Spoked compact disk holder

Abstract

A compact disk holder includes first and second sides structured to accommodate a compact disk. The first side rotates relative to the second side to define a closed and open position. The second side includes a disk securing member to engage a compact disk. The disk securing member has spokes extending radially from the disk securing member to the second side to define cut-out areas between the spokes, the spokes being discontinuous around a perimeter of the second side. The compact disk holder may be used as a method of distributing marketing materials to an intended recipient by obtaining a compact disk on which marketing materials are stored as data, installing the compact disk into the compact disk holder and delivering the holder containing the compact disk to the intended recipient.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A compact disk holder comprising: 
 a disk securing member structured and arranged to engage a compact disk;    a base; and    at least one spoke extending radially from the disk securing member to the base.    
     
     
         2 . The compact disk holder of  claim 1  wherein the at least one spoke is discontinuous around a perimeter of the disk securing member.  
     
     
         3 . The compact disk holder of  claim 1  wherein the at least one spoke comprises several spokes extend radially from the disk securing member toward the base, the spokes each being discontinuous around a perimeter of the disk securing member.  
     
     
         4 . The compact disk holder of  claim 3  wherein the spokes have sides that are structured and arranged such that wedge shaped cut-out areas are defined between the spoke sides.  
     
     
         5 . The compact disk holder of  claim 1  further comprising a disk protecting member positioned around a perimeter of a compact disk engaged by the disk securing member.  
     
     
         6 . A compact disk holder comprising: 
 a first side;    a second side connected to the first side so as to permit the first side to move relative to the second side between a closed position and an open position;    a disk securing member structured and arranged to engage a compact disk; and    at least one spoke extending radially from the disk securing member toward the second side, the at least one spoke being discontinuous around a perimeter of the disk securing member.    
     
     
         7 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  wherein the at least one spoke is structured and arranged to expose a portion of a compact disk that is engaged by the disk securing member from a viewing position that faces the side from which the disk securing member extends.  
     
     
         8 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  wherein: 
 the first side and the second side form a cavity in the closed position; and  
 at least one transparent cut-out area is defined adjacent to the at least one spoke, enabling perception of the cavity.  
 
     
     
         9 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  wherein at least one non-transparent cutout area is defined adjacent to the at least one spoke.  
     
     
         10 . The compact disk holder of  claim 8  wherein the at least one transparent cutout area defines at least one wedge shaped viewing window.  
     
     
         11 . The compact disk holder of  claim 8  further comprising a transparent material covering the second side and enabling perception of the cavity when the compact disk holder is in the closed position.  
     
     
         12 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  wherein: 
 the first side is structured and arranged to define a viewing window; and  
 the viewing window constitutes less than all of the first side to provide a first viewing characteristic that differs from a second viewing characteristic that is provided through another portion of the first side.  
 
     
     
         13 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  wherein: 
 the first side and the second side form a cavity in the closed position;  
 the first side and the second side include substantially flat surfaces; and  
 the disk securing member is structured and arranged to separate a flat surface of the compact disk from the substantially flat surfaces of the first side and the second side.  
 
     
     
         14 . The compact disk holder of  claim 13  further comprising an inner surface member upon which the disk securing member is positioned.  
     
     
         15 . The compact disk holder of  claim 13  wherein the disk securing member includes a central portion that engages the compact disk by moving the central portion of the disk securing member toward the second side.  
     
     
         16 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  further comprising a disk protecting member positioned around a perimeter of a compact disk engaged by the disk securing member.  
     
     
         17 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  wherein the dimensions of the compact disk holder are greater than the dimensions of a Jewel case typically used to store compact disks having a format that differs from a format of a digital versatile disk.  
     
     
         18 . The compact disk holder of  claim 6  further comprising a compact disk within the compact disk holder.  
     
     
         19 . The compact disk holder of  claim 18  wherein the compact disk has a format that differs from a format of a digital versatile disk.  
     
     
         20 . The compact disk holder of  claim 18  wherein the compact disk stores electronic marketing materials.  
     
     
         21 . The compact disk holder of  claim 20  wherein the electronic marketing materials comprise computer software for installing an Internet service provider on a personal computer.  
     
     
         22 . The compact disk holder of  claim 12  further comprising a dual sided label with opposing front and back faces that is affixed to the first side and positioned over at least a portion of the viewing window.  
     
     
         23 . The compact disk holder of  claim 22  wherein the label has information printed both on the front of the label that is viewable while the holder is in the closed position and the back of the label that is viewable only while the holder is in the open position.  
     
     
         24 . The compact disk holder of  claim 23  wherein the front of the label contains information identifying an intended recipient and the back of the label contains marketing information relating the intended recipient to a marketing source.  
     
     
         25 . The compact disk holder of  claim 24  further comprising: 
 a compact disk; and  
 postage affixed to the holder wherein the compact disk holder is mailed to the intended recipient.  
 
     
     
         26 . The compact disk holder of  claim 24  further comprising: 
 a compact disk; and  
 a wrapper around the holder and postage affixed to the wrapper wherein the compact disk holder is mailed to the intended recipient.  
 
     
     
         27 . The compact disk holder of  claim 25  further comprising a locking mechanism capable of securing the first side and the second side in the closed position during mailing of the compact disk holder.  
     
     
         28 . A method of distributing marketing materials to an intended recipient, comprising: 
 obtaining a compact disk on which marketing materials are stored as data;    installing the compact disk into a compact disk holder having a first side and a second side connected to the first side so as to permit the first side to move relative to the second side between a closed position and an open position wherein the second side comprises a disk securing member structured and arranged to engage a compact disk and having at least one spoke extending radially from the disk securing member toward the second side, the at least one spoke being discontinuous around a perimeter of the disk securing member; and    delivering the holder containing the compact disk to the intended recipient.    
     
     
         29 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  wherein the at least one spoke is structured and arranged to expose a portion of the compact disk that is engaged by the disk securing member from a viewing position that faces the second side such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with a portion of the compact disk exposed from the viewing position facing the second side.  
     
     
         30 . The compact disk holder of  claim 29  wherein: 
 the first side and the second side form a cavity in the closed position; and  
 at least one transparent cut-out area is defined adjacent to the at least one spoke enabling perception of the cavity such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the at least one transparent cut-out area.  
 
     
     
         31 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  wherein at least one non-transparent cutout area is defined adjacent to the at least one spoke such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the at least one non-transparent cut-out area.  
     
     
         32 . The compact disk holder of  claim 30  wherein the at least one cut-out area defines at least one wedge shaped viewing window such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the wedge shaped at least one cut-out area.  
     
     
         33 . The compact disk holder of  claim 30  further comprising a transparent material covering the second side and enabling perception of the cavity when the compact disk holder is in the closed position such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the transparent material covering the second side.  
     
     
         34 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  further comprising the first side being structured and arranged to define a viewing window wherein the viewing window constitutes less than all of the first side to provide a first viewing characteristic that differs from a second viewing characteristic that is provided through another portion of the first side such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the compact disk holder with the viewing window on the first side.  
     
     
         35 . The compact disk holder of  claim 34  wherein the first side and the second side are structured and arranged to define a rectangle with a length extending from top to bottom and the viewing window is positioned in the bottom portion of the first side such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with rectangular sides and the viewing window in the bottom portion of the first side.  
     
     
         36 . The compact disk holder of  claim 35  wherein the viewing window on the first side has a rectangular shape such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the rectangular viewing window on the first side.  
     
     
         37 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  wherein the first side and the second side include substantially flat surfaces and the disk securing member is structured and arranged to separate a flat surface of the compact disk from the substantially flat surfaces of the first side and the second side such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder separated from the substantially flat first side and second side surfaces by the disk securing member.  
     
     
         38 . The compact disk holder of  claim 37  further comprising an inner surface member upon which the disk securing member is positioned such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the disk securing member positioned on the inner surface member.  
     
     
         39 . The compact disk holder of  claim 37  wherein the disk securing member includes a central portion that engages a compact disk by moving the central portion of the disk securing member toward the second side such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the disk securing member by moving the central portion toward the second side.  
     
     
         40 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  further comprising a disk protecting member positioned around a perimeter of the compact disk such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the disk protecting member.  
     
     
         41 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  wherein the dimensions of the compact disk holder is greater than the dimensions of a Jewel case typically used to store compact disks having a format that differs from a format of a digital versatile disk such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the compact disk holder with the dimensions greater than the dimensions of a Jewel case.  
     
     
         42 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  wherein the compact disk has a format that differs from a format of a digital versatile disk such that the obtaining comprises obtaining the compact disk with a different format from a digital versatile disk.  
     
     
         43 . The compact disk holder of  claim 28  wherein the compact disk stores electronic marketing materials such that the obtaining comprises obtaining the compact disk with electronic marketing materials stored thereon.  
     
     
         44 . The compact disk holder of  claim 43  wherein the electronic marketing materials comprise computer software for installing an Internet service provider on a personal computer such that the obtaining comprises obtaining the compact disk with electronic marketing materials for installing the Internet service provider stored thereon.  
     
     
         45 . The compact disk holder of  claim 34  further comprising a dual sided label with opposing front and back faces that is affixed to the first side and positioned over at least a portion of the viewing window such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the dual sided label positioned over at least a portion of the viewing window.  
     
     
         46 . The compact disk holder of  claim 45  wherein the label has information printed both on the front of the label that is viewable while the holder is in the closed position and the back of the label that is viewable only while the holder is in an opened position such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the dual sided label with printed information on the front and the back faces positioned over at least a portion of the viewing window.  
     
     
         47 . The compact disk holder of  claim 46  wherein the front of the label contains information identifying an intended recipient and the back of the label contains marketing information relating the intended recipient to a marketing source such that the installing comprises installing the compact disk in the holder with the dual sided label with the identifying information printed on the front face and the marketing information printed on the back face positioned over at least a portion of the viewing window.  
     
     
         48 . The compact disk holder of  claim 47  further comprising affixing postage to the holder wherein the compact disk holder is mailed to the intended recipient such that the intentionally delivering comprises mailing the holder with the postage affixed thereon.  
     
     
         49 . The compact disk holder of  claim 47  further comprising a wrapper around the holder and postage affixed to the wrapper wherein the compact disk holder is mailed to the intended recipient such that the intentionally delivering comprises mailing the holder with the wrapper and the postage affixed thereon.  
     
     
         50 . The compact disk holder of  claim 49  further comprising a locking mechanism capable of securing the first side and the second side in the closed position during mailing of the compact disk holder such that the intentionally delivering comprises mailing the holder with locking mechanism to secure the holder during mailing.