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:
[0001]     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  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to the storage and retrieval of compact disks such as CD&#39;s and DVD&#39;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  
       [0003]     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.  
         [0004]     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.  
         [0005]     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  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing the support means.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a single pouch of the invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a plurality of pouches engaged with the support means of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is an end view of  FIG. 3  displaying the tabular misalignment feature of the invention which affords the screening convenience.  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a planar view depicting a pattern for making the pouch.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a planar view of the divider of the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective of the alternative embodiment showing the dividers engaged with the support means. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]     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 .  
         [0014]     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.  
         [0015]     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.  
         [0016]     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.  
         [0017]     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 .  
         [0018]     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 .  
         [0019]     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.  
         [0020]     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.