WO2006082375A1

WO2006082375A1 - Holders for storage media

Info

Publication number: WO2006082375A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/000288
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fariborz Eghtedari
Original assignee: Fariborz Eghtedari
Priority date: 2005-02-04
Filing date: 2006-01-27
Publication date: 2006-08-10
Also published as: GB2422947B; GB0502307D0; GB2422947A

Abstract

The present invention provides a holder for storage media such as compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs). The holder includes a housing part (2) including a base part from which a pair of fingers extend. Each finger has at least one slot for receiving an outer edge part of the storage media. The holder also includes a lid part (6) pivotally secured to the two fingers of the housing part (2) and a casing part (4) that slidably receives the housing part.

Description

TΓΓLE

Holders for storage media

DESCRIPTION Technical Field

The present invention relates to a holder for holding storage media such as compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), CD-ROMs and the like. The present invention particularly relates to a holder that includes an ejectable holding mechanism and which can be releasably attached to other holders to form a stackable system.

Background Art

Holders for gripping and holding a CD, DVD or CD-ROM inside a case are known. The traditional holder is of a hinged type and is particularly susceptible to being damaged through normal wear and tear. Holders that use an ejectable holding mechanism are known and these have the advantage that the holders themselves may be attached together such that they occupy less space than traditional hinged-type holders. The idea of attaching holders together is also known but it has not been implemented in a practical manner. For example, difficulties can arise if the outer shape of the holder is altered to enable the holders to be attached together because this can prevent the holder from being stored in a conventional storage rack.

Summary of the Invention

The above problems are addressed by the present invention, which provides a holder for storage media such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), CD-ROMs etc., the holder comprising a housing part including a base part from which a pair of fingers extend, each finger having at least one slot for receiving an outer edge part of the storage media; a lid part pivotally secured to the two fingers of the housing part; and a casing part slidably receiving the housing part.

The base part preferably includes a slot for receiving an outer edge part of the storage media. The holder preferably further comprising spring means for biasing the housing part out of the casing part, optionally when the housing part (or the lid part that is pivotally attached to the housing part) is released from the casing part. The holder may also further comprise spring means for biasing the lid part out of the casing part. The housing part may include at least one spring means as an integral part of the housing part to bias the housing part out of the casing part. The casing part may also include at least one spring means as an integral part of the casing part to bias the housing part or the lid part out of the casing part. The lid part may also include at least one spring means as an integral part of the Kd part to bias the lid part out of the casing part.

Each of the fingers of the housing part preferably include at least one sloping surface at an inner side wall for supporting the storage media. More particularly, the inner side wall of each finger is preferably sloping and adapted to guide an outer edge part of the storage media into the at least one slot.

The inner side wall of each finger may include a recess to facilitate the placement of the storage media between the fingers of the housing part.

The holder preferably includes a first releasable locking mechanism to releasably secure the housing part within the casing part. The first releasable locking mechanism can be formed on the housing part and interacts with the casing part to releasably secure the housing part within the casing part. However, the first releasable locking mechanism can also be formed on the casing part and interacts with the housing part to releasably secure the housing part within the casing part. The first releasable locking mechanism is preferably spring loaded or adapted to have a size and shape that provides an inherent resilient spring action.

At least one of the fingers of the housing part can include a protrusion that is received in an aperture or recess provided in the casing part to releasably secure the housing part within the casing part. Alternatively, the casing part can include a protrusion that is received in an aperture or recess provided in at least one of the fingers of the housing part to releasably secure the housing part within the casing part.

The casing part can include at least one aperture or recess through which at least one of the fingers of the housing part is accessed to enable the at least one of the fingers to be displaced and to release the first releasable locking mechanism securing the housing part within the casing part. The holder preferably further includes a limiting mechanism to limit the sliding movement of the housing part within the casing part. The housing part and the casing part may include recesses and corresponding protrusions that interact to form the limiting mechanism.

The lid part preferably includes one or more protrusions on an inner side such that when the lid part is in a closed position, the protrusions limit the movement of the storage media within the lid part and the housing part.

The lid part preferably include one or more releasable edge locking mechanisms that interact with an outer edge part of the storage media to releasably secure the storage media within the housing part and the lid part. The releasable edge locking mechanisms can be spring loaded or adapted to,have a size and shape that provides an inherent resilient spring action.

The holder preferably further includes a second releasable locking mechanism to releasably secure the lid part within the casing part. The second releasable locking mechanism can be formed on the lid part and interacts with the casing part to releasably secure the lid part within the casing part. Alternatively, the second releasable locking mechanism can be formed on the casing part and interacts with the lid part to releasably secure the lid part within the casing part. The second releasable locking mechanism can be spring loaded or adapted to have a size and shape that provides an inherent resilient spring action.

The second releasable locking mechanism can include a tongue part, at least one link part and an interface part, wherein the tongue part engages with an aperture or recess in the casing part to releasably secure the lid part to the casing part, the at least one link part being a resilient extension attached at one end to the lid part to allow the tongue part to be displaced relative to the lid part when a biasing force is applied to the interface part.

The lid part can be adapted to move relative to the housing part in the direction of its pivot axis. In this case, the holder may further include at least one spring means for biasing the lid part to one side relative to the housing part. The at least one spring means may bias the lid part out of the casing part when the lid part is moved relative to the housing part in the direction of its pivot axis. The at least one spring means can be an integral part of the casing part or alternatively an integral part of the lid part. - A -

The casing part preferably includes one or more recesses or apertures to allow access to the second releasable locking mechanism.

The lid part may include a recess to provide a clearance for a finger of a user when inserting or removing the storage media.

The housing part is preferably resilient and the fingers are biased inwardly when the housing part is slidabiy received in the casing part such that an outer edge part of the storage media positioned between the fingers is received in the slot provided in each finger.

The first releasable locking mechanism for releasably securing the housing part within the casing part can be adapted to engage and release in response to alternate push and release movements of the housing part relative to the casing part. Alternatively, the second releasable locking mechanism for releasably securing the Kd part within the casing part can be adapted to engage and release in response to alternate push and release movements of the lid part relative to the casing part.

The respective casing part of each holder preferably includes one or more sockets which may be used with corresponding plugs to releasably secure and connect the casing part of one holder to the casing part of an adjacent holder, wherein the socket and plug are shaped such that the plug may be stored in the socket in the respective casing part when not in use in such a way that the plug does not protrude beyond the surface of the respective casing part. This allows the holders to be secured together to form a stackable system. However, the holders can also be placed in a conventional storage rack.

The one or more sockets in the respective casing parts of each holder are preferably sized and shaped such that the plug can be inserted into a second socket formed when two holders are placed on top of each other to releasably secure the casing parts of the two holders together.

Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder for a storage media according to a first embodiment of the present invention having a casing part, a housing part and a lid part; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the housing part of the holder of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a first alternative housing part that includes means for holding printed material;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second alternative housing part that incorporates a locking mechanism; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the casing part of the holder of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lid part of the holder of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a first alternative Kd part;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a second: alternative Kd part that includes a recess;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a third alternative lid part that includes layers of shaped resilient material;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of fourth alternative lid part;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of an alternative lid and housing part;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of fifth alternative lid part;

Figure 13 is a plan view of a holder for a storage media according to a second embodiment of the present invention having a casing part, a housing part and a Hd part;

Figure 14 is a plan view of a holder for a storage media according to a third embodiment of the present invention having a casing part, a housing part and a Hd part;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a holder for a storage media according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention having a casing part, a housing part and a Hd part and where the housing part is partially removed from the casing part;

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the casing part of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of the housing part of Figure 15;

Figure 18 is a plan, side and rear elevation view of a holder for storage media incorporating sockets and plugs that are used to releasaMy attach the holder to an identical adjacent holder; and

Figure 19 is a detailed view of the socket and plugs of the holder of Figure 18.

Figure 1 shows a holder for a storage media such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD) or CD-ROM, for example. The holder includes a housing part 2, a casing part 4 and a lid part 6. Spring parts 8 are located between the housing part 2 and a rear surface 10 of the casing part 4 and are compressed when the housing part 2 is received within the casing part 4. The Kd part 6 is pivotally mounted to the housing part 2 as described in more detail below. The housing part 2 is sKdably received within the open end of the casing part 4 such that it is biased out of the casing part by the spring parts 8. The housing part 2, casing part 4 and lid part 6 can all be made of a suitable plastics material such as polypropylene and polystyrene.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the Hd part 6 is pivotally attached to the housing part 2 by a pair of protrusions 12 and 14 that are formed on an outer part of the Kd part and which are received in apertures or holes 16 and 18 formed in arms 20 and 22 of the housing part. The facing surfaces of the arms 20 and 22 are provided with grooved guide tracks 24 and 26. The storage media can be inserted into the housing part such that its outer edge parts are received in the guide tracks 24 and 26. A curved rear part 28 of the housing part 2 connects the two arms 20 and 22 together and also includes a grooved guide track 30 that is a complimentary shape to the periphery of the storage media. When the storage media is properly inserted into the housing part 2, an outer edge part will also be received in the curved guide track 30 formed in the rear part 28. The facing surfaces of the arms 20 and 22 leading up to the guide tracks 24 and 26 are preferably sloped at an angle so that there is no direct contact between the sloping parts of the arms and the storage media. The ends of the guide tracks 24 and 26 that first receive the outer edge parts of the storage media (that is the end of each guide track at the free end of the arms 20 and 22) may be wider than the rest of the guide track and slope inwardly to facilitate easy insertion of the storage media into the housing part 2.

Although not shown, it will be readily appreciated that more than one guide track can be provided in each of the arms 20 and 22 to enable the holder to accommodate more than one storage media.

The rear part 28 of the housing part 2 includes a pair of recesses 32 and 34 that are sized and shaped to accommodate corresponding protrusions 36 and 38 (Figure 5) provided on a surface of the casing part 4. The recesses 32 and 34 facilitate the initial insertion of the housing part 2 into the casing part 4. Subsequently, the protrusions 36 and 38 engage with the housing part 2 to prevent it from being completely removed from the casing part 4. In other words, the protrusions 36 and 38 limit the relative movement between the housing part 2 and the casing part 4 after the holder has been assembled together and is in use.

Figure 3 shows an alternative housing part 2 where recesses 40 and 42 are formed in the upper surfaces of the arms 20 and 22 for receiving printed material such as booklets, leaflets, instructions that might accompany the storage media. The recesses may extend into the rear part 28 of the housing part as shown. Grooves or recesses 44 can be provided on the arms 20 and 22 and the rear part 28 to retain the printed material in position.

As shown in Figure 4, the housing part 2 may incorporate a resilient locking mechanism 46. The locking mechanism 46 can be used to releasably secure the housing part 2 within the casing part 4 and includes a protrusion 48 that engages with a recess or aperture (not shown) located on the casing part. The size and shape of the locking mechanism 46 is preferably selected so that it has an inherent resilient spring action. The locking mechanism 46 can be pushed inwards away from the side of the casing part 4 through a cut away region (not shown) located on that side to release the protrusion 48 from the recess or aperture.

The casing part 4 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5. The protrusions 36 and 38 that limit the relative movement between the casing part 4 and the housing part 2 are formed on a first surface €2 of the casing part (that is on the inner face of the lower surface as shown in Figure 5). However, in a different embodiment that is not shown, the protrusions can be formed on the side walls 52 and 54 of the casing part 4 and the recesses in the housing part 2 would then be formed at complimentary positions and extend along the outer side surfaces of the arms 20 and 22. Additional protrusions 56 and 58 are also be provided on the second surface 50 (that is the upper surface as shown in Figure 5) of the casing part 4 and are used to hold cover sheets or printed material inside the casing part. In some cases, the protrusions 36 and 38 can also be used for this purpose.

Sockets 60 are provided on an outer surface of the casing part 4. These are used to attach the holder to an identical adjacent holder using plugs. This is explained in more detail below.

The first surface 62 of the casing part 4 has a recess 64 that allows access to a locking mechanism provided on the lid part 6. The lid part 6 may be releasably secured to the casing part 4 by means of an aperture 66 formed on a second surface 50 of the casing part This will now be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 6. The lid part 6 includes a pair of protrusions 12 and 14 that are received in the holes 16 and 18 in the arms 20 and 22 of the housing part 2 to pivotally secure the two parts together. A centrally located locking part* 68 is connected to one end of the lid part 6 by means of a link part 70. The link part 70 lies in a shaped recess in the lid part 6 and is secured to the Hd part at one end. The size and shape of the whole locking mechanism is selected so that it has an Inherent resilient spring action. - S -

The locking part 68 is used to releasably secure the lid part 6 and the attached housing part 2 to the casing part 4 by engaging a tongue part 72 formed on an end of the link part 70 with the aperture 66 provided in the second surface 50 of the casing part 4. To release the tongue part 72 and disengage it from the aperture 66 a laterally-extending interface part 74 of the locking part 68 is pushed away from the recess; access to the interface part 74 being provided by the recess 64 in the first surface 62. The housing part 2 is preferably spring loaded within the casing part 4 such that it is made to slide out of the casing part to allow easy removal or insertion of a storage media once the lid part 6 (and hence the housing part) has been released from the casing part.

The lid part 6 may also include an edge locking mechanism to releasably secure the storage media within,the housing part 2. An example of a suitable edge locking mechanism is shown in Figure 6. Two edge locking parts 76 and 78 are formed at opposite edges 80 and 82 of the lid part 6 and are attached to opposite parts 81 and 83 of the end wall 85 of the Hd part 6. The edge locking parts 76 and 78 are sized and shaped to have an inherent resilient spring action such that when the Kd part 6 is in its closed position they engage the outer edge parts of the storage media and retain it in place within the guide tracks 24, 26 and 30. When the lid part 6 is in its open position, the edge locking parts 76 and 78 disengage from the outer edge parts of the storage media to allow it to be removed from the housing part 2 or allow a storage media to be inserted into the housing part.

An alternative edge locking mechanism is shown in Figure 7. In this case, a pair of edge locking parts 84 and 86 are attached at one end to the lid part 6 spaced apart from the opposite edges 80 and 82. They are sized and shaped to have resilient movement in a direction that is perpendicular to surface of the Kd part to which they are attached. Apertures 88 and 90 are formed in the lid part 6 to receive the edge locking parts 84 and 86 if they are pushed towards the surface. When the Hd part 6 is in its closed position, the free ends of the edge locking parts 84 and 86 engage the outer edge parts of the storage media and retain it in place within the guide tracks 24, 26 and 30.

An alternative Hd part 6 shown in Figure 8 includes a recess 92. When the lid part 6 is in -the open position it will hang substantially at right angles to the casing part. Once the housing part 2 has been slidably ejected from the casing part, the storage media stored in the guide tracks 24, 26 and 30 will be freely accessible. A user may therefore insert Ms or her finger into the hole in the centre of the storage media from above such that their finger end protrudes below the storage media. If the lid part δ does not include the recess 92 then, as the storage media is withdrawn from the housing part 2, it is possible that the upper edge of the Hd part will cause an obstruction to the protruding end of the useήs finger. However, with the addition of the shaped recess 92, the protruding end of the user's finger can pass straight through the recess without any problem and the storage media is more easily removed. This is also true if a storage media is inserted into the housing part 2 in the same way If the recess 92 is included then the centrally-located locking part 68 is attached to the Kd part by a pair of spaced apart link parts 94 on either side of the recess 92.

Figure 9 shows a further alternative lid part 6 with shaped layers 96 of resilient material provided between an inner surface and the upstanding wall 9SL As the Hd part 6 moves towards its closed position, the shaped layers come into contact with the outer edge parts of the storage media and push the storage media along inside the guide tracks 24, 26 and 30 until it cannot be displaced any further. Further movement of the lid part 6 then pushes the storage media into the resilient material which is temporarily deformed to exert a retaining force on the storage media to retain it in position. The shaped layers of resilient material can also be placed on other areas of the lid part 6 where they will come into contact with an edge part of the storage media as the lid part moves towards its closed position.

A yet further alternative lid part 6 is shown in Figure 10. The lid part 6 includes protrusions 100 and 102 that limit the movement of the storage media within the housing part 2 and the Hd part when the lid part is in its closed position. The lid part 6 also includes protrusions 104 and 106 that are used to pivotally attach the Kd part to the housing part 2. The protrusions 104 and 106 are formed in two parts with a cut or channel between them. This provides the protrusions 104 and 106 with some resilience and flexibility so that they can be inserted into the housing part 2 by simply pushing them into place.

Figure 11 shows how the lid part of Figure 10 is attached to a housing part 2. The housing part 2 includes a recess 108 that runs along the inside wall of the arms 110 and 112 and the rear part 114 and is for receiving printed material. The casing part (not shown in Figure i 1) can be manufactured as a single piece or in several pieces that are joined together in a manufacturing process. One option is to include push-fit or latchable joints around the edges of the individual parts of the casing part. Another option is to weld the edges. In this case, some protrusions might be formed along the edges inside the casing part. The housing part 2 shown in Figure 11 therefore includes recesses 116 and 118 to avoid interference caused by these protrusions.

Figure 12 shows an alternative lid part 6 with a locking part 120 that is sized and shaped to have inherent resilient spring action. The locking part 120 is used to releasably secure the lid part 6 within the casing part 4 when the protrusion 122 on the locking part 120 is engaged with an aperture, cutting or recess on the casing part.

Figure 13 shows a different holder for a storage media having a housing part 202, a casing part 204 and a Hd part 206. As shown in Figure 13, the housing part 202 is positioned within the casing part 204 and spring parts 208 are compressed and under load. The spring parts 208 may be an integral part of the housing part 202 or the casing part 204. However, they may also be separately formed. The lid part 206 is pivotally joined to the housing part 202. The hinges joining the lid part 206 and the housing part 202 together are such that the lid part may also move transversely relative to the housing part as represented by the dashed arrows. A spring 210 biases the lid part 206 to a dosed position. The spring 210 may be an integral part of the lid part 206. Pushing the Hd part 206 and the housing part 202 into the casing part 204 over locking parts 212 and 214 provided on the casing part causes the locking parts to be temporarily displaced. Once the Hd part 206 and housing part 202 are located within the casing part 204, the locking parts 212 and 214 are used to releasably secure them in place. The locking parts 212 and 214 are sized and shaped to have an inherent resilient spring action. Additional springs 216 and 218 bias the lid part 206 to a closed position. A protrusion 220 on the Kd part 206 may be used to transversely move the Kd part relative to the casing part 204. Moving the Kd part 206 transversely causes the springs 216 and 218 to exert forces in two main directions. The first is in a direction opposite to the transverse direction of movement of the Hd part 206. The second is in a direction necessary to bias the Hd part 206 out of the casing part 202. When a cutting or recess 222 in the Hd part 206 is aligned with the locking part 214, it will be appreciated that the locking parts 212 and 214 are no longer in contact with the Hd part 206. At this stage, provided the transverse displacement of the Hd part 206 relative to the casing part 204 is maintained, the springs 216 and 218 will push the Hd part out of the casing part. Figαre 14 shows a holder that is generally similar to the holder of Figure 13 and like parts have been given the same reference numerals. In this case, locking parts 224 and 226 are used in place of the locking parts 212 and 214 and they engage protrusions provided on the lid part 206 to releasably secure the lid part within the casing part 204. The locking parts 224 and 226 may have an inherent resilient spring action and are disengaged from the lid part 206 when the lid part is moved transversely relative to the casing part 204 as represented by the dashed arrows.

Figures 15 to 17 show a different holder where a lid part 306 is pivotally attached to a housing part 302. The housing part 302 is slidaMy received within a casing part 304. The casing part 304 includes two pairs of oppositely facing guide tracks 308, 310, 312 and 314 for limiting .the movement of the housing part 302 within the casing part. Other embodiments may have just two guide tracks. The guide tracks 308, 310, 312 and 314 include an inclined protrusion at one end near the open end of the casing part 304. The inclined protrusions limit the movement of the housing part 302 in the direction in and out of the casing part 304 and do not allow the housing part to be folly disengaged from the casing part. The lid part 306 includes recesses or cuttings to avoid the guide tracks 308, 310, 312 and 314. The casing part 304 also includes two tracker parts 316 and 318 which are sized and shaped to have an inherent resilient spring action.

With reference to Figure 17, the housing part 302 includes two arms 322 and 324. Each arm is provided with an outwardly extending protrusion 326 (only one of which is shown). These also engage with the casing part 304 to prevent the housing part 302 from being fully disengaged with the casing part. The housing part 302 includes a pair of inclined guide tracks 328 and 330 for receiving the outer edge parts of a storage media. A further guide track 332 is provided in the housing part 302 for receiving printed material. Protrusions 334 (only one of which is shown) formed at the free ends of the arms 322 and 324 are used to pivotally attach the housing part 302 to the Kd part 306. Each protrusion 334 includes a cutting or channel down the centre to provide an inherent resilient spring action so that they can be pressed together when they are inserted into an aperture in the lid part 306. The end of each protrusion 334 is slightly larger than the rest of the protrusion so that once they have been received in the apertures in the lid part 306 they cannot be easily removed. The housing part '302 also includes two locking guide tracks 336 and 338 that cooperate with the tracker parts 316 and 318 provided on the casing part 304 to releasably secure the housing part within the casing part.

When the housing part 302 is not secured to the casing part 304, the tracker parts 316 and 318 may become disengaged from the locking guide tracks 336 and 338. Pushing the housing part 302 into the casing part 304 causes the tracker parts 316 and 318 to enter the locking guide tracks 336 and 338. The tracker parts 316 and 318 are allowed to travel within the locking guide tracks 336 and 338 until the trackerparts reach the end of the locking guide tracks. At this point, the tracker parts 316 and 318 are not allowed to move any further and movement of the housing part 302 in that direction (that is away from the open end of the casing part) is prevented. If the force previously applied to the housing part 302 is released then springs parts 340 and 342 bias the housing part in a direction towards the open end of the casing part 304 which is opposite to the previous direction of movement. After a limited amount of movement in this direction, the tracker parts 316 and 318 are releasably engaged with the locking guide tracks 336 and 338 and any forther movement is prevented. The housing part 302 is therefore retained within the casing part 304.

To release the housing part 302 from the casing part 304, the housing part is pushed in the direction towards the closed end of the casing part. The housing part 302 is allowed to move a limited amount in this direction until the tracker parts 316 and 318 reach the end of the locking guide tracks 336 and 33&. If the force applied to move the housing part 302 is released, then the spring parts 340 and 342 will bias the housing part 302 in a direction towards the open end of the casing part 304, which is opposite to the previous direction of movement to completely release the tracker parts 316 and 318 from the locking guide tracks 336 and 338. The housing part 302 is then biased out of the casing part 304 by the spring parts 340 and 342. The locking guide tracks 336 and 338 are made of a series of track segments which are at different height levels surrounded by inclined track walls. The combination of track segments at different levels and the inclined track walls force the tracker parts 316 and 318 to move in the desired regions and directions. One segment of the tracks and its surrounding track walls provides a locking region and enables the housing part 302 to be releasably secured within the casing part 302. In other embodiment the tracker parts and the locking guide tracks may be formed on the housing part and the casing part, respectively. One of the tracker parts and the locking guide tracks may also be formed on the lid part. As mentioned briefly above, two or more holders of the present invention can be releasably secured together to form a stackable system. (A compact disc retained within the holder is represented by the dashed line labelled CD.) To enable the holders to be secured together, sockets are provided on the outside of the casing part 4. More particularly, two sockets 60 are formed on a rear (or closed end) of the casing part 4 and two sockets 62 are formed on a side of the casing part. Each socket has a pair of spaced recesses. A plug P is shaped with two protrusions that are sized and shaped to be received in the spaced recesses of each socket. Normally, each of the four sockets 60 and 62 will be filled by a plug P so that they can be conveniently stored. To attach a holder to an adjacent holder placed on top of each other, the plugs P can be removed from the sockets and then inserted into the sockets in such a way that one of the protrusions is received in the upper recess of a socket in the lower holder and the other protrusion is receiving in the lower recess of a socket in the upper holder. The plugs P therefore span the gap between the two holders. Additional holders can be secured one on top of the other in the same way to create a stack of holders. Because the storage media stored in each holder is accessed by releasing the lid part 6 (206;306) and sliding the housing part 2 (202;302) out of the casing part 4 (204;304X there is no need to dismantle or disrupt the stacked arrangement every time the user wants access to a particular storage media.

Figure 19(a) shows a first embodiment of the socket and plug arrangement where the socket is arranged in one orientation where the individual recesses are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the top and bottom walls of the casing part. Figure 19(b) shows a second embodiment where the individual recesses of the socket are aligned in a direction parallel to the top and bottom watts of the casing part. En each case the method of attaching the holders in the same. The only difference is the size and shape of the plug P and corresponding sockets that are needed.

Claims

1. A holder for storage media, the holder comprising: a housing part (2) including a base part (28) from which a pair of fingers (20,22) extend, each finger (20,22) having at least one slot (24,26) for receiving an outer edge part of the storage media; a lid part (6) pivotally secured to the two fingers (2ϋ,22) of the housing part (6); and a casing part (4) slidably receiving the housing part (2).

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein the base part (28) includes a slot (30) for receiving an outer edge part of the storage media.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising spring means (8) for biasing the housing part (2) out of the casing part (4).

4. A holder according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising spring means for biasing the lid part (6) out of the casing part (4).

5. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing part (2) includes at least one spring means (S) as an integral part of the housing part (2) to bias the housing part (2) out of the casing part (4).

6. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the casing part (4) includes at least one spring means as an integral part of the casing part (4) to bias the housing part (2) or the lid part (6) out of the casing part (4).

7. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the Hd part (6) includes at least one spring means as an integral part of the Kd part (6) to bias the Kd part (6) out of the casing part (4).

8. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein each of the fingers (20,22) of the housing part (2) include at least one sloping surface at an inner side wall for supporting 4he storage media.

9. A holder according to claim 8, wherein the inner side wall of each finger (20,22) is sloping and adapted to guide an outer edge part of the storage media into the at least one slot (24,26).

10, A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner side wall of each finger (20,22) includes a recess to facilitate the placement of the storage media between the fingers.

11. A holder according to any preceding claim, further comprising a first releasable locking mechanism (46) to releasably secure the- housing part (2) within the casing part (4).

12. A holder according to claim 11, wherein the first releasable locking mechanism (46) is formed on, the housing part (2) and interacts with the casing part (4) to releasably secure the housing part (2) within the casing part (4).

13. A holder according to claim 11, wherein the first releasable locking mechanism is formed on the casing part (4) and interacts with the housing part (2) to releasably secure the housing part (2) within the casing part (4).

14. A holder according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the first releasable locking mechanism (46) is spring loaded or adapted to ϊrave a size and shape that provides an inherent resilient spring action.

15. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the fingers (20,22) of the housing part (2) includes a protrusion (4Z) that is received in an aperture or recess provided in the casing part (4) to releasably secure the housing part (2) within the casing part (4).

16. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the casing part (4) includes a protrusion that is received in an aperture or recess provided in at least one of the fingers (20,22) of the housing part (2) to releasably secure the housing part (2) within the casing part (4).

17. A holder according to any of claims 11 to 14 or claims 15 and 16 when dependent on claim 11, wherein the casing part (4) includes at least one aperture or recess through which at least one of the fingers (20,22) of the housing part (2) is accessed: to enable the at least one of the fingers (20,22) to be displaced and to release the first releasable locking mechanism (46) securing the housing part (2) within the casing part (4).

18. A holder according to any preceding claim, further comprising a limiting mechanism (32,34,36,38) to limit the sliding movement of the housing part (2) within the casing part (4).

19. A holder according to claim IS₃ wherein the housing part (2) and the casing part (4) include recesses (32,34) and corresponding protrusions (36,3S) that interact to form the limiting mechanism.

20. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the Hd part (6) includes one or more protrusions (100) on an inner side such that when the Ed part (6) is in a closed position, the protrusions (100) limit the movement of the storage media within the lid part (6) and the housing part (2).

21. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the Hd part (6) includes one or more releasable edge locking mechanisms (76,?8;S4.S6;96) that interacts with an outer edge part of the storage media to releasably secure the storage media within the housing part (2) and the lid part (6).

22. A holder according to claim 21, wherein the releasable edge locking mechanisms (76,78;84,86) are spring loaded or adapted to have a size and shape that provides an inherent resilient spring action.

23. A holder according to any preceding claim, further comprising a second releasable locking mechanism (6S;I20;212,214;) to releasably secure the Kd part (6;206) within the casing part (4;204).

24. A holder according to claim 23, wherein the second releasable locking mechanism (68; 120) is formed on the Kd part (6) and interacts with the casing part (4) to releasably secure the Kd part (6) within the casing part (4).

25. A holder according to claim 23, wherein- the second releasable locking mechanism (212,214) is formed on the casing part (204) and interacts with the lid part (206) to releasably secure the lid part (206) within the casing part (204).

26. A holder according to any of claims 23 to 25, wherein the second releasable locking mechanism (68;120) is spring loaded or adapted to have a size and shape that provides an inherent resilient spring action.

27. A holder according to claim 23, wherein the second releasable locking mechanism (68) includes a tongue part (72), at least one link part (70;94) and an interface part (74), wherein the tongue part (72) engages with an aperture or recess (66) in the casing part (4) to releasably secure the lid part (6} to the casing part (4), the at least one link part (70;94) being a resilient extension attached at one end to the lid part (6) to allow the tongue part (72) to be displaced relative to the lid part (6) when aliasing force is applied to the interface part (74)

28. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the Kd part (206) can move relative to the housing part (202) in the direction of its pivot axis.

29. A holder according to claim 28, further comprising at least one spring means (216,218) for biasing the lid part (206) to one side relative tø the housing part (202).

30. A holder according to claim 29, wherein the at least one spring means (216,218) biases the lid part (206) out of the casing part (204) when the lid part (206) is moved relative to the housing part (202) in the direction of its pivot axis.

31. A holder according to claim 29 or claim 30, wherein the at least one spring means (216,218) is an integral part of the casing part (204).

32. A holder according to claim 29 or claim 30, wherein the at least one spring means is an integral part of the lid part.

33. A holder according to any of claims 23 to 27 or claims 28 to 32 when dependent on claim 23, wherein the casing part includes one or more recesses or apertures (64) to allow access to the second releasable locking mechanism (68).

34. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the lid part (6) includes a recess (92) to provide a clearance for a finger of a user when inserting or removing the storage media.

35. A holder according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing part (2) is resilient and the fingers (20,22) are biased inwardly when the housing part (2) is slidably received in the casing part (4) such that an outer edge part of the storage media positioned between the fingers (20,22) is received in the slot (24.26) provided in each finger (20,22).

36. A holder according to claim 11 or any of claims 15 to 35 when dependent on claim 11, wherein the first releasable locking mechanism (316,318,336,338) for releasably securing the housing part (302) within the casing part (304) is adapted to engage and release in response to alternate push and release movements of the housing part (302) relative to the casing part (304).

37. A holder according to claim 23, or any of claims 28 to 36 when dependent on claim 23, wherein the second releasable locking mechanism for releasably securing the lid part within the casing part is adapted to engage and release in response to alternate push and release movements of the Ed part relative to the casing part.

38. A plurality of holders according to any preceding claim, wherein the respective casing part (4) of each holder includes one or more sockets (60,62) which may be used with corresponding plugs (P) to releasably secure and connect the casing part (4) of one holder to the casing part (4) of an adjacent holder, wherein the socket (60,62) and plug (P) are shaped such that the plug (P) may be stored in the socket (60,62) in the respective casing part (4) when not in use in such a way that the plug (P) does not protrude beyond the surface of the respective casing part (4).

39. A plurality of holders according to claim 38, wherein the one or more sockets (60,62) in the respective casing parts (4) of each holder are sized and shaped such that the plug -(P) can be inserted into a second socket formed when two holders are placed on top of each other to releasably secure the casing parts (4) of the two holders together.