WO1999048347A2

WO1999048347A2 - Vertical media storage system

Info

Publication number: WO1999048347A2
Application number: PCT/US1998/006032
Authority: WO
Inventors: David W. Kupferschmid
Original assignee: Kupferschmid David W
Priority date: 1998-03-26
Filing date: 1998-03-26
Publication date: 1999-09-30
Also published as: WO1999048347A3

Abstract

A storage unit (10) is disclosed having oppositely facing storage panels (20) each with a recess or track (24) along the length of each side wall and at least one carrier (26) for a CD, each carrier having a retractable protuberance (30) on sides (27) thereof such that when a carrier is positioned between the panels of the unit each protuberance is received in the recess of panel when the carrier is fully inserted into the storage unit.

Description

VERTICAL MEDIA STORAGE SYSTEM

This invention relates to a system for storing vertically stacked units, such as, for example, compact discs (CD) and digital versatile discs (DVD) , wherein a pre-determined positional placement of an added unit(s) within the stacked units is facilitated.

While reference is made hereafter to CD's in explaining and illustrating the invention, it should be understood that the invention is applicable to storage systems of vertically stacked media generally wherein the media is stored in a carrier which is positioned in the vertical stack of the storage system.

Background Of The Invention

Currently, the most popular storage system for CD's relies on fixed tracks or slots in which the CD's, within their respective cases, are inserted into a fixed track unit or slot and removed from the track for use.

In a CD storage system wherein a system of organization such as alphabetizing or grouping is to be maintained, the prior art unitary track or slot system creates a problem when additional CD's are sought to be added to the system. In order to create an open track or slot at a particular position in the vertical stack, each and every CD above or below the track or slot to be voided for insertion of the additional CD must be moved one track or slot, up or down. Such a syste -is inconvenient and time consuming and tends to direct the person storing the CD's away from an organized storage system.

A further problem is that some CD's come in a double CD case which requires the physical space of two tracks or slots without any partition between them. In this situation, it is impossible to store a double CD case in a storage system unless the system provides a double space track. Where a double space track is provided, its location is fixed, thus, not permitting a system of organization. Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are the ease in which a specific track or slot may be made available for an additional CD, assuming, of course, that the storage system is not at full capacity. There is no need to remove each CD as required by a fixed track/slot system, blocks of CD's being moved up or down without need for removal of each and every CD as in the prior art.

Another object and advantage is the ability to insert different size CD cases anywhere within the storage unit.

This allows double CD cases to be stored anywhere in the storage unit by simply removing two single storage carriers and replacing them with a single double carrier.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

Summary Of The Invention

In its broadest aspect, the invention comprises a storage system having oppositely facing storage panels each with a recess or track along its length and a carrier for the units to be stored having on each side thereof a retractable protuberance which is positioned on the carrier so as to be received in the recess of each panel when the carrier is fully inserted into the storage system.

In a particular embodiment of the carrier of this invention, the carrier is a three-sided member, rectangular in shape, and having two side members joined to a back member and having an open end for receiving the media unit to be stored; each side wall of the carrier having a protuberance positioned so as to be received in the recess of each oppositely faced panel, the joinder of each side wall with the back wall being sufficiently flexible to permit clearing the protuberance from the respective panel recesses when the side walls are flexed toward each other.

In a further embodiment of the panels and the carrier, the recess of each panel has a series of scallop-shaped undulations along its length and the protuberances on the carrier are shaped to have the most extended portion of the protuberance received within the deepest portion of the scallop-shaped undulation on the oppositely facing panels. The advantages of this embodiment will be explained hereafter.

In The Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a CD stand having an embodiment of the panels and carrier of this invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a first embodiment of a single carrier of this invention disposed within a segment of the recess or track of the panels of this invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a single carrier of this invention partially withdrawn from the panel of this invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a storage unit showing an embodiment of a panel of this invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view of an embodiment of a carrier of this invention. Figure 6 is a front view of the carrier of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side view of the carrier of Figure 5. Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of a further embodiment of the panel of this invention.

Figure 9 is a partial plan view of a further embodiment of the carrier of this invention.

Figure 10 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional front view of the carrier of Figure 9.

Detailed Description Of The Invention In Figure 1, the storage unit, generally designated as

10, comprises a stand 12 having top, bottom, back (not shown) and side walls, 14, 16, 18 and 20, respectively. Best shown in Figure 4, mounted on opposing side walls 20 of the stand 12 are panels 22, which panels 22 have a centrally disposed recess 24 transversing the length of the panel 22. Stacked within the stand 12 is a plurality of carriers 26; each carrier (best shown in Figures 5-7) being configured to receive a CD in its opening 33. A protuberance 30 is disposed on each side wall 27 of the carrier 26 that is sized to fit within the recess 24 in each of the panels 22; the protuberance 30 functioning to foreclose the removal of the carrier 26 from the panels 22 when the protuberance 30 is positioned within the recess 24 of the panels 22.

In Figure 2, an embodiment of the carrier 26 is shown fully inserted into the panels 22 with the protuberances 30 positioned within the recess 24 of each of panels 22. Not shown in Figure 2 are a plurality of vertically stacked carriers beneath the carrier 26.

In Figure 3, the carrier 26 is shown partially removed from the panels 22. This is accomplished by the inward flexure of the side walls 27 of the carrier 26 so as to deliver the protuberance 30 in each side wall 27 of the carrier 26 out of registry with the recess 24 in each of the panels 22. The carrier may be fully removed from the panels by forwardly pulling the carrier from the stand while the carrier is in a flexed position.

In Figure 4, the stand 12 comprises a top wall 14, a bottom wall 16, back wall 18 and two oppositely facing side walls 20. Disposed on each side wall 20 is a panel 22, the panel on the right side wall being shown in phantom by dotted lines. Each panel 22 extends the full height of the side wall 20 and comprises raised portions 23 defining a recess 24, which recess functions as a track for the carrier (not shown) to move in an up or down direction along the panels 22.

It should be understood that the panel of this invention need not be used with the stand 12 shown in Figure 4 but the panels 22 could be affixed to any parallel and spaced surfaces and, together with the carrier of this invention, function as a storage system that facilitates the organized placement of the carriers of this invention. In Figure 5 is shown an embodiment of a carrier of this invention. The carrier, generally designated as 26, has flexible side walls 27 terminating in a rear wall 29; the side walls 27 and rear wall 29 having upper and lower extensions 31 and 32 (see Figure 6) , respectively, disposed normal to the side and back walls, which side wall and its extensions and the back wall and its extensions define a channel 33, the channel 33 serving to isolate and support a CD inserted therein. Each of the side walls 27 has a protuberance 30 disposed approximately mid-way along the length of the side wall that is sized so as to be received in the recess 24 of the panels 22. Additionally, the forward portion 34 of the side walls 27 extends beyond the front edge of the panels 22 and terminates in a gripping surface 35, which may be gripped to inwardly flex the side walls of the carrier 26. Further, the outwardly extending portion 35 provides a means for grabbing the carrier, squeezing the side walls of the carrier toward each other to de-register the protuberances on the side wall of the carrier from the recess in each of the panels and thereby facilitate removal of the carrier from the panels. In using the panels/carrier of this invention to selectively place a CD at a predetermined position in a vertical stack of CD's, the following steps are taken: 1) an empty carrier, that is, a carrier without an encased CD, is removed from the panel, such removal causing all carriers above the removed carrier to fall one position;

2) the fore retention means of the carrier positioned at the site where a new carrier/CD is desired is elevated sufficiently to create an opening in the stack to receive the new carrier/CD;

3) the new carrier/CD is then inserted in the vertical stack at the opening. Thus, it is seen that the storage system of this invention allows for the organizational placement of CD's by the removal of a single carrier.

Figures 8-10 show a second embodiment of the panels/carrier of this invention wherein one or more carriers may be removed from the panel without having the carriers above the removed carrier (s) drop.

In Figure 8, the panel 22 has a recess 24 wherein the bottom 50 of the recess comprises a series of scallop-shaped undulations 52, the distance between the points of furthest radially inward projection of successive scallop-shaped undulations being set so as to receive in a mating relation semi-circular shaped protuberances 62 positioned on the side walls of each carrier. Figure 10 best shows the shape of the protuberances 62. In using the embodiment of Figures 8 and 9, the mating of the surfaces of the recess of the panels and the protuberances on the carrier will provide a sufficient interlock force such that removal of a carrier from the vertical stack will not result in the collapse of the stack above the removed carrier; yet the interlocking force is sufficiently weak to allow for collapsing the vertical stack upon the application of a manual force. To positionally insert a carrier (for ultimate acceptance of a CD) in a system having the panels/carrier embodiment of Figures 8 and 9, the following steps are taken:

1. Assuming a full stack of CD's totalling twenty (20) in number wherein the user wishes to dispose a new carrier in the fifth position from the top and wherein there is an empty carrier (no CD) in the tenth position from the top;

2. Remove the empty carrier from the tenth position;

3. Exert a downward force on the carrier in the fifth position;

4. The downward force will cause the carriers in the fifth through ninth position to move one position downward creating an opening in the fifth position for insertion of the empty carrier. After positioning the empty carrier, insert the CD.

5. Conversely, if the empty carrier is positioned above the position where it is desired to insert a carrier, the empty carrier is removed, the carriers at and above the position wherein the carrier is sought to be placed are moved upwardly and the carrier is inserted in the desired position created by the upwardly moved carriers. Having the benefit of the disclosure herein, it will be obvious that multiple carriers, e.g., a double carrier, may be accommodated in the storage system of this invention by the initial removal of the double carrier and following the steps outlined above for both embodiments of the carriers of this invention. The carriers of this invention may be made of any material having the inherent property of being flexible, e.g., plastic or metal alloys. The stand, including the panels, may be manufactured from wood, metal alloy or plastic materials. Many possible embodiments may be made without departing from the scope hereof; it is to be understood that all description herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

I claim:

1. A storage system comprising two panels, each having a recess extending along its length and a plurality of carriers having opposing side walls and a rear wall to provide a cavity for holding a unit to be stored ; opposing side walls of the carrier each having a retractable protuberance positioned so as to be received within the respective recesses of the panels upon insertion of the carrier into the panels;

2. The storage system of claim 1 and further wherein the side walls of the carrier are sufficiently flexible such that advancing the side walls toward each other will effect a de-registry of the protuberances and the recess of the panels and permit the removal of the carrier.

3. The storage system of claim 2 and further wherein the recess in the panels is disposed substantially centrally along the width of the panel and the protuberances on the side walls of the carrier are disposed so as to be received within the recess of each panel.

4. The storage system of claim 3 and further wherein the forward portion of the side walls of the carrier has outwardly extending projections which serve as gripping sites for inwardly-flexing the side walls of the carrier.

5. The storage system of claim 1 and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.

6. The storage system of claim 2 and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.

7. The storage system of claim 3 and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.

8. The storage system of claim 4 and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.

9. The storage system of claims 5-8, and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is a series of scallop-shaped undulations, the distance between the points of the furthest radially inward projection of successive undulations constituting a panel segment for receiving a carrier, the protuberances on each side wall of each carrier being shaped to mate with a segment in the bottom surface of each recess.

10. A storage system assemblage comprising two opposingly faced panels having a facing recess in each panel extending along the length of the panel and a plurality of carriers each having opposing side walls and a rear wall to provide a cavity for holding a unit to be stored, said plurality of carriers being disposed in stacked relation on the panels; the side walls of each carrier having a retractable protuberance positioned within the recess of each panel .

11. The storage system assemblage of claim 10, and further wherein the side walls of the carrier are sufficiently flexible such that advancing the side walls toward each other will effect a de-registry of the protuberances and the recess of the panels and permit the removal of the carrier.

12. The storage system assemblage of claim 10, and further wherein the recess in the panels is disposed substantially centrally along the width of the panel and the protuberances on the side walls of the carrier are disposed so as to be received within the recess of each panel .

13. The storage system assemblage of claim 10, and further wherein the forward portion of the side walls of the carrier has outwardly extending projections which serve as gripping sites for inwardly- flexing the side walls of the carrier.

14. The storage system assemblage of claim 10, and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.

15. The storage system assemblage of claim 11, and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.

16. The storage system assemblage of claim 12, and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.

17. The storage system assemblage of claim 13, and further wherein the bottom surface of each recess is shaped to receive a mating surface on the protuberances of the side walls of the carrier so as to stabilize the carrier against gravitational descent upon removal of a lower disposed carrier.