Abstract:
A motorized compact disc tower rack can hold a high number of jewel cases in a series of belt arranged spacing sleeves which rotates between two main side supports. The side supports may accommodate side lighting for effect, as well as top lighting illumination for showcasing the jewel cases as they pass from one side of the belt to the other by flipping over the top and underneath the bottom. The side sectional shape of the path of the conveyor plurality of spacing sleeves is radiused more sharply at the top to more dramatically physically illustrate the jewel case at the top which transitions from one side of the belt arranged spacing sleeves. At the base of the tower, and forward and reverse actuation switches enable a user to select the forward or rearward movement of the conveyor of the plurality of spacing sleeves. Ideally, the user will simply watch the jewel cases as they increase their adjacent angular spacing as they flip move over the top of the tower where they are easily seen and easily grasped at the upper portion of the conveyor arrangement.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of entertainment display and storage devices, and more particularly to providing a tower height revolving stand for storing, displaying and viewably reviewing compact disc jewel cases in a manner which readily enables identification and selection, as well as in controlling the manner of display. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Compact disc technology enables significant data to be placed on a disk of limited size. While the reduction in size has benefitted overall ownership, the shape of the compact discs and the jewel cases in which they are sold and stored has so reduced the end edge area for indicating the contents of the case that storing the compact discs flat in a long stack reduces the area for indicating the contents of the jewel case to such an extent that it is difficult to review the compact discs available. Storing the jewel cases in stacks where direct case-to-case contact is had also tends to scratch and damage the jewel cases. Each time the jewel cases are manually handled, more scratches occur. 
     Other compact disc support and storage structures are known. In one example, an individual jewel case support can be mounted on walls to give a tile effect and to show off the cases. In another example, a vertical square edge metal stand can have a series of cuts to accommodate each jewel case, with each case held in a cantilevered fashion. This also contributes to damaging the case since the pressure points are likely to be applied to the case at locations other than the edges. 
     What is therefore needed is a device which strikes an advantageous balance between the need to display the compact disc jewel cases, storage of the jewel cases, and selection and replacement into a storage medium without damage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A motorized compact disc tower rack can hold a high number of jewel cases in a series of belt arranged spacing sleeves which rotates between two main side supports. The side supports may accommodate side lighting for effect, as well as top lighting illumination for showcasing the jewel cases as they pass from one side of the belt to the other by flipping over the top and underneath the bottom. The side sectional shape of the path of the conveyor plurality of spacing sleeves is radiused more sharply at the top to more dramatically physically illustrate the jewel case at the top which transitions from one side of the belt arranged spacing sleeves. The bottom larger radius turn provides a more gentle transition since the jewel cases are not typically viewed at the bottom. 
     The jewel cases insert into the sleeves at the front of the rack typically with the title information readable from the front as a vertical series of labels. The jewel cases are arranged at the top of the conveyor plurality of spacing sleeves so that the jewel case information faces in the same direction as the front of the rack. In this orientation, and regardless of the direction of travel of the conveyor belt arrangement of plurality of spacing sleeves, the jewel cases will flip over the top with the main face of the jewel case facing the front of the tower. 
     At the base of the tower, and forward and reverse actuation switches enable a user to select the forward or rearward movement of the conveyor of the plurality of spacing sleeves. Ideally, the user will simply watch the jewel cases as they flip over the top of the tower as the jewel cases travel up the front, flipping toward the back and down the back side of the tower, or as the jewel cases travel up the back, flipping toward the front and down the front side of the tower. A jewel case can be easily grasped at the upper portion of the conveyor arrangement of the plurality of spacing sleeves since the jewel cases are at maximum angular displacement with respect to adjacent jewel cases at that point. The adjacent angular displacement both helps the user to review the face of each jewel case and to grasp the case of interest. An optional spotlight illumination concentrates attention on the top jewel cases as they appear at their maximum angular displacement. Other options include side lighting which reacts to the audio level of music being played. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention, its configuration, construction, and operation will be best further described in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the compact disc motorized tower of the present invention and illustrating the component parts thereof; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective assembled view of the compact disc motorized tower of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram to illustrate one of several control schemes which may be used to operate the compact disc motorized tower rack of FIGS. 1 &amp; 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of two of the compact disc motorized towers of the present invention with two of their side stabilization feet removed and shown in interlocked side-by-side view with a single stabilization foot shown at each end. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The description and operation of the invention will be best initiated with reference to FIG.  1  and which illustrates a compact disc jewel case motorized rack  21 , or simply rack  21 . From the bottom of FIG. 1, a base plate  23  provides a non damaging stable bottom surface upon which the rack  21  will be supported in a stable manner. A base cover  25  fits onto the base plate  23  typically with a series of screws  27 . The base plate  23  includes a pair of alignment guides  29  which assist in aligning and stabilizing the base cover  25  onto the base plate  23 . 
     Slidably mounted into the space between the base plate  23  and base cover  25  is a battery tray  31  having end contact inserts  33  for forming contact with aligned batteries which are to power the rack  21 . A pair of oversized buttons  35  and  37  have boomerang “V” shaped direction arrows and are shown to mount within apertures  39  and  41 , respectively of the base cover  25 . The buttons  35  and  37  are upwardly urgingly supported by springs  43 . A center insert button  45  may be used to operate as an on/off switch, or to enable side lighting or sound reactive lighting or top spot lighting or all of these functions. 
     A side  47  of the base cover  25  includes a pair of male projections  49  which mate with a side stabilization foot  51  having mating female spaces (not seen) to accommodate the male projections  49 . A side  53  of the base cover  25  includes a pair of female spaces which mate with male projections  55  of a side stabilization foot  57 . The side stabilization feet  57  and  51  are used when the rack  21  is used singly. The arrangement of projections  49  and  55  enable the covers  25  to be laterally attached to other units for use as a bank of such racks. An electrical connection  59  is shown for electrical connection to an adjacent rack  21  to enable a bank of such racks to operate simultaneously. As can be seen from the orientation of FIG. 1, linking two adjacent racks  21  together simply involves removing the stabilization foot  51  of one rack  21  and the stabilization foot  57  of an adjacent rack  21  and mechanically connecting the adjacent racks  21  together in the same manner as the stabilization feet  51  &amp;  57  were attached to a single cover  25 . Linking adjacent racks  21  with the electrical connector  59  is optional. 
     Bottom plates  61  and  63  provide bottom access to the space between the base cover  25  &amp; base plate  23 . An additional rear access panel  65  is also seen. The base cover  25  includes a first and second support projection  67  and  69  which engage and support a side support  71  and  73 , respectively. Side supports  71  and  73  are typically dish formed structures having stable dependence from the support projections  67  and  69 . Adjacent the upper side of side support  71  a motor  75  is seen located next to a motor support and gear set  77 . In assembled configuration, the motor  75  supported by the motor support and gear set  77  is supported generally compactly within the space between the side supports  71  and  73 . Below the motor support and gear set  77  is an intermediate support  79  about half way between base cover  25  and motor support and gear set  77 . Both the motor support and gear set  77  and intermediate support  79  and the first and second support projection  67  and  69  act to stabilize all of the supported members dependent thereon. 
     The rack  21  utilizes only three principle gears or gear sets to drive a continuous belt arranged spacing sleeves of which only four are seen at the top of the rack  21  and which are described below. The gear sets are arranged with one at the top and two nearer the bottom which may be nearer each other than the top gear set. The two gear sets below may be arranged in a level parallel fashion or may be vertically offset in addition to being forwardly and rearwardly offset. This forms a triangular shape, when taken from the side, a generally isosceles triangular arrangement. This isosceles triangular arrangement provides a more sharply defined angular turn at the top thereof in order to better illustrate the greater area flat sides of the jewel cases supported. 
     An axle  81  engages a drive wheel  83  and a pair of sprockets  85 . The axle  81  extends through the top of the motor support and gear set  77  and takes support from the side support  71  and  73 , one fitting  87  of which is shown in the side support  71 . Axle  81  and sprockets  85  form the upper gear set of the isosceles arranged gear sets and it is the gear set which is directly linked to the gear set of motor support and gear set  77 . The side supports  71  and  73  are generally identical. A series of color strips  89  may be mounted against the side supports  71  and  73  and may or may not be lighted by lights  91 . The lights  91  may be of the incandescent type, light emitting diode type, and/or may include a fluorescent tube  93 . Even where the fluorescent tube  93  is used, the diodes  91  can be used to modulate in response to surrounding sound level. Also seen with regard to side support  73  are a pair of color panels  95 . All color panels  95  and color strips  89  are preferably light transmitting members which can transmit light occurring within and between the side supports  71  &amp;  73 , and generally add to the decorative nature of the rack both when illuminated and when not illuminated. 
     Adjacent side support  73  an upper support  97  lies opposite and engages the motor support portion of motor support and gear set  77 . Below upper support  97 , an intermediate support  99  lies opposite and engages intermediate support  79 . 
     A sprocket set  101  rotates on an axle  103  opposite a sprocket set  105  on an axle  107 . Sprocket sets  101  and  105  form the pair of lower gear sets of the isosceles triangular arrangement. Sprocket sets  101  and  105  merely act to give some spaced apart front and rear angularity to the continuous belt arranged spacing sleeves as they approach the lower extent of their travel. A lower set of rollers  109  turn on an axle  111 . All of the sprockets  101 ,  105 , &amp;  85  and rollers  109  act to support a plurality of jewel case supports configured as a belt  113 . Only four of the individual supports  115  are actually seen, with the extent and remainder of the supports represented by a dashed line  117 . The individual ones of the supports  115  may be attached to adjacent supports  115  by any type of hinging mechanism which is sufficient to support a jewel case in somewhat of a cantilevered fashion, so that the forces in supporting a jewel case in a substantially horizontal position can be borne by the belt  113  in supporting each of the supports  115 . 
     Each support  115  has ends  119  and a mid section  121  which provide a partial cup to and support for at least a part of the 5 sides of the six sided rectangular solid shape of the jewel cases which will fit in each support  115 . The curving shape of the supports provides a more attractive look in the event that the whole belt  113  of supports  115  is not completely occupied. The sprocket sets  101  and  105  and the roller set  109  guides and provides stability and tension for the belt  113 . The battery tray  31  and switches under the buttons  35  and  37  energize the motor  75  to power the gear set of the motor support and gear set  77  to cause the belt  113  to turn about the sprockets  85 ,  101 ,  105  and rollers  109 . 
     Also shown is a pair of optional flexible fiber optic illumination extension  125 . The illumination extension  125  is utilized to spotlight the jewel cases at the top of the rack  21  as they pass. The ability to position the extension  125  is important so that the light will be directed back onto the jewel cases. Although two extensions  125  are shown, such is completely optional and only one or none need be used. Where one extension  125  is used, it may preferably be longer so that it may be directed over and downward onto the jewel cases as they pass in review. Also seen on the side support  75  are a number of slots  127  which admit light through the color strips  89 . Also seen is a power inlet  129  see on the battery tray  31  to enable battery charging as well as operation through a battery charger or battery replacement transformer, preferably for supplying a direct current supply of power. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a perspective view of the rack  21  is seen with the full number of supports  115  arranged as a belt to travel in a continuous loop between the side supports  71  and  73 . J Also seen are four jewel cases  151  at the top of FIG. 2 to illustrate the angular separation which occurs at the top of the rack  21 . Also shown are three jewel cases in generally parallel orientation on the back side of the rack  21  to show the general parallel orientation as well as to show the general parallel and separated orientation of the jewel cases  151  when they are at their most closely adjacent condition. As such, each jewel case  151  is protected, its edge can be seen, and thus it can be selected from either the top of the rack  21  or from the sides. The supports  115  can be formed to adequately grasp each jewel case  151  by friction fit along the edges or any other mechanism to enable the jewel case  151  to be supported in any orientation. At the bottom of the belt  113 , note that there is adequate clearance for the jewel cases  151  and that the jewel cases  151  will not fall from its support  115  even in a completely inverted position as it passes closest to the base cover  25  between the side supports  71  and  73 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, one possible control scheme is shown in a block diagram. Drive motor  75  is as was seen in FIG. 1. A MOTOR SWITCH block  161  is electrically connected to the drive motor  75  and represents the switches associated with the buttons  35  and  37  seen in FIG.  1 . MOTOR SWITCH block  161  enables power from a BATTERY SUPPLY block  163  which represents the batteries which would fit in the battery tray  31 . 
     BATTERY SUPPLY block  163  is connected to an ILLUMINATION SELECTION CONTROL block  165  and may be controlled with the button  45  seen in FIG. 1 or it may be an automatic control. An ILLUMINATION SELECTION CONTROL block  165  is also connected to an AUDIO MODULATION block  167 . The AUDIO MODULATION block  167 , along with the ILLUMINATION SELECTION CONTROL block  165 , are also connected to individual lights  91 . In this configuration, audio modulation control can be had through the illumination selection control or direct, and the individual lights  91  can be energized by either or both of the ILLUMINATION SELECTION CONTROL block  165  or AUDIO MODULATION block  167 . Also connected to the ILLUMINATION SELECTION CONTROL block  165  is the illumination extension  125  seen in FIGS. 1 &amp; 2, and the fluorescent lighting  93  seen in FIG.  1 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4, a pair of racks  21  are shown in side by side relation as a pair of engaged racks. Side stabilization foot  51  is removed from the rack  21  on the left and side stabilization foot  57  is removed from the rack  21  on the right in order to interlock the base cover  25  and base plate  23  assemblies together. The side stabilization of the two racks  21  is bolstered. In addition, where the electrical connections  59  are connected, power may be shared, or actuation may occur simultaneously, or the modes of operation may be distributed. 
     While the present invention has been described in terms of a motorized compact disc for storing, displaying and viewably reviewing compact disc jewel cases in the form of a tower, the principles contained therein are applicable to other appliances using a belt-type movement of stored articles for storage, display, review and in which the articles can be both removed and replaced in a structure having a sturdy support. 
     Although the invention has been derived with reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, included within the patent warranted hereon are all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of this contribution to the art.