US20060000727A1

US20060000727A1 - Compact disc mailer

Info

Publication number: US20060000727A1
Application number: US10/882,461
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Turner; Robert Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-07-01
Filing date: 2004-07-01
Publication date: 2006-01-05

Abstract

The present invention comprises a card, such as a post card suitable for use in the postal system. The card is generally cardboard, or any other paper based product, however any suitable material may be used and is considered to be within the scope of the invention. The card further comprises an attachment side and a postage side. The attachment side serves to receive and retain a compact disc, and the postage side is used for address and postage stamps.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to postcards, and more particularly to compact disc mailers to be used as postcards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Discs that store information in formats suitable for use by electronic devices have become a popular choice for businesses hoping to reach a wide range of consumers. The compact disc's capacity to store a large amount of data provides a means to deliver substantial and effective audio and visual presentations to current and prospective customers. Additionally, compact discs are also a popular choice in the computer and entertainment industries. Furthermore, digital video discs also serve to store substantial amounts of audio and visual data.
Generally, businesses wishing to send the aforementioned discs to prospective and new customers engage in mail campaigns, wherein a large number of discs are sent through the mail. Mailers designed specifically for sending discs through the mail are known. One such device is the folded paper board CD carrier compact disc mailer is the disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,588. The patent discloses a device for carrying a compact disc having a blank formed from a single piece of paper board stock, wherein the blank has a plurality of fold lines dividing the blank into a plurality of panels. The first and second panels are foldable along a first fold line to a confronting position, wherein the panels serve to form a pocket when in the confronting position. One of the aforementioned panels defines a receiving area having a receiving aperture. An additional panel is foldable along second fold lines to a folded position overlying the receiving area. The panel includes an elongated protrusion sized for insertion through the receiving aperture and into the pocket. A compact disc may be secured adjacent the receiving by inserting the elongated protrusion through the central aperture of the compact disc, through the receiving aperture, and into the pocket.
An additional device for mailing compact discs is the mailable assemblage with flexible appendages and method of fabrication disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,867. The Patent discloses a device having three subassembly layers combined via adhesive to form the mailer. The center subassembly is sandwiched between and protrudes from the front and back exterior assemblies. The center subassembly is made from variously shaped materials and the container subassembly houses the postcard.
Postcards typically come in standard sizes, and are constructed of a single flat page or card. Generally, one side of the postcard is reserved for postal information such as, the name and address to which the postcard is being sent, the required postage. The other side often includes a picture, or written information for the recipient. Because of the relatively low price to send postcards, they have become the shipment method of choice for those sending out large quantities of mail. Attempts have been made at construction postcards that hold compact discs. One such attempt is the postcard for carrying compact disk disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,654. The patent discloses a postcard for carrying a disk through the mail, wherein the postcard has a first sheet containing on its front side an area for an image or message, and a clear plastic pocket for attaching a disk. The postcard includes a filler card and optionally an insert sheet. The postcard is covered by a transparent plastic layer applied by a shrink wrap process enclosing the first sheet, filler card, and insert. The area for providing postal information is a paper label applied adhesively to the back side of the postcard over the transparent plastic layer.
The aforementioned compact disc mailers are essentially either envelopes that serve to contain the discs, or require a shrink wrap process to attach the disc to card. These methods are fairly expensive, and originators planning to engage in a substantial mailing campaign can expect to incur excessive costs in both postage and packaging.
Additionally, another limitation shared by most compact disc mailers is that the disc itself is rarely exposed to the target recipient. This method curtails the originators from using the design or picture on the face of the compact disc to assist in communicating a message to the recipient. Since it is vital for the disc contained in the mailer to be well received and utilized by the target recipient, it is detrimental to keep the disc obscured within the mailer.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a compact disc mailer that is relatively inexpensive to both produce and ship through the mail.
Furthermore, what is needed in the art is compact disc mailer wherein the design or picture on the face of the disc is visible to the recipient of the disc upon receipt of the mailer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved compact disc mailer that is inexpensive to both produce and ship through the mail.
The present invention further provides an improved compact disc mailer wherein a design or picture on the face of the disc is visible to the recipient of the disc upon receipt of the mailer.
The present invention comprises a paper card in the form of a postcard capable of securely holding a compact disc throughout the mailing process. More particularly, the present invention comprises a card having a pair of integral tabs spaced along said card wherein said tabs serve to contain said compact disc thereby securing said compact disc to the card.
An additional embodiment of the present invention comprises a paper card having a pair of integral grooves, wherein each one of said pair of integral grooves is contoured to match the outer contour of the compact disc to be attached to said paper card. The paper card further comprises a plurality of wafer seals to thereby serve as an attaching means for securing said compact disc to said card. A wafer seal is typically a small adhesive disc commonly used as an attaching means for items sent through the mail. While the disc shape wafer seal is most common, various other shapes are known and are within the scope of the invention. It is further contemplated that the exposed face of the disc shall contain a portion of design or picture and the paper card also shall contain a portion of a design or picture wherein the two portions of designs or pictures combine to form a single design or picture when the compact disc is attached to the card.
An advantage of the present invention is that it requires less material than conventional compact disc mailers thereby availing it to the benefit of the lower postage fees.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the mailer is capable of securely holding the compact disc without any additional securing devices such as, shrink wrap. This serves to reduce costs associated with preparing the compact disc mailer.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the face of the compact disc is exposed during shipping, thereby allowing for more distinctive packaging that serves to entice the recipient into removing and using the compact disc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and be more completely understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an elevated view of a first embodiment of the compact disc mailer of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevated view of a compact disc for use in the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an elevated view of a first embodiment of the compact disc mailer of the present invention with compact disc attached thereto;
FIG. 4 is an elevated view of a second embodiment of the compact disc mailer of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an elevated view of a particular embodiment of the compact disc mailer of the present invention with compact disc attached thereto; and
FIG. 6 is an elevated view of the first embodiment of the present invention prior to final assembly.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1 an elevated view of a first embodiment of the compact disc mailer 10 of the present invention is shown. While the specification refers to the mailer as a compact disc mailer, other suitable discs, such as digital video discs, are considered to be within the scope of the invention.
The first embodiment 10 of the present invention comprises a card, such as a post card suitable for use in the postal system. The card is generally cardboard, or any other paper based product, however any suitable material may be used and is considered to be within the scope of the invention. The card further comprises an attachment side 11 and a postage side. The attachment side 11 serves to receive and retain a compact disc. The postage side 12 is used for address and postage stamps. The attachment side 11 of the compact disc mailer 10 has an attachment side surface 13 that includes a first tab 14 and a second tab 15, wherein the first tab 14 and second tab 15 are integral with the attachment side surface 13.
The first tab 14 further comprises a first tab inner surface 16 and said second tab 15 further comprises a second tab inner surface 17, wherein said first tab inner surface 16 and said second tab inner surface 17 are adjacent to said attachment side surface 13, and serve to provide a pair of receptacles between said first tab 14 and said attachment side surface 13 and said second tab 15 and said attachment side surface 13 respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 1, said first tab 14 and said second tab 15 are positioned an appropriate distance from each other to secure opposing ends of a compact disc to said postcard. If different size discs are used or otherwise become available, the distance between the two tabs may vary accordingly.
Generally the invention is designed to accommodate a variety of discs. One such disc 20 is illustrated in FIG. 2. In addition to the traditional round shape which is most commonly known, compact discs can be produced in a variety of shapes. Businesses often create custom shaped compact discs to suite their particular needs. The disc 20 of FIG. 2 is a non-standard shaped disc comprising a perimeter 21 having two opposing substantially flat sides 22 and two opposing curved sides 23. This particular configuration is preferable for the present invention because the opposing flat sides 22 conform to the outer perimeter 18 of the compact disc mailer, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
Referring again to FIG. 1 first tab 14 and the second tab 15 serve to provide a pocket and a flap respectively. More particularly, the first tab 14 further comprises an outer substantially rectangular first tab perimeter 24 wherein three sides 25, 26, and 27 of said outer substantially rectangular first tab perimeter 24 are fixedly attached to said attachment side surface 13, and one side 28 remains open thereby forming a pocket for receiving a first end 29 of a compact disc 20.
Additionally, the second tab 15 further comprises an outer substantially rectangular second tag perimeter 30, wherein one side 31 of said substantially rectangular perimeter is attached to said attachment side surface 13, and the three remaining sides 32, 33, and 34 of the second tag perimeter 30 remain unattached, to thereby serve as a flap for holding a second end 35 of said compact disc 20 securely therebetween.
Referring again to FIG. 3, an illustration of the compact disc mailer 10 of the present invention and the associated compact disc 20 attached thereto, are shown. Generally the compact disc 20 is attached to the disc mailer 10 of the present invention by inserting the first end 29 of the compact disc 20 into the first tab 14 or pocket formed in the compact disc mailer 10. Once the first end 29 of the compact disc 20 is securely in the first tab 14 or pocket as shown, the second end 35 of the compact disc is placed below the second tab 15 or flap. This is accomplished by raising said second tab 15, or flap and allowing the second end 35 of the compact disc to rest on the attachment side surface 13. When the second end 35 of the compact disc is in place, the second tab or flap is released, thereby holding the second end 35 of the compact disc securely in place.
An additional embodiment of the compact disc mailer 35 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The additional embodiment 35 of the present invention comprises a paper card 36 having a pair of integral grooves 37 a and 37 b, wherein each one of said pair of integral grooves said 37 a and 37 b is contoured to match the perimeter or outer contour 23 of the compact disc 20 (FIG. 2) to be attached to said paper card 36. The elongated paper card 36 further comprises a pair of wafer seals 38 a and 38 b to thereby serve as an attaching means for securing said compact disc 20 to said card 36. A wafer seal is typically a small adhesive disc commonly used as an attaching means for items sent through the mail. While disc shaped wafer seals are shown, various other shapes are known and are within the scope of the invention. Additionally, while the embodiment shown utilizes two wafer seals, any number of wafer seals capable of securing the disc 20 to the card 36 may be used.
Referring now to FIG. 5 an additional embodiment 39 is contemplated wherein the exposed face of the disc 40 shall contain a portion of design or picture 41 and the paper card 36 also shall contain a portion of a design or picture 42 wherein the aforementioned portions of designs or pictures 41 and 42, combine to form a single design or picture when the compact disc 20 is attached to the elongated card 36. While the image is shown on the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is also within the scope of the invention to include the aforementioned image technique to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
Referring now to FIG. 6 an elevated view of the first embodiment of the present invention prior to final assembly 43 is shown. More particularly, the illustration shows unassembled compact disc mailer 43 having a flap portion 51 and a pocket portion 52. The unassembled compact disc mailer 43 is constructed from a single card comprising a plurality of folds in both the flap portion 51 and the pocket portion 52. The flap portion 51 further comprises a flap end fold 44, a flap fold 45, a flap lower surface 47, and a flap attachment surface 46. The flap attachment surface 46 is generally the lower surface of the flap portion 51 between the flap end fold 44 and the flap fold 45. The flap is formed by attaching the aforementioned flap attachment surface 46 to the compact disc mailer upper surface 53. The flap attachment surface 46 and the compact disc mailer upper surface can be held together by glue or any suitable material capable of bonding such material. The flap lower surface 47 shall remain unattached to the compact disc mailer upper surface 53, thereby providing a means for assisting in covering and retaining the compact disc as illustrated in FIG. 3.
The pocket portion 52 comprises a plurality of folds, a pocket end fold 48, and a pair of pocket attachment folds 49. The pair of pocket attach folds are positioned between the pocket outer surface 54 and pair of pocket attachment surfaces 50. To assemble the pocket the pair of pocket attachment surfaces 50 are folded inward so that they may be placed in communication with compact disc mailer upper surface 53. The pair of pocket attachment surfaces 50 and the compact disc mailer upper surface 53 can be held together by glue, or any suitable material capable of bonding such material. The pocket inner surface 55 is the portion between the pair of pocket attachment folds 49 on the lower side of the pocket segment 52. The pocket inner surface 55 shall remain unattached to the compact disc mailer upper surface 53, thereby providing a pocket for retaining the compact disc as illustrated in FIG. 3.
While this invention has been described as having a particular embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention using the general principles disclosed herein. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An improved postcard for sending compact discs through the mail comprising:

a card having an attachment side and a postage side;

said attachment side having an attachment side surface;

said attachment side surface having a first tab and a second tab integral with said attachment side surface;

said first tab having first tab inner surface and said second tab having a second tab inner surface, wherein said first tab inner surface and said second tab inner surface are adjacent to said attachment side and serve to provide a pair of receptacles between said first tab and said attachment side and said second tab and said attachment side respectively; and

said first tab and said second tab are separated an appropriate distance to secure opposing ends of a compact disc to said postcard.

2. The improved postcard of claim 1 wherein said compact disc is a substantially rectangular compact disc.

3. The improved postcard of claim 1 wherein said compact disc further comprises a perimeter having two opposing substantially flat sides and two opposing curved sides.

4. The improved postcard of claim 1 further comprising:

a compact disc having a compact disc outer surface, wherein said compact disc outer surface further comprises a compact disc image segment;

said first tab, said second tab, and said attachment side surface comprise an attachment side image segment; and

said compact disc image segment and said attachment side image segment combine to form a single image when said compact disc is secured to said improved postcard.

5. The improved postcard of claim 1 wherein said first tab further comprises a pocket, and said second tab comprises a flap.

6. The improved postcard of claim 1 wherein said first tab further comprises an outer substantially rectangular perimeter wherein three sides of said outer substantially rectangular perimeter of said first tab are fixedly attached to said attachment side surface thereby forming a pocket for receiving a first end of a compact disc, and said second tab further comprises an outer substantially rectangular perimeter wherein one side of said substantially rectangular perimeter is attached to said attachment side to thereby serve as a flap for holding a second end of said compact disc securely therebetween.

7. An improved compact disc mailer comprising:

an attachment side and a postage side wherein said attachment side further comprises a means for attaching and retaining a compact disc.

8. The improved postcard of claim 7 wherein said compact disc is a substantially rectangular compact disc.

9. The improved postcard of claim 7 wherein said compact disc further comprises a perimeter having two opposing substantially flat sides and two opposing curved sides.

10. The improved postcard of claim 7 wherein said attachment side of said improved postcard further comprises:

a pair of integral grooves, wherein each one of said pair of integral grooves is contoured to match the outer contour of the outer perimeter of the compact disc to be attached to said improved postcard.

11. The improved postcard of claim 7 wherein said attachment side of said improved postcard further comprises at least one wafer seal for attaching and retaining said compact disc to said improved postcard.

12. The improved postcard of claim 7 wherein said attachment side of said improved postcard further comprises a plurality of wafer seals for attaching and retaining said compact disc to said improved postcard.

13. The improved postcard of claim 7 further comprising;

14. A method of attaching a compact disc to a compact disc mailer comprising the steps of:

inserting a first end of a compact disc into a pocket formed on an attachment side of a compact disc mailer;

inserting the second end of said compact disc under a flap wherein said flap is integral with said attachment side of said compact disc; and

attaching said compact disc to said compact disc mailer.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said compact disc is a substantially rectangular compact disc.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said compact disc further comprises a perimeter having two opposing substantially flat sides and two opposing curved sides.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said pocket further comprises an outer substantially rectangular perimeter wherein three sides of said outer substantially rectangular perimeter of said pocket are fixedly attached to said attachment side surface thereby forming said pocket for receiving a first end of a compact disc, and said flap further comprises an outer substantially rectangular perimeter wherein one side of said substantially rectangular perimeter is attached to said attachment side to thereby serve as said flap for holding said second end of said compact disc securely between said flap and said attachment side.

18. An improved postcard for sending compact discs through the mail comprising:

a card having an attachment side and a postage side;

said attachment side having an attachment side surface; and

said attachment side surface having a first tab and a second tab integral with said attachment side surface, wherein said first tab and said second tab serve to secure the compact disc to said improved postcard.