US20110259839A1

US20110259839A1 - Device for storing compact disks

Info

Publication number: US20110259839A1
Application number: US13/056,956
Authority: US
Inventors: Mikhail Yurievich Kosenko
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-08-08
Filing date: 2009-07-27
Publication date: 2011-10-27
Also published as: EP2272399B1; RU2008134273A; JP2011530775A; BRPI0917439A2; CN102118988A; UA101839C2; EP2272399A1; CN102118988B; WO2010019075A1; KR20110056289A; MX2011001463A; EP2272399A4; RU2404697C2; EA018501B1; EA201001782A1

Abstract

A device for storing compact disks comprising a base and a stack of supports installed on the base and placed one above the other. The supports have seats for compact disks, located one above the other. The device is made so that these seats can be pulled out from the stack by rotating the supports about an axis located outside these seats. The device has a retaining member connected with the base and located along said axis. The retaining member makes contact with the supports in their initial position, with the capability of resting, which restricts their rotation. The two supports that are immediately adjacent to each other make contact with parts of the retaining member and can stop, thereby restricting rotation of these supports in mutually opposite directions. Accordingly, the possibility of undesired pullout of adjacent supports from the stack following pullout of a compact disk is eliminated.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the priority filing date in PCT/RU2009/000371, as amended and referenced in WIPO Publication WO2010/019075. The earliest priority date claimed is Aug. 8, 2008.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

None

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

None

STATEMENT REGARDING COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND

Pertinent Art. The invention is a device for storing compact disks that is designed for storing flat articles, in particular optical media such as CDs, DVDs and/or Blue-ray disks.
Prior Art. Devices for storing compact disks are known. The closest to the claimed invention are devices that provide compact disk storage in a horizontal position on flat supports—flat in the sense that their horizontal dimensions are much larger than their vertical dimensions—that are stacked (i.e., on top of each other) with upper supports resting on lower ones. The supports have holes on the axis located outside the seats for placement of compact disks. The seats can be pulled out from the stack when they rotate about a post placed in the holes. Examples are inventions U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,502,703, 6,193,061, 5,779,037, 5,232,275, 4,998,618, 5,344,028, 5,099,995, and 6,691,875. This design makes it possible to remove any compact disk from the stack without removing other compact disks. It has minimal horizontal dimensions so it does not need a lot of room on the support surface and does not take up a lot of space due to the small width of the supports. A common feature of these designs is that their lower supports carry the weight of their upper supports, so that there is friction proportional to this weight between the supports. Therefore, when one pulls out a support from the stack (i.e., “pull out the part of a support with the seat for a compact disk”), friction transfers the applied force to the adjacent supports, resulting in pulling the adjacent supports out from the stack. This creates an inconvenience for the user because the adjacent supports must be pushed back. To avoid this inconvenience, the devices use elastic members to retain the supports. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,684 the retaining member is a post that interacts with the supports by means of intermediate elastic members. Each member is rigidly connected with the post, and its protrusion makes contact with the groove on the post without restricting the rotation of the post. A shortcoming of this retention method is that the action of the retaining member on the supports does not preclude the likelihood of rotation and occurs on a small arm limited by the dimension of holes in the supports. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,429,290 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,740, retention is simpler and more reliable because the retaining member acts on elastic members of the supports that are moved away from the axis of rotation to opposite sides of the supports. Furthermore, in the last two example, as well as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,775,498, 3,392,868, 4,815,483, 5,099,995, 5,516,203, 5,524,976, 5,779,037, 6,626,306 and 7,370,758, because the supports stop against members of the devices, the supports are made so that they can rotate only in one direction from the initial position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,740 is the closest to the claimed design. In this device, the supports are placed horizontally, and the compact disk seats are pulled out from the stack by rotating the supports in the same direction while overcoming the resistance of the retaining member which acts on the supports' elastic members, and thus keeps the supports in the stack. The rotation of the supports in the opposite direction is limited because they stop against members of the devices. Thus, when a support is pulled out, the retaining member acting on the elastic members of the adjacent supports keeps them from rotating. To make this retention more reliable, the elastic member has a braking engagement with the retaining member. To disengage the elastic member, a user can bend the elastic member (pressing the member end with a finger). When the support is rotated back, the adjacent supports rest against members of the device and therefore remain in the stack. This design ensures reliable and accurate retention of the supports, but makes use of the device less convenient. Firstly, retaining the supports in the stack, by means of elastic members, and keeping them from rotating with the support that is being pulled out is not sufficiently reliable when the extent of engagement with the retaining members is low. It may also requires additional effort by the user to disengage the elastic member. Secondly, the user only has access to the supports on one side of the device—the side where the supports are pulled outward—as opposed to, for instance, the device in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,684 in which the supports are not limited to rotating on one side.
Disclosure of Inventions. The objective of the invention is to make a device for storing compact disks more user-friendly by saving the time and effort the user needs to find and retrieve the desired disk in a stack of supports. This is done by preventing the supports adjacent to the support being pulled out from also being pulled out.
The essence of the invention is expressed in the following combination of features:

- the device for storing compact disks comprises a base and a stack of supports;
- the stack of supports is installed on top of the base;
- the supports are placed on top of each another, with upper supports resting on lower ones;
- the supports have seats for compact disks;
- the device is made so that said seats can be pulled out from the stack by rotating the supports about the axis located outside the seats [the design features that make it possible to rotate the supports are not essential because they do not affect any technical result; this capability can be provided by links that limit the movement of the supports about the axis of rotation—either between the adjacent supports as in the example of the device embodiment shown below, or between the supports and the post placed in support holes that are concentric with said axis, i.e. traditionally, like in the above analogues];
- the device has a retaining member which is connected with the base, placed along said axis and makes contact with the supports in their initial position, with the capability of stopping, which limits said rotation; the nearest, i.e. the two adjacent supports, make contact with parts of the retaining member, with the capability of stopping, which limits the rotation of the supports in mutually opposite directions.

Thus, due to this stopping, the adjacent supports can only rotate in mutually opposite directions from the initial position. Therefore, when a support is rotated from its initial position, the adjacent supports above and below it will stay in the stack despite the fact that they are acted upon by friction from the support being pulled out, which means that all other supports will also stay in the stack. The proposed solution, due to the stopping, prevents the supports adjacent to the support that is being pulled out from also being pulling out from the stack; however, the stopping does not prevent these supports from being pulled out when the pulled-out support is rotated back into the stack. On the contrary, in the above analogues where all supports are only capable of rotating in one direction from their initial position, the supports adjacent to the pulled-out support cannot be pulled out when the pulled-out support is rotated back because of the stopping at the device members, but these supports are not prevented from being pulled out when the support between them is pulled out.
The technical result (positive effect) of the invention is the complete elimination of the capability of pulling out adjacent supports from the stack when the support between them is pulled out. From this result follows another technical result, namely, saving a user's effort and time needed to prevent undesired pullout of adjacent supports by holding them in or returning them back. This result is achieved because the rotating support does not impede said corrective actions because they are performed on the other side of the stack. The use of elastic members for additional retention of the supports reduces the likelihood of undesired pullout of adjacent supports in both solutions. If one compares the embodiments of the devices in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,813,740 and 2,429,290, wherein the user is forced to directly act upon the elastic member to disengage it, the embodiment of the claimed invention described below wherein an elastic member is used to retain the support does not require such action. One can see another technical result, namely, saving a user's time and effort needed to pull out a compact disk from the device. This technical result is achieved because the need to act on the elastic member arises every time a support is pulled out, but there is less of a need for corrective action—the need only arises when the friction that pulls the adjacent supports exceeds the force of resistance of the elastic members. Since the supports are made with the capability of pulling out compact disk seats from the stack by rotating them in both directions, another technical result of the invention is the increased space for a user's access to the supports. Because of this, it is possible to place components of the supports designed for gripping or marking on both sides of the device, to make them larger and place them farther from one another so they do not interfere with each other. This will lead to another technical result, namely, reduced time for retrieving the required compact disk.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the two supports adjacent to a support between them has a rest member protruding toward the second support with the capability of resting against it, which limits the movement of the two supports toward each other. When a support is pulled out from the stack, the adjacent support above it drops down into the space that has been freed and rests on the lower adjacent support. In the case where at least one of the two adjacent supports has a rest member protruding toward the second support, this member takes up part of the weight of the supports above, thus reducing the weight load on the pulled out support. The technical results are reduced friction between the pulled out support and the two adjacent supports, and reduced force to pull out the support. Another technical result is achieved when the pulled out support is returned to the stack, namely, a reduced likelihood that the supports adjacent to the support being rotated will be extended because the friction that might cause such extension is lower. In the preferred embodiment, said rest member of the support is made in the form of a rest shoulder that bounds the support on the side where it is pulled out from the stack.
In the preferred embodiments, the edges of the rest shoulders that are farthest from the axis of rotation are capable of contact with the retaining member of the device; the rest shoulders of the supports are made protruding upward.
In a preferred embodiment that provides more accurate retention of supports by acting on them at the longest arm, the retaining member makes contact with the outside surfaces of the supports that are moved away from the axis of rotation in the direction of the compact disk seats.
In other preferred embodiments, in order to additionally retain the supports in the initial position and reduce the likelihood of adjacent supports being pulling out from the stack when the support between them is rotated back to the stack, the supports have elastic members that make contact with the retention member in the initial position of the supports and can deform elastically when acted upon by the retaining member. One end of the elastic member is connected with other parts of the support, and its other free end protrudes from the connected end in the direction of its extension from the stack. In the initial position of that support in the stack it makes contact with the retaining member. The free end of the elastic member of the support has a shoulder that makes contact with the retention member on the side of said axis, with limited movement away from the axis. The elastic member of the support has two parts pulled out along each other from one end of the elastic member to the other and connected with each other only at these ends.
In another preferred embodiment of the retention member, the supports have holes along said axis. The retaining member is placed into those holes, and is made as a post that has at least one longitudinal groove. The supports have radial protrusions directed inside the holes and placed in the groove with the ability to interact with the groove edges, wherein, in the initial position, the radial protrusions of the adjacent supports make contact with different edges of the same groove.
In a preferred embodiment, in order to limit the rotation of the supports in the pulled-out position, the length of said groove in the circumferential direction, as well as a the dimension of the radial protrusion of the support in the same direction, are made so that the protrusion can rest against the second edge of the groove after the angle of rotation of the support is sufficient to pull out the compact disk from the support.
In a preferred embodiment, the post has two grooves, and each support has two radial protrusions, each placed in one of the grooves.
There are two other—alternative—versions for placement of the retention member that also provide a solution for the stated objective. In the first version, the retaining member makes contact with the outside surfaces of the supports when moved away from said axis in the opposite direction from the compact disk seats; in the second version, the supports have holes along said axis, the retaining member is placed into those holes, and said axis is located outside the holes.
In preferred embodiments, in order to make using the device more convenient by reducing its space, the supports are made with the capability of placing compact disks in them on the same axis parallel to the supports axis of rotation. The retaining member has a longitudinal axis parallel to and placed in the same plane as said axes. The retaining member is made in the form of a round rod, and said axes are placed vertically.
In preferred embodiments, in order to make the device more convenient for use by improving access to the supports, the supports have handles for gripping that are rigidly connected with the rest shoulders of the supports and protrude outward from the supports in at least two vertical rows, and in four vertical rows in a preferred embodiment. The handles are made in the form of plates and placed with their outward protruding edges tilted downward.

SUMMARY

Due to this stop, the possibility of undesired pullout of the adjacent supports from the stack following the pulled out support is eliminated.
A device for storing compact disks, intended for storing flat articles, particularly optical media, comprising a base and a stack of supports installed on the base and placed one above the other, with upper supports resting on lower ones. The device eliminates the possibility of undesired pullout of adjacent supports from the stack following the pullout of a compact disk from the stack. The supports have seats for compact disks, located one above the other. The device is made with the possibility to pull out these seats from the stack by rotating the supports about an axis located outside these seats. The device has a retaining member connected with the base and located along said axis. A retaining member makes contact with the supports in their initial position, with the capability of resting, which restricts their rotation. Herein, the nearest supports, i.e., the two supports that are immediately adjacent to each other, make contact with parts of the retaining member with the capability to stop, which restricts rotation of these supports in mutually opposite directions.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an axonometric view of a device 1 with pulled out support 100, comprising supports 400 for storing compact disks, when viewed from above and from the left.

FIG. 2 shows an axonometric view of the device 1 when viewed from above and from the front.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded axonometric view of the device 1.

FIG. 4 shows an axonometric view of a device 2.

FIG. 5 shows an axonometric view of the base 20.

FIG. 6 shows the top view of the base 20.

FIG. 7 shows an axonometric view of the post-cover 5 when viewed from above and from the right.

FIG. 8 shows the top view of the post-cover 5.

FIG. 9 shows an axonometric view of the post-cover 5 when viewed from below and from the right.

FIG. 10 shows an axonometric view of the support 100.

FIG. 11 shows the top view of the support 100.

FIG. 12 shows an axonometric view of the narrow part 101 of the support 100 when viewed from below.

FIG. 13 shows the top view of the elastic member 170 of the support 100 that interacts with the post-retainer 6 which is shown in a cross-sectional cut.

FIG. 14 shows an axonometric view of the support 200.

FIG. 15 shows the top view of the support 200.

FIG. 16 shows the top view of the elastic member 270 of the support 200 interacting with the post-retainer 6 which is shown in a cross-sectional cut.

FIG. 17 shows an axonometric view of the support 300.

FIG. 18 shows an axonometric view of the support 400.

FIG. 19 shows an axonometric view of the post-insert 7 when viewed from above and from the right.

FIG. 20 shows an axonometric view of the post-insert 7 when viewed from below and from the right.

FIG. 21 shows the top view of the adjacent supports of a device 3 and the retaining member 500 that makes contact with the outside surfaces of the supports; the outside surfaces are moved away from axis L1 to the opposite side of the seats for compact disks.

FIG. 22 shows the top view of adjacent supports of a device 4 that make contact with different sides of the retaining member 500 which is placed in the holes; one can see that the supports' axis of rotation L1 is located outside the holes.

DESCRIPTION

Best Embodiments of Invention. The device 1 comprises a base 20, a stack 70 comprising forty supports 100, 200, 300 and 400, a post-cover 5 comprising a post 40 and a cover 50, a post-retainer 6 as the retaining member, and a cup 65.
A stack 70 of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 is installed on top of the base 20 and connected with it with restriction in the horizontal direction, restriction of upward movement from the base 20, and with a lower support 400 of the stack 70 capable of rotating about axis L1 and with the support 300 capable of resting on the base from above during said rotation of the support 400.
A stand-cover 5 is installed on top of, and rigidly attached to, a base 20. A post-retainer 6 is rigidly attached to the base 20 and post-cover 5. Each support 100, 200, 300 or 400 of the stack 70 is connected with its adjacent support and restricted from shifting, i.e. movement in horizontal direction, with restriction of movement away from each other in a vertical direction, and capable of rotating about axis L1. Supports 100 and 300 which are adjacent to the same support 200 or 400, as well as supports 200 and 400, which are adjacent to the same support 300 or 100, are connected to each other and capable of resting, which restricts them from getting closer to each other during rotation of supports 200 or 400, or 300 or 100, that are between them. Each support 100, 200, 300 and 400 is connected with the post 40 of post-cover 5, capable of resting against its parts in the initial position, which restricts counterclockwise rotation of supports 100 and 300 and clockwise rotation of supports 200 and 400, and capable of resting against its parts after rotation by an angle sufficient for removing a compact disk 10. In the initial position, each support 100, 200, 300 and 400 makes contact with the post-retainer 6, and capable of resting, which restricts rotation about axis L1. Herein, resting against the post-retainer 6 restricts counterclockwise rotation of support 100 and 300 and clockwise rotation of support 200 and 400. In addition, each support 100, 200, 300 and 400 makes contact with the post-retainer 6 while capable of retaining its initial position in the stack 70. The cup 65 is connected with the post-cover 5, with restriction of movement in a horizontal direction and movement downward in a vertical direction, and restriction of rotation about the vertical axis.
The base 20 is located below the device 1. On its top, there is a stack 70, a post-cover 5, and a post-retainer 6. The cup 65 is installed from above into the cavity of the post-cover 5. On the bottom, the post-cover 5 has a post 40, and the supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 have holes along the axis L1. The post 40 is installed into these holes from above. On the top, the post-cover 5 has a cover 50 located above the stack 70. The supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 are placed in the stack 70 one after the other from top to bottom, in that order, forming a part of the stack 70, i.e. stack 70 has ten such parts. The supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 are made so that compact disks 10 can be placed in them one over the other on the same axis L2 parallel to the axis of rotation of the supports L1. The post-retainer 6 is made in the form of a round rod and placed vertically between the base 20 and the cover 50 at the front edge of the device 1 (hereinafter, the concepts denoting directions—front, back, left and right—are as seen from the user's perspective, i.e. from axis L2 toward axis L1), so that plane L1-L2 passing through axes L1 and L2 also passes through the longitudinal axis of the post-retainer 6. On the left, the post-retainer 6 is abutted by rest bridges 176 at the front ends of rest shoulders 103 of the support 100 and 300, as well as by rest bridges 273 of the elastic members 270 of the support 200 and 400. On the right, the post-retainer 6 is abutted by rest bridges 276 at the front ends of the rest shoulders 203 of the supports 200 and 400, as well as by rest bridges 173 of the elastic members 170 of the supports 100 and 300. On the back, i.e. on the side of axis L1, the post-retainer 6 is abutted by stops 174 and 274 of the supports 100 and 300, and 200 and 400. On the front left, the post-retainer 6 is abutted by end protrusions 177 of vertical outside parts of rest shoulders 103 of the support 100 and 300, and on the front right, the post-retainer 6 is abutted by end protrusions 277 of vertical outside parts of the rest shoulders 203 of the supports 200 and 400.
When seen from above, the device 1 has a tear-drop shape—a wide part in the front, on the user side, around axis L2 and a narrow part on the back, around axis L1. Herein, the contours of the base 20 and cover 50 of the post-cover 5 copy the contours of the supports 100, 200, 300 and 400, except for the handles 110, 210, 310 and 410 of the supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 that protrude in the front of the wide part of the device. In addition, unlike the general external contour of the support 100, 200, 300 and 400, the external contours of the base 20 and cover 50 have transverse planes L1-L2 protruding in the back—straight parts that are projections of flat surfaces that bound the rear parts of the contour shoulders 22 and 52—the rear walls of the base 20 and cover 50. The handles 110, 210, 310 and 410 of the supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 protrude outside of the stack 70 in four vertical rows toward the user. The handles 110 of the supports 100 form the first row on the left, and the handles 310 of the supports 300 form the second row on the left. Both rows are located to the left of plane L1-L2. The right edges of the handles 110 of the supports 100 are located farther from plane L1-L2 than the left edges of the handles 310 of the supports 300. The distance between these edges is such that a finger can be inserted in the space between them and grip the right edge of the handle 110 of the support 100. The handles 310 of the supports 300 are located farther from axis L1 than the handles 110 of the supports 100. The difference between these distances matches the length of the handles 310 in a radial direction from axis L1. The handles 210 of the supports 200 form the third row, and the handles 410 of the supports 400 form the fourth row on the left, wherein these two rows are located to the right of plane L1-L2. The distances of the handles 210 of the supports 200 and the handles 310 of the supports 300 from plane L1-L2 and axis L1 are equal, and so are the distances of the handles 410 of the supports 400 and the handles 110 of the supports 100 from plane L1-L2 and from axis L1. The horizontal distance from the right edges of the handles 310 of the supports 300 to the left edges of the handles 210 of the supports 200 is selected such that the user can insert his finger between the edges to grip a handle.
The stack 70 of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 is connected with the base 20 by means the lower support 400 and by means of support 300 resting from above on the rest shoulder 23 of the base 20 during rotation of support 400. Support 400 is connected with the base 20 by means of a middle ring 20 of the outside cylindrical surface concentric with axis L1 being enveloped by the inside cylindrical surface of the retention shoulder 30 of the base 20 protruding upward toward it.
In addition, support 400 is connected with the base 20 by means of engagement of three lower hooks 431 protruding from its outer ring 430 toward axis L1 with three hooks 31 protruding from the retention shoulder 30 of the base 20 away from axis L1 and located above hooks 431 of the outer ring 430 of support 400.
The post-cover 5 is connected with the base 20 by means of the outside surface of the lower part of support 400 being enveloped by the mating surface of the pocket for the post 25 of the base 20. In addition, the post-cover 5 is connected with the base 20 by means of flaring of the top part of the mounting shoulder 28 of the base 20 after the post 40 is installed in the pocket 25 of the base 20. Before flaring, the top part of the mounting shoulder 28 of the base 20 protrudes through the hole in a horizontal bridge 47 of the mounting bushing 46 of the post 40, above the upper surface of this horizontal bridge 47. After flaring, the flared part of the mounting shoulder 28 of the base 20 is pressed against the upper surface of the horizontal bridge 47 and keeps the post 40 from moving up.
The post-retainer 6 is connected with the base 20 by means of its lower end enveloped by the post-retainer pocket 26 in the base and to the post-cover 5 by means of its upper end enveloped by the post-retainer pocket 54 in the cover.
Supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 are connected to their below adjacent supports 200, 300, 400 and 100 by means of outside cylindrical surfaces of their middle rings 120, 220, which are concentric with axis L1, being enveloped by the inside cylindrical surfaces of ring shoulders 240 and 140 of adjacent supports 200, 300, 400 and 100 protruding upward toward them.
In addition, supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 are connected with their below adjacent supports 200, 300, 400 and 100 by means of an engagement of the lower hooks 131, 231, protruding from their outer rings 130, 230 toward axis L1, with the upper hooks 241 and 141 protruding from the ring shoulders 240 and 140 of supports 200, 300, 400 and 100 away from axis L1, and the outside rings 130, 230 of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 located above hooks 131, 231. Supports 100 and 300, as well as 200 and 400, are connected with each other and capable of resting against the rest shoulders 103 and 203, respectively, which restricts them from getting closer to each other along axis L1. The rest shoulders 103 and 203 of the adjacent supports are made so that their rear ends rest against each other after relative rotation of these supports from their initial position, to make it possible to assemble them with each other and before assembling them with the post 40, by an angle which is, first of all, larger than the angle of rotation that is confined by the supports resting against the post 40, and second of all, larger than the angle of rotation necessary for engagement of the upper hooks 141, 241 and lower hooks 131, 231 of these supports.
Supports 100 and 300 are connected with the post 40 of the post-cover 5 by resting the radial protrusions 151 of supports 100 and 300 in the initial position against the edges 43 of the longitudinal grooves of the post 40 of the post-cover 5, and against the opposite edges 44 of the grooves after rotating the supports 100 and 300 clockwise, as seen from above, by an angle sufficient for removing compact disks 10 from them. Supports 200 and 400 are connected with the post 40 of the post-cover 5 by resting the radial protrusions 251 of supports 200 and 400 in the initial position against the edges 44 of the same grooves, and against the opposite edges 43 of these grooves after rotating supports 100 and 300 counterclockwise, as seen from top, by an angle sufficient for removing compact disks 10 from them.
Supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 are connected with the post-retainer 6 with rest bridges 176 on the left and 276 on the right, which are facing toward plane L1-L2 and located on front ends of rest shoulders 103 and 203, capable of resting against two opposite sides of the post-retainer. In addition, supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 are connected with the post-retainer 6 and capable of retaining their position in the stack 70 by means of end bridges 173 and 273 located at free ends of the elastic members 170 and 270 of these supports and stops 174 and 274 protruding from these free ends, and making contact with the post-retainer 6 on the side of axis L1 resting against the side surface of the post-retainer 6, which restrict its movement away from axis L1. Herein, the shape of the elastic members 170 and 270 is such that, in the initial position of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400, the post-retainer 6 acts on their stops 174, 274 in a radial direction toward axis L1, and due to this action, the elastic members 170 and 270 are in a pre-stressed bent state. Herein, the shapes and relative position of the interacting surfaces are selected so that when rotation of supports 100, 200, 300 or 400 is attempted, the reaction force from the post-retainer 6 acting on the end bridge 173 or 273 of each support has a radial component directed toward axis L1 that is sufficient for bending the elastic member 170 or 270.
The device 1 is made so that it can be installed on a horizontal surface, for instance, on a table, and can also be attached to a vertical surface with fasteners, for instance, to a wall using holes in the rear walls of the base 20 and cover 50. The base 20 is made in the form of a thin-wall plastic part and comprises a pad 21, a contour shoulder 22, a rest shoulder 23, a cavity 24, a pocket 25 for the post, a post 26 for the base post-retainer pocket 27 for fastening, a mounting shoulder 28, four pockets 29 for antiskid members, a retention shoulder 30, three hooks 31, and reinforcement ribs 32. The horizontal pad 21 is formed by the top surface of the plate connected with the contour shoulder 22, the rest shoulder 23, the pocket 25 for the post, the post 26 for the base post-retainer wall of the cavity 24, the pockets 29 for antiskid members, reinforcement ribs 32, and the retention shoulder 30. The contour shoulder 22 is connected to the rest shoulder 23 and reinforcement ribs 32. The pocket 25 for the post is connected to the pocket 27 for fastening, which is connected to the fastening shoulder 28. The Retention shoulder 30 is connected to the hooks 31. The contour shoulder 22 made in the form of a curved thin-wall band bent along the edge of the pad 21 protrudes downward from the pad 21. The rest shoulder 23 protrudes upward from the contour shoulder 22 and pad 21 in the left area of the base 20. It is made in the form of a U-shaped member bent along the left edge of the pad 21; the lower edge of the outside vertical part of the U-shaped member is connected to the top edge of the contour shoulder 22, and the bottom edge of the inside vertical part of the contour shoulder 22 is connected with the edge of the pad 21. The height of the rest shoulder 23 from the top level of the pad 21 matches the height of the contour shoulder 204 of support 400 without exceeding it, and the inner side surface of the inside vertical area of the rest shoulder 23 envelopes the contour shoulder 204 of support 400. The rest shoulder 23 in the front area of the base 20 is confined by the pocket 26 for the base post-retainer and plane L1-L2, and in the rear it is confined by a crossbridge, with its angular distance from plane L1-L2 measured from axis L1 equal to or larger than one-half of the angle of rotation of support 400 until its lower hooks 231 disengage from the upper hooks 31 of the base 20. The cavity 24 around axis L2 is formed by the open surface on top of a member in the form of a cup with a cylindrical wall concentric with axis L2 and a flat round bottom. The pocket 25 for the post protrudes downward from the pad 21 around axis L1. The pocket is formed by the open surface on top of a member in the form of a cup and a flat bottom. The side surface of pocket 25 for the post is equidistant to the outer side surface of the lower end of the post 40. The pocket 27 for fastening protrudes upward from the bottom of the pocket 25 for the post. The pocket 27 for fastening is formed by the open surface on the bottom of a member with a cylindrical wall concentric with axis L1, and a flat round bottom with a hole in the center. The fastening shoulder 28 is made in the form of a ring and protrudes upward from the hole edge; it is concentric with axis L1. The pocket 26 for the base post-retainer protrudes down from the pad 21 at the front edge of the base 20 in the space between the contour shoulder 22 and the cavity 24. The pocket 26 for the base post-retainer is formed by the open inside surface on top of a member in the form of a cup. The side surface of the pocket 26 for the base post-retainer is made cylindrical and concentric with the vertical axis located in plane L1-L2. The pockets for antiskid members 29 protrude downward from the pad 21 near the contour shoulder 22. The retention shoulder 30 protrudes upward from the pad 21 around axis L1. Three hooks 31 are evenly spaced around a circumference and protrude from the retention shoulder 30 outward, i.e. away from axis L1. The retention shoulder 30 is made in the form of a cylindrical ring installed concentric with axis L1. Each hook 31 is made in the form of a plate in the shape of a circular segment when viewed from above. The post-cover 5 is made in the form of a thin-wall plastic part and comprises a post 40 on the bottom and a cover 50 on the top. The top end of the post 40 is connected with the bottom 62 of the junction, by the reinforcement ribs 61 of the junction and the post-cover 50. The post 40 is made in the form of a cup open on top and comprises a wall and a bottom rigidly connected with the wall. The wall of post 40 comprises two parts 42 concentric with axis L1 and symmetric with respect to plane L1-L2, and two parts 41 concentric with axis L1 and symmetric with respect to the plane passing through axis L1 perpendicular to plane L1-L2, wherein parts 41 are farther from axis L1 than parts 42. The surfaces of these parts are tapered, with sufficient process taper to remove the post-cover 5 from the mold. The taper direction is such that the sideways dimensions of the post decrease from the top downward. In addition, the wall of the post 40 has radial bridges 43 and 44 made in the form of narrow strips stretched along axis L1 that are connected by means of their edges with the edges of its parts 41 and 42. The surfaces of the radial bridges 43 and 44 are located in vertical planes. Thus, the outside surface of part 42 which is located closer to axis L1 forms the bottom of the longitudinal groove, and the outside surfaces of the radial bridges 43, 44 connected with this part form the groove edges. The groove length in circumferential direction matches the length in circumferential direction of radial protrusion 151 or 152 of support 100, 200, 300 or 400 which is placed in the groove and the length of travel of the protrusion when the support is rotated from one groove edge to the other. The bottom of the post 40 comprises a horizontal plate 45 and a mounting bushing 46. The outside edge of the plate 45 is rigidly connected to the post wall, and its central part is rigidly connected to the mounting bushing 46. The bottom edge of mounting bushing 46 is connected to, and protrudes upward from, the plate 45. On its outside, the edge plate 45 is confined by the wall of the post 40, and in the center it is confined by the mounting bushing 46. On its sides, the mounting bushing 46 is confined by cylindrical surfaces concentric with axis L1, and in its top part, it has a horizontal bridge 47 with a hole in the center, while the top edge of the mounting bushing 46 protrudes above the top surface of the horizontal bridge 47. The cover 50 comprises a horizontal plate 51, a contour shoulder 52, a seat for the cover compact disk, a place for a junction with the post, a pocket for the cover post-retainer 54, and reinforcement ribs. The cover plate 51 is rigidly connected to the contour shoulder 52, the wall 55 of the seat for the cover compact disk, the wall 60 of the junction with the post, the bushing that confines the post-retainer pocket, and reinforcement ribs. The contour shoulder 52 of the cover is connected, by means of vertical reinforcement ribs, to the wall 55 of the seat for the cover compact disk, to the wall 60 of the junction with the post, and to the bushing that confines the pocket for the cover post-retainer 54. The wall 55 of the seat for the cover compact disk is connected, by means of reinforcement ribs, to the wall 60 of the junction with the post, to the U-shaped bridge 63, and to the bushing that confines the pocket for the cover post-retainer 54. The cover plate 51 is located horizontally, symmetric with respect to plane L1-L2. It comprises a wide part around axis L2 and a narrow part around axis L1. The contour shoulder 52 of the cover protrudes downward from the edge of the cover plate 51. The seat for the cover compact disk is located in the center of the wide part of the cover 50, around the axis L2. On the sides, it is confined by a vertical wall 55 which protrudes downward from the cover plate 51, and from below it is confined by the bottom part connected to it. The wall 55 is made in the form of a curved band; its distance from axis L2 is sufficient for placing a compact disk 10 horizontally in the space bound by this wall 55 so that the compact disk axis is aligned with axis L2. In the direction perpendicular to plane L1-L2 and in the direction from axis L2 to axis L1, the distance from the wall 55 to axis L2 is sufficient for placing fingers on the edge of a compact disk 10 with the capability of gripping it. The bottom part of the seat for the cover compact disk comprises a horizontal support plate 56 with three recesses 57 at its edges, and a compact disk retainer located in its center and comprising a lower support part 58 protruding upward from the support plate 56 and an upper retention part 59. On the top, the support part 58 has a horizontal support pad for the compact disk. The retention part 59 in the shape of a turned over cup protrudes from the support pad center. The outer side surface of the retention part 59 is cylindrical and concentric with axis L2; its distance from the axis is sufficient for being enveloped by the center hole of a compact disk 10. The junction with the post comprises the wall of the junction with post 60, the bottom of the junction with the post 62 which is connected with the lower edge of the post 62, and reinforcement ribs of the junction with the post 61, connected with the post and the bottom. The wall of the junction with the post 60 is connected by means of its upper edge to the horizontal cover plate 51. The bottom of the junction with the post 62 has a hole, and the upper end of the post 40 protrudes upward through it. The upper end of the post 40 is connected to the reinforcement ribs of the junction with the post 61. The reinforcement ribs of the junction with post 61 are made in the form of plates located vertically and radially with respect to axis L1. The pocket for the cover post-retainer 54 protrudes down from the cover horizontal plate 51 at the front edge of the cover 50 in the space between the contour shoulder 52 and the compact disk seat wall. The pocket for the cover post-retainer 54 is formed by the open bottom inside surface of the member in the form of a cylindrical bushing with a vertical axis located in plane L1-L2.
The cup 65 made in the form of a thin-wall plastic part comprises a vertical wall 66 with its side surface in the shape of an elliptical cylinder, a flat horizontal bottom below, a flat round flange 67 on top, and a tab 68 protruding downward from the flange's front edge. The length of the flange 67 is sufficient to cover the reinforcement ribs of the junction of the post-cover 5 with the cover post 50 from above. The tab 68 is made so that it can be placed as U-shaped bridge 63 from the cover 50.
The support 100 is made in the form of a thin-wall plastic part with its external contour in the shape of a tear drop. The support 100 comprises a narrow part 101 around a vertical axis L1 and a wide part 102 around a vertical axis L2. In its wide part, the support 100 comprises a seat for a compact disk, a rest shoulder 103, a handle 110, a contour shoulder 104, an elastic member 170, two holes for gripping a compact disk 106, and reinforcement ribs 107. In its narrow part, the support 100 comprises a rest shoulder 103, a contour shoulder 104, a horizontal bridge 108, an outer ring 130, three lower hooks 131, a middle ring 120, an inner ring 150, two radial shoulders 151, an annular shoulder 140, three upper hooks 141, and reinforcement ribs 121. The seat for a compact disk comprises a support pad 161 and components that restrict the shift of compact disks—an outer retention shoulder 160 and inner retention shoulder 162. On the inside, the outer retention shoulder 160 of the seat for a compact disk is connected to the support pad 161, and on the outside it is connected to reinforcement ribs 107. The rest shoulder 103 is connected to a longitudinal reinforcement rib, a handle 110, a horizontal bridge 108 and an outer ring 130. The contour shoulder 104 is connected to the reinforcement ribs 107, the horizontal bridge 108, the bridge 175 and the outer ring 130. The horizontal bridge 108 is connected to the outer ring 130, a middle ring 120 and an annular shoulder 140. The middle ring 120 is connected to an inner ring 150 by means of radial bridges 122. The outer ring 130 is connected to three lower hooks 131. The inner ring 150 is connected to two radial shoulders 151. The annular shoulder 140 is connected to upper hooks 141.
The outer retention shoulder 160 of the seat for a compact disk, the reinforcement ribs 107, the contour shoulder 104, the elastic member 170, the outer ring 130, the middle ring 120, the inner ring 150 and the two radial shoulders 151 have the same height and are located at the same level.
The seat for a compact disk is located in the center of the wide part 101 of the support 100 and is confined on the outside by an external retention shoulder 160 made in the form of a cylindrical ring concentric with axis L2. The inside surface of outer retention shoulder 160 facing axis L2 is able to envelope, with a clearance, the outer edge of a compact disk 10. The top surface of the outer retention shoulder lies in a horizontal plane. The outer retention shoulder 160 has two gaps where there are holes for gripping a compact disk 106. The support pad 161 is formed by the top horizontal surface of the plate located in the lower part of the seat for a compact disk. The plate's bottom surface aligns with the plane that confines the support 100 from below. The inside retention shoulder 162 is made in the form of a thin-wall half-ring placed in the center of the support pad 161 in the position where its convexity faces the side of the support 100 exit from 70, i.e. to the left. The outer surface of the inner retention shoulder 162 is cylindrical and concentric with axis L2, and can be enveloped, with clearance, by the surface forming the hole of a compact disk 10. The outer retention shoulder 160 and inner retention shoulder 162 protrude upward above the support pad 161. The plate the support pad 161 is located on has a central hole for the support pad 163; on the side of the retention shoulder 162, the hole is confined by a cylindrical surface which aligns on the top of the plate with the inner surface of the shoulder 162. On the opposite side, this hole 163 is confined by the surface whose distance from axis L2 is larger than the radius of the hole in a compact disk 10 and is sufficient for gripping the edge of a compact disk 10 hole with a finger. The rest shoulder 103 confines the support 100 on the left and protrudes upward above the top surface of the outer retention shoulder 160 of the compact disk seat of the support 100; the height of the protrusion is commensurate with, but does not exceed, the height of the contour shoulder 204 of the support 400 adjacent from above. The rest shoulder 103 is made in the form of a member with a P-shaped cross-section curved along the left area of the support 100. On the top, the upper vertical part of the member is connected, by means of a bridge, to its inner vertical part. The lower edge of the inner vertical part of the rest shoulder 103 is connected, by means of a horizontal bridge, to the lower edge of a longitudinal reinforcement rib with a U-shaped cross-section. The inner surface of the inner vertical part of the rest shoulder 103 envelopes, with clearance, the outer surface of the contour shoulder of the support 400 that is adjacent from above. At the farther edge from axis L1, i.e. at its front edge facing plane L1-L2, the rest shoulder 103 has a rest bridge 176. The rest shoulder 103 has an end protrusion 177 as an extension of its outer vertical part from the rest bridge 176 to plane L1-L2.
A handle 110 protrudes outside the support 100 from the vertical outer part of the rest shoulder 103 in the front left part of the support 100. The handle 110 comprises a flat top part and a shoulder connected to it and protruding downward from the edge of the flat top part to the lower horizontal level of the support 100. The flat top part is made with the protruding outside edge tilting downward. The front edge of the handle 110 is confined by the surface extending in circumferential direction toward the axis of rotation of the supports L1, the right edge of the handle 110 is confined by the surface pulling out in a radial direction toward axis L1, and the left edge of the handle 110 is located within the overall dimensions of the support 100 that are transverse to plane L1-L2, i.e. it is within the limits of the distance of the left edge of the rest shoulder 103 from plane L1-L2.
The contour shoulder 104 confines the support 100 on the right and is made in the form of a piece with a U-shaped cross-section curved along the right area of the external contour of the support 100. The outer surface of the outer vertical part of the contour shoulder 104 is enveloped, with clearance, by the inner surface of the inner vertical part of the rest shoulder 203 of the support 200 adjacent on the bottom.
An elastic member 170 comprises two elastic parts—an outer part 171 and an inner part 172, and also an end bridge 173 and stop 174. The elastic parts 171 and 172 are connected, by means of their right hand side edges, to a bridge 175 which connects the front end of the contour shoulder 104 with the outer retention shoulder 160 of the compact disk seat. At the free end of the elastic member 170, the left ends of the elastic parts 171 and 172 are connected with the end bridge 173. The stop 174 is connected to the end bridge 173. The elastic members 171 and 172 are located next to each other along the external contour of the support 100 at the front edge of its right side part in the direction of the extension of the bridge 175 from the stack, i.e. to the left, toward plane L1-L2. The elastic parts 171 and 172 are made in the form of vertical equidistant bands. The end bridge 173 mates smoothly with, and has the same height as, the ends of the elastic parts 171 and 172, and is made in the form of a band curved along a circle from one end to the other. The stop 174 is made in the form of a band that has the same height as the end bridge 173 and protrudes from the bridge center to the left outside plane L1-L2. The surfaces of the stop 174 and end bridge 173 that face outward from the support 100 mate smoothly by means of a cylindrical surface.
The reinforcement ribs 107 are made in the form of vertical bands and connect the outer retention shoulder 160 of the compact disk seat with a longitudinal reinforcement rib which is connected with the rest shoulder 103, left of the wide side 102 of the support 100, with the contour shoulder 104 on the right side of the support, and with the outer ring 130 in the narrow part 101 of the support 100.
At the left and right edges of the wide part 102 of the support 100 there are two holes 106 for gripping a compact disk 10—in the space between the compact disk seat and the rest shoulder 103, and in the space between the compact disk seat and the contour shoulder 104. In a circumferential direction with respect to axis L2, the holes are bound by reinforcement ribs 107, and in a radial direction toward axis L2 they are bound by the edge of the support pad 161 of the compact disk seat. The dimensions of the holes 106 are sufficient for gripping a compact disk 10 with fingers.
The outer ring 130 is cylindrical and concentric with axis L1. On the left side of the support, the outer ring 130 mates smoothly with the inner vertical part of the rest shoulder 103, and on the right side of the support it mates smoothly with the outside vertical part of the contour shoulder 104. The upper edge of the outer ring 130 mates at a right angle with the horizontal bridge 108.
The lower hooks 131 are made in the form of thin horizontal plates connected to the lower part of the outer ring 130 that protrude from its inside cylindrical surface toward axis L1. The height of the lower hooks 131 is such that they fit in the free space under the upper hooks 241 of support 200, and their distance from the horizontal plane 104 is sufficient for the upper hooks 241 of support 200 to fit in the free space above them. In a circumferential direction, the lower hooks 131 are evenly spread along the circle around axis L1 in such a way that plane L1-L2 bisects the closest hook to axis L2. The arrangement of the lower hooks 131 with respect to the upper hooks 241 of support 200 is such that during rotation of one of the supports 100 or 200, each lower hook 131 of support 100 moves from one edge of the upper hook 241 of support 200 to the other. Dimensions of the lower hooks 131 in circumferential direction are smaller than the distance between the closest edges of the upper hooks 141 in the same direction.
The middle ring 120 is cylindrical, concentric with the outer ring 130 and is closer to axis L1 than the outer ring 130. The outer cylindrical surface of the middle ring 120 is made with the capability of being enveloped by the inner surface of the upper ring 230 of support 200, with a clearance fit allowing relative rotation of supports 100 and 200.
The inner ring 150 is cylindrical, concentric with the middle ring 120 and is closer to axis L1 than the middle ring 120. The inner ring is connected with the middle ring by means of radial bridges 122—vertical plates evenly spread along a circle. Two radial protrusions 151 are in the form of P-shaped elements, when viewed from above, protruding opposite each other from the inner ring toward axis L1.
The annular shoulder 140 is cylindrical, concentric with the middle ring 120 and is farther away from axis L1 than the middle ring 120. The annular shoulder 140 protrudes upward above the top surface of the horizontal bridge 108. The annular shoulder 140 is made so that its inner cylindrical surface can envelope the outside surface of the middle ring 420 of support 400 with sufficient clearance for mutual rotation.
Three upper hooks 141 have the same shape—thin horizontal plates in the shape of segments when viewed from above. The upper hooks 141 are connected with the upper part of the upper ring 140 and protrude from it in the direction away from axis L1. The surfaces confining them from above and the top end of the upper ring 140 are in the same plane, and the cross-section of the upper ring 140 together with the upper hook 141 with a plane passing through axis L1 is L-shaped. The height of the upper hooks 141 is such that they fit in the space above the lower hooks 431 of support 400, and they are far enough from the horizontal plate 104 so that the lower hooks 431 of support 400 fit under them. In a circumferential direction, the upper hooks 141 are evenly spaced along a circle around axis L1, wherein one of the upper hooks is placed in the back of the narrow part, behind axis L2, and is bisected by plane L1-L2. The location of the upper hooks 141 with respect to the lower hooks 431 of support 400 is such that when rotating one of the supports 100 or 400 each lower hook 431 of support 400 moves from one edge of the upper hook 141 of support 100 to the other.
The horizontal bridge 108 is made in the form of a horizontal plate confined outside by the outer ring 130 and inside by the middle ring 120. The horizontal bridge 108 has fabrication holes above the lower hooks 131 and under the upper hooks; the form of the holes corresponds to these hooks 131 and 141.
Support 300 has the same components as support 100; the only difference is the shape and location of the handle 310. The handle 310 of support 300 also protrudes outside support 300 from the outer vertical part of the rest shoulder in the left front part of support 300, but closer to plane L1-L2 than the handle 110 of support 100. The handle 310 has a flat upper part and a shoulder that is connected with it and protrudes downward from the edge of the flat upper part to the lower horizontal level of support 100. The upper flat part of the handle 310 is tilted downward. The front edge of the handle 310 is confined by a surface running along a circumferential direction, and the side—left and right—edges of the handle 310 are confined by surfaces running in a radial direction with respect to axis L1 of rotation of the supports. Support 200 is made so that it can be pulled out from the stack 70 by rotating it counterclockwise about axis L1, i.e. in the opposite direction compared to support 100. Support 200 comprises the following components: a compact disk seat, a rest shoulder 203, a contour shoulder 204, an elastic member 270, two holes 206 for gripping a compact disk, reinforcement ribs 207, a horizontal bridge 208, an outer ring 230, a middle ring 220, an inner ring 250, two radial protrusions 251, and an annular shoulder 240. The shape and location of these elements can be obtained from a mirror image, with respect to plane L1-L2, of the respective components of support 100. Support 200 comprises the following components: three lower hooks 231 and three upper hooks 241; their shape and location with respect to each other are the same as the shape and location of therespective components of support 100, and the difference between the location of these components with respect to axis L1 and the location of the respective components of support 100 is the angular distance in a counterclockwise direction with respect to axis L1—it is equal to the angular distance between the middle of protrusion 131 and the edge of protrusion 141 of the upper ring 140 of support 100 that is closest to protrusion 131. Support 200 has a handle 210; its shape and location can be obtained from a mirror image of the shape and location of the handle 310 of support 300 with respect to plane L1-L2.
Support 400 has the same components as support 200; the only difference from support 200 is the shape and location of the handle 410. Support 400 has a handle 410; its shape and location can be obtained from a mirror image of the shape and location of the handle 110 of support 100 with respect to plane L1-L2.
Operation of Device 1. To place a compact disk 10 into the device 1, a user can use one hand. To do this, he first secures the compact disk 10 on a support part 58 of the retainer on the cover 50. Then, the user selects a handle 110, 210, 310 or 410 that does not have an inscription stating that support 100, 200, 300 or 400 is occupied. For instance, the user selects handle 110 of support 100. In this case, he can take a marker from a cup 65 and write a compact disk 10 title or symbol on the handle 110. Then, the user acts on the handle 110 with his hand, directing force to his left. This force is transferred to a middle ring 120 and an annular shoulder 140 of support 100. The outer surface of the middle ring 120 interacts with the inside surface of the annular shoulder 240 of support 200 adjacent below, and the inner surface of the annular shoulder 140 interacts with the outer surface of the middle ring 420 of support 400 adjacent above. As a result, support 100 starts rotating clockwise about axis L1. The side surface of an end bridge 173 of an elastic member 170 of support 100 acts on a post-retainer 6. Because the radial component of this force is directed toward axis L1 of rotation of the support, the elastic member 170 of support 100 bends in a horizontal plane, and its free end moves toward axis L1. In the process, the outer surface of the external elastic part 171 of the elastic member is pressed against and slides along a post-retainer 6. In this, the force of friction from support 100 acts on its adjacent supports 200 and 400 and tries to drag these supports along with support 100 that is being pulled out and to rotate them clockwise too. The force is transferred to the rest bridges 276 that face the post-retainer 6; they are located on the front ends of the rest shoulders 203 of these supports 200 and 240, which rest against the post-retainer 6. Because of this, supports 200 and 400 stay put. As support 100 rotates, free space is formed in its place. Under the weight of the supports located above support 100, the upper adjacent support 400 moves down until the lower part of its rest shoulder 203 rests against the upper part of the rest shoulder 203 of the lower adjacent support 200. Thus, the rest shoulder 203 of support 200 takes on part of the weight of the first part of the stack 70. This reduces the load on support 100 that is being pulled out, and free space is formed under the upper adjacent support 400; the height of this space is equal to the height of the protruding upward part of the rest shoulder 203 of support 200. Further, support 100 rotates by an angle sufficient to remove the compact disk 10 from support 100. Side surfaces of the radial protrusions 151 of support 100 rest against the edges 44 of the grooves of the post 40 of the post-cover 5, and this stops the rotation of support 100. Then, the user takes the compact disk 10 from a support part 58 of a cover retainer 50 and places it in its seat in support 100, namely, on a support pad 161, and retains it by placing its hole on an inner retention shoulder 162. When this is done, a wide part 102 of support 100 pulled out from the stack 70 is exposed to the action of the user's hand in the up-down direction, and the action of the weight of the compact disk 10 and of its own weight. Each of these forces creates a moment on the arm equal to the distance from axis L1 to the line of its action. The sum of the moments of all these forces is counteracted by the moment from the action of the weight of the supports located above the support being pulled out from the stack 70 and of the reaction forces of support 200 below it on the narrow part of the support being pulled out from the stack 70. If this counteraction is not enough to balance said sum of moments, for instance, when the support being pulled out is on the top of the stack 70 and the weight of the supports located below is not enough, the reaction forces of the upper hooks 241 of the adjacent support 200 below take effect. These forces act down on the lower hooks 131 of support 100, keeping the narrow part 101 of support 100 from moving up. Further, by pushing the handle 110 of support 100 with his hand, the user rotates support 100 counterclockwise about axis L1, returning it back to the stack 70. Support 100 slides into the stack 70 and gets into said open space under the adjacent support 400 above, which rests against a rest shoulder 203 of the adjacent support 200 below; the rest shoulder 203 takes on part of the weight of the supports located above support 100, and this reduces the friction force that impedes the sliding of support 100 into the stack 70. Further, when sliding into the stack 70, support 100 acts, by means of friction forces, on adjacent supports 200 and 400, trying to rotate them counterclockwise and pushing them out from the stack 70. The action of the friction forces is transferred to the elastic members 270 of supports 200 and 400 which act on the post-retainer 6 with their end bridges 273. The reaction of the post-retainer 6 on supports 200 and 400 slows them down and prevents their sliding out of the stack 70. Furthermore, the post-retainer 6 acts on the moving outside surface of the outer part 171 of the elastic member 170 of support 100, sliding along it and bending the elastic member 170 in a horizontal plane. At the end of the return rotation of support 100, the end bridge 173 of the elastic member 170 snaps behind the post-retainer 6; acted upon by elastic forces, the elastic member 170 straightens, and its stop 174 rests against the post-retainer 6.
To remove the compact disk 10 from the device 1, the user, as before, pulls out a support, for instance, support 100, using the handle 110, and takes the compact disk 10 with two fingers. Herein, the user can take the compact disk 10 by its outer edge through the holes 106, or with one finger, for instance, his index finger. He can take the compact disk 10 by the edge of its hole, and with the other finger, for instance, his thumb, he can take the compact disk by its outer edge.
The other supports—200, 300 or 400—comprise the same components as support 100, which, when they interact with the post 40 and the respective components of adjacent supports, work similarly to the components of support 100.
The sequence of assembling device 1: assemble the stack 70; connect the stack 70 with the base 20; connect the base 20 with the post-retainer 6; connect the post-cover 5 with the base 20 and the post-retainer 6; place the cup 65 in the upper hole in the post 40 of the post-cover 5.
To assemble the stack 70, the adjacent supports 100 and 200, 200 and 300, 300 and 400, 400 and 100 are sequentially connected to each other by engaging their lower and upper hooks 131 and 241, and 231 and 141. For instance, to engage hooks 131 and 241 of adjacent supports 100 and 200, it is necessary to perform the following operations: put support 100 on top of support 200; align the outside surface of the middle ring 120 of support 100 with the inside surface of the annular shoulder 240 of support 200; rotate support 100 clockwise when viewed from above, until the back end of the rest shoulder 103 of support 100 stops at the back end of the rest shoulder 203 of support 200; press from above support 100 to support 200 and move them together as far as they go, enveloping the outside surface of the middle ring 120 of support 100 with the inside surface of the annular shoulder 240 of support 200; rotate support 100 counterclockwise to its initial position.
To connect the stack 70 with the base 20 it is necessary to engage the lower hooks 231 of supports 400 with the hooks 31 of the base 20. To do this, it is necessary to: place the hasp 20 against the stack 70 from below; align the outside surface of the middle ring 220 of support 400 with the inside surface of the retention shoulder 30 of the base 20; rotate the base 20 clockwise, when viewed from above, with respect to the stack 70 until the back end of the rest shoulder 23 of the base 20 rests against the back end of the rest shoulder 203 of support 400; press from above the stack 70 to the base 20, and move the support 400 and base 20 together as far as they go, enveloping the outside surface of the middle ring 220 of support 400 with the inside surface of the retention shoulder 30 of the base 20; rotate the base 20 counterclockwise to its initial position.
To connect the base 20 with the post-retainer 6 it is necessary to use a special tool to rotate all the supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 by a certain angle to remove the elastic members 170 and 270 from the space where the post-retainer 6 will be placed, and then insert the post-retainer 6 from above as far as it goes in the post-retainer pocket 26 of the base.
To connect the post-cover 5 with the base 20 and the post-retainer 6, it is necessary to insert the post 40 of the post-cover 5 in the holes of support 100, 200, 300 and 400; insert the lower post-cover 5; insert the lower end of the post 40 in the pocket 25 for the post 25 of the base 20 and at the same time insert the upper end of the post-retainer 6 in the pocket of the post-retainer cover 54; press the post-cover 5 from above to the base 20; flare, by heating with a special tool, the top part of the mounting shoulder 28 and press it to the upper surface of the horizontal bridge 47 of the mounting bushing 46 of the post 40 of the post-cover 5.
The device 2 for storing compact disks 10 comprises: a base 20; three stacks 70 of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400, two post-inserts 7, a post-cover 5, a post-retainer, a turnbuckle 95, and a cup 65. Parts of device 2: a base 20, a stack 70, supports 100, 200, 300 and 400, a post-cover 5, and a cup 65 are borrowed from device 1 described above and are located with respect to axes L1 and L2 as the respective parts of device 1. The bottom stack 70 is installed on the base 20. The post 80 of the lower post-insert 7 is placed from above in holes of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 of the lower stack 70; the lower end of the post rests against the base 20. The middle stack 70 is installed on an insert 90 of the lower post-insert 7. The post 80 of the upper post-insert 7 is placed in holes of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 of the middle stack 70; the lower end of the post rests against the base 20. The upper stack 70 is installed on the insert 90 of the upper post-insert 7. The post 40 of the post-cover 5 is placed in holes of supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 of the upper stack 70; the lower end of the posts rests against the upper post-insert 7.
The turnbuckle comprises a stud and two nuts that pull together the base 20 and the post-cover 5, thus pressing them from two sides to the post-inserts 7 that are between them, and pressing the post-inserts 7 to each other forming a rigid connection between all these details. The upper nut can interact with the horizontal bridge 47 of the mounting bushing of the bottom of the post 40. The lower nut can interact with the lower surface of the pocket for the fasteners 27 of the base 20. The stud is placed in a coaxial axes L1 of the hole in the base 20, in the posts of the inserts 7 and in the post 40. In the lower stack 70, the lower support 400 is connected with the base 20 in the same way as in device 1. Supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 are connected to the post 80 of the lower post-insert 7 in the same way as they are connected in device 1 with the post 40. In the middle stack 70, the lower support 400 is connected to the lower post-insert 7, with restricted shifting with respect to axis L1 and with the capability of rotation about axis L1. Supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 of the middle stack 70 are connected with the post 80 of the upper post-insert 7 in the same way supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 of the lower stack 70 are connected to the post 80 of the lower post-insert 7, as described above. In the upper stack 70, the lower support 400 is connected to the upper post-insert 7, with restricted shifting with respect to axis L1 and with the capability of rotation about axis L1 Supports 100, 200, 300 and 400 of the upper stack 70 are connected to the post 40 of the post-cover 5 in the same way as in device 1.
Each pest-insert 7 of device 2 is made in the form of a thin-wall plastic part and comprises a support 80, located vertically along axis L1, and an insert 90 rigidly connected to its upper part. The post 80 is made in the form of a cup open on top and comprises lower, middle and upper parts. The lower part of the post 80 has the same shape and the same components as the lower part of the post 40 of the post-cover 5 of device 1, and can also be installed from above in the pocket 25 for the post of the base 20. In addition, the lower part of the post 80 can be installed from above in the widening 85 of the upper part of the post 80 of any other post-insert 7. The middle part of the post 80 has the same shape and the same components as the middle part of the post 40 of the post-cover 5 of device 1, and is also connected with supports 100, 200, 300 and 400. The upper part of the post 80 has a widening 85 in the transverse direction, capable of enveloping the lower part of the post 80 of the post-insert 7 or the lower part of the post 40 of the post-cover 5 with minimum clearance or minimum interference. Herein, a step 86 formed in the area of the transition from a narrower middle part to a wider upper part serves as the stop for the lower end of the post 80 of device 2 or the lower end of the post 40 of device 1 that limits their downward movement. An insert 90 of the post-insert 7 is made in the form of a thin-wall plastic part and comprises the following components: a pad 91, a contour shoulder 92, a rest shoulder 93, a cavity 94, a retention shoulder 30, three hooks 31, and reinforcement ribs 32, capable of interacting with the stack 70 in the same way as the components of the base 20 that have the same function, shape and location. The insert 90 has a bushing for the post-retainer 96 made so that its inside surface can envelope the outside surface of the post-retainer of device 2.
The post-retainer of device 2 is made in the form of a round rod, installed vertically and connected to the base 20, restricted to horizontal movements and downward vertical movement due to its lower end being enveloped by the pocket for the post-retainer of the base 26. The post-retainer is connected to the post-cover 5, restricted to horizontal movements and upward vertical movement due to its upper end being enveloped by the pocket for the post-retainer of the cover 54. The post-retainer is connected to each post-insert 7, restricted to horizontal movements due to its side surface being enveloped by the bushing of the post-retainer 96.

Claims

1. A device (1) for storing compact disks (10) comprising base (20); a stack (70) of supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) that are installed on top of the base and placed one above the other with upper supports resting on lower ones, and that have seats for compact disks (10); the device is made with the capability to pull out these seats from the stack (70) by rotating the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) about the axis (L1) located outside these seats; comprising a retaining member (6) connected with the base (20), located along said axis (L1) and making contact with the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) in their initial position, with the capability of resting that restricts said rotation, distinctive in that the nearest supports, i.e., the two supports that are immediately adjacent to each other (100 and 200, or 200 and 300, or 300 and 400, or 400 and 100) make contact with parts of the retaining member (6) with the capability to stop, which limits rotation of the supports (100 and 200, or 200 and 300, or 300 and 400, or 400 and 100) in mutually opposite directions.

2. The device (1) per claim 1, distinctive in that at least one of the two supports (100 or 300; 200 or 400) adjacent to the same support (200 or 300) comprises a rest member (103 or 203) protruding toward the second support (300 or 400) with the capability to stop against it, which restricts drawing these two supports (100 and 300; 200 and 400) together.

3. The device (1) per claim 2, distinctive in that said rest member is made in the form of a rest shoulder (103, 203) that confines the support (100, 200) on the side of its pullout from the stack (70).

4. The device (1) per claim 3, distinctive in that edges (176 and 276) of the rest shoulders (103 and 203) that are farther from the axis (L1) of rotation of the supports (100 and 200) are made with the capability of making said contact with the retaining member (6) of the device (1).

5. The device (1) per claim 4, distinctive in that the rest shoulders (103, 203) of the supports (100, 200) protrude upwards.

6. The device (1) per any claim from 1 to 5, distinctive in that the retaining member (6) makes contact with the outside surfaces of the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) that are removed from said axis (L1) in the direction of the seats for compact disks (10).

7. The device (1) per claim 6, distinctive in that the supports (100 and 200) have elastic members (170 and 270) that make contact with the retaining member (6) in the initial position of the supports (100 and 200) and are made with the capability of elastic deformation when acted upon by the retaining member (6)

8. The device (1) per claim 7, distinctive in that the elastic member (170 or 270) comprises one end connected with other parts of the supports (100 or 200), and the other—free—end that protrudes from the connected end in the direction of its pullout from the stack (70) and makes contact in the initial position of this support (100 or 200) in the stack (70) with the retaining member (6).

9. The device (1) per claim 8, distinctive in that at its free end the elastic member (170 or 270) of the support (100 or 200) has a protrusion (174 or 274) which makes contact in the initial position of this support (100 or 200) in the stack (70) with the retaining member (6) on the side of said axis (L1), with restricting its movement in the direction away from this axis (L1).

10. The device (1) per claim 9, distinctive in that the elastic member (170 or 270) of the support (100 or 200) has two parts (171 and 172, or 271 and 272) that are located along each other from one end of the elastic member (170 or 270) to the other and only joined together at these ends.

11. The device (1) per any claim from 1 to 5, or from 7 to 10, distinctive in that the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) have holes around said axis (L1); the retaining member is placed into these holes, and it is made in the form of a post (41) that has at least one longitudinal groove; the supports (100 and 200) have radial protrusions (151 and 251) directed into the holes and located in the groove with the capability of interacting with its edges, wherein the radial protrusions (151 and 251) of adjacent supports (100 and 200) make contact, in the initial position, with different edges of the groove.

12. The device (1) per claim 11, distinctive in that the length of said groove in circumferential direction, as well as the length of the radial protrusion (151 or 251) of the support (100 or 200) in the same direction are made so that this protrusion (151 or 251) stops against the other edge of this groove after rotating this support (100 or 200) by an angle sufficient to remove compact disk 10 from it.

13. The device (1) per claim 12, distinctive in that the post (41) has two grooves, and each support (100 and 200) has two radial protrusions (151 and 251), each protrusion placed in one of the grooves.

14. The device per claim 1, distinctive in that the retaining member (500) makes contact with the outside surfaces of supports (3), located on the side of said axis (L1) opposite to the seats for compact disks 10.

15. The device per claim 1, distinctive in that the supports (4) have holes along said axis (L1), the retaining member (500) is placed in these holes and makes contact with their edges, and said axis (L1) is located outside these holes.

16. The device (1) per any claim from 1 to 5, or from 7 to 10, or from 12 to 15, distinctive in that the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) are made with the capability of placing compact disks (10) in them on the same axis (L2) which is parallel to said axis (L1).

17. The device (1) per claim 16, distinctive in that the retaining member (6) has a longitudinal axis parallel to and located in the same plane as said axes (L1 and L2).

18. The device (1) per any claim from 1 to 5, or from 7 to 10, or from 14 to 17, distinctive in that the retaining member (6) is made in the form of a round rod.

19. The device (1) per claim 17, distinctive in that said axes (L1 and L2) are placed vertically.

20. The device (1) per any claim from 1 to 5, or from 7 to 10, or from 12 to 15, or 17, or 19, distinctive in that the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) have handles (110, 210, 310 and 410) for gripping that protrude from the supports outside the stack (70) toward seats for compact disks in at least two vertical rows.

21. The device (1) per claim 3, distinctive in that the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) have handles (110, 210, 310 and 410) for gripping that are connected with the rest shoulders (103 or 203) of the supports (100, 200, 300 and 400) and protrude from the supports outside the stack (70) in four vertical rows.

22. The device (1) per claim 21, distinctive in that the handles (110, 210, 310 and 410) are confined from above by means of plates with outward protruding edges tilted downward.