Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE I~VENTION
This invention relates to storage devices for
tape cassettes and similar planar objects. In particular,
storage racks for audio, video, and computer tape cassettes
are disclosed.
Various devices have been proposed in the past
for the storage of tape cassettes and similar planar
objects. These conventional storage devices are typically
rigid racks into which the cassettes are placed. The con-
ventional racks have a number of openings, each of which is
slightly larger than the cassette it is designed to hold so
that the cassette can be placed into, and removed from, the
rack easily. These racks will also typically include
sidewalls and a cover or lid to prevent the accidental
dislodging of the cassettes if the rack is bumped or
otherwise jostled.
Conventional cassette racks function best when
they are secured to a horizontal surface and the force of
gravity holds the cassettes in place; more difficulties can
be encountered when the cassette rack is secured to a
wall or in a moving environment such as the passenger com-
partment of an automobile. When a lid is used to minimize
accidental dislodgment, the task of locating and removing
a particular tape becomes more difficult.
There exists a need for improved casset-te
storage racks. A rack which can be mounted vertically (or
even on a ceiling) as well as horizontally would satisfy
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1 a long-felt need in this field. Moreover, a rack that
would engage the individual cassettes in a secure manner
rather than rely upon gravity and yet permit easy access
and removal r would be most useful to audio and video
enthusiasts as well as computer programmers and others that
use and store cassette-like objects.
SUM~IARY OF THE INVENTION
A cassette rack is disclosed having a number of
plates with planar faces arranged in a parallel, spaced-
apart, face-to-face relationship. The distance between
each of the plates in the cassette rack is slightly less
than the thickness of a cassette. A tensioning mechanism
urges the planar faces of adjacent plates into frictional
engagement with a cassette when it is placed therebetween.
In one illustrated embodiment, spacers are
disposed between each plate and its neighbors to maintain
the necessary distance between the plates. Additionally,
a registration means is disclosed for maintaining the
spaced-apart plates in parallel alignment with each other.
In one simple embodiment, the registration means can
consist of one or rnore rods passing through aligned holes
in each of the plates. Alternatively, the spacers them-
selves can be designed to provide registration.
The cassette rack can also include end blocks for
mounting the registration means and the tensioning means.
In the illustrated embodiments, the end blocks also carry
keyhole slots to secure the rack to a wall or other surface.
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1 The tensioning means can comprise an elasto-
meric element stretched between the first and last plates
(or between the two end blocks). In the illustrated
embodiments, the tensioning means are woven or tubular
elastomers and are secured to the end blocks under tension
employing pegs.
The invention will next be described in connec-
tion with certain preferred embodiments. ~owever, it
should be clear that various changes and modifications
can be made by those skilled in the art without departing
from the spirit or scope of the invention. ~or example,
the number of plates and the overall length of the rack
may, of course, be varied. In some applications, such as
automobiles, it may be preferred to have a smaller rack.
Moreover, in automobiles as well as other applications,
alternative types of fasteners, such as Velcro fasteners,
can replace the keyhole slots to permit the user to
remove the rack readily.
Additionally, solid elastic rods, elastic bands
or springs can replace the woven and tubular elastomeric
members s~own and the design of the spacers may take vari-
ous forms either as separate elements or integral with
the plates. In one preferred embodiment, each plate is
formed with a half-sized spacer on each side so that upon
assembly a full spacer width separates each plate. The
half-sized spacers also can be designed to interconnect to
each other and, thereby" provide self-registration. The
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1 number of spacers between adjacent plates as well as the
number of elastomeric members can, of course, also vary
with the particular application. Various materials, such
as plastics, wood or metal may be used to construct the
structural elements disclosed herein.
- ~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FigO 1 is a schematic, side cross-sectional
view of a cassette rack according to the present invention.
FigO 2 is a schematic, top cross-sectional
view of the cassette rack of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective exploded view showing
the components of the rack of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4a-4d are schematic, cross-sectional side
views of alternative arrangements of the plates and spacers
in the rack of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional top view
of an alternative cassette rack according to the present
invention.
Fig. 6 is a schematic, cross-sectional~ view
of the rack of Fig. 5 taken at line 6-6.
Fig. 7 is a partially-cutaway detailed view
of an end block.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In Figs. 1 and 2, a cassette rack 10 is
shown having a series of parallel plates 12, preferably of
plastic, maintained in spaced-apart relationship by
spacers 16 and held together under tension by an elastomeric
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1 member 14 stretched between the first plate 12a and last
plate 12z in the series. The spacers 16 maintain a sepa-
ration width slightly less tahn the thickness of a
cassette between adjacent plates 12. Dowels 18a, 18b
provide a registration means as they pass through holes
in the spacers 16 and plates 12. End blocks 20a, 20b
each provide an anchor for the stretched elastomeric member
14 and each also receive one end of the dowels 18a and 18b.
For illustration, a typical tape cassette 22 is shown in
phantom.
In Fig. 3, the tensioning and registration means
are shown in more detail. Each plate 12 carries three
sets of spacers 16a, 16b on each side and three sets of
holes pass through each plate and its associated spacers.
Two of the holes are occupied by the dowels 18a, 18b which
provide registration and rigidity, and the third hole is
occupied by the elastomeric member 14. In the illustrated
embodiment, the elastomeric member is a woven elastomer
or "bungee cord" approximately 1/8 - 1/4 inch in diameter
formed with an eyelet at each end. The elastomeric
member is secured in tension by pegs 28a and 28b which
pass through the eyelets and engage the end blocks 20a
and 20b, respectively. The cassette 22 shown in Figs. 1
and 2 rests upon the spacers 16a, 16b and can project
beyond the top of plate 12 for easy access. However, the
dimensions of the plates 12 are not crucial to the practice
of the invention. Keyhole slot 24b on the bottom of end
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1 block 20b and a similar slot (not shown) on end block 20a
are provided for wall mounting.
Although the end blocks 2Oa and 2Ob are shown
as molded plastic parts, they can also be formed from
wood. In one variation on the illustrated design, wooden
end blocks can be employed having countersunk holes,
aligned with and slightly larger than the diameter of
the spacers to receive the first and last plates.
In Figs. 4a-4d, various arrangements of plates
and spacers are shown. In Fig. 4a the plate 12 and the
space,r 16 are separate elements, each having a hole for
- alignment. In Fig. 4b the spacer 16 is formed as an
integral part of plate 12 on one side of it. In Fig. 4c,
half-sized spacers 16a, 16b are formed on each side of
plate 12. When joined with a neighboring plate, the
half-sized spacers combine to maintain the separation width
as mentioned ab~ve slightly less than the thickness of a
cassette. In Figs. 4b and 4c, a hole passes through the
plates and spacers into which a dowel or the like (shown
in Figs. 1 & 2) is inserted for registration. In Fig.'4d
the half-sized spacers are further modified such that
spacer 16a is a female part and 16b is a male part designed
for interfitted engagement. The design of Fig. 4d need not
include holes for dowels because the spacers 16a, 16b when
interconnected are self-registering.
In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, an alternative cassette
rack 50 is shown again 'having a series of parallel plates
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1 52, preferably of plastic, maintained in spaced-apart
relationship by spacers 56 and held together under
tension by elastic tubing 54 stretched between the first
plate 52a and last plate 52z in the series. Dowels 58a,
58b provide a regis-tration means as they pass through
holes in each of the plates 52. End blocks 60a/ 60b
each provide an anchor for the stretched elastic tubing
54 and each also receive one end of the dowels 58a and
58b. For illustration, a typical tape cassette 22 is
shown again in phantom.
In Fig. 6, the tensioning and registration
means of the rack of Fig. 5 are shown in more detail.
Each plate 52 includes three holes. Two of the holes are
occupied by the dowels 58a, 58b and the third hole is
occupied by the elastic tubing 54~ In the illustrated
embodiment, the spacer 56 is employed as a hollow tube
about the elastic tubing 54. A typical cassette 22
(shown in dotted lines) is also illustrated in Fig. 6 as
resting upon the registration dowels 58a, 58b.
With reference to Fig. 7, an alternative
mechanism for attaching the elastic tubing 54 to the end
blocks 60a, 60b of the rack of Fig 5 is shown in detail.
In the illustrated embodiment, end block 60a includes an
axial hole having a narrow diameter portion 64 on the
side adjacent the plates and a larger diameter hole 66 on
the outward facing side. The elastic tubing 54 is
stretched between holes in the plates 52 and spacers 56
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1 and then through the narrow diameter hole portion 54.
The tubing is then cut to an appropriate length and
a peg 68 inserted inside the tubing. The diameter of the
peg 68 is chosen such that it is wide enough to easily
enter the larger diameter hole portion 66 but is unable
to pass through the narrower hole diameter 64. The peg
68 is thus wedged into position and maintains the tubing
54 in a stretched condition.
Also shown in Fig. 7 is a hole 70 in the end
block 60a for receiving the dowel 58a. Another hole
(not shown) is located on the other side of end block 60a
for receiving the other dowel 58b. A keyhole slot 72 is
also included in the end block 20a for securing the rack
to a surface. Each of the mechanisms described in con-
nection with end block 60a are also found on end block
60b at the other end of the cassette rack.
In operation, the cassette rack is assembled
by aligning the components, passing the dowels 18a, 18b
through the holes and into the end blocks. The dowels
should be long enough to accommodate the fully-loaded
rack length and should not be able to slide out without
disengaging the tensioning means. The elastic tubing is
then threaded through the spacers and plates, stretched
and pegged into position.
Each of the racks shown and described above may
be mounted on a wall, for example, by inserting two screws
at the appropriate places on the wall and then slipping
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1 the screw heads into the keyhole slots 72a and 72b~
The keyhole slots on both illustrated embodiments are
preferably designed such that their larger sized openings
are directed inwardO The screws can then be placed into
the wall at a distance slightly longer than the separa-
tion distance between the keyhole openings and the rack
stretched to allow insertion. The tensioning means of
the rack will retain the screws in the slotted portions
of the keyholes.
To use the illustrated cassette racks, one
need only spread the plates 12 or 52 apart slightly and
then slide the cassette 22 into place between ad~acent
plates. Since the plates preferably have rounded outer
edges and yield upon pressure, cassette insertion and
removal can typically be accomplished as a one-handed
operation. The tensioning means will provide a secure
friction-fit for each cassette placed between two ad]acent
plates.
Additions, modifications and subtractions will
all be apparent to those skil~ed in the art and are
intended to be covered by the following claims:
