Multiple disc package

Abstract

A storage media package has a molded tray is attached to a cover. The cover has multiple panels made from sheet material. The tray holds one or more compact discs in a common well centered on a standing boss. The boss has provisions to receive an insert that is used to retain the discs. The insert also establishes a bottom reference surface for the bottom disc to rest on. The insert's disc reference surface can be formed at different heights. This allows one tray design to be used for 1, 2, 3 . . . disc packaging without the need for multiple tray molds. The rosette insert can be formed to include a center button that is connected to disc locking arms of the rosette. When the user pushes the button, the locking arms are pulled inward and thus unlock the disc(s) for easy removal. The tray can also be molded with an integrally molded rosette.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A storage medium holding apparatus comprising a molded tray, a cover having at least one panel attached to the tray, a well in the tray, a boss in the well, and an insert attachable in the boss for receiving and holding at least one storage medium.  
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the tray comprises front and rear walls, opposite sidewalls connecting the front and rear walls, and at least one groove in at least one of the front or rear walls.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the tray is of rigid plastic material.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of    claim 3   , wherein the insert is of flexible plastic material.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of    claim 4   , wherein the insert is a rosette for retaining the at least one storage medium.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of    claim 4   , wherein the rosette has a bottom reference surface for resting the at least one storage medium.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of    claim 6   , wherein the at least one storage medium comprises plural storage media, and wherein the bottom reference surface has a height sufficient to accommodate the plural storage media on the rosette within the tray.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of    claim 7   , wherein the rosette further comprises a center button, plural locking arms connected to the center button, and wherein pushing the center button, releases the locking arms for unlocking and releasing the storage media.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of    claim 7   , wherein the rosette is integrally molded with the tray.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the tray further comprises has multiple radial wedge recesses on an upper surface for displaying the storage medium after removal from the well.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of    claim 2   , further comprising a information medium, and an opening in one of the sidewalls of the tray for receiving the information medium between a bottom surface of the tray and an inner surface of an attached sheet material.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of    claim 2   , wherein the cover is a multi-panel single sheet with a base, a spine and a cover portion.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of    claim 12   , wherein the cover further comprises a window.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of    claim 13   , wherein edges and bottom of the tray attach to the base of the sheet.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of    claim 5   , wherein the rosette is connected to the tray by connections selected from a group consisting of snap-fitting, bonding, locking, screwing, mechanical connections, chemical connections, co-molding or co-injection.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of    claim 3   , wherein the tray is a clear crystal styrene material.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of    claim 14   , wherein the boss is a clear crystal styrene material integrally molded with the tray.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of    claim 5   , wherein the rosette is of a flexible resilient plastic material.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of    claim 16   , wherein the rosette is of a molded material selected from the group consisting of elastomeric polymer, polypropylene, nylon, Zylar, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of    claim 5   , wherein the rosette has a thickness less than a thickness of the rest of the tray.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , wherein the at least one storage medium is selected from a group consisting of diskettes, DVDs, CDs, floppies, and discs.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of    claim 8   , further comprising openings in the boss, the locking arms being positioned inward of the openings in the boss, disc-guiding ribs on the boss for preventing the locking arms from contacting internal openings in the storage medium.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of    claim 20   , further comprising locking surfaces on the locking arms parallel to the storage medium for overlying an uppermost storage medium.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of    claim 1   , further comprising at least one segmental recess in an extended upper surface of the tray for holding edges of the storage medium vertically after removal from the well.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of    claim 2   , further comprising at least one short rectangular opening at a bottom of one of the sidewalls and cooperating booklet-retaining ribs extending inward beneath the tray, a space formed by the opening and the ribs for holding a booklet under a bottom wall of the tray.  
     
     
         24 . A package for storage media comprising a tray, a cover connected to the tray, the tray and cover being of rigid plastic material, and a rosette connected to the tray, the rosette being of flexible plastic material and having a thickness less than a thickness of the tray.  
     
     
         25 . The package of    claim 24   , wherein the cover has a back panel, a spine panel and a cover panel with a semicircular window for viewing the contents, and an edge of the spine panel overlying and securable to an opposite top portion of the tray.  
     
     
         26 . The package of    claim 25   , further comprising an opening in the tray proximal the spine panel, and a booklet insertable through the opening in the tray.  
     
     
         27 . The package of    claim 24   , wherein the tray comprises an upper surface, a well in the upper surface to hold one or more stacked storage media.  
     
     
         28 . The package of    claim 27   , further comprising recesses in the side wall of the well for inserting fingers to lift edges of the storage media.  
     
     
         29 . The package of    claim 24   , wherein the rosette has arms with locks urged outwardly to overlie and retain the storage media.  
     
     
         30 . The package of    claim 29   , further comprising a push button substantially centrally connected to the arms and wherein the arms and locks are movable inward for releasing the storage media by pressing on the push button.  
     
     
         31 . The package of    claim 24   , further comprising segmental grooves on a top of the tray forming a rack for holding and displaying vertically aligned storage media removed from the well.  
     
     
         32 . The package of    claim 24   , wherein the tray comprises end walls and side walls connecting the end walls, and lower partitions for guiding a booklet held beneath the tray.  
     
     
         33 . The package of    claim 24   , wherein the rosette is connected to the tray by snap-on connections.  
     
     
         34 . The package of    claim 24   , wherein the rosette is connected by co-injection, bonding or mechanical or chemical attachments to the tray.  
     
     
         35 . The package of    claim 24   , further comprising a central boss in the well, and resilient arms on the rosette with locking ledges at tops of the arms being connected to the central boss.  
     
     
         36 . The package of    claim 35   , wherein the locking ledges have flat lower surfaces and rounded outer surfaces for compressing the arms when the storage media are inserted into the tray by pushing downward over the rounded surfaces.  
     
     
         37 . The package of    claim 35   , wherein the boss is rigid and is integrally molded with the tray.  
     
     
         38 . The package of    claim 35   , wherein the boss has rectangular openings for receiving the locking arms.  
     
     
         39 . The package of    claim 38   , further comprising generally cylindrical surfaces on the boss and semicircular ribs proximal the openings for preventing inner circumferences of the storage media from contacting front surfaces of the locking arms and the generally cylindrical surfaces of the boss.  
     
     
         40 . The package of    claim 38   , wherein the boss comprises main body portions slightly inwardly sloped with a draft to promote removal of the boss and tray from a mold and to prevent contact of the inner disc circumferences.  
     
     
         41 . The package of    claim 24   , further comprising openings in a base of the tray and complementary openings in the boss, wherein the openings and the complementary openings communicate for receiving reference surfaces of the rosette for resting the storage media thereon.  
     
     
         42 . The package of    claim 24   , wherein the rosette comprises reference surfaces for resting storage media thereon, and the boss comprises radial openings for receiving and holding the reference surfaces and for holding the rosette in place.  
     
     
         43 . The package of    claim 42   , wherein the rosette comprises a base locatable in a center of a bottom wall of the well.  
     
     
         44 . The package of    claim 24   , further comprising glue bosses on undersides of the tray.  
     
     
         45 . The package of    claim 30   , wherein the arms are flexible having elongated flex areas.  
     
     
         46 . The package of    claim 45   , wherein the rosette further comprises connecting webs for connecting upper portions of the locking arms to a lower edge of a side wall of the cylindrical push button.  
     
     
         47 . The package of    claim 46   , wherein the push button is movable downwards and wherein the connecting webs pull inward on the upper portions of the locking arms when the push button moves downwards, thereby flexing the arms and locks inward and releasing the storage media.  
     
     
         48 . The package of    claim 48   , further comprising fixed bottom reference surface elements integrally molded with a base of the rosette for snap-fitting within the tray.