Storage rack for compact discs

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6588604
  • Patent Number
    6,588,604
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, May 21, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 8, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Stodola; Daniel P.
    • Novosad; Jennifer E.
    Agents
    • Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C.
  • CPC
  • US Classifications
    Field of Search
    • US
    • 211 40
    • 211 411
    • 211 1811
    • 211 50
    • 211 10
    • 211 11
    • 211 414
    • 211 8531
    • 211 131
    • 211 1
    • 211 183
    • 248 127
    • 248 146
    • 248 153
    • 248 151
    • 206 454
    • D06 458
    • D06 462
    • D06 566
    • D06 407
    • 312 91
    • 312 99
    • 312 947
    • 312 948
    • 312 953
    • 312 955
    • 312 956
    • 005 110
    • 297 44011
    • 297 23011
    • 297 45263
  • International Classifications
    • A47G2900
Abstract
A storage rack includes a stand and a string that is wound around the stand to form a plurality of clamping units for clamping casings of compact discs. Each clamping unit includes two parallel first crossing sections of the string disposed at a front side of the stand, and two parallel second crossing sections of the string disposed at a rear side of the stand. Each of the second crossing sections of the clamping unit is inclined relative to the first crossing sections.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention relates to a storage rack for compact discs, more particularly to a storage rack with a string that is formed into a plurality of clamping units on the storage rack for clamping casings of compact discs.




2. Description of the Related Art





FIG. 1

illustrates a conventional storage rack


1


for accommodating casings


2


of compact discs. The storage rack


1


includes a base


11


, three triangularly disposed posts


12


on the base


11


, and a plurality of vertically aligned U-shaped plates


13


that are mounted on the posts


12


and that cooperatively confine a plurality of horizontally extending slots


14


for accommodating the casings


2


. The conventional storage rack


1


is disadvantageous in that the casings


2


tend to fall off from the storage rack


1


when the storage rack


1


is accidentally tilted.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a storage rack that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawback.




According to the present invention, there is provided a storage rack for casings of compact discs. The storage rack comprises: a stand having front and rear sides, a base, and parallel first and second rods extending upwardly and inclinedly in a longitudinal direction from the base; and a string wound around the first and second rods to form a plurality of parallel first crossing sections that are disposed at the front side of the stand, that span the first and second rods, and that are aligned along the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of parallel second crossing sections that are disposed at the rear side of the stand, that span the first and second rods, and that are aligned along the longitudinal direction. Two adjacent ones of the first crossing sections cooperate with the first and second rods to confine an elongated rectangular opening that is adapted to permit passage of a casing of compact disc therethrough. Each of the second crossing sections extends in a diagonal direction relative to the opening confined by a respective adjacent pair of the first crossing sections and the first and second rods and cooperates with an adjacent one of the second crossing sections and the adjacent pair of the first crossing sections to form a clamping unit to clamp the casing thereamong.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention,





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a conventional storage rack for compact discs;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of a storage rack embodying this invention;





FIG. 3

is a side view of the storage rack of

FIG. 2

;





FIG. 4

is a fragmentary front view of the storage rack of

FIG. 2

;





FIG. 5

is a fragmentary perspective view of the storage rack of

FIG. 2

, with a casing of compact disc accommodated therein; and





FIG. 6

is a fragmentary sectional view to illustrate how the casing is clamped by a clamping unit formed on the storage rack of FIG.


2


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT





FIGS. 2

to


6


illustrate a preferred embodiment of a storage rack of this invention for accommodating casings


3


of compact discs.




The storage rack includes: a stand


4


having front and rear sides, a base


41


, and parallel first and second rods


42


extending upwardly and inclinedly in a longitudinal direction from the base


41


; and an elastic string


5


wound around the first and second rods


42


to form a plurality of parallel first crossing sections


52


that are disposed at the front side of the stand


4


, that span the first and second rods


42


, and that are aligned along the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of parallel second crossing sections


53


that are disposed at the rear side of the stand


4


, that span the first and second rods


42


, and that are aligned along the longitudinal direction. Two adjacent ones of the first crossing sections


52


cooperate with the first and second rods


42


to confine an elongated rectangular opening


54


that is adapted to permit passage of a casing


3


of compact disc therethrough. Each of the second crossing sections


53


extends in a diagonal direction relative to the opening


54


confined by a respective adjacent pair of the first crossing sections


52


and the first and second rods


42


so as to cooperate with an adjacent one of the second crossing sections


53


and the adjacent pair of the first crossing sections


52


to form a clamping unit to clamp the casing


3


thereamong. Since the first and second rods


42


are inclined rearwardly, the casing


3


will be inclined downwardly and will be tightly clamped by the respective adjacent pair of the second crossing sections


52


(as best shown in

FIG. 6

) when inserted through the opening


54


.




The string


5


is further formed into a plurality of first and second loops


51


that are wound around the first and second rods


42


, respectively, between two adjacent ones of the first crossing sections


52


.




Formation of the first and second loops


51


and the first and second crossing sections


52


,


53


is carried out by fixing one end of the string


5


in a fixing hole


45


in the first rod


42


(see FIGS.


4


and


5


), stretching the string


5


to the second rod


42


in a perpendicular direction relative to the lengths of the first and second rods


42


to form a respective one of the first crossing sections


52


, winding the string


5


around the second rod


42


to form the respective second loops


51


, stretching the string


5


to the first rod


42


in an inclined direction relative to the respective first crossing section


52


to form a respective one of the second crossing sections


53


, winding the string


5


around the first rod


42


to form the respective first loops


51


, and repeating the aforesaid steps to form the remainder of the first and second loops


51


and the first and second crossing sections


52


,


53


along the lengths of the first and second rods


42


.




The stand


4


further has vertically aligned upper and lower U-shaped rods


44


that project rearwardly from the first and second rods


42


in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction. A support


6


includes an elastic rope that extends between the upper and lower U-shaped rods


44


in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction, and that is disposed between the first and second rods


42


so as to permit leaning of the casing


3


thereon (see FIG.


5


).




The base


41


, the first and second rods


42


, and the U-shaped rods


44


of the stand


4


are separate pieces so that the stand


4


can be disassembled to facilitate packing and transport of the storage rack.




Since the casings


3


are clamped by the clamping units of the rack, the aforesaid drawback as encountered in the prior art can be eliminated.




With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as recited in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A storage rack for compact discs, comprising:a stand having front and rear sides, a base, and parallel first and second rods extending upwardly and inclined in a longitudinal direction from said base; and a string wound around said first and second rods to form a plurality of parallel first crossing sections that are disposed at said front side of said stand, that span said first and second rods, and that are aligned along the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of parallel second crossing sections that are disposed at said rear side of said stand, that span said first and second rods, and that are aligned along the longitudinal direction, two adjacent ones of said first crossing sections cooperating with said first and second rods to confine an elongated rectangular opening that is adapted to permit passage of a casing of a compact disc therethrough, each of said second crossing sections extending in a diagonal direction relative to said opening confined by a respective adjacent pair of said first crossing sections and said first and second rods, and cooperating with an adjacent one of said second crossing sections and said adjacent pair of said first crossing sections to form a clamping unit for clamping the casing therebetween.
  • 2. The storage rack of claim 1, wherein said string is further formed into a plurality of first and second loops that are wound around said first and second rods, respectively, between two adjacent ones of said first crossing sections.
  • 3. The storage rack of claim 1, wherein said stand further comprising vertically aligned upper and lower U-shaped rods that project rearwardly from said first and second rods, said storage rack further comprising a support that extends between said upper and lower U-shaped rods in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction, that is disposed between said first and second rods, and that is adapted to permit leaning of the casing thereagainst.
  • 4. The storage rack of claim 3, wherein said support includes an elastic rope that is wound around said upper and lower U-shaped rods.
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110941 Vannice Jan 1871 A
415634 Guptill Nov 1889 A
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1366203 Meyer Jan 1921 A
2825465 Burgo Mar 1958 A
2948408 Edridge Aug 1960 A
2983930 Porritt May 1961 A
3056621 Edridge Oct 1962 A
3679261 Slabakov Jul 1972 A
3744644 Brosig Jul 1973 A
4671415 Manhart Jun 1987 A
5358124 Mueller Oct 1994 A
D396985 Burnett Aug 1998 S