Patent Application
20050072694
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system and apparatus for protecting digital media such as compact discs or DVDs so as to provide protection of the digital media during physical transport of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet has popularized the purchase and rental of digital media via mail. Rather than purchasing or renting DVDs or video game discs (e.g., Xbox, Play Station, or Game Cube games) from traditional rental stores, many consumers are using the Internet to select and rent or purchase digital media, which are typically delivered to the consumer via U.S. mail or via any number of the commercial mail carriers. The ability to rent or purchase digital media over the Internet eliminates the need to visit traditional stores, and in many instances allow the consumer to select from a greater selection of available digital media.
Because digital media such as DVDs or compact discs are relatively thin and can be damaged from excessive bending or mangling, and because fragile items can be subject to a variety of damage causing conditions during mail transport, it is necessary to protect the digital media during transport in order to prevent damage to the digital media. One conventional method of mailing digital media is to simply use the manufacture's original protective packaging, such as the original compact disc or DVD casing. However, due to their relatively large size and heavy weight, it can be expensive to mail the digital media in their manufacturer original packaging.
Another method of transporting digital media via mail is to use thick cardboard like envelops so as to provide rigid support to the digital media contained therein. Because thick cardboard envelope are heavier than regular envelope, they are more expensive to acquire and to mail.
The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the above-discussed methods by providing a system of protection for digital media during mail transport while keeping the cost of transporting the digital media to a minimal level.
The present invention provides a system of protection for transporting digital media through commercial carrier services such as the U.S. mail service. It is an objective of the present invention to provide protection to digital media during mail transport so as to prevent the digital media from being damaged during transport. It is another objective of the present invention to reduce the cost of transporting digital media.
To accomplish the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention is directed to a system of digital media transportation that includes a transportation package 10 with a body envelope 13 and a lid 11, wherein the digital media 16 to be transported is inserted into an inner pocket 15, which is in turn inserted into a protective jacket 12, which is in turn inserted into the body envelope 13. The transportation package 10 provides the consumer of the digital media to return the digital media to the original sender by simply re-using the inner pocket 15, the protective jacket 12, and the body envelope 13.
The details of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with references to
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the envelope 13 is preferably made of light weight paper having a weight no more than 75 grams per meter squared in order to lighten the total weight of the package system 1. Also in accordance with the preferred embodiment, inner pocket 15 is preferably made of non-abrasive material such as light-weight, high-density, polyethylene fibers so as to provide durable protection of the surface of the digital media 16. One such example of high-density polyethylene fiber is made by DuPont under the brand name Tyvek®. Finally, the protective jacket 12 is preferably made of light-weight but rigid and reinforced material such as cardboard or plastic so as to provide structural support to the digital media inserted therein.
In the case of digital media rentals, the digital media 16 may need to be returned to the vendor after the consumer is done using the digital media.
Upon receiving the returned digital media, the vendor can reuse at least the inner pocket 15 and the protective jacket 12 for future transport of the digital media. The ability to reuse the inner pocket 15 and the protective jacket promotes environmental friendly recycling while keeping down the cost of reordering packaging material.
In an alternative embodiment, the packaging system 10 eliminates the use of the inner pocket 15. Instead, the inner surface of the protective jacket 12 is either coated or made with non-abrasive material or surface similar to that of high-density polyethylene fibers so as to prevent the digital media from being scratched during handling and transport.
It should be noted that the present invention may be embodied in forms other than the preferred embodiments described above without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The specification contained herein provides sufficient disclosure for one skilled in the art to implement the various embodiments of the present invention, including the preferred embodiment, which should be considered in all aspect as illustrative and not restrictive; all changes or alternatives that fall within the meaning and range or equivalency of the claim are intended to be embraced within.
