Gift-wrap envelope for media holders

Abstract

A gift envelope for packaging an information media disk holder that is formed of a decorative substrate. The envelope is formed to be flat without overlapping corner folds that are typically found in a wrapped package when the package is empty. The gift-wrap envelope may also be used as a mailer.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An envelope for media disk holders comprising: 
 a face panel, a rear panel, a pair of opposed side flaps, each having an interior and exterior side, a bottom flap and a closure flap formed from a substrate;    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines forming a first folded side panel between the face panel and the closure flap;    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines forming a second folded side panel between the face panel and the bottom flap;    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines forming a third folded side panel between the face panel and the first of the opposed side flaps; and    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines forming a fourth folded side panel between the face panel and the remaining opposed side flap;    wherein the bottom flap is folded such that its interior side is positioned adjacent to the interior side of the face panel, and a portion of the interior side of each of the opposed side flaps is affixed to the exterior of the bottom flap to form a pocket for insertion of the disk media holder; and    wherein each trio of parallel, spaced fold lines forming the respective first, second, third and fourth folded side panels is composed of two outermost fold lines and a center fold line, each of said first, second, third and fourth folded side panels being collapsible about its respective center fold line when the envelope is in a two-dimensional configuration, and each of said first, second, third and fourth folded side panels being erected about its respective center fold line to conform the envelope to a three-dimensional configuration when a disk media holder is inserted into the pocket;    each of the folded side panels being positioned at right angles to and abutting each of the two adjacent folded side panels, each adjacent pair of folded side panels abutting to form a defined opening at each corner of the envelope when it is a two-dimensional configuration, each said defined opening being minimized when the envelope is erected into a three-dimensional configuration.    
     
     
         2 . The envelope of  claim 1  wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth folded side panels is collapsed about its respective center fold line such that it is folded outward in relation to the pocket.  
     
     
         3 . The envelope of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second folded side panels is collapsed about its respective center line such that it is folded outward in relation to the pocket, and each of the third and fourth folded side panels is collapsed about its respective center fold line such it is folded inward in an accordion fold in relation to the pocket.  
     
     
         4 . The envelope of  claim 1 , having a media disk holder inserted in the pocket.  
     
     
         5 . The envelope of  claim 4  wherein the media disk holder is a jewel case.  
     
     
         6 . The gift-wrap envelope of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is a decorative material selected from the group consisting of printed papers, paperboard, plastic and paper-foil laminate.  
     
     
         7 . A blank for forming a gift-wrap envelope for a media disk holder comprising: 
 a face panel, a rear panel, a pair of opposed side flaps, a bottom flap and a closure flap formed from a substrate;    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the closure flap;    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the bottom flap;    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the first of the opposed side flaps; and    a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the remaining opposed side flap.    
     
     
         8 . The blank of  claim 7  wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of printed papers, paperboard, plastic and paper-foil laminate.  
     
     
         9 . The blank of  claim 8  wherein the decorative substrate is a decorative paper-foil laminate.  
     
     
         10 . The blank of  claim 9  wherein the substrate is a decorative printed paper.  
     
     
         11 . A method of forming an envelope for packaging media disk holders comprising: 
 a) the steps of cutting a blank from a substrate;    b) scoring the blank with fold lines defining a face panel, a rear panel, a pair of opposed side flaps, a bottom flap and a closure flap, each of said face panel, rear panel, opposed side flaps, bottom flap and closure flap having an interior side and an exterior side;    c) further scoring the blank with a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the closure flap defining a first folded side panel, a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the bottom flap defining a second folded side panel, a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the first of the opposed side flaps defining a third folded side panel, and a trio of parallel, spaced fold lines between the face panel and the remaining opposed side flap defining a fourth folded side panel;    d) folding the bottom flap upward to locate its interior side adjacent to the interior side of the face panel; and    e) affixing a portion of the interior side of each opposed side flap to the exterior of the bottom flap to form a pocket.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising folding the first, second, third and fourth folded side panels outward in relation to the pocket.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising folding each of the first and second folded side panels outward in relation to the pocket, while folding each of the third and fourth folded side panels inward in relation to the pocket.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the substrate is a material selected from the group consisting of printed papers, paperboard, plastic and paper-foil laminate.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the substrate is a decorative material.