Patent Application
20070242595
The present invention relates to the field of decorative shaped digital media disks such as CD's and DVD's which may be utilized as gift tags, ornaments or other digitized media which contains visual and/or aural media, and which may be either die cut, tool cut or molded to form a shaped copolymeric disk.
Currently, in the marketplace, there are available a wide variety of CD's and DVD's which may be shaped in various forms and may contain aural and/or visual media. A few of these discs may also be used as ornaments for hanging on a holiday tree. Most prior art disclosure, however, relate to the general area of foldable and plastic containers utilize to ship and store plastic media discs such as CD's and DVD Roms and the like. One patent U.S. Pat. No. 1,541,002 issued to L. Shramek discloses a foldable form for carrying phonographic records in a greeting postcard. U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,761 issued to J. Pelkey discloses the use of a foldable greeting cord and phonographic record contained therein. U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,383 issued to T. Boylon et al. discloses the use of a folding device utilized to hold a plurality of discs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,318 issued to K. Leverick discloses the use of a folder to holding, displaying and securing a CD made from card stock, U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,365 issued to J. Stuart discloses the use of a greeting card with a detachable magnetized section that the user can save and attach to a refrigerator.
Other issued patents relating to this field are as follows. U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,608 issued to D. Spector discloses the use of a foldable protective package which opens in book like fashion with a CD secured to one interior portion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,019 issued to R. Reed discloses the use of a storage and mailing package for CD's which are secured to one portion thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,926 issued to O'Brien et al. discloses the use of a method and apparatus for packaging a CD Rom in a three sided container.
Further issued patents relating to the disclosure of CD Rom storage devices include U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,254 issued to Lorber which discloses a CD Rom and greeting card combination which is folded in half but which obscures the shape of the CD Rom contained therein. U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,249 issued to W. Simpson discloses the use of a CD Rom container which is similar to a mailer and not a storage device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,584 issued to Simpson also discloses the use of a card device for storing CD's which may also store a VHS tape or audio cassette tape. The carrier device and the tape cartridge are positioned in nested relationship. U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,300 issued to Simpson discloses the use of a method for personalizing a printed greeting card via the internet.
In another related patent disclosure, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,319 issued to W. Collins discloses the use of a specialized storage device for CD's having a bottom disk retainer panel which optimizes the viewing area of the disk. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 384,210 issued to Menchetti discloses a display card which may hold a CD Rom.
In yet other related patent prior art disclosures are disclosed several different designs for holding compact discs, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,969 issued to Darby which discloses the use of a decorative holder wherein the display member may utilize decorative fabric. U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,996 issued to Siegel discloses the use of a specially cut disk which contains ticket and/or pass information and an anti-counterfeit feature. U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,445 issued to Cooper discloses the use of a CD Rom holder which may hold a disk visibly upright and perpendicular to a table or other horizontal surface. Other patent prior disclosures somewhat related to this area include U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,199 issued to Dean which discloses the use of a compact disk holder with resilient material, a hub, felt backing and an adhesive which allows it to be attached to a wall or other vertical surface for storage and/or display. An additional issued patent disclosure is U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,791 issued to Sommi which discloses the use of a wall mounted display holder having a main rigid panel with one or more recesses formed therein for the storage and/or display of CD Roms. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,796 issued to Shimano discloses the use of a specialized clear plastic container with an other ring of metal, a chain and a keychain to transform a CD Rom into a fairly complex ornament. Still yet another patent disclosure, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 426,203 issued to Siegel discloses the use of a specially shaped CD Rom having three oval holes in the outer periphery of a media disk. The shape and sizes of the apertures are quite unique and it is not understood if they have any specialized purpose and it is assumed that the shape is purely ornamental in nature.
However, nowhere in the prior art are there seen shaped polycarbonate or copolymeric digital media discs that have been molded and are provided with an aperture in their outer periphery for hanging as an ornament with specialized hanging apparatus for hanging on a holiday tree or present, or on a peg, string, or hook. The prior art also does not show die, tool cut, punched Or molded polycarbonate or co polymeric media discs which have been utilized as the following items: CD or DVD: Christmas ornaments, gift gags, sports collector cords, collector cards, business cards and the like.
The present invention consists of an improved molded shaped computer media storage disk having at least one aperture in its outer periphery which may be utilized to hang it on a tree or present/gift or peg, string, hook or as on ornament or gift tag. In this preferred embodiment, the CD or DVD Rom may be molded and shaped as an ornament or seasonal figurine such as a Christmas tree or Santa Clause and the like, depending upon the holiday or special occasion. In the case of a birthday, the CD Rom may contain a birthday song and be shaped like a birthday cake and used as an ornament. Or the CD disk may be shaped like a gift tag and hove a space provided to write in the name of the recipient and gift giver. These items have been typically router and CNC cut or loser cut to form their shape, and a molding process of creating the shape and outer periphery would greatly enhance the economy of making such articles.
Similarly, in yet an additional preferred embodiment of the present invention, the CD Rom or DVD Rom device may be shaped as a baseball, football or other collector's card, and the disk itself may contain an extensive history of the athlete with sports statistics and figures and it may further including numerous news articles, video clips and the like. It is intended that these products may be die cut, tool cut or loser cut from a round or shaped disk, or they may be molded in the desired shape.
Still yet an additional preferred embodiment of the present invention, when used as an ornament, it may be provided with a variety of hanging means and disk protection means. It is anticipated that a hook may be provided which is comprised of an interior wire which has been coated with a much softer outer coating on its exterior portion so as not to scratch the disk as it is being hung or removed from a Christmas Tree, a hook or peg, or other suitable hanging device. The hanger may also be decorative in fashion, as it may be made from soft plastic metallic chenille or other decorative materials. The computer media disk may have one or more apertures provided for a hook or decorative thread Where the disk is made in the form of a shaped ornament, it is anticipated that the disk has been molded to provide for an economical means of mass production.
In still yet an additional preferred embodiment of the present invention, a shaped digitized media disk is provided with a computer game contained therein and the shape and image utilized for the disk may be an image of the playing board or a playing piece or other item closely associated with playing of the particular game.
In yet a further anticipated preferred embodiment of the present invention, the computer media disk may be shaped in a rectangular or other form such that it resembles either a business card or a sports trading card. In the preferred embodiment where the disk is utilized as a sports trading cord, it is anticipated that the disk may be provided with detailed statistics regarding the history of the athlete, as well as news articles and even video clips of important moments in sports history. When the preferred embodiment is a business card, the computerized media may contain video commercials, statistics regarding the company, product and service information in both spreadsheet form and/or a DVD format. All of these discs may be sold and/or provided with a soft clingy film of plastic which allows the aesthetically pleasing features of the disk to be readily displayed, while at the same time, it prevents the disk from being scratched. Digital media discs are notorious for being damaged to the point that they will not work, even if just a few minor scratches or scrapes ore present on either surface of the disk. Accordingly, the discs must be handled and stored with core. When the discs are used as an ornament the need for protection is even greater.
Thus, it is one primary object of the present invention to provide a computer media disk in a decorative shaped format which relates directly to the data contained thereon, and which has been economically formed by a molding process which creates at least one aperture in the out periphery of the disk.
It is yet an additional primary object of the present invention to provide a molded computer media disk in a decorative shaped format which has been provided with at least one aperture in its outer periphery for the purposes of hanging the decorative media disk upon a tree or present, peg, string, hook or other protrusion for an aesthetically pleasing effect, or for its use as a gift tag or ornament where space has been provided so the name of the gift giver and recipient may be written thereupon.
Another primary object of the present invention is to provide a computer media disk in a decorative shaped format such as a rectangle, and which has been imprinted with a picture of a sports figure, wherein the information contained in the media on the disk relates to athletic statistics and history pertaining to the sports figure, including news articles and video clips of the athlete's performances and which also may or may not have an aperture in its outer periphery.
Additionally, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a shaped decorative computer media disk which resembles a business card and which has been provided with advertising and/or marketing information regarding that individual or the company that the individual is employed by, and which disk may or may not have been provided with an aperture in its outer periphery.
Still an additional primary object of the present invention is to provide a shaped digital media disk which may be utilized as a hanging ornament wherein the disk has further been provided with or without shaped clear, thin plastic sheeting which is clingy yet removable by peeling it away, such that the disk will retain its aesthetically pleasing appearance when used as an ornament and/or gift tag, yet problems due to damage will not occur.
Yet another primary object of the present invention is to provide a shaped digital media disk which has been provided with a computer game and the shape of the disk is a playing board, a figure from the game or a game board piece and which may or may not be provided with an aperture in its outer periphery.
Still a further primary object of the present invention is to provide a shaped digital media disk which has been molded and then either loser, punch or die cut, or tool cut to form a shape and outer aperture in its outer periphery.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention can be readily derived from the following detailed description of the drawings taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings present herein and should be considered as within the overall scope of the invention.
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In this particular embodiment, chenille wire hanger 104 has been provided which has a very soft and cushiony exterior surface which may prevent scratching to digital media disk 100 when protective transparent film 110 is not used or has been or, or was simply not provided with the digital media disk 100.
Each of the collecting cards, the business cards and the like may be made from a molding process wherein a mold is provided shaped to the final image of the digital media disk having on aperture in its outer periphery. Although numerous preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed herein, the aperture provided for the purpose of hanging or securing the digital media disk is but one option. The digital media discs preferred embodiments disclosed herein may be constructed from utilizing a standard circular disk form and then shaping it by either punch cutting it, die cutting it or even cutting the disk with a tool. In the case of the ornaments and gift tags for holidays, the inventive process consists of molding them to produce the desired shapes and images on a mass production basis for economy in manufacture wherein a hanging aperture is created in the outer periphery of each disk.
