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 of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional storage device for compact discs;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another conventional storage device for compact discs;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a storage device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a drawer of the first preferred embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment taken along line V-V of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating a drawer of a storage device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified example of the present invention, which is used to exemplify how the present invention may be expanded;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a storage device according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating a drawer of the third preferred embodiment; and
FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating a drawer of a storage device according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that the same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the specification.
Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, a storage device 4 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is adapted to hang a plurality of disc holders 3 each including a pocket 31 to receive a disc 8 therein, and two hook members 32 projecting outwardly and respectively from two opposite top sides of the pocket 31. The storage device 4 comprises a casing 5 and a plurality of drawers 6.
The casing 5 includes a bottom wall 51, two lateral walls 52 extending upwardly and respectively from two opposite lateral ends of the bottom wall 51, a top wall 53 interconnecting top ends of the lateral walls 52, and a plurality of pairs of horizontal rails 54 (only one horizontal rail 54 is shown in FIG. 3) that project inwardly and respectively from inner surfaces of the lateral walls 52, that are spaced apart vertically from each other, and that extend between the top and bottom ends of the lateral walls 52. A door panel 7 is connected pivotally to a front end of one of the lateral walls 52 to openably close the casing 5.
The drawers 6 are disposed in the casing 5, and are slidable along the respective pairs of the rails 54. The number of the drawers 6 corresponds to the number of pairs of the rails 54. Each drawer 6, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, includes a drawer frame 61 having two opposite lateral plates 611 parallel to the lateral walls 52, respectively, two horizontal slides 62 provided respectively on outer surfaces of the lateral plates 611 to engage slidably a respective pair of the rails 54, a front plate 612 interconnecting front ends of the lateral plates 611, and a rear plate 613 interconnecting rear ends of the lateral plates 611. The drawer frame 6 opens at top and bottom ends thereof for extension of the disc holders 3 therethrough.
Each lateral plate 611 of the drawer frame 61 has a first retainer 63 projecting inwardly from an inner surface thereof. The first retainer 63 extends horizontally, and has a top end face 630, and a first hook-engaging portion 633 projecting upwardly from the top end face 630 and adapted to engage one of the hook members 32 of each disc holder 3. The first retainer 63 and the first hook-engaging portion 633 thereof extend in full length of the respective lateral plate 611. In this embodiment, the first retainer 63 of each lateral plate 611 is a block that projects from the inner surface of the respective lateral plate 611.
The front plate 612 of the drawer frame 61 has a pull portion 614 projecting forwardly from the center thereof and away from the rear plate 613. The rear plate 613 is connected to rear ends of the first retainers 63 of the lateral plates 611. To store a disc 8, the user first places the disc 8 inside the pocket 31 of one of the disc holders 3, opens the door panel 7, and pulls out one of the drawer frames 61 through the pull portion 614 so as to extend a portion of the drawer frame 61 out of the casing 5. The disc holder 3 having the disc 8 is then engaged to the first hook-engaging portions 633 of the first retainers 63 of the lateral plates 611 through the hook members 32, after which the pulled out drawer frame 61 is pushed back to its original position, and the door panel 7 is closed.
Referring to FIG. 6, a drawer 6 of a storage device 4 (see FIG. 3) according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the first retainer 63′ of each lateral plate 611 of the drawer frame 61 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) has a vertical plate portion 631 attached to and extending along the length of the respective lateral plate 611, and a horizontal plate portion 632 extending inwardly from a top end of the vertical plate portion 631. The first hook-engaging portion 633′ of the first retainer 63′ projects upwardly from an inner end of the horizontal plate portion 632, and extends along the length of the horizontal plate portion 632 to engage one of the hook members 32 of each disc holder 3.
FIG. 7 illustrates how the storage device 4 of each of the first and second preferred embodiments may be expanded. As illustrated, the casing 5 may have a partition wall 55 to divide the casing 5 into two chambers for respectively accommodating two columns of the drawers 6. There is no limit to the extent of such expansion, and the number of columns of the drawers 6 may be increased as needed.
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a storage device (4a) according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the drawer frame (61a) of each drawer (6a) further has a second retainer 64 disposed between the first retainers 63. The second retainer 64 has front and rear ends connected respectively to the front and rear plates (612a) (the rear plate is not shown), a top end face 641, and two horizontally spaced-apart second hook-engaging portions 642 projecting upwardly from the top end face 641 of the second retainer 64. The front plate (612a) of each drawer (6a) has two pull portions (614a). Each of the second hook-engaging portions 642 and the first hook-engaging portion 633 of the corresponding first retainer 63 are adapted to engage cooperatively the hook members 32 of the disc holders 3.
Referring to FIG. 10, a storage device (4b) according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the third preferred embodiment. The main difference between the third and fourth preferred embodiments resides in the configuration of the first retainers (63b). In this embodiment, each of the first retainers (63b) has a configuration similar to that described in the second preferred embodiment. That is, each of the first retainers (63b) has a vertical plate portion (631b) attached to the respective lateral plate 611, a horizontal plate portion (632b) extending inwardly from a top end of the vertical plate portion (631b), and a first hook-engaging portion (633b) projecting upwardly from an inner end of the horizontal plate portion (632b) to engage one of the hook members 32 of each disc holder 3.
Since the drawers 6, (6a), (6b) of the present invention are provided to hang slidably the disc holders 3 thereto, when new discs 8 are to be added, only the number of the disc holders 3 is increased to correspond to the number of the discs 8, after which the disc holders 3 are stored in the storage device 4, (4a), (4b). Further, the user can organize the discs 8 by placing them selectively in the same drawer 6, (6a), (6b) using some system of classification, thereby facilitating placing and retrieval of the discs 8 in the storage device 4, (4a), (4b). Hence, managing of the discs 8 is easy.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what are 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 interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
Patent Application
20080030110
