WO1989009469A1

WO1989009469A1 - Storage unit

Info

Publication number: WO1989009469A1
Application number: PCT/GB1989/000316
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rod P. Edwards
Original assignee: Edwards Rod P
Priority date: 1988-03-31
Filing date: 1989-03-28
Publication date: 1989-10-05
Also published as: AU3361589A; GB2217187A; GB8807745D0; GB8906971D0; GB2217187B

Abstract

A storage unit (10) for magnetic media floppy discs (32), has two circular walls (12, 14) having mutually opposing radial slots (22, 24) between which the discs can be retained. The walls are separated by a central pillar, and the whole is rotatably mounted on a stand. A multiple unit is also provided, where several units are stacked or otherwise arranged on a stand. Another embodiment shows the units arranged with a horizontal axis.

Description

Storage Unit

This invention relates to a storage unit and particularly to a unit for th storage of magnetic media discs for use with microcomputers and whic are commonly referred to as floppy discs.

Two types and sizes of floppy discs are frequently used; 5.25 inch (13. centimetre) discs and 3.5 inch (8.9 centimetre) discs. In both cases th circular discs are mounted in essentially rectangular protective sleeve Each disc has a l i m ited storage area for electronical ly encode information, and consequently users of microcomputers commonly requir many discs to store all the information (whether data or compute programs) which they wish to keep. Apart from archival information, whic might be kept on discs referred to only infrequently, much of thi information may be required on a dai ly basis and so some discs usuall need to be kept readi ly avai lable for use at any time.

Hitherto, discs are often kept in the boxes in which they are supplied o in boxes which can be purchased for this particular purpose. In eithe event, location of the disc which the user wishes to use is frequently time consum ing task because little if any information about a disc can b written on its edge, and this is usually the only part of a disc which i immediately visible. Consequently each disc is usually at least partial l removed from its box so that its label can be referred to and thi continues until the desired disc is located.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a storage uni which does not suffer this disadvantage but which can be used to store number of discs in a convenient fashion whi le al lowing ready access to an of them.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a storage unit comprising a housing having two substantially circular and paral lel wal ls, each wall being provided with mutually opposing radial slots, the walls being separated from one another by a distance corresponding to the width of discs to be stored in said unit and the slots being of a width corresponding to the thickness of said discs.

Preferably the walls are connected by a central pillar or tube and may be further supported by dividing wal ls disposed in certain of said mutual ly opposing slots and which define sectors around the housing.

Preferably the housing is oriented with the wal ls substantially horizontal and is rotatabfy mounted on a stand.

Thus discs can be inserted in the housing between said walls and be retained within pairs of said mutually opposing slots. If the slots are spaced apart from one another around the periphery of the housing, the labels on the discs can be viewed without moving the discs to establish which is required and subsequently the correct disc can be withdrawn by sliding it out along its pair of slots until clear of the housing. Preferably the lower wall has a lip around its circumference over which discs must be lifted before they can be withdrawn from the slots. This has the function of preventing the discs from being thrown out of the storage unit should it be spun on its stand rather vigourously by its user. The lip may be formed and be visible only in the slots themselves. Preferably the mouths of the slots are chamfered so that approximate accuracy is all that is required when inserting the discs in the slots as the chamfered sides of the slots guide the discs into place.

If more discs are required to be stored than can be accommodated by the aforementioned storage unit, then the invention further provides a multiple storage unit comprising a platform mounting three or more of said storage units, each of which is rotatably mounted on said platform which itself is rotatably mounted on a stand.

With either multiple or single storage units, a cover may be provided on which a computer screen or unit may be mounted. Said cover may be supported on a central pillar around which said housing, or in the case of the multiple unit, said platform, may rotate.

The horizontally disposed walls of the housing may be supported by said pi llar or tube in the form of a central tube which surrounds a concentric pillar, the pillar being non-rotatably mounted in the stand and passi through circular apertures formed in both walls of the housing, the pill serving to guide rotation of the housing around the pillar. The end of th pillar passing through the upper wall of the housing may be adapted receive either a knob by which the storage unit may be carried or th base of the pillar of a further storage unit of this construction, whereb several such storage units may be stacked one upon the other and i which each are preferably independently rotatable with respect to on another.

Preferably the pillar has a projecting screw threaded stud formed on eac end, the lower end being adapted to screw into and be fixed to a bas plate, while the upper end is adapted to be screwed into and fixed to a adaptor having a threaded through bore. Into the adaptor so fixed, ther may be screwed and fixed either said knob which is thus provided with threaded stud or the stud of the pillar projecting through the base plat of said further storage unit.

If the base plate is on the lowest storage unit, the base thereo preferably has cushion pads affixed thereto to support the unit on a wor surface. If, on the other hand, the plate is on a storage unit supported o a lower unit, then it preferably has low friction bearing material affixe to the base thereof in order to reduce friction between the plate and th upper wall of the lower unit should there be any contact between them The upper surface of each plate is in any event preferably provided wit such low friction bearing material to support the lower wal l of th housing.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the housing is rotatabl mounted in a containing structure with its wal ls substantially vertical, an in which event, means are provided to retain the discs within the housing Said means may comprise a part cylindrical wall underneath the housin against which the discs bear when the housing is rotated and when the are below the axis of the housing.

Alternatively, a flexible band may surround the housing and means may b provided to def lect the band to one side of the housing above its rotatio axis but retain the band between the walls of the housing when bene said axis. In this event, preferably two of said bands are provi defected to either side of said housing when above said axis.

Preferably, a cam arrangement is provided to displace discs vertic upwards when the housing is rotated so as to ease access to discs at top of the housing. Said arrangement may comprise an annular band w surrounds the axis of the housing and supports the discs when above axis. Said annular band may be mounted on a pin fixed in said struc above said rotation axis, so that, as the band passes over said pin rotation of the housing, the band, and the discs supported thereon, deflected upwards.

As with the horizontal units, it is also feasible to mount three or more said vertically arranged housings in a multiple unit, each single unit b rotatably mounted in a support structure which is itself mounted o stand and is rotatable about a horizontal axis. Alternatively each si unit could be mounted between guide rails or slots in a support struc and be slidable along said rails or slots. Preferably the rails or slots so-shaped that an accessible unit is at a corner so as to ease ac thereto.

The invention is further described hereinafter, by way of example o with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig 1 is a perspective view of a single storage unit in accordance with the present invention;

Fig 2 is a side view of a unit as shown in Fig 1 ;

Fig 3 is a section along the line Ill-Ill in Fig 2;

Fig 4 is partial section along slots in the upper and lower walls of the unit shown in Fig 2;

Fig 5 is a section through a modified stackable storage unit according to the present invention; Fig 6 is a schematic sectional illustration of a multiple unit according to the present invention; and

Fig 7 is a schematic sectional illustration of a different embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings, a disc storage unit according to the invention comprises housing 10 including upper and lower walls 12,14 separated by a cent pillar 16. The walls 12,14 are provided with mutually opposing radial sl

22,24, and are supported by a number of dividing webs 28 which divi the housing 10 into sectors 30. Although any convenient number of su webs is feasible, if four webs 28 are provided, then four sectors 30 a produced. In each sector, further slot pairs 22,24 constitute retaini means for magnetic discs 32, only one of which is shown in Fig 1. T width of the slots 22,24 and the separation between the walls 12,14 a dimensioned so as to receive and retain said discs; and consequentl different units 10 are provided to store different sized discs 32.

The angular separation of the slots 22,24 in the walls 12,14 a determined by two factors. Firstly by the necessity of ensuring there sufficient clearance between them towards the centre of the housing that when each slot contains a disc they do not interfere with o another at the centre; and secondly the desire to leave sufficie clearance at the periphery of the housing so that each disc label can viewed and discs taken without undue impedance from the other discs.

In respect of 5.25 inch discs and a central pi llar of about 1.25 inch ( mm) diameter, it is found that a convenient separation between slots 22, is 10°, which, with four dividing webs 28, leaves slots for 32 discs.

The housing 10 is rotatably mounted on a stand 40, which is provided wi non sl ip feet 42 and, if the material used requires it, low friction bearin 44 which support the lower wall 14 of the housing 10. An extension 46 the pillar 16 centralises the housing 10 on the stand 40.

It is feasible to provide the housing 10 with a cover (not shown) whi itself could support a computer screen and/or working unit. In this way the disk storage unit need not occupy any more valuable desk space than is occupied by the user's computer, but stil l provide easy and ready access to the user's floppy discs.

With specific reference to Fig 4, the slots 22,24 are provided at their ends, at the edges of the upper and lower walls 12,14 respectively, with a chamfered opening 23. The opening is chamfered both vertically and horϊzantal ly in a semi-trumpet like shape. This eases insertion of discs into the slots. However, in the lower slots 24 in the wal l 12 there is provided near the end of each slot a lip 25 over which a disc 32 must be lifted when it is inserted into the slots 22,24. This lip has the function of catching the bottom corner 33 of the disc so that should the unit be spun rather vigouously by the user, centripetal force does not throw the disc 32 out of the unit. The disc can easily be removed however simply by l ifting it slightly to clear the lip 25.

A modified embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig 5. Here, a unit 10' comprises a base plate 40' having a central threaded aperture into which is screwed a stud 70 formed on the end of a central pillar 15. The pi llar 15 passes through apertures 72,74 formed in the upper and lower walls 12', 14' respectively. The walls are supported on a tube 16' which is concentric with the pillar 15. The walls are also supported by webs 28'. The housing for the discs, formed by the walls 12', 14', the tube 16' and webs 28', is rotatable about the pillar 15 and is carried by low friction bearings disposed on the upper surface of the base plate 40'.

On a further stud 76 formed on the upper end of the pil lar 15 is secured an adaptor 78 having a threaded through bore 80. The stud 76 is arranged to be shorter than the bore 80, The adaptor 78 may be provided with flats to enable the application of a tool for tightening the adaptor.

A second unit 10", identical in most respects with the unit 10' (except in certain respects further explained below) is now stackable on the unit 10' by screwing the stud 70", which projects through the base plate 40" of the unit 10", into the top of the adaptor 78. The only difference between the two units 10', 10" is that the upper one has no support pads 42 as are provided on the lower one. Instead, low friction pads may be affixed here if occasional contact between the base plate 40" and upper wal l 12' is considered possible or likely.

The base plate 40" is provided with a slot 82" to enable the insertion of a tool for tightening and dismantling purposes.

On the adaptor 78" of the top unit 10" there is secured a knob 84 by means of which the unit as a whole may be carried or otherwise handled.

It will be apprececiated that any number of units can be stacked one upon the other, although in practice no more than three is anticipated. In the stacked unit, the central pillar and interconnecting adaptors and base plates form a continuous fixed support about which each housing can rotate independently of any other(s).

With reference to Fig 6, the invention provides another multiple unit 50 which comprises a base 52 on which is rotatably mounted four units 10 as described above with reference to Figs 1 to 3. The base 52 is itself rotatably mounted on a stand (not shown). Between each unit 10, in the quadrant left between them, there may be disposed further sectors 54 for containing further discs.

in Fig 7, an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in which the housing unit 10"' is rotatably mounted in a containing structure 60 with its rotation axis 62 horizontal. In this case the discs 32 carried in the housing 10'" must be supported when they pass below the axis 62 in order to prevent them from dropping out. This is easily achieved by providing a part cylindrical support surface 64 against which the discs slide as they pass over it. Alternatively bands (not shown) may be disposed around the circumference of the housing 10"' which prevent the discs below the rotation axis 62 from fall ing out. In order to prevent such bands preventing withdrawal of discs 32a, means may be provided in the structure 60 to deflect said bands and, if there are two of them, to def lect them to either side towards and beyond walls 12 and 14. The housing 10"' is rotatably mounted in the structure 60 about a circular opening 70 in the wall 12 of the housing. A central pillar 16'" is fixed in the structure 60 and about this is disposed a flexible sleeve 66 which passes over a pin 68 also fixed in said structure 60 above the axis 62. As the housing 10'" rotates, the sleeve 66 is constrained to pass over the pin 68 and, in so doing, lifts discs 32a as they pass above the pin. These discs are thus made even more visible and accessible. Moreover, in this format it fs feasible to more densely pack the discs so that more than thirty-two of them can be stored in a single unit 60.

As for the multiple unit of Fig 6, a multiple, horizontal axis unit could also be provided to mount several of said containing structures 60. Each would be rotatably mounted in a support structure (not shown) so that each unit 60 retained the orientation shown in Fig 7 as the support structure itself was rotated about a horizontal axis in a carrying support (not shown).

Although the present description refers mainly to floppy discs it is envisaged that other types of information storage discs could be stored in the storage unit described herein.

Moreover while the invention has been described with reference to specific elements and combinations of elements, it is envisaged that each element may be combined with any other or any combination of other elements. It is not intended to limit the invention to the particular combinations of elements suggested. Furthermore, the foregoing description is not intended to suggest that any element mentioned is indispensable to the invention, or that alternatives may not be employed. What is defined as the invention should not be construed as limiting the extent of the disclosure of this specification.

Claims

1. A storage unit (10) for magnetic media discs (32), comprising a housing having two substantially circular and parallel walls (12,14), characterised in that each wall is provided with mutually opposing radial slots (22,24), the walls being separated from one another by a distance corresponding to the width of discs to be stored in said unit and the slots being of a width corresponding to the thickness of said discs.

2. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the walls are connected by a central pillar or tube (16).

3. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the walls are supported by dividing webs (28) disposed in certain of said mutually opposing slots and which define sectors (30) around the housing.

4. A storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the housing is oriented with the walls substantially horizontal (Figs 1 to 6) and is rotatably mounted on a base plate (40).

5. A storage unit as claimed in claims 2 and 4 characterised in that the horizantally disposed walls (12', 14') of the housing are supported by said pil lar or tube in the form of a central tube (16') which surrounds a concentric pil lar (15), the pil lar being non-rotatably mounted in the base (40') and passing through circular apertures

(72,74) formed in both walls of the housing, the pillar serving to guide rotation of the housing around the pillar.

6. A storage unit as claimed in clai m 5 characterised in that the end of the pi l lar passing through the upper wall of the housing is adapted to receive either a knob (84), by which the storage unit may be carried, or the base of the pillar (15") of a further storage unit (10") of this construction, whereby several such storage units (10', 10") are stackable, one upon the other.

7. A storage unit as claimed in claim 6 characterised in that each housing unit is independently rotatable with respect to the other housing units.

8. A storage unit as claimed in clai m 5, 6 or 7 characterised in that the pillar has a projecting screw threaded stud formed on each end, the lower end being adapted to screw into and be fixed to the base plate, while the upper end is adapted to be screwed into and fixed to an adaptor having a threaded through bore.

9. A storage unit as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that either said knob, which is thus provided with a threaded stud, or the stud of the pillar projecting through the base plate of said further storage unit is screwed and fixed into the adaptor.

10. A storage unit as claimed in any of claims 5 to 9 character¬ ised in that the base plate on the lowest storage unit has cushion pads affixed to the base thereof to support the unit on a work surface.

1 1. A storage unit as claimed in any of claims 5 to 10 character¬ ised in that the base plate (40") on a storage unit (10") supported on a lower unit (10') has low friction bearing material affixed to the base thereof in order to reduce friction between the plate (40") and the upper wall (12') of the lower unit should there be any contact between them.

12. A storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the upper surface of each base plate (40', 40") is provided with low friction bearing material (44',44") to support the lower wall (14', 14") of the housing.

13. A multiple storage unit characterised in that it comprises a platform (52) mounting three or more of the storage units as claimed in any preceding claim in which each unit is rotatably mounted on said platform which itself is rotatably mounted on a stand.

14. A storage unit as claimed in any of claims 4 to 13 character¬ ised in that the lower wall (14) has a lip (25) around its circumference over which discs (32) must be lifted before they can be inserted between and withdrawn from the slots (22,24).

15. A storage unit as claimed in claim 14 characterised in that the lip is formed in the slots themselves.

16. A storage unit as claimed in claim 14 or 15 characterised in that the mouths (23) of the slots are chamfered.

17. A storage unit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 character- ised in that the housing is rotatably mounted in a containing structure (60) with its wal ls substantial ly vertical, means being provided to retain the discs within the housing.

18. A storage unit as claimed in claim 17 characterised in that said means comprises a part cylindrical wall (64) underneath the housing against which the discs (32) bear when the housing is rotated and when they are below the axis (62) of the housing.

19. A storage unit as claimed in claim 17 characterised in that said means comprises a flexible band surrounding the housing with means being provided to deflect the band to one side of the housing above its rotation axis but retain the band between the wal ls of the housing when beneath said axis.

20. A storage unit as claimed in claim 19 characterised in that two of said bands are provided, def lected to either side of said housing when above said axis.

21 . A storage unit as claimed in any of claims 17 to 19 character- ised in that a cam arrangement is provided to displace discs vertical ly upwards when the housing is rotated so as to ease access to discs at the top of the housing.

22. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21 characterised In that said cam arrangement comprises an annular band (66) surrounding the axis (62) of the housing and which supports the discs when above said axis, said band being mounted on a pin (68) fixed in said structure

(60) above said rotation axis, so that as the band passes over said pin on rotation of the housing, the band, and the discs supported thereon, are deflected upwards.

23. A multiple storage unit characterised in that it comprises three or more of the storage units as claimed in any of claims 17 to 22 in which each single unit is rotatably mounted in a support structure which is itself mounted on a stand and is rotatable about a horizontal axis.