ARRANGEMENT FOR THE STORAGE OF RECORDING MEDIA

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement for the storage of recording media (2), such as compact discs of the CD/laser type or cassette recording tapes of the DAT type, for example, which are so arranged as to be accommodated each in its original protective case (3) or a similar covering consisting of a lid component and a box component (3A, 3B) capable of moving relative to one another and which are so arranged as to be accommodated by a holder (6) capable of being introduced into an appropriate accommodating space in a storage rack (5) or a storage box, which holder is capable of being moved betweeen a storage position in which it is situated inside said space, and an access position situated outside the space, for which purpose means are provided to retain the box in the open position when the holder in question is in its withdrawn position. The invention solves, amongst other things, the problem of effectively and reliably retaining the box (3) by simple means in at least the opened position (I) on desired occasions. At least one spring-loaded tongue (11) is arranged in the internal accommodating space of said holder and is so arranged, through actuation by a section (17) of a part of the box, as to be forced to move in a direction (19) from the box accommodating space (12) of said holder, when the box parts are caused to move relative to one another, and then to spring back and interact with said box part so as to retain same in an opened position (I) and a closed position (II).

Description: Arrangement for the storage of recording media The present invention relates to an arrangement for the storage of recording media, such as compact discs of the CD/laser type or cassette recording tapes of the DAT type, for example, which are so arranged as to be accommodated each in its original protective box or a similar casing consisting of a lid component and a box component capable of moving relative to one another, and which are so arranged as to be accommodated by a holder capable of being introduced into an appropriate accommodating space in a storage rack or a storage case, which holder is capable of being moved between a storage position in which it is situated inside said space, and an access position situated outside the space, for which purpose means are provided to retain the box in the opened position when the holder in question is in its withdrawn position. The principal object of the present invention is, in the first place, to make available an arrangement of the kind indicated above, which permits a box accommodated by said holder to be retained effectively and reliably by simple means in at least the set opened position. Said object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that a spring—loaded tongue is arranged in the internal accommodating space of said holder and is so arranged, through actuation by a section of a part of a box component, as to be forced to move in a direction from the box—accommodating space of said holder, when the box components are caused to move relative to one another, and then to spring back and interact with said box component so as to retain same at least in an opened position. The invention is described below as a number of preferred embodiments, in conjunction with which reference is made to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a storage rack and arranged thereon holders for accommodating boxes containing compact discs; Fig. 2 shows a box in the course of being inserted into a holder and situated therein stops for a box lid component; Fig. 3 shows a holder, viewed from above; Fig. 3A shows the holder viewed from its front side; Fig. 3B shows the holder in section along its centre; Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a part of a holder with a box accommodated therein arranged in various opening positions in interaction with an arrangement in accordance with the invention; Figs. 5—7 show from the side a further storage rack with a box accommodated therein in various stages of opening; Figs. 8—15 show an illustrative embodiment for the accommodation of cassette recording tapes, preferably of the DAT type, in conjunction with which Fig. 8 shows a tape box accommodated in a holder withdrawn from a case and with the box in the opened position; Fig. 9 shows the box viewed from the side in the opened position; Fig. 10 shows the box viewed from above in the closed position; Fig. 11 shows in detail the interaction between the box and the holder in the closed position; Fig. 12 shows in detail the interaction between the box and the holder in the opened position; Figs. 13—15 show a further illustrative embodiment of the interaction of a retaining tongue with a box, shown in the closed position, the opening position and the opened position. An arrangement 1, 101 arranged in accordance with the present invention, which is intended for the storage of recording media 2, 102 of an appropriate kind, is not only capable of being applied to the storage of disc—shaped recording media 2, such as compact discs of the CD/laser type, for example, but is also excellent for cassette recording tapes 102 of the DAT type, for example. Disc—shaped recording media 2 are exemplified in the description in Figs 1—7, and the application of the invention to recording media 102 in the form of tapes is shown in Figs. 8—15. An arrangement 1 in accordance with the present invention, as shown in Figs. 1—7, designed to hold an original protective box 3 or a similar casing for preferably disc—shaped recording media 2, such as compact discs of the CD/laser type, for example, which box or casing consists of a lid component and a box component 3A, 3B capable of moving relative to one another, which are so arranged as to be accommodated a holder 6 capable of being introduced into an appropriate accommodating space 4 in a storage box 5 or a storage rack in at least the fully opened position I, incorporates means for retaining the box 3 in the opened position I with the holder 6 in question in the withdrawn position. For the purposes of storing discs, etc., each of which is accommodated in its own individual box 3, which in turn are held each in its own holder 6 by means of holding devices 7 situated, for example, at the inner end 6A of the holder, and securing devices 8 situated at the outer end 6B of the holder, between which devices 7, 8 the box 3 is held secure, the holders 6 containing boxes 3 and discs 2 are capable of being moved between an inserted storage space A situated inside said space 4 and a withdrawn access position B situated to the outside 9 of the space 4. The arrangement 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises means for at least maintaining the box 3 in the opened position I with the holder in question in its withdrawn access position B. Said arrangement 1 solves said problem by reliably holding up the lid 3A during the withdrawal or insertion of a disc 2 respectively from and into the box component 3B, and by preferably also reliably holding down the lid 3A when this is in the folded-down position II and protecting the internal space 10 of the box and its contents in question against external influences and against the contents falling out. The arrangement 1 comprises at least one tongue 11, functioning preferably as an end stop for a box 3 of the kind in question, which tongue is arranged at the inner end 6A of the box—accommodating space 12 of said holder. A spring—loaded tongue 11 is appropriately situated to either side of a centrally situated holder component 13 and is formed preferably from a moldable plastic material or some other appropriate material, from which the holder 6 is formed by the tongues 11 representing a continuation of said centrally situated holder component 13 and extending outwards towards the side edges 14 of the holder. The tongue/tongues 11 in question is/are formed so as to extend in a direction towards the box—accommodating space 12 of the holder in the unloaden state, for example inclined at an angle outwards from the holder component 13 towards the side edges 14, and is/are preferably situated in the area of its individual opening 16 extending through the sheet—shaped part 15 of the holder, which part is able to make contact along a box component 3B. The possibility is also provided for the arrangement of said tongue/tongues so that they are separately attached to the holder, so that they can be produced from the same material as that from which the holder is manufactured, although the use of some other appropriate material which is different from that used in the holder, such as a springy metallic material, is also acceptable. Through the actuation of a part of a box component 3A, 3B, the tongue/tongues 11 in question is/are so arranged as to be forced to move in a direction away from the box—accommodating space 12 of said holder when the box components 3A, 3B are caused to move relative to one another, and then to spring back in the direction of said space 12 and to interact with said box component 3A and/or 3B in order to retain same in the opened position I or the closed position II, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 4. For this purpose said tongue/tongues 11 is/are so arranged as to move along said opening/openings 16 at a certain distance from same. At least the corner section 17, which may be angled, for example, of a protective box 3 facing towards the tongue 11 in question, which is formed by a lid component 3A capable of pivoting about an articulation 18 relative to a box component 3B, is so arranged as to make contact with the adjacent tongue 11 when the components 3A, 3B are caused to pivot relative to one another. In this way the tongue 11 in question is forced against the effect of the spring force F of the tongue in the direction 19 away from the holder 6 and the box 3, when said corner section 17 presses against the tongue 11 upon opening or closing of the box 3 by causing the lid component 3A to pivot in either direction 20 and 21. The tongue 11 situated at said articulation 18 is so arranged as to spring back again into contact with the box 3 when said corner section 17 has moved past the level of said articulation 18. When the lid component 3A is pivoted fully outwards into its open position I, the tongue 11 is pressed into contact with the superjacent stop part 22 of the lid component, in conjunction with which the box 3 is also caused to move in the direction 23 of said securing element 8 situated at a certain distance from the tongue/tongues 11. In said opening position I the lid component 3A is retained effectively in an upward pivoted position when the holder 6 is in the access position B, so as to permit the withdrawal or insertion of a disc, etc., 2 of the kind in question. If, on the other hand, the lid component 3A is pivoted fully downwards so as to extend along the bottom part 3B, the tongue/tongues 11 is/are preferably so arranged as to make contact with an edge stop part 25 situated at the articulation end 24 of the box, which stop part is set at an angle in relation to the aforementioned superjacent stop part 22, and appropriately as to effectively retain the box components 3A, 3B in the folded position II and to permit the holder 6 to be moved between "storage position" A and "access position" B. The holder 6 can also exhibit in a previously disclosed manner holding devices 26, 27 which are so arranged as to retain the holder 6 securely in the storage box, etc., 5 and to prevent the holder 6 from being withdrawn too far. The further illustrative embodiments of box— —retaining arrangements illustrated in the drawings, intended primarily for the protective cases 103 for cassette recording tapes 102, for example of the DAT type, and which consist of lid and box po ponents 103A, 103B pivotally mounted in relation to one another, in which the articulation 118 between the components 103A, 103B is situated in a manner such that the corner section 117 of the lid component projects beyond the internal part of the lid and box part, as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 15, when the lid component 103A is retained in the unfolded position I, which obstructs the use of transverse tongues of the aforementioned kind, are intended to solve said problems in a simple and effective manner. At least one spring—loaded tongue 111, 211 is provided for this purpose, formed preferably from the material in one or both of the side edges 114, 214 of the box component situated on the side of the box—accommodating space 112; 212 of each holder 106; 206, or consisting of a separate spring—loaded component. Said tongues 111, 211, which, in the unladen state, may be so arranged as to extend at an angle downwards and forwards and inwards towards the centre of the holder, as ilustrated in Figs. 11—12, or as to extend at an angle rearwards and inwards towards the centre of the holder, as illustrated in Figs. 13—15, are so arranged as to be positioned to either side of a case 103, when the case is accommodated in the associated box—accommodating space 104 of the holder. Said two tongues 111; 211, of which only one is shown in the Figures 8, 9 and 11—15, are capable of interacting with the lid component 103A of a case in order to retain said lid component 103A at Least in the raised, opened position I. The tongues 111 in accordance with the embodiment, which are illustrated in Figs. 11—12, and which extend at an angle forwards and inwards towards the centre of the holder are constituted by an upper tab, which projects in a spring—loaded manner from both side egdes 114 of the holder. When a protective case 103 for a cassette recording tape is accommodated in the holder 106 which, as in the similar illustrative embodiments described above, is accommodated in this instance in an appropriate storage case, etc., 105 in an internal accommodating space 104 and can be withdrawn from a fully inserted storage position A to a fully extended access position B, in which extended position B the lid can be caused to pivot upwards into a fully opened position I, the case 103 is retained between an internal, centrally situated securing device 107 and an external securing device 108. The tongues 111 are so arranged as to extend in front of the lid 103A of the case lid component, and preferably so as to interact with and to be forced against the front stop part 125 situated on the edge of the lid, when the lid 103A is retained in the folded-down position, as illustrated in Fig. 11. As the lid 103A is then pivoted in the direction 120 about the associated articulation 118, the corner section 117, which may be angled, for example, of the lid actuates the tongues 111, so that the latter are forced outwards against the effect of the spring force CF of the tongues in the direction 119 away from the holder 106 and the case 103. Once said corner section -117 has moved past each of the associated tongues 111, the tongues 111 are so arranged as to spring back inwards towards the holder 106 and into contact with the case 103, more precisely the front part 122A of the stop component 122 situated at the top of the lid, in order to hold the lid 103A of the case securely through the spring force CF, so that it is retained effectively and reliably in the unfolded, opened position I, as illustrated in Fig. 12, which need not necessarily be facing completely upwards, since intermediate inclined opening positions are also permitted by said solution. Pivoting of the lid 103A from the open position I in the direction of the arrow 121 causes the tongue 111 and the corner section 117 of the lid to interact once more and to force out the interacting tongue 111 so that, when in the folded—down closing position II, they will disengage from one another in accordance with the foregoing. The illustrative example of a case—retaining arrangement for cases 103 for cassette recording tapes illustrated in Figs. 13—15 exhibits spring—loaded tongues 211 on each side edge 214 of the holder, which tongues 211 extend in a direction rearwards towards the centre of the holder and towards a case 103 capable of being accommodated in the holder 206. Each of said tongues 211 is so arranged as to extend inwards behind the lid component 103A and the box component 103B of a case and past its associated stop part 225 situated on the edge, when the lid 103A is retained in the closed position II, in so doing interacting with one another for the purpose of keeping the case closed. Pivoting of the lid 103A in the direction 220 causes the upper internal corner section 217 of the lid of the case to interact with the tongue 211 and, acting against the effect of the spring force CCF of the tongue, to force the tongue inwards in the direction of the arrow 219. In the open position I, in which it is swung fully upwards, the tongue 211 interacts with the front part 222A of the stop part 222 situated at the top of the lid and retains the lid 103A effectively and reliably in the open position I in which it is swung upwards. Pivoting of the lid 103A in the direction of the arrow 221 causes the tongues 211 to be pivoted out of the way and in towards the centre of the holder when said corner section 217 of the lid passes by, and to force the tongues 211 out of the way, and then to spring back and preferably also to interact with the case 103 in the closed position II. The invention is not restricted to the illustrative embodiment described above and illustrated in the drawings, but may be modified within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. Arrangement for the storage of recording media (2; 102), such as compact discs of the CD/laser type or cassette recording tapes of the DAT type, for example, which are so arranged as to be accommodated each in its original protective case (3; 103) or a similar covering consisting of a lid component and a box component C3A, 3B; 103A, 103B) capable of moving relative to one another, and which are so arranged as to be accommodated by a holder (6; 106; 206) capable of being introduced into an appropriate accommodating space (4; 104) in a storage rack (5; 105) or a storage box, which holder is capable of being moved between a storage position (A) situated in said space and an access position (B) situated on the outside (9) of the space ( 4), for which purpose means are provided to retain the box (3; 103) in the opened position (I) when the holder in question is in its withdrawn position, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least one spring—loaded tongue (11; 111; 211) is arranged in the internal accommodating space (4; 104) of said holder and is so arranged, through actuation by a section (17; 117; 217) of a part of the box (3A; 103), as to be forced to move in a direction (19; 119; 219) away from the box—accommodating space (12; 112) of said holder, when the box parts (3A, 3B; 103A, 103B) are caused to move relative to one another, and then to spring back and interact with said box part (3A; 103A) so as to retain same at least in an opened position (I) and a closed position (II). 2. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tongue (11; 111; 211) in question is formed from the material in the holder (6; 106; 206), preferably a moldable plastic material. 3. Arrangement in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a spring—loaded tongue (11) is situated to either side of a centrally situated holder component (13). 4. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the two tongues (11) represent a continuation of said centrally situated holder component (13). 5. Arrangement in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tongue/tongues (11; 111; 211) in question is/are formed in such a way as to extend in a direction towards the box—accommodating space (12; 112) of the holder in the unloadenstate. 6. Arrangement in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the tongue/tongues (11) in question is/are capable of interacting with a box (3) of the kind in question so as to cause same to move in a direction towards a securing element ( 8) situated at a certain distance from the tongue/tongues (11). 7. Arrangement in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims, in which a protective box (3; 103) is formed by a lid component (3A; 103A) capable of pivoting relative to a box component (3B; 103B), c h a r a ct e r i zed in that the lid component (3A; 103A) is capable of interacting with a tongue (11; 111; 211) situated in the area of the articulation (18; 118) of the box, which tongue is so arranged as to be actuated by an angled stop part (17; 117; 217) on pivoting of the lid component <3A; 103A) and to make contact with said tongue (11; 111; 211), with stop parts (22; 122; 222; 25; 125; 225) set at an angle to one another in said positions (I; II). 8. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 7, c h a ra ct e r i zed in that at least the angled corner part (17; 117; 217) of a protective box ( 3; 103) which faces towards the tongue (11; 111; 211) in question is so arranged as to make contact with the adjacent tongue (11; 111; 211) when the box components (3A; 103A, 3B, 103B) are caused to pivot relative to one another, so that the tongue (11; 111; 211) in question is forced against the effect of the spring—loading (F, CF; CCF) of the tongue in a direction (19; 119; 219) away from the holder C6; 106; 206) and the box ( 3; 103) when said corner part (17; 117; 217) presses against the tongue (11; 111; 211) on opening or closing the box (3), by causing the lid component (3A) to pivot in one direction or the other (20; 120; 220 and 21; 121; 221), and then to spring back into contact with the box (3; 103) once said corner part (17; 117; 217) has moved past the level of said articulation (18; 118), and to retain the box component (3A; 103A) in the opened position (I) or the closed position (II). 9. Arrangement in accordance with any of the preceding Patent Claims 1—3, 5, 7—8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a spring—loaded tongue (111; 211) is arranged to either side of a box (103) and its associated box—accommodating space (104) extending from the side edges (114; 214) of the box holder inwards to the centre of the holder (106; 206) in the unladen state. 10. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a spring—loaded tongue (111; 211) is formed from the material in the two side edges (114; 214) of the holder and is directed at an angle forwar ' ds or at an angle rearwards and inwards towards the centre of the holder, so arranged, when in the retaining position (I or II) as to grip the box (103) and to cause the box (103) to be forced forwards.

Inventors: FRODELIUS JAN-ERIK, FRODELIUS, JAN-ERIK
Applicants: FRODELIUS JAN ERIK, FRODELIUS, JAN-ERIK
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G11B33
IPC codes: G11B23, G11B33