is fully folded is of post-card size.
48. The mailable apparatus of claim 42, wherein the envelope-shape of the apparatus when the carrier is fully folded is of greeting-card size.
49. A packaging comprising:
- an attachment device for attaching an optical card or disc attached to a carrier; and
- a removable reply card attached to the carrier, the reply card having address and postage indicia thereon and a pocket attached thereto for holding one or more objects, the pocket being sealable.
50. The packaging of claim 49, wherein attachment device provides removable attachment of the optical card or disc to the carrier.
51. The packaging of claim 50, wherein at least one portions of the carrier includes a window.
52. The packaging of claim 51, wherein the window is covered with a translucent material.
53. The packaging of claim 51, wherein the window is covered with an opaque material.
54. The packaging of claim 51, wherein the attachment device is one of a brad, a hub or a pocket.
55. The packaging of claim 51, wherein the carrier is foldable into a shape that is of post-card size.
56. The packaging of claim 51, wherein the carrier is foldable into a shape that is of greeting-card size.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 3, 2007
Publication Date: Jun 5, 2008
Inventors: Edward H. Bohlke (New York, NY), Laura Smith (New York, NY), David Brown (New York, NY), Sydney Wood (New York, NY), Rachel Goodman (New York, NY)
Application Number: 11/833,772
International Classification: B65D 85/57 (20060101);