Modular storage device

Abstract

A modular storage device includes a housing having a plurality of compartments, and a disc holder disposed in each compartment. The disc holder includes a pair of substantially parallel plate members which are spaced apart from each other. The plate members include confronting faces, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs which project from the confronting faces in opposite directions and which are aligned along directions transverse to the confronting faces. The disc holder is removable from the compartments.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a storage device, more particularly to a modular storage device that may be quickly assembled and disassembled.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional storage device 1 for storing CDs, VCDs, DVDs, etc. comprises a housing 11 and a partition plate 12 mounted within the housing 11 so as to divide the housing 11 into two compartments. The housing 11 has two opposite side panels formed respectively with a series of guide rails 111. The partition plate 12 has two opposite faces formed respectively with a series of guide rails 121 that are aligned horizontally with the corresponding guide rails 111 of the housing 11. The discs can be inserted one by one into two horizontally aligned spaces, each of which is defined by a pair of adjacent guide rails 111, 121.

Because the housing 11 of the conventional storage device 1 is typically designed as an integral unit, it cannot be assembled and disassembled such that it occupies a relatively large space during transport. Furthermore, because the guide rails 111, 121 are fixed in their mounting positions, the housing 11 can only accommodate and store discs of similar dimensions. When a disc having a different dimension has to be stored, an additional storage device for such a disc has to be purchased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a modular storage device that may be quickly assembled and disassembled, that can minimize storage space after disassembly, and that is easily transported.

According to this invention, a modular storage device comprises a housing having a plurality of compartments, and a disc holder disposed in each of the compartments. The disc holder includes a pair of substantially parallel plate members which are spaced apart from each other. The plate members include confronting faces, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs which project from the confronting faces in opposite directions and which are aligned along directions transverse to the confronting faces. The disc holder is removable from the compartments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional storage device;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a modular storage device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment in an assembled state;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating the connection between a plate member and a wall of a housing and between a fence member and the wall of the housing;

FIG. 5 is a partly exploded perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a modular storage device according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment in an assembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the first preferred embodiment of a modular storage device 2 according to the present invention is shown to comprise a housing 21, and a plurality of disc holders 22.

The housing 21 includes two elongated vertical wall panels 210 and two elongated horizontal wall panels 210′ which intersect each other to define a plurality of compartments 23 and to form pairs of vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215. Each of the vertical and horizontal wall panels 210, 210′ is formed with two spaced-apart slits 211 at locations where the vertical and horizontal wall panels 210, 210′ intersect each other.

Each of the disc holders 22 is disposed in one of the compartments 23, and includes a pair of substantially parallel plate members 220 which are spaced apart from each other. The plate members 220 include confronting first faces 221, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs 223 which project from the confronting first faces 221 in opposite directions and which are aligned along directions transverse to the confronting first faces 221. Each disc holder 22 is removable from the respective compartment 23. Each of the plate members 220 further includes a second face 222 opposite to the first face 221.

Each of the plate members 220 engages one of the vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215 through releasable interengaging elements. In this embodiment, the releasable interengaging elements include a slot 212, and a stud 224 engageable with the slot 212. The slot 212 is formed in each of the vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215 of the housing 21, whereas the stud 224 is formed on the second face 222 of each plate member 220. With the intersection of the vertical and horizontal wall panels 210, 210′ in two areas where the slits 211 are formed to thereby define three rows of three of the compartments 23, therefore, each of the vertical and horizontal wall panels 210, 210′ is formed with three spaced-apart slots 212. Engagement of the stud 224 with the slot 212 is best illustrated in FIG. 4.

During assembly, the vertical and horizontal wall panels 210, 210′ intersect each other through the slits 211 so as to define the plurality of compartments 23 and the pairs of vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215. The plate members 220 of each disc holder 22 are engaged respectively to two opposite vertical walls 214 or two opposite horizontal walls 215 of each compartment 23 through engagement of the studs 224 of the plate members 220 with the corresponding slots 212 in the walls 214 or 215. Assembly is thus quickly completed.

To disassemble the storage device 2, engagement between the studs 224 and the corresponding slots 212 is released to thereby remove the plate members 220 from the vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215 of each compartment 23. Next, the vertical and horizontal wall panels 210, 210′ are separated one by one in an easy and quick manner. Because the vertical and horizontal wall panels 210, 210′ and the plate members 220 can be stacked, storage space for the storage device 2 of the present invention is minimized, and the storage device 2 can thus be easily transported.

The storage device 2 of the present invention is used for accommodating and storing objects 3, such as CDs, VCDs, DVDs, etc. The objects 3 are simply inserted one by one into two horizontally or vertically aligned gaps, each of which is defined by a pair of adjacent ribs 223. Since the dimensions and thicknesses of the objects 3 to be stored may differ, the disc holders 22 may be fabricated to have the plate members 220 provided with different gaps between the ribs 223 corresponding to the different thicknesses of the objects 3. Therefore, the user can select a suitable disc holder 22 for replacement of the current one which is disposed in one of the compartments 23. That is, when the objects 3 are thick, a disc holder 22 with larger gaps between the ribs 223 is used, and when the objects 3 are thin, a disc holder 22 with smaller gaps between the ribs 223 is used.

The storage device 2 of the present invention may further comprise a plurality of fence members 25 in the form of rods. Each of the fence members 25 is disposed across each of the compartments 23 in a substantially diagonal direction so as to prevent the objects 3 from falling out of the storage device 2 through a rear of the same. Further, each of the fence members 25 has two opposite hook ends 251 attached respectively to one of the vertical walls 214 and one of the horizontal walls 215. A lateral edge of each of the vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215 is formed with a fixing hole 213 for receiving a respective one of the hook ends 251 of the fence member 25.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the second preferred embodiment of the modular storage device 2 according to the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, each of the disc holders 24 includes an integrally formed four-sided frame which is composed of two pairs of parallel plate members 220, one pair of which is formed with the ribs 223. A substantially rectangular front flange 242 projects outwardly from the pairs of plate members 220. The vertical walls 214 respectively have front vertical edge faces 2141, whereas the horizontal walls 215 respectively have front horizontal edge faces 2151. When the disc holder 24 is disposed within one of the compartments 23, the front flange 242 thereof abuts against the front vertical and horizontal edge faces 2141, 2151 of the vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215.

To disassemble the storage device 2, the disc holders 24 are simply removed from the compartments 23, after which the vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215 are separated one by one. If the fence members 25 are provided in the structure, they are removed prior to separation of the vertical and horizontal walls 214, 215. The objects 3 are similarly inserted one by one into the disc holder 24 to be positioned between the adjacent ribs 223 of the plate members 220. The objects 3 of substantially the same dimensions are placed in the same disc holder 24. The disc holder 24 can be removed from the corresponding compartment 23, and carried by hand to a desired place.

Therefore, the storage device 2 of the present invention is easily and quickly assembled and disassembled. Furthermore, after disassembly, storage space is effectively minimized, and transport of the storage device 2 is convenient.

The disc holders 22, 24 of the first and second preferred embodiments may be interchanged and used in combination with the housing 21 or 21′, so that the storage device 2 of the present invention can have a variety of different arrangements.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A modular storage device comprising: a housing having a plurality of compartments; and a disc holder disposed in each of said compartments and including a pair of substantially parallel plate members which are spaced apart from each other, said plate members including confronting faces, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs which project from said confronting faces in opposite directions and which are aligned along directions transverse to said confronting faces, said disc holder being removable from said compartments.

2. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a pair of vertical walls and a pair of horizontal walls which confine each of said compartments.

3. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing includes elongated vertical and horizontal wall panels which intersect each other to define said compartments and said vertical and horizontal walls.

4. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said vertical and horizontal wall panels are formed with a plurality of slits at locations where they intersect each other.

5. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing further includes releasable interengaging elements to interengage said plate members.

6. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said releasable interengaging elements include a slot and a stud engageable with said slot.

7. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said disc holder includes a four-sided frame which is composed of two pairs of said parallel plate members, one of said pairs of said plate members being formed with said ribs.

8. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said vertical walls respectively have front vertical edge faces, said horizontal walls respectively having front horizontal edge faces, said four-sided frame having a substantially rectangular front flange projecting outwardly from said pairs of plate members to abut against said front vertical and horizontal edge faces when said frame is disposed within one of said compartments.

9. The modular storage device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing further includes a fence member disposed across each of said compartments in a substantially diagonal direction and having two ends attached respectively to one of said vertical walls and one of said horizontal walls.