Supports: cabinet structure – For storing audio or visual recording medium – Disk or parallelepiped shape
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-06
2001-03-20
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)
Supports: cabinet structure
For storing audio or visual recording medium
Disk or parallelepiped shape
C312S009470, C206S387100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203129
ABSTRACT:
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 system 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 that facilitates the adjustment and rearrangement of vertically-stacked components comprising two oppositely-faced panels and a plurality of carriers having opposing side walls and a rear wall to provide a cavity for holding a unit to be stored, the carriers being stacked in vertical array between the oppositely-faced panels and being positioned relative to the oppositely-faced panels such that the carriers may be slidably moved in a vertical direction relative to the panels but positioned against removal from between the panels through the combination of a protuberance and recess interlock between the panels and each carrier, said protuberance being retractable from the recess to allow entry and egress of each carrier from the panels.
In one embodiment, 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.
As an improvement to the broadest aspect of the invention, a further protuberance and recess interlock in the path of egress of the carrier from the oppositely-faced panels is provided such that movement of the carrier to the second interlock position precludes slidable movement in a vertical direction of the carrier positioned at the second interlock thereby providing a support against vertical descent of the carriers arrayed above the carrier at the second interlock position.
As an improvement to the embodiment having a panel recess and protuberances on the outer side walls of the carrier, a panel and carrier configuration is provided that stabilizes in place all carriers above a desired location, thus permitting only carriers below the desired position to descend when a carrier below the desired position is removed. In the preferred form of the panel configuration of the improvement, each panel has a plurality of horizontal slots for receiving the retractable protuberance on the opposing side walls of a carrier, the slot extending a limited distance beyond the boundary of the panel recess nearest the carrier exit. In a preferred form of the panels and carriers of the improvement, each of said slots and the protuberances on the opposing side walls of the carrier have a mating locking surface that stabilizes the carrier in a locked-out position between the panels. In said locked-out position, the rearward portion of the carrier is disposed across the width of the panel recess and acts to support all overlying carriers.
A still further improvement concerns an improved carrier wherein lateral tabs extending inwardly from the top of each side wall of each carrier are provided. With the tabs, removal of a carrier from above an empty carrier will foreclose the upper carrier from descending or dropping within the cavity defined by the lower empty carrier.
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Anderson Jerry A.
Cuomo Peter M.
Grandview Designs, Inc.
Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik LLP
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