WO1988008195A1

WO1988008195A1 - Audio cassette box storage

Info

Publication number: WO1988008195A1
Application number: PCT/GB1988/000288
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Misick
Original assignee: BOXTAPE Ltd
Current assignee: BOXTAPE Ltd
Priority date: 1987-04-14
Filing date: 1988-04-14
Publication date: 1988-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-14
Also published as: GB8708922D0

Abstract

Holder units such as audio tape cassette boxes are gripped along one edge in a resilient moulded polymer channel (21, 22) in such a way that they can still open for removal or replacement of their contents. At one end the channel has a cylindrical lug (31) with slit (32) conferring resilient transverse deformability. This lug is held in one of a line of cylindrical recesses (10) extending across the front of a base (1). Thus, the cassette box can be closed and tilted back to be supported adjacent others, in its channel and lying on the base (2) or can be folded forwards and opened with the channel (21, 22), in an upright position, still holding the box at one edge.

Description

AUDIO CASSETTE BOX STORAGE

This invention relates to the storage and presentation of plurality of like, generally rectilinear, articles. It may, for example, be used in the storage of recorded music in the form of discs or tapes, especially as compact discs or digital audio tape, but in a preferred form is concerned with a collection of boxed audio tape cassettes and to the selection of a desired cassette from the collection. For convenience of description the invention will generally be described with reference thereto.

More specifically it relates to the combination of a rack or base member and a number of holder members for mounting thereon, as such or as a suitable kit of parts for subsequent assembly. The invention also relates to the packaging and presentation for sale for such a kit of parts.

Audio tape cassette boxes are manufactured to a standard size and mechanical construction which differs only in minor design respects from one supplier to another. Generally speaking, such a box is rectangular and about 16 x 70 x 108mm in size. It has an openable lid hinged about an axis extending generally down one long side. The lid covers a base or tray holding the cassette. More particularly this tray or base is a rectangle of rigid synthetic polymer integrally formed with a rectangular pocket extending down one long margin, defining by its top, εide and end walls a space to hold one marginal edge (about 15mm deep) of the cassette itself . The rectangular lid has on three sides a surrounding skirt, forming two end walls (each pivoted to a pocket end wall) and a side wall of the box when closed, and includes an elongate opening whereby it does not in the closed position cover the top wall of the pocket in the base. Inside t-he lid two projections are located to enterthe spool holes of the cassette, immobilising both the cassette relative to the box and the spools of tape relative to the cassette.

The whole box is transparent, or may be pigmented grey, or be otherwise opaque at least in part. Often it has a folded slip of card carrying advertising material or the like located over the base and in the side and top walls of the pockets.

The box is light in weight and the rigid synthetic polymeric material of construction is of low surface friction. Storage of a collection of cassette boxes in a space-saving stack or row is not in fact simple, and typically such a stack or row of boxes falls over when a selection is made.

The present invention sets out in one aspect to provide (as a kit of parts or as an assembled unit) a combination of a base or rack and a number of independent cassette box holders. The assembly is intended to store a collection of audio tape cassette boxes in such a way that individual boxes can be chosen, removed, opened, closed, and replaced without affecting storage of the collection. That is to say, the cassette boxes are retained upon the base thus ensuring the position in the storage system which remains unchanged unless specifically altered. ore particularly, the invention sets out to provide such a combination using a base or rack itself further assemblable to house a larger collection, and the total assembly subsequently formed. Moreover, the invention extends to the provision of a particular packaging and presentation of the kit of component parts of such assemblies.

In one aspect therefore the invention consists in the combination of a base member and a plurality of channel-shaped holders each dimensioned to hold within the channel one long edge of a standard audio cassette box in a openable state: in which the base member has a plurality of recesses of arcuate transverse internal cross-section and each channel at one end thereof has a complementary arcuate fixing lug capable of locating within but movable in relation to the recess, the recesses and/or the fixing lugs being of a configuration and/or flexibility whereby they can be pushed together for assembly and allow each assembled holder to pivot by its lug within the recess, all of the notional pivot axes thereby defined being aligned, between a first limit position where a gripped box stands on or overlies the base and a second limit position where a gripped box is presented for opening and cassette removal.

Preferably, the recesses, and hence the assembled channels and boxes, are located side-by-side and closely adjacent. Preferably, moreover the base component is so configured as to be assemblable to another like base component at one or both sides.

An important feature in the present invention is the provision of the recesses giving aligned axes of rotation. Generally the recesses are of generally cylindrical shape and accommodate a generally cylindrical lug which is provided with an elongate slot to confer transverse resilience and flexibility.

In another aspect the invention consists in the kit of parts as described above, comprising the base and a plurality of the channels.

In a f'urther aspect the invention consists in the kit of parts as defined above packed upon a display card and covered and held by a common transparent locating and immobilising cover of generally rectangular configuration.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figures 1 to 7 relate to a base or tray.

Figures 8 to 12 relate to a holder member which can be assembled to the tray, and

Figures 13 and 14 relate to the display of a kit of parts. More particularly.

Figure 1 shows a top view of a base.

Figure 2 shows the underside of the base.

Figure 3 shows a side view in the direction of arrow III of Figure 2, Figure 4 shows a partial side view in the direction of arrow IV of Figure 2,

Figure 5 shows a section along the line V-V of Figure 1,

Figure 6 shows a section along the line VI-VI of Figure 1.

Figure 7 shows in a larger scale a recess configuration and three relevant cross-sections respectively along the lines AA-BB and CC as indicated.

Figure 8 shows a top view of a holder channel, looking in a direction in which a cassette box enters.

Figure 9 shows a transverse section along the lines IX-IX of Figure 8,

Figure 10 shows a longitudinal section along the lines X-X of Figure 9,

Figure 11 shows a transverse section along the lines Xl-Xl of Figure 9,

Figure 12 shows a side view in the direction of arrow Xll of Figure 8, Figure 13 shows the front view of a packaged kit of parts, and

Figure 14 shows a side view in the direction of arrow X1V-X1V of Figure 12.

The base 1 is a moulded structure with flat support surface 2 and rear ridge 3. It has a configured front margin generally indicated at 4. The front margin 4 has an inner region 5, stepped down at 6 from support surface 2, and an outer region 7 communicating with inner region 5 by slant surface 8. It has a sloping frontmost edge 9.

In the front marginal region 4 are located ten identical recesses 10. The number of recesses actually used can of course vary. Each recess 10 is generally rectangular in periphery but possesses a bay 11 halfway along the inner long wall. In transverse cross-section each recess is mostly part circular, as shown at 12, with an upwardly slanting lead surface 13 towards the front. The centres of the circular cross-section of each successive recess are in alignment. Along the base of each recess extends a pair of aligned through slots 14. Figure 1 shows the general layout of the recesses, and Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate on a larger scale the nature of each recess. Figure 2 shows the positioning of the slots 14 from below.

One side edge of the base, at 15 possesses two negative dove-tail configurations 16, 17 open at the underside of the base (Figure 2). Complementary positive dove-tail configurations 18 and 19 are provided at the other side edge of the base (see Figure 4, a scrap view) whereby more than one base can be assembled side-by-side using a dove tail fixing. The end wall or spacing of each end recess 10 is thinner than the intermediate spacing so that on assembly of two bases the equal spacing of recesses is preserved.

A single holder 20 is shown in Figure 8 to 12. The base can carry ten such holders which are again moulded structures.

Predominantly, the holder is a clear basically rigid but to some extent flexible polymer channel formed by side walls 21 and base 22. Each side wall 21 has an internal shallow rib 23, along its distal edge. At one end of the channel each rib 23 has a chamfer 23a, as lead-in surfaces for loading the cassette box, either by lengthwise sliding or by corner placement and rotation into the channel. Ribs 23 also each possess an upwardly projecting end lug 24. The base of the channel possesses small spacing ribs 25 along its length, to prevent the cassette boxes and holder from scratches.

At the end of the channel 21, 22 is inclined portion 26, unribbed either at its walls or base but otherwise having generally the same profile as the remainder of the channel. It terminates in base portion 27 and cross wall 28 carrying two chambers 29 which allow the cassette box to open wider while still held (as described below) .

At the line where base portion 27 and wall 28 meet, and in continuation of the general line of the inclined portion, is a neck 30 attaching a cylindrical fixing member 31 (transverse to the channel direction) with a major longitudinal slot 32 therein.

To use the combination of the base and the holder, a cassette box is first fitted into the channel 20 by pushing. The various ribs 23, 25, the lugs 24, and the wall 28 position the box which is gripped by the resilience of the channel walls along its whole length at the outside surface of the "pocket" region of the conventional cassette box base. Since channel walls 21 are shallow, there is no hindrance to opening and closing the cassette box in the usual manner. The cylindrical fixing member 31 is then pressed into one of the recesses 10. Because a modicum of flexibility is given by slot 32 on the cylindrical fixing member and by slots 14 in the recess, simple finger pressure can bring about such assembly. Thereafter, the cylindrical fixing member can rotate snugly but without hindrance in the recess, between (i) a first limit position where a shorter edge of the gripped cassette box lies on support surface 2 and the outer face of the wall 28 lies along the inner marginal region 5 and (ii) a second limit position where the underside of the channel base portion 27 lies against the outer marginal region 7 of the base. At this second limit position the box can be opened and the cassette is thus presented for selection.

Because the recesses are aligned to define a single line of pivoting all of the assembled channel units are neatly aligned in each limit position. Thus, in contradistinction to the prior art, no surrounding box or frame is needed. Moreover, the present invention is so embodied that the whole marginal region of the cassette box is gripped, without however affecting opening of the box, so that adhesive pads or compositions as suggested by the prior art where only a corner of the box is attached, can be avoided. Also, the press assembly and mutually aligned axes of the individual holders is a novel and advantageous feature in comparison to the known art which threads holders on a journalling member.

Moreover, since the base is a flat rectangle and the holders are shallow identical elongate channels, the invention can be readily packed and presented as a kit of parts, as compared to the structures shown in the prior art which involve assembly of a box like frame and small corner holders threaded on a journal. A typical pack is shown in Figures 13 and 14 and comprises a display card 33 with a hanging slot 34 upon which card, and within clear polymer cover 35, are located a base 1 and ten channels 20. The channels, being identical, stack neatly side-by-side as shown. Lugs 24 facilitate attractive parallel stacking. Also they are elongate and about the same length dimension as the width of the base, so that they fit readily into one pack of conventional structure. Moreover, all of the parts are instantly visible within the pack. Also, the channels have a width not substantially greater than the depth of the base and can therefore be packed under the same polymer "blister" since dimension 35a and 35b (Figure 14) are not widely different.

The above description, for convenience, has largely related to the storage of audio tape cassette boxes. However, other light articles can be stored, whether of a similar nature (compact discs, digital audio tape) or otherwise (boxes of components, spares, books, museum collections, etc). Thus, in a generalised form, the invention consists in the combination of a base member and a plurality of holders each dimensioned to hold an openable or unfoldable unit of a display or collection in which the base member has a plurality of recesses of arcuate transverse internal cross-section and each holder at one end thereof has a complementary arcuate fixing lug capable of locating, within but movable in relation to the recess, the recesses and/or the fixing lugs being of a configuration and/or flexibility whereby they can be pushed together for assembly and allow each assembled holder to pivot by its lug within the recess, all of the notional pivot axes thereby defined being aligned, between a first limit position where a held unit in closed or folded form stands on or overlies the base and a second limit position where a held unit is present for opening or unfolding.

Claims

l.The combination of a base member and a plurality of channel-shaped holders each dimensioned to hold within the channel one long edge of a standard audio cassette box in a openable state: in which the base member has a plurality of recesses of arcuate transverse internal cross-section and each channel at one end thereof has a complementary arcuate fixing lug capable of locating within but movable in relation to the recess, the recesses and/or the fixing lugs being of a configuration and/or flexibility whereby they can be pushed together for assembly and allow each assembled holder to pivot by its lug within the recess, all of the notional pivot axes thereby defined being aligned, between a first limit position where a gripped box stands on or overlies the base and a second limit position where a gripped box is presented for opening and cassette removal.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the said recesses are located side-by-side and closely adjacent.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 or in which the base component is so configured as to be capable of assembly to another like base component at one or both sides.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the said recesses are generally cylindrical shape, and the said lugs are of similarly generally cylindrical and each provided with an elongate slot to confer transfer resilience and flexibility.

5. A kit of parts comprising the assembled combination of claim 1.

6. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 5 packed upon a display card and covered and held by a common transparent locating and immobilising cover of generally rectangular configuration.

7.The combination of a base member and a plurality of holders each dimensioned to hold an openable or unfoldable unit of a display or collection in which the base member has a plurality of recesses of arcuate transverse internal cross-section and each holder at one end thereof has a complementary arcuate fixing lug capable of locating within but movable in relation to the recess, the recesses and/or the fixing lugs being of a configuration and/or flexibility whereby they can be pushed together for assembly and allow each assembled holder to pivot by its lug within the recess, all of the notional pivot axes thereby defined being aligned. between a first limit position where a held unit in closed or folded form stands on or overlies the base and a second limit position where a held unit is present for opening or unfolding.