Archive for memory cards

Abstract

An album-like package and storage container is formed of two housing sections that pivot into (and out of) mating engagement. To motivate retention of the memory card package for subsequent storage application, one housing section contains multiple open receptacles or compartments for post-sale storage of a number of memory cards. Prior to the sale the housing section need contain only the single memory card being offered. In one embodiment, recessed compartments that hold memory cards are arranged in rows and columns. With an additional feature, recessed ramp regions on the exterior of the package provide a terminus for ends of a protective tape applied about the periphery of the album-like package, making it impossible for a person to remove the tape by hand.

1 . A reusable package and storage album for memory cards, comprising: 
 a rectangular body of plastic material formed from a thin sheet of plastic material;    said rectangular body including front and rear sides, first and second housing sections and a straight album spine;    said first and second housing sections protruding from said front side of said rectangular body; and said straight album spine located in-between said first and second housing sections;    said straight album spine being integrally joined along one side to said first housing section along a first bend line to permit said first housing section to be manually pivoted relative to said spine and being integrally joined along an opposite side to said second housing section along a second bend line to permit said second housing section to be manually pivoted relative to said spine, whereby said first and second housing sections may be manually pivoted relative to and pressed into frictional engagement with one another; and    said rear side of said rectangular body including a rectangular frame integrally formed in said rear side of said rectangular body defining a shallow rectangular recessed region extending over said rear side of said rectangular body;    a thin rectangular sheet of opaque printable material, said sheet of opaque printable material having front and rear sides and being bendable in physical characteristic;    said thin rectangular sheet of opaque printable material being of a size and shape to fit inside and substantially fill said shallow rectangular recessed region in the rear side of said rectangular body, whereby said rectangular body overlaps the peripheral edges of said rectangular sheet of opaque printable material by a slight amount;    said thin rectangular sheet of opaque printable material including at least text imprinted on at least one side;    said second housing section including:    an inside region for receiving at least one memory card,    said inside region comprising:    a relatively thin flat bottom surface,    a plurality of open recessed compartments in and recessed from said bottom surface, each said open compartment having thin flexible walls and being of a size and shape to receive and frictionally hold a respective memory card.    
   
   
       2 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of open inter-compartment passages in and recessed from said thin flat bottom surface; and    each of said recessed compartments in a respective row being connected to each immediately adjacent recessed compartment in said row by a respective one of said plurality of inter-compartment passages; wherein    said plurality of open recessed compartments are arranged in rows and columns over said inside region of said second housing section; and    wherein said first housing section includes at least an inside region containing a relatively thin flat bottom surface; and a stiffening bar;    said stiffening bar vertically extending from said bottom surface of said inside region of said first housing section and extending transverse the width of said inside region of said first housing section for stiffening said first housing section and dividing said inside region of said first housing section into first and second parts.    
   
   
       3 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said thin sheet of plastic material comprises a transparent plastic material and wherein said rectangular body of plastic material comprises a transparent rectangular body of plastic material.  
   
   
       4 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said thin sheet of plastic material comprises an opaque plastic material and wherein said rectangular body of plastic material comprises an opaque rectangular body of plastic material.  
   
   
       5 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 4 , 
 wherein said second part of said first housing section includes a window opening; and further comprising:    a window of transparent plastic material; said window overlying said window opening in said second part of said first housing section.    
   
   
       6 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said thin rectangular sheet of opaque printable material contains a cut-out portion defining a window located in said second part.  
   
   
       7 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 2 , further comprising a second rectangular thin flat sheet of plastic material, said second rectangular thin flat sheet of plastic material being of a like rectangular shape and size as said rectangular body and being bendable in physical characteristic;  
   
   
       8 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said second rectangular thin flat sheet of plastic material comprises a transparent plastic material; and wherein said second rectangular thin flat sheet is fused to said rectangular body along said rectangular frame of said rectangular body to confine said sheet of opaque printable material between said second rectangular thin flat transparent sheet and said rectangular body and form a backing to said first and second housing sections and said spine; 
 said thin rectangular sheet of opaque printable material including a layer of printers ink on each of said front and back side at locations on each said front and back side underlying said first and second housing sections and said spine, said printers ink defining any of text and graphics; and    said printers ink on each said sheet of printable material being visible through said second rectangular thin flat sheet and, when said first and second housing sections are separated, through said rectangular body;    said first and second housing sections defining a closed internal region within which to confine memory cards when said first and second housing sections are pivoted into and pressed into mating frictional engagement.    
   
   
       9 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said second rectangular thin flat sheet of plastic material comprises a transparent plastic material; 
 and wherein said second rectangular thin flat sheet of transparent plastic material is fused to said rectangular body along said rectangular frame of said rectangular body to permanently confine said sheet of opaque printable material between said second rectangular thin flat transparent sheet and said rectangular body and form a backing to said first and second housing sections and said spine.    
   
   
       10 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said sheet of opaque printable material including a layer of printers ink on at least one of said front and back sides at locations on each said front and back side underlying said first and second housing sections and said spine, said printers ink defining any of text and graphics; and 
 wherein said sheet of opaque printable material is visible from the exterior of said housing sections through said second rectangular thin flat sheet of transparent plastic material and, when said first and second housing sections are separated, through said rectangular body of transparent plastic material.    
   
   
       11 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said second rectangular thin flat sheet of plastic material comprises an opaque vinyl.  
   
   
       12 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 11 , and further comprising: a window opening in said second part of said first housing section; a transparent plastic window located in said window opening in said second part of said first housing section; and wherein said thin rectangular sheet of opaque printable material contains a cut-out in said second part defining a window opening located overlying said transparent plastic window; and wherein said second rectangular thin flat opaque vinyl sheet includes a cut-out defining said window opening, located overlying said window opening in said sheet of opaque printable material.  
   
   
       13 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising: a layer of plastic sponge material, said layer of plastic sponge material sandwiched in between said layer of opaque printable material and said rectangular thin flat opaque vinyl sheet.  
   
   
       14 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising: a layer of cardboard material, said layer of cardboard material sandwiched in between said thin sheet of opaque printable material and said rectangular thin flat opaque vinyl sheet.  
   
   
       15 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said second rectangular thin flat sheet of plastic material comprises a transparent plastic material.  
   
   
       16 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said rectangular thin flat sheet of opaque printable material comprises any one of paper board, chipboard and cardboard.  
   
   
       17 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said rectangular thin flat sheet of opaque printable material comprises a printable plastic material;  
   
   
       18 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of open recessed compartments comprises nine in number; and wherein said nine open recessed compartments are evenly arranged in said thin flat bottom surface in three rows and three columns.  
   
   
       19 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of open recessed compartments comprises nine in number; and wherein said nine open recessed compartments are evenly arranged in said thin flat bottom surface in three rows and three columns; and wherein said plurality of inter-compartment passages comprises six in number.  
   
   
       20 . The reusable package and storage album for memory cards as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said plastic material comprises a member selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene  
   
   
       21 . A reusable package and storage album for a product, comprising: 
 a rectangular body of plastic material formed from a thin sheet of plastic material;    said rectangular body having front and rear sides and defining first and second housing sections;    said first and second housing sections protruding from said front side of said body; and    a straight spine of predetermined width located in-between a side of each of said first and second housing sections,    said straight spine being integrally joined along one side to said first housing section along a first bend line to permit said first housing section to be manually pivoted relative to said straight spine and being integrally joined along an opposite side to said second housing section along a second bend line to permit said second housing section to be manually pivoted relative to said straight spine, wherein said first and second housing sections may be manually pivoted relative to one another and pressed into engagement with one another;    said first and second housing sections each containing a peripheral rim bordering said respective section, said peripheral rim of one section being of a size to at least partially fit within and frictionally engage said peripheral rim of the other section when said first and second housing sections are pressed together to frictionally hold said sections together thereby placing said package and storage album in a closed condition;    said first and second housing sections defining a peripherally extending side to the two housing sections and defining a peripherally extending slit between confronting surfaces of said first and second housing sections when said housing sections are placed in said closed condition, said peripherally extending side and said peripherally slit extending over four sides in a rectangular loop and possessing a thickness that is essentially the same as said width of said spine; and    said first and second housing sections defining first and second recessed surfaces when said housing sections are positioned in said closed condition, said first and second recessed surfaces being located on opposite sides of said peripherally extending side and proximate said spine and are recessed inwardly in a direction toward the interior of said housing sections, said first and second recessed surfaces overlying said slit and defining inwardly sloped ramps, each of said ramps providing a tape end receiving location in which to position a respective one of the first and second ends of a piece of protective tape that is applied over the length of said peripherally extending slit.    
   
   
       22 . A reusable package and storage album for a memory card as defined in  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 at least one elongate strip of tape for permanently binding said first housing section to said second housing section to prevent said housing sections from being pivoted from said closed condition,    said elongate strip of tape extending along and overlying said peripherally extending slit, said strip of tape having one end located in said tape end receiving location of said first recessed inwardly sloped ramp surface and tape having the opposite end of said strip of tape located in said tape end receiving location of said second recessed inwardly sloped ramp surface;    said elongate strip of tape being severable in the lengthwise direction when penetrated by a cutting blade drawn along said slit to break said binding between said housing sections to free said housing sections for relative manual pivotal movement to an open condition.