Claims
- 1. A holder adapted to hold an object that can be one of a first size and a second size, the holder comprising:
first and second fingers retained a spaced-apart distance from each other by a base to admit the object and expose at least part of the object for user selection and removal from the holder; a retention member extending from one of said first and second fingers; and first and second tabs extending from the retention member in a direction toward the other of the first and second fingers, said first tab adapted to frictionally retaining at least a portion of the object when the object is the first size, said second tab adapted to frictionally retaining at least a portion of the object when the object is the second size.
- 2. The holder as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
a male holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; and a female holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; wherein said male holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a female holder-engaging mechanism on a first adjacent holder, and said female holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a male holder-engaging mechanism on a second adjacent holder.
- 3. The holder as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
a male holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base with a slot extending through said base, said slot located adjacent to said male holder-engaging mechanism; and a female holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; and wherein said male holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a female holder-engaging mechanism on a first adjacent holder, and said female holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a male holder-engaging mechanism on a second adjacent holder.
- 4. The holder as recited in claim 3, wherein the female holder-engaging mechanism of one holder includes a distal end which is shaped to be received in the slot located adjacent the male holder-engaging mechanism of another holder.
- 5. A holder adapted to hold an object that can be one of a first size and a second size, the holder comprising:
first and second fingers retained a spaced-apart distance from each other by a base to admit the object and expose at least part of the object for user selection and removal from the holder; an adjustable retention member extending from and slidable relative to one of said first and second finger; and first and second tabs extending from said retention member in a direction toward the other of said first and second fingers, said first tab adapted to frictionally retaining at least a portion of the object when the object is the first size, said second tab adapted to frictionally retaining at least a portion of the object when the object is the second size.
- 6. The holder as recited in claim 5, wherein said one of said first and second fingers includes a pair of rails on which the adjustable retention member is slidable.
- 7. The holder as recited in claim 5, wherein said adjustable retention member is slidable between at least a down position and an up position.
- 8. The holder as recited in claim 7, further comprising:
an upper hole and lower hole located on said one of said first and second fingers; a protrusion located on said adjustable retention member; and wherein said protrusion rests within the lower hole when said adjustable retention member is in the down position, and said protrusion rests within said upper hole when said adjustable retention member is in the up position.
- 9. The holder as recited in claim 5, further comprising:
a male holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; and a female holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; wherein said male holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a female holder-engaging mechanism on a first adjacent holder, and said female holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a male holder-engaging mechanism on a second adjacent holder.
- 10. The holder as recited in claim 5, further comprising:
a male holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base with a slot extending through said base, said slot located adjacent to said male holder-engaging mechanism; and a female holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base: wherein said male holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a female holder-engaging mechanism on a first adjacent holder, and said female holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a male holder-engaging mechanism on a second adjacent holder.
- 11. The holder as recited in claim 10, wherein the female holder-engaging mechanism of one holder includes a distal end which is shaped to be received in the slot located adjacent the male holder-engaging mechanism of another holder.
- 12. A holder adapted to hold an object that can be one of a first size and a second size, the holder comprising:
first and second fingers retained a spaced-apart distance from each other by a base to admit the object and expose at least part of the object for user selection and removal from the holder; an adjustable retention member extending from and slidable relative to one of said first and second fingers; and a tab extending from said retention member, said tab is adapted to frictionally retaining at least a portion of the object when the object is the first size and said adjustable retention member is slidably adjusted to a first height, said tab is adapted to frictionally retain at least a portion of the object when the object is the second size and said adjustable retention member is slidably adjusted to a second height.
- 13. A holder that can hold an object, the holder comprising:
first and second fingers retained a spaced-apart distance from each other by a base to admit the object and expose at least an end of the object, which end is located distally from said base, for user selection and removal from the holder; a retention member extending from an end of one of said first and second fingers and said retention member located distally from said base; and a first tab extending from the retention member in a direction toward the other of the first and second fingers, said first tab adapted to frictionally retaining at least an end of the object.
- 14. The holder as recited in claim 13, further comprising:
a holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; and wherein said holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a holder-engaging mechanism on an adjacent holder.
- 15. The holder as recited in claim 13, further comprising:
a holder engaging mechanism extending from said base with a slot extending through said base, and slot located adjacent to said holder-engaging mechanism; and wherein said holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a holder-engaging mechanism on a first adjacent holder, and said holder-engaging mechanism is disposed to matingly interlock with a holder-engaging mechanism on a second adjacent holder.
- 16. The holder as recited in claim 15, wherein the holder-engaging mechanism of one holder includes a distal end which is shaped to be received in a slot of an adjacent holder.
- 17. A holder adapted to hold an object that can be one of a first size and a second size, the holder comprising:
first and second fingers retained a spaced-apart distance from each other by a base to admit the object and expose at least an end of the object, which end is located distally from said base, for user selection and removal from the holder; an adjustable retention member extending from and slidable relative to one of said first and said second fingers; and a first tab extending from said retention member in a direction toward the other of said first and second fingers, said first tab adapted to frictionally retaining the end of the object.
- 18. The holder as recited in claim 17, wherein said one of said first and second fingers includes a rail on which the adjustable retention member is slidable.
- 19. The holder as recited in claim 17, wherein said adjustable retention member is slidable between at least a down position and an up position.
- 20. The holder as recited in claim 17, further comprising:
an upper hole and lower hole located on a surface of said one of said first and second fingers; a protrusion located in said adjustable retention member; and wherein said protrusion rests within the lower hole when said adjustable retention member is in the down position, and rests within said upper hole when said adjustable retention member is in the up position.
- 21. A holder that can be used to form a continuous loop of matingly interlocked holders that can be rotated by a sprocket, each holder adapted to retain an object and comprising:
a first finger extending from a base, said first finger including a retention member extending therefrom, said retention member having a first tab and a second tab extend therefrom, with the second tab being further spaced from the base in order to retain a large object than can be retained by the first tab; a male coupling mechanism extending from said base; a female coupling mechanism extending from said base; and
wherein a male coupling mechanism on a first said holder is disposed to matingly interlock with a female coupling mechanism on a second said holder, such that said female coupling mechanism of each said holder is adapted to be seated in a groove of said sprocket as each holder rotates around the sprocket.
- 22. The holder of claim 21, wherein said retention member is flexible.
- 23. A holder that can be used to form a continuous loop of matingly interlocked holders that can be rotated by a sprocket, each holder adapted to retaining an object and comprising:
a first finger extending from a base, said first finger including a retention member selectively extendable therefrom, to at least one extended position; a first tab, and with the retention members in the extended position said tab is located further from said base than with the retention member in a non-extended position; a male coupling mechanism extending outward from said base; a female coupling mechanism extending outward from said base; and wherein a male coupling mechanism on a first said holder is disposed to matingly interlock with a female coupling mechanism on a second said holder, such that said female coupling mechanism of each said holder is adapted to be seated in a groove of said sprocket as each holder rotates around the sprocket.
- 24. The holder of claim 23, wherein said retention member is flexible
- 25. A holder adapted to retain an object, the holder comprising:
(a) first and second fingers retained a spaced-apart distance from each other by a base, said base, said first finger and said second finger being sufficiently adapted to admit at least one object while exposing at least part of the object for user selection and removal from said holder, one of said first and second fingers having a track; (b) an object retention member that slidably engages and travels on said track of said one of said first and second fingers; (c) a male holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; and (d) a female holder-engaging mechanism extending from said base; wherein a male holder-engaging mechanism on a first said holder is disposed to matingly interlock with a female holder-engaging mechanism on a second said holder, and a female holder-engaging mechanism on said first said holder is disposed to matingly interlock with a male holder-engaging mechanism on a third said holder.
- 26. The holder of claim 1 wherein said holder is adapted to hold one of a DVD case of a first size and of a second size.
- 27. The holder of claim 5 wherein said holder is adapted to hold one of a DVD case of a first size and of a second size.
- 28. The holder of claim 12 wherein said holder is adapted to hold one of a DVD case of a first size and of a second size.
- 29. The holder of claim 17 wherein said holder is adapted to hold one of a DVD case of a first size and of a second size.
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/386,109, filed on Jun. 5, 2002, and No. 60/386,004, filed on Jun. 5, 2002, and which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application is related to co-pending application: “STORAGE AND DISPLAY RACK FOR DVDs,” U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed on Jan. 30, 2003 [SHPR-01048USF], which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/215,793, filed on Aug. 9, 2002, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/215,767, filed on Aug. 9, 2002, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/215,745, filed on Aug. 9, 2002, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/215,744, filed on Aug. 9, 2002, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/215,743, filed on Aug. 9, 2002, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/215,696, filed on Aug. 9, 2002, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/873,807, filed on Jun. 4, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/721,001, filed on Nov. 22, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,088, which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/625,228, filed on Jul. 24, 2000, and which is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/240,308, filed on Jan. 29, 1999, now abandoned, and which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60386109 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
|
60386004 |
Jun 2002 |
US |