GB2194510A - Storage containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage container for a plurality of substantially identical articles 8, such as tape cassettes or compact discs, comprises a compartment having a respective releasable catch 15 to hold each article until the catch is depressed to allow at least partial ejection of the article by a spring 9. The container may comprise several compartments which are separately formed and releasably held in a housing. A double-action lock may be provided which on one turn of a key secures the compartments in the housing and on a further turn moves a locking bar (24, Fig. 2) which prevents depression of the catches 15. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Storage container The present invention relates to a storage container for articles such as boxes containing tape cassettes and the like, and particularly although not exclusively, to boxes for contain ing so-called compact discs containing digitally recorded music.

Conventionally, such storage containers comprise one or more compartments which may be slotted or otherwise compartmentalised to receive, vertically or horizontally, the articles to be stored. The articles are then normally restrained in position by a lid or door closing over the whole compartment or container. In order to store the articles in as compact a space as possible, it is common to stack them closely together with just one of the narrow sides thereof available for inspection and access, and with only a very narrow gap between adjoining articles for insertion of one's fingers to grasp the article and withdraw same from its storage position. Furthermore, identification of these articles when stored in this way can be difficult and to date, the design of such storage containers has not taken these shortcomings into consideration.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage container providing economy of storage space and easy retrieval of articles therefrom.

According to the present invention there is provided a storage container for a plurality of substantially identical and co-oriented articles, the storage container comprising a storage compartment having entry means for the articles, releasable catch means adapted to hold each article in the storage compartment pending at least partial ejection of a selected article by ejection means upon release of the associated catch means.

The storage container may be box shaped and dimensioned to fit closely around the articles stored therein, with one side of the container left ooen to provide the entry means through which articles are received for storage and ejected when required for use. Preferably, in order to minimise the overall dimensions of the storage container, the articles are stored with sides of greatest cross sectional area adjacent one another, with further sides of the articles of least cross-sectional area facing the entry means.

The ejector means may comprise resilient means adapted to urge each article towards the entry means whereby, upon release of the catch means, a selected article will be at least partly ejected from the storage container. The resilient means may conveniently each comprise spring means, which may be a blade type spring positioned in the storage compartment so as individually to urge by an articleengaging portion of the spring blade the asso dated article stored in the container towards the entry means. The blade type spring may be positioned in the storage compartment opposite the entry means and may comprise a mounting portion secured to the compartment and a plurality of spring blades, which may be curved, extending or depending therefrom, each operable to eject an associated stored article.

The mounting portion of the ejection means is preferably fixedly mounted on or near a rear wall of the storage compartment and each spring blade may extend therefrom into the compartment such that it is engaged and tensioned by an article placed in the storage compartment, the stored energy being released to eject the article on release of the catch means. For efficient ejection of the articles from the container, an article-engaging portion of each spring blade and the catch means may both be adapted to engage either a lower portion of the article or a higher portion thereof.

The releasable catch means may comprise a plurality of catches, each catch being adapted to retain an article in the storage compartment, and may comprise a key or button or the like adapted to be depressed manually.

Preferably, the storage compartment comprises locating means to locate each article therein, and the locating means may comprise a series of parallel slots or grooves, each adapted slidably to receive and locate an article. Thus each locating means may co-operate with associated ejector means and catch means to allow individual receipt, storage and ejection of an article. Alternatively, the container may comprise a plurality of storage compartments within an overall housing, each separately releasable from the housing. Thus, articles stored within the container in a given storage compartment may be removed together from the container when desired for use elsewhere or, for example, to make room for a further compartment containing further articles.

Hence it can be seen that a container according to the present invention allows versatility of use in storing articles such as compact discs, tape cassettes or the like when housed in boxes. Also the container provides a means of storing such articles in the minimum of space owing to the configuration adopted by the articles when stored therein.

In order to enjoy fully the versatility of the container according to this invention in respect of being able freely to remove or store individual articles or articles contained within a separate compartment, it is desirable for the container to be lockable. Hence, locking means may be provided operable to lock the catch means individually or collectively and/or to lock a said compartment within the container. The locking means may be operated by turning a screw, for example using a security key or the like, whereby to move locking means operable to prevent release of the catch means, and whereby to move compart ment locking means to lock a compartment within the housing where appropriate.The catch locking means may comprise a member movable into substantial engagement with the catches so as to prevent movement thereof; and the compartment locking means may comprise a catch, which may be pivotable and may be movable by cam means into engage ment with means on the container adapted to receive the catch. Preferably, the locking means has a two-part movement, the first movement locking a compartment against re moval and the second movement locking the catch means against operation.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that as each article will be substantially visible through the entry means in the container when stored therein, identification of a given article may be obtained direct from the article itself. However, should this not be possible, it is a feature of this invention that article identification means may be provided on the or each storage compartment, whereby to identify the articles therein. Conveniently, space may be provided on the or each compartment adjacent a stored article in order to affix the identification means thereto. Each catch means may similarly be provided with identification means which may comprise a space or slot to receive a label.

The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top and front persp#ective view of a storage container according to the present invention wherein one side and part of the top have been removed to better show the interior thereof, Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line A-A of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is an exploded view from the top and front of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the container comprises a storage compartment having a top wall 1, a bottom wall 2, side walls 3 (one not shown), a rear wall 4 and entry means comprising an opening 5. Article locating means comprising vertically opposed pairs of top and bottom slots 6, 7 are provided on the top and bottom walls 1, 2 respectively. An article comprising a compact disc box 8 is shown partly inserted into a pair of slots 6, 7. Ejector means are provided comprising a series of curved spring blades 9, one for each of the slots 7, each depending by a top end 10 thereof from a mounting portion 11 affixed to the rear wall 4 by the ends being received in respective recesses provided on the rear -edges of the associated side walls 3, which recesses are not seen in the drawings.Each spring blade 9 has a free end 12 and an article engaging portion 13 spaced from the rear wall 4 and adapted resiliently to engage a rear portion 14 of the compact disc box 8.

The spring blades 9 are manufactured from plastics material, although metal may be used.

Catch means comprising a row of keys 15 extend along the bottom of the opening 5, a top portion 16 of each key 15 extending proud of the bottom wall 2 into the opening 5. Each key 15 is resiliently mounted on a key spring blade 17 (Figure 2) which is in turn attached to a key mounting portion 18 affixed to the bottom wall 2 by a plate 19 and screws 20.

Referring to Figure 2, which shows the locking means of the embodiment of Figure 1, but having further components required for the embodiment of Figure 3, a locking screw 21 extends through a base portion 22 of the storage compartment into engagement with a block 23 affixed to key locking means comprising a locking bar 24, slidably mounted with respect to the side walls 3 by a slide 25 on either side thereof. The block 23 is resiliently held away from the base portion 22 by a spring 26.

Referring to Figure 3, an alternative storage container 35 is of hollow box construction having an open end 36 through which a pair of detachable storage compartments 37 (only one of which is shown) may be inserted. The multi compartment container 35 acts merely as a housing to accommodate two (although more if desired) detachable compartments 37 and, apart from the walls 38, 39, 40 and 41 thereof, comprises only two locking portions (not shown) wherein one locking portion is engageable with each latch portion 33 of the locking means of one of the compartments 37. Upon release of the catch means 33 from a locking portion of the multi storage container 35 a detachable compartment 37 may simply be slid out of the multi storage container 35 for use elsewhere.Upon returning the detachable compartment 37 to the multi storage container 35, the procedure is reversed, and the compartment 37 is merely slid home into the multi storage container 35 and the locking means re-engaged.

Each detachable compartment 37 has component parts fulfilling the same function as shown in the storage container of Figure 1, hence the component parts have been given the same reference numerals.

When the container a multi storage container 35, comprises one or more compartments 37 within the block 23 of Figure 2 will comprise a pair of cam slots 27 each having an angled portion 28 extending from a substantially horizontal portion 29. Compartment locking means comprise the cam slots 27 and a compartment lock 30 comprising an arm 31 extending to either side of the block 23, each arm 31 being pivotally mounted to the base portion 22 by a pivot 32 at one end thereof, and comprising a latch portion 33 at the other end thereof. A pair of pegs 34 adapted to be cammed by the cam slots 27 extend inwardly from each arm 31 into the associated cam slot 27.

In use, the compact disc box 8 of Figure 1 may be inserted into a pair of slots 6 7 by depressing a selected key 15 and sliding the compact disc box 8, held vertically over the top portion 16 of the key 15 into the related pair of top and bottom slots 6, 7, until the rear portion 14 engages and deflects (and thus tensions) the article engaging portion 13 of the spring blade 9 corresponding to that pair of slots 6, 7 and until the compact disc box 8 has passed the key 15 allowing same to return from its depressed position under the action of the spring 17.The compact disc box 8 will now be retained in the container until the same key 15 is again depressed, whereupon the previously tensioned spring blade 9 behind the compact disc box 8 releases its stored energy so as at least partially to eject the compact disc box from the container to the position illustrated in Figure 1 so that the compact disc box may readily be grasped and pulled completely from the storage compartment.

Identification marks or labels may be affixed to each key 15 in order to identify the article accommodated by each pair of slots 6, 7.

The locking means is operated to lock each compartment 37 within the multi-storage container 35 of Figure 3 by turning the locking screw 21, which has a conventional thread, clockwise so that the block 23 is drawn along the locking screw 21 and whereby the angled portion 28 of the cam slot 27 will cam the cam pegs 34 downwardly so that the latch portion 33 is moved downwardly to engage the locking portion (not shown) of the multistorage container 35 and prevent withdrawal of each compartment 37 therefrom. In order to lock the keys 15 by the locking means, to prevent the keys from being depressed, the locking screw 21 is further turned clockwise whereupon the block 23 will be further drawn therealong against the action of the spring 26.

As the locking bar 24 is attached to the block 23, the locking bar will be drawn out of the base portion 22 to engage the keys 15 thereunder and prevent depression thereof. The locking screw 21 may be provided with a withdrawable key in order that the locking means may be made secure from unauthorised tapering. Thus the locking means has a twopart movement. In order to unlock the locking means, the reverse procedure is adopted whereby, upon the locking screw 21 being turned anticlockwise, the spring 26 will extend and push the cam block 23 away from the base portion 22 of the compartment 37. The locking bar 24 will thus be withdrawn from engagement with the keys 15 and, upon further turning of the locking screw 21 anticlockwise, the latch portion 33 of the locking means will be retracted from engagement with the locking portion of the multi-storage container 35 thereby allowing the or each compartment 37 to be withdrawn therefrom.

The storage container according to this invention may be manufactured from any conventional materials, although plastics materials are preferred in order to obtain a lightweight container, major components of which may be formed integrally, thus simplifying assembly.

The storage container of Figure 1 lends itself to being part of a horizontal and/or vertical stack of like containers without requiring an overall housing. If desired, adjacent containers may be interconnected at the rear to stabilise the stack.

Claims (19)

1. A storage container for a plurality of substantially identical and co-oriented articles, the storage container comprising a storage compartment having entry means for the articles, releasable catch means adapted to hold each article in the storage compartment pending at least partial ejection of a selected article by ejection means upon release of the associated catch means.

2. A storage container according to claim 1, wherein the container is box shaped and dimensioned to fit closely around the articles stored therein, with one side of the container left open to provide the entry means through which articles are received for storage and ejected when required for use.

3. A storage container according to claim 2, wherein the articles are stored with sides- of greatest cross-sectional area adjacent one another, with further sides of the articles of least cross-sectional area facing the entry means.

4. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ejector means comprise resilient means adapted to urge each article towards the entry means whereby, upon release of the catch means, a selected article will be at least partly ejected from the storage container.

5. A storage container according to claim 4, wherein the resilient means comprise spring means of the blade type positioned in the storage compartment so as individually to urge by an article-engaging portion of the spring blade the associated article stored in the container towards the entry means.

6. A storage container according to claim 5, wherein the resilient means are positioned in the storage compartment opposite the entry means and comprise a mounting portion secured to the compartment and a plurality of spring blades extending therefrom and each operable to eject an associated stored article.

7. A storage container according to claim 6, wherein the mounting portion of the ejection means is fixed adjacent a rear wall of the storage compartment and each spring blade extends therefrom into the associated compartment such that it is engaged and tensioned by an article placed in the storage compartment, the stored energy being released to eject the article on release of the catch means.

8. A storage container according to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the article-engaging portion of each spring blade and the catch means may both be adapted to engage either a lower portion of the article or a higher portion thereof.

9. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the releasable catch means comprise a plurality of catches, each catch being adapted to retain an article in the storage compartment.

10. A storage container according to claim 9, wherein each catch comprises a manually operable member adapted to release the catch on being depressed.

11. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the storage compartment comprises locating means to locate each article therein, the locating means comprising a series of parallel slots or grooves each adapted slidably to receive and locate an article.

12. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container comprises a plurality of storage compartments within an overall housing, each storage compartment each being separately releasable from the housing.

13. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein locking means are provided which are operable to lock the catch means individually or collectively.

14. A storage container according to claim 13, wherein the locking means are also operable to lock a compartment within the container.

15. A storage container according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the locking means is operable by a security key.

16. A storage container according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the locking means has a two-part movement, the first movement locking a storage compartment against removal from the container, and the second movement locking the catch means against operation.

17. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided adjacent each compartment to receive identification means for the article stored in that compartment.

18. A storage container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each catch means is provided with means for receiving identification means for the article stored in the associated compartment.

19. A storage container substantially as herein particularly described with reference to figures 1 and 2, or figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.