Patent Application
20100230304
The present invention relates to apparatus for the storage of, a plurality of portable media within a case.
Currently there are a plurality of different types of portable media. By way of example and not limitation, there are SD cards, memory sticks pro duo, XD memory cards, compact flash cards, memory sticks, mini SD cards, micro SD cards. New media devices are constantly being developed all of the time. The one characteristic that all of these devices have in common is that they are all portable and compact. Thus, there is a need for storage devices that are capable of securely storing all of these different types of media. (As used herein, media and media devices shall be used interchangeably.)
As more and more media cards are accumulated, there is a need to organize them without having to put them into a computer to determine what is contained on each card. This can be a time consuming process. Therefore, there is also a need for a storage case in which the contents of all of the media can be easily and quickly ascertained without the use of a computer.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a storage case is provided that comprises at least two compartments, wherein each compartment can fit a media device, the compartment comprising a closeable door to securely lock the media device into place. In a preferred embodiment, the door of each compartment further comprises an area thereon onto which information can be placed to identify the contents of that individual compartment. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each storage card case has dimples on the top of the storage card case and dimples on the bottom thereof. In one preferred embodiment, the dimples of each case are configured such that when multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, the top dimples of each case fit into the bottom, dimples of another case. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, each case is configured such that when multiple storage card cases are stacked onto each other, they nest one on top of the other. The storage card case of the present invention also includes a means to lock each door of each compartment to secure the media device inside. In a preferred embodiment, the locking means comprise plastic grooves on each compartment, whereby the corresponding doors of each compartment lock into the corresponding plastic grooves. However a notch or other means known in the art for locking the doors of each compartment mechanically can be used.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage card cases are put together into a kit which has at least one storage card case having at least two individual compartments, wherein each compartment can fit a media device, the compartment comprising a closeable door to securely lock the media device into place; and at least two of writable devices which can be removably applied directly to the media device enclosed in each compartment. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the kit further comprises multiple storage card cases. In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, each compartment of each storage card case is color coded. In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, some of the doors of each storage card case open from the top, while other doors open from the bottom. Alternatively, some of the doors of each storage card case may open from the left side or from the right side.
The detailed description of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, where like numerals refer to like parts and in which:
In the following descriptions of the invention, terms such as “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” and the like are used herein merely for ease of description and refer to the orientation of the components as shown in the Figures.
Generally, the present invention may be briefly described as follows. Referring first to
In one embodiment, the doors 14 of each compartment are hinged such that they open either from the top or from the bottom as shown in
In a preferred embodiment shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the storage card cases has dimples thereon. In one preferred embodiment as shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, the storage card cases may come as part of a kit. The kit includes at least one storage card case 10 and removable stickers, sticky notes, static cling friction stickers or any other removable labeling device known in the art (not shown) which can be applied directly onto the portable media devices. Thus, in addition to placing identifying information on the door of the compartment, a user can place identifying and other information about each media device directly on the media device. In addition to or lieu of the removable labeling devices, mini envelopes (not shown) may be provided in the kit, such that each media device may be placed into a mini envelope onto which identifying information may be written. Also, in other embodiments of the kit, multiple storage cases 10 are provided.
The presently disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. The embodiments and methods described above are exemplary embodiments and methods of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses of, and departures from, the above-described embodiments and methods without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Thus, the construction of the embodiments and the steps of the methods disclosed herein are not limitations of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is to be defined solely by the scope of the following claims.
