Apparatus for storing and retrieving compact disks

Abstract

Apparatus for storing and retrieving compact disks affords facile screening of numerous disks to locate a desired disk by employing pouches or dividers having identification tabs situated along a circular periphery and misaligned with one another which allows the user to view many tabs simultaneously.

Description

This application is based on and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/564488 filed on Apr. 23, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the storage and retrieval of compact disks such as CD's and DVD's. These memory devices, which store vast amounts and disparate types of information, e.g. computer data, programs and files and entertainment subject matter, both audio and visual, have become pervasive. Accordingly, there has developed a cogent need for systems to store and retrieve these devices. That need has been addressed by numerous systems of varying elegance and cost. The present invention provides a system which is simple in design to minimize cost, affords a convenient way for storing and retrieving quickly large numbers of compact disks, allowing for expansion and protects the device memory surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a plurality of flat two-sided pouches each of which stores and protects an individual compact disk. The pouches are arranged on a support means so that their sides are adjacent to one another and perpendicular to a linear axis of the support means Each pouch has an upper portion which is visible to the user when engaged with the support means and which has a circular periphery. Along that periphery is a tab for identifying the compact disk stored in that pouch which is misaligned with the tabs of other pouches when viewed along the linear axis. This allows the user to screen many tabs simultaneously to quickly find the desired pouch and its compact disk. The number of tabs simultaneously viewed is dependent on their width and the length of the circular arc along which they extend. Once that length is exhausted, more pouches and their associated compact disks can be accommodated by the support means, by replicating the foregoing arrangement.

In the preferred embodiment, the support means consists of two end members and two rods that perpendicularly extend therebetween to establish the support means linear axis. Each of the pouches has two slotted apertures in its lower portion for pressing the pouch onto the rods to engage the support means.

In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of dividers bearing misaligned tabs may be used in lieu of the plurality of pouches to afford the convenient screening process to locate a particular compact disk. In this case there is one divider per disk with the disks being stored in between the dividers. Of course, this embodiment does not provide the benefit of protecting the disk memory surface as does the embodiment employing the pouches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing the support means.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single pouch of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plurality of pouches engaged with the support means of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end view of FIG. 3 displaying the tabular misalignment feature of the invention which affords the screening convenience.

FIG. 5 is a planar view depicting a pattern for making the pouch.

FIG. 6 is a planar view of the divider of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective of the alternative embodiment showing the dividers engaged with the support means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, the invention comprises a support means 10 having a pair of end members 12 and two rods 14 extending perpendicularly therebetween through apertures 16. This defines a longitudinal axis 18 for the support means 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pouch 20 of the invention is dual sided with one side 22 having an upper portion 24 with a circular periphery and a tab 26 along that periphery for identifying an individual compact disk 28 to be stored in pouch 20. Side 22 of pouch 20 has a lower portion 30 which coincides with and is affixed to the second side 32 of pouch 20 (by glue per FIG. 5) to form a closed area for receiving the disk 28 stored therein. Pouch 20 further has two apertures 34 connecting with slots 36 which allow pouch 20 to be press fitted onto rods 14 for engaging (and disengaging) pouch 20 with support means 10. Pouch 20 can be formed with any suitable material such as sturdy paper, cardboard, plastic, etc.

The tabular misalignment feature of the invention for allowing a user to easily and quickly find a desired disk is depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 which are perspective and end views, respectively of the pouches 20 engaged with the support means 10. Pouches 20 are arranged with their planar sides parallel to one another and perpendicular to longitudinal axis 18, there being three groups of ten pouches having tabs 26(a)-26(j) similarly misaligned with one another. Thus, a user looking directly at the planar view of FIG.4 would simultaneously see ten different tabs 26. And by looking at that view from an angle, the user could even simultaneously see the thirty tabs 26 of all three groups. These numbers are illustrative since the number of tabs 26 per group is a function of the width of the tab and the length of the circular arc along which they are borne.

As is apparent from FIG. 3, preferably end member 12 is free to move along its longitudinal axis 18 which allows the groups of pouches 20 to be shifted for easier viewing and supplemented with additional groups for expansion purposes. Of course, the pouches 20 are restricted from rotating or laterally moving so as to maintain the tabular misalignment feature for easily finding and retrieving the desired pouch 20 and its compact disk contents.

A unitary flat pattern 38 for forming the pouch 20 for simple fabrication is shown in FIG. 5. The pattern 38 has a score line 40 along which it can be folded rendering second side 32 of the pouch 20 coextensive with the lower portion 26 of its first side 22. Score line 40 bisects two openings 42 in pattern 38 having an upper perimeter 44 in side 22 which matches a lower perimeter 46 in side 32 of pouch 20. Consequently, the upper and lower perimeters of each opening 42 overlap one another to form aperture 34 and slot 36 of pouch 20 when the pattern 38 is folded along its score line 40. Sides 22 and 32 of pouch 20 are affixed to one another to form a pocket for receiving a disk 20 by glue which is applied to speckled area 48 of pattern 38 before it is folded along score line 40. It should be noted that the boundary of area 48 is designed so that the movement of disk 28 is not hampered when inserted into pouch 20.

An alternative embodiment for affording the tabular misalignment feature of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7 wherein a divider 50 is used in lieu of pouch 20. This embodiment does not afford protection of the disk 28 memory surface, however, since each disk 28 resides between a pair of dividers 50 while seated on rods 14 of support means 10.

It should be noted that the use of a circular periphery rather than a linear periphery for bearing the tabs 20 in both of the foregoing embodiments was selected not merely because it conforms to that of the stored disk 20, but rather to maximize the number of tabs 20 which can be accommodated in a single group of tabs 20 for simultaneous viewing before supplementation by additional groups.

As is evident from the preferred embodiments of the invention presented herein, the invention affords a facile means for storing and easily finding and retrieving compact disks. Undoubtedly, modifications to the preferred embodiments may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention itself. Consequently, these embodiments are illustrative of the invention whose scope is defined by the claims hereinbelow.

Claims

1) Apparatus for storing and retrieving compact disks, comprising:

a plurality of dual sided pouches, each having an open upper portion for receiving an individual disk and having a circular periphery in its upper portion and a tab situated along the periphery for identifying that disk;

support means having a longitudinal axis for engaging and positioning said pouches adjacent to one another with their planar surfaces perpendicular to said axis, and

means for arranging and restricting the movement of said pouches whereby their tabs are misaligned when viewed along said longitudinal axis.

2) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises two end members and two rods which extend therebetween for engaging said pouches.

3) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of said pouches has a lower portion with two slotted apertures for press fitting said pouches onto said rods to effect engagement therebetween.

4) The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the lower portion of each of said pouches has three straight edges perpendicular to one another and the two slotted apertures are located along the edge between the other two.

5) Apparatus for storing and retrieving compact disks, comprising:

a plurality of dividers, each having a planar surface and an upper portion and a circular periphery in its upper portion and a tab situated along that periphery for identifying an individual disk;

support means having a longitudinal axis for engaging and positioning said dividers adjacent to one another with their planar surfaces perpendicular to said axis, and means for arranging and restricting the movement of said dividers whereby their tabs are misaligned when viewed along said longitudinal axis.

6) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said support means comprises two end members and two rods which extend therebetween for engaging said dividers.

7) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said dividers has a lower portion with two slotted apertures for press fitting said dividers onto said rods to effect engagement therebetween.

8) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the lower portion of each of said dividers has three straight edges perpendicular to one another and the two slotted apertures are located along the edge between the other two.

9) A plurality of dual sided pouches for storing and retrieving compact disks, said pouches having the same peripheral configuration which includes a circular upper segment and a tab for identifying the stored disk located along that circular segment wherein the tab of one pouch is misaligned with the tabs of the other pouches when said pouches are coextensively aligned with one another.

10) The plurality of dual sided pouches of claim 9 wherein said pouches have a lower portion with two slotted apertures for engaging a pair of parallel rods.