Supports: cabinet structure – Removal facilitating magazine type – Stacked article type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-29
2004-03-16
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3637)
Supports: cabinet structure
Removal facilitating magazine type
Stacked article type
C312S050000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705687
ABSTRACT:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION OR INVENTIONS DISCLOSED
Broadly, the invention or inventions disclosed herein are directed to storage and display units providing card bins for visible storage of cards which are readily accessible for removal as cards are sold, and providing space for a card of the type as contained in each card bin for displaying the card, and the methods of making such units. Units are preferably made of a material such as high density polyethylene, rendering it much more resistant to the currently commonly used cardboard units when it is accidentally dropped. They may also be made of well-known acrylic material. Units embodying the invention provide arrangements for holding the cards and accessing them when a sale is being made, providing easy access so that the sales person no longer needs to pick up the entire unit to retrieve a card, thus making it much less likely that the unit will be dropped. Experience has shown that this is a continuing problem with current card holding units. Each individual unit embodying the inventon is so constructed that a plurality of units may be attached together to form a larger unit having more storage bins and capable of various configurations. The units may be attached in vertical or horizontal alignment or in a combination of both alignments. Thus a single unit may become part of a larger compound unit comprised of two or more single units. Units may be secured to a wall, shelf, counter or other device, including pegboard, for example, so that the units are not free-standing and therefore tempting sales persons, or others, to pick up the entire unit. However, they may also be used as free-standing units when desired.
The invention includes products and processes of making same which are the subject of this utility patent application, and designs which may be the subject of one or more design patent applications.
Therefore, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a storage and display single unit for holding and displaying cards and the like for sale and adapted to be attached to other of said similar single units to form a multi-unit storage and display unit. Such a single unit comprises a unit body having a bottom, a back side, a top, left and right side panels, and a front side. The front side has at least one generally T-shaped opening having an upper part extending across at least a portion of the front side and a lower part extending downwardly from the opening upper part so as to terminate at least near the unit body bottom. The T-shaped opening is defined by spaced parts of the front side and opens into the interior of the unit and defines the front of a bin in which a number of cards may be installed therein by insertion through the opening so as to lie flat in the bin in a stack, and may be removed by insertion of a finger inserted through the downwardly extending lower part of the T-shaped opening to lift one or more of the cards upwardly in the bin and then outwardly through the across-extending upper part of the T-shaped opening.
A more specific object of the invention is to make a single unit of the above-described type of a substantially transparent plastic such as Plexiglass™ and similar acrylics, nylon, high density propylene, Lucite™, etc., so that any cards displayed therein may be visually discernible from the exterior of said single unit. When the term “substantially transparent” is used, it means that an object in facing near-engagement or actual engagement with one side of a plastic part can be readily identified and any words thereon read through the plastic. It therefore will include clear as well as colored plastic so long as it permits such objects to be seen as above described.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of either a single bin in one unit or a plurality of bins arranged side-by-side within a unit.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a single unit that has divider panels located intermediate its left and right side panels. Such intermediate divider panels are secured to back, bottom and front and cooperate with the back, bottom and front to define a plurality of said bins, each of the bins having a T-shaped opening as earlier described so that different cards may be stored, displayed in and selectively removed from different bins. Any particular single unit may be made with anywhere from one bin to as many bins as may be desired. However, for convenience, it is usually best to provide anywhere from one bin to about four or five bins as a typical maximum, and to simply attach two or more single units together if more bins are desired. It has been found to be somewhat optimum to provide three bins per unit, but the invention is not limited to that number.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cover hinged to the top of a unit for swingable movement from a vertical position, in which the one or more T-shaped openings, depending upon the number of bins, are covered by the cover, to an open position in which the one or more T-shaped openings are at least sufficiently open and uncovered by the cover so as to permit the installation and removal of cards into and from the one or more bins. It is also preferable that the cover has a key-operated security lock thereon with a movable locking bar movable about the lock axis by key action only from an unlocked position to a locked position and back to an unlocked position, the locked position being such position that the lock axis extends through a T-shaped opening and the locking bar engages the bin interior side of at least one of the spaced parts of the front defining the T-shaped opening while the cover is in its vertical position covering the T-shaped opening. The lock bar is also movable by the key lock to a position wherein it is disengaged from the at least one of the spaced parts of the front defining the T-shaped opening and is in alignment with a part of the T-shaped opening so as to permit the cover to be swung to its position wherein the T-shaped opening, or openings in the case of a plurality of bins having been provided, is uncovered to permit the installation and removal of cards into and from the one or more bins. The lockable and unlockable cover thus keeps the cards secure from inadvertent or intentionally impermissible removement from any bin.
Another object of the invention is to provide fastener-receiving openings through the top, bottom and side panels arranged in such matching relation that two or more of the single units may be secured together by fastener means extending through aligned ones of the openings in either vertical or horizontal relation to form a larger unit made up of a plurality of individual single units.
Yet another object of the invention is to have the lock bar extending to only one side of the lock axis so as to be engageable with and disengageable from only one of the at least one of the spaced parts of the unit front defining a T-shaped opening. The lock bar is rotated only about 90° in arc from its engageable position to its disengageable position so that, as the cover is raised, the lock bar exits the bin through the vertical part of the T-shaped opening. Alternatively, the bar may extend to both sides of the lock axis so as to be engageable with and disengageable from both of the two spaced parts of the front defining the T-shaped opening. Such a lock bar then is rotated about 180° in arc from its engageable position to its disengageable position when the unit is to be unlocked. If desired, the bar may be formed substantially as a semi-circle and in its unlocked position is above the lock axis when it is in the unlocked position so as to be in alignment with the T-shaped opening upper part and in disengageable relation with the spaced parts of the front side defining the T-shaped opening. When it is in its locked position it extends below the lock axis so as to be in engageable relation with both of the two spaced parts of the front side defining the T-shaped opening, preventing swinging movement of the cover to uncover the T-shaped opening as well
Anderson Jerry
Mai Lanna
McGraw D. D.
LandOfFree
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