Compact disk package and method of assembling same

A storage package for a recording medium comprising a paper board component attached to two plastic, recording medium-holding components, configured to resemble a book, said package including:

• A. a paper board component defining a flat panel having a pair of opposed lateral sides and a pair of opposed transverse sides which are generally perpendicular to said lateral sides, said panel including a first panel area for attachment of a first plastic, recording medium-holding component and a second panel area for attachment of a second plastic, recording medium-holding component, said first and second components being separated by a third panel area for defining the spine of said book;
• B. first and second plastic components for receiving and holding a recording medium, each of said components defining:
• (i) a generally planar surface having opposite faces for receiving and maintaining a recording medium on a first face thereof, said planar surface having a pair of opposed lateral sides and a pair of opposed transverse sides which are generally perpendicular to said lateral sides for forming marginal edges defining the peripheral extent of said surface, a recess in the planar surface for receiving a recording medium therein and means in said recess for releasably retaining said recording medium in said recess;
• (ii) upstanding wall portions on said planar surface proximate the marginal edges of said planar surface for defining a spacing rim for separating peripheral marginal areas from interior areas of said planar surface, said wall portions being positioned just inside the marginal edges of said planar surface and extending continuously along the opposed lateral sides, one of said transverse sides, and along transversely spaced segments of the opposite transverse side, said spaced segments extending inwardly from each of the opposed lateral sides;
• (iii) said wall portions on said second component being positioned a greater distance inside the marginal edges of said planar surface than on said first component such that, when said components are brought together into first face to first face proximity, the wall portions of said second component nest within the wall portions of said first component with the outside of the wall portions of said second component immediately adjacent the inside of the wall portions of said first component, the tops of the wall portions of the first component engage the marginal edges of the planar surface of said second component and the ends of the spaced segments and the planar surfaces define therebetween an elongate, transversely extending slot, the separation between the planar surfaces of said components being determined by the height of said first component wall portions;
• and
• (iv) projections positioned on the outer surface of the wall portions of the spaced segments of said second component and projections positioned at corresponding locations on the inner surface of the wall portions of the spaced segments of said first component for snap fitting one over the other for releasably engaging and latching said first and second components together in an assembled configuration;
• said paperboard component being bonded to said assembled components with the third panel area of said paperboard component adjacent the nested spaced segments of said assembled components.