Ecofriendly package for CDs and DVDs

Abstract

An ecofriendly package for a standard optical disc such as CD or DVD is made exclusively or mainly from recycled/recyclable materials comprises a die cut generally rectangular cardboard divided by two pairs of crease lines into a central panel and two side panels. A chip board slightly thicker than a standard disc is die cut and provided with two partial cut lines dividing it into a base and two wings ending in arcs which, when the wings are folded over and secured to the base, form a partial circle of a diameter slightly less that the disc diameter. The base is secured to the central panel, the disc is pressed into a friction fit with the wing arcs, and the side panels are folded over the disc and secured with a wrapping and/or an adhesive.

1 . A package containing an optical disc, said disc having a standard diameter, a standard thickness, and a standard central hole, and said package comprising:
 a continuous generally rectangular sheet of cardboard delineated by two pairs of parallel crease lines into a generally rectangular central panel and two side panels, said central panel having a height and width each at least as long as the disc diameter, and said side panels having areas that add up to at least the area of said central panel, wherein the creases of a pair are spaced from each other by a distance greater than twice but less than four times the disc thickness;   a generally rectangular chip board having a thickness approximating the disc thickness and divided by a pair of parallel partial cuts therein into a base and two laterally extending wings, wherein the cuts of said pair of cuts are spaced from each other by a distance greater than the disc diameter but no greater than the length of a side of the central panel;   said base having top and bottom sides that are scalloped with indentations extending toward a center of the base;   said wings having lateral sides in the shape of arcs;   said wings being folded over said base and adhered thereto such that at least portions of said arcs form a partial circle having a diameter that is sufficiently less than the disc diameter to accommodate said disc with a flat side thereof resting on said base and with portions of a circumference thereof friction fitted between and retained by said arcs of the wings without a need to engage said central hole of the disc, and said base being adhered to within an outline of said central panel; and   said side panels of the cardboard sheet being folded over said disc and secured to form a package containing the disc bound on one flat side by the base and on the other flat side by the folded over panels and bound around its circumference by a friction fit between said wings;   wherein said disc is removable from the package by unfolding said panels to expose the disc and releasing the disc from said friction fit with the wings by bending the base and/or grasping peripheral portions of the disc exposed at said indentations in the base.   
   
   
       2 . A package as in  claim 1  in which the standard disc diameter is 120 mm and the standard disc thickness is 1.2 mm. 
   
   
       3 . A package as in  claim 2  in which the radius of said arcs is 2+ 11/32 inches. 
   
   
       4 . A package as in  claim 3  in which the distance between said pairs of crease lines is 5+ 9/16 inches. 
   
   
       5 . A package as in  claim 4  in which the distance between the two partial cut lines is 5+ 7/16 inches. 
   
   
       6 . A package as in  claim 5  in which the thickness of said chipboard is between 1 and 2 mm. 
   
   
       7 . A package as in  claim 6  in which the thickness of said chipboard is approximately 1.5 mm. 
   
   
       8 . A package as in  claim 1  in which the distance between any two diametrically opposite points of said arcs is approximately 119 mm. 
   
   
       9 . A package as in  claim 1  in which the two side panels are the same in size and shape. 
   
   
       10 . A package as in  claim 1  in which the central hole of the disc is free of engagement with any hub. 
   
   
       11 . A method of making a package containing an optical disc, said disc having a standard diameter, a standard thickness, and a standard central hole, and said method comprising:
 cutting a continuous generally rectangular sheet of cardboard and forming therein two pairs of parallel crease lines delineating the sheet into a generally rectangular central panel and two side panels, the central panel having a height and a width each greater than the disc diameter, and the side panels having areas that add up to at least the area of the central panel, wherein the creases of a pair are spaced from each other by a distance greater than twice but less than four times the disc thickness;   cutting a generally rectangular chip board having a height greater than the disc diameter but no greater than a side of the central panel, said chip board having a thickness approximating the disc thickness, said chip board terminating laterally in a pair of oppositely facing arcs, forming two parallel partial cuts in the chip board spaced by distance greater than the disc diameter but less than the width of said central panel to delineate the board into a base and a pair of wings, and folding the wings over the base and adhering them to the base such that the two arcs face each other and at least portions of the arcs form a partial circle of a diameter less than that of the disc, and adhering the base to the central panel;   friction-fitting the disc over the base and between the arcs of said wings; and   folding the side panels over said disc and securing the folded over side panels to form a package containing the disc bound on one flat side by the base and on the other flat side by the folded over panels and bound around its circumference by a friction fit between said wings;   wherein said disc is removable from the package by unfolding said panels to expose the disc and releasing the disc from said friction fit with the wings by bending the base and/or grasping peripheral portions of the disc exposed at said indentations.   
   
   
       12 . A method as in  claim 11  in which said disc is a compact disc (CD). 
   
   
       13 . A method as in  claim 11  in which said disc is a DVD. 
   
   
       14 . A method of making a package for an optical disc, said disc having a standard diameter, a standard thickness, and a standard central hole, and said method comprising:
 cutting a continuous generally rectangular sheet of cardboard and forming therein two pairs of parallel crease lines delineating the sheet into a generally rectangular central panel and two side panels, said central panel having a height and a width each greater than said disc diameter, and said side panels having areas that add up to at least the area of said central panel, wherein the creases of a pair are spaced from each other by a distance greater than twice but less than four times the standard thickness of the disc;   cutting a generally rectangular chip board having a height greater than the disc diameter but no greater than the length of a side of said central panel, said chip board having a thickness approximating the disc thickness, said chip board terminating laterally in a pair of oppositely facing arcs, forming two parallel partial cuts in the chip board spaced by distance greater than the disc diameter but less than the width of said central panel to delineate the board into a base and a pair of wings, and folding the wings over the base and adhering them to the base such that the two arcs face each other and at least portions of the arcs form a partial circle of a diameter less than that of the disc but sufficiently large for a friction fit of the disc over the base and between the arcs of said wings, and securing the base to the central panel within an outline thereof;   folding said side panels over said disc and securing the folded over side panels to form a package for containing the disc bound on one flat side by the base and on the other flat side by the folded over panels and bound around its circumference by a friction fit between said wings;   wherein said disc is removable from the package by unfolding said panels to expose a disc and releasing the disc from said friction fit with the wings by bending the base and/or grasping peripheral portions of the disc.   
   
   
       15 . A method as in  claim 14  in which at least portions of the arcs of the two wings folded over the base form a partial circle of a diameter approximately 119 mm and said standard disc diameter is 120 mm.