Patent EP0248592A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0248592A2
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EP
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A box
Assignee: Cessione melton Medes Ltd
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Filing: 1987-05-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-05-28
Abstract
Abstract A box for storing thin slightly compressible objects, in particular floppy disks FD, has an inner part 1 and an outer part 2. In an open position of the box, the inner part 1 is substantially upright for support of the disks in a position for selection of one of them. The inner part 1 has a foot member 4 beneath the disks and a stem member 5 behind the disks. A movable member 3 is pivoted at pins 16 to the inner part at a position spaced above the foot 4. This member 3 has a lower portion beneath the pivot pins 16 and an upper portion thereabove. On movement of the upper portion away from the stem member 5, the lower portion 17 moves crosswise of the foot 4 and compresses the disks FD locally between itself and the stem 5 which acts as a reaction member. This action causes the disks to fan out above the pivot pins 16 for selection amongst them. The upper portion of the movable member 3 restrains the disks from falling forwards out of the box.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Camillus Vincent Wakelin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 05:47
CPC Classifications
B; B42; B42F; B42F17/00; B42F17/02; B42F17/08; G; G11; G11B; G11B33/00; G11B33/02; G11B33/04; G11B33/0405; G11B33/0433
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
A box for storing thin objects, comprising means (1; 51; 101) for supporting a stack of the objects (FD) in a substantially upright position for selection amongst them, the support means (1; 51; 101) including a support surface (4; 54; 104) disposed beneath the objects at least when the stack is arranged substantially upright, characterised by means (3,5; 53,55; 103,105) for compressing the stack of thin objects at the level of their lower portions to cause them to fan out at their upper portions, the compression means (3,5; 53,55; 103,105) including a movable member (3; 53; 103) spaced from and movable crosswise of the support surface (4; 54; 104) to bear at one side of the stack against an outside one of the stack of objects (FD) for compression of them, and a reaction member (5; 55; 103,127,113) positioned to bear at the other side of the stack against an outside one of the stack of objects (FD) for reacting the compression of the objects caused on movement of the movable part (3; 53; 103).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
A box for storing thin objects, comprising means (1; 51; 101) for supporting a stack of the objects (FD) in a substantially upright position for selection amongst them, the support means (1; 51; 101) including a support surface (4; 54; 104) disposed beneath the objects at least when the stack is arranged substantially upright, characterised by means (3,5; 53,55; 103,105) for compressing the stack of thin objects at the level of their lower portions to cause them to fan out at their upper portions, the compression means (3,5; 53,55; 103,105) including a movable member (3; 53; 103) spaced from and movable crosswise of the support surface (4; 54; 104) to bear at one side of the stack against an outside one of the stack of objects (FD) for compression of them, and a reaction member (5; 55; 103,127,113) positioned to bear at the other side of the stack against an outside one of the stack of objects (FD) for reacting the compression of the objects caused on movement of the movable part (3; 53; 103).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member (3; 53; 103) is pivotally arranged in the box for its compression-causing movement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A box as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the compression means (3,5; 53,54; 103; 104) is so arranged that the stack of objects is restrained without further compression at a level intermediate the upper - fanned - and lower - compressed - portions of the thin objects to provide a fulcrum level about which the objects fan out.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
A box as claimed in claim 3, as appendant to claim 2, wherein the pivot axis of the movable member (3; 53; 103) is arranged at the fulcrum level, whereby the compression means (3,5; 53,55; 103,105) provides such restraint without further compression of the objects at this level.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
A box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the box includes an inner part (1; 51) connected to an outer part (2; 52) which covers the objects (FD) in a closed position and supports the inner part (1; 51) at a leaning back inclination in an open position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A box as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inner part (1; 51) is generally L-shaped in lateral cross-section, having a foot member (4; 54) and a stem member (5; 55), the foot member (4; 54) providing the support surface (4; 54), and the stem member (5; 55) providing the reaction member (5; 55).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
92 words
A box as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, as appendant to claim 2, wherein the movable member (3; 53) has a pair of side wings (14; 64) and the inner part (1; 51) has a pair of side members (7; 57) to which the movable member (3; 53) is pivotally connected by pivot pins (16; 65) defining an axis, spaced above the support surface (4; 54) and wherein pivotal limitation means (37; 62,66) is provided for limiting forwards pivotal movement of the movable member (3; 53) to a compression position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A box as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pivotal limitation means comprises an abutment (37; 66) on the movable member (3; 53) and a stop (4; 68) on the inner part (1; 51).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A box as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the side wings (11) of the movable member (3) cooperate in an over-centre manner with detents (39) on the inner part (1) in the compression position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
A box as claimed in claim 9, wherein the detent (39) is formed as a bump (39) on the objects surface of the reaction member (5), with a U-shaped groove (90) on the other face of the reaction member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
A box as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the outer part (2; 52) has a cover panel (18; 52) which - in the closed position - is co-planar with the movable member (3; 53) and abuts it at edges which are preferably chamfered.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
A box as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 11, wherein the reaction member (5; 55) and the movable member (3; 53) are substantially equally and oppositely inclined when the box is stood in its open position on a support surface (41).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
106 words
A box as claimed in any of claims 5 to 12, wherein the inner and outer parts (1,2) are connected together by engagement means (12,27) so as to allow the inner part (1) to be at least partially withdrawn from the outer part (2) to a position whence the inner part (1) can be swung through an angle of less than 180° with respect to the outer part (2) for movement of the box into a self-supporting, open position, in which a rear lower edge of the outer part (2) and a rear lower edge of the inner part (1) can abut a supporting surface (41).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
A box as claimed in claim 13, as appendant to claim 7, wherein the axis of pivotal connection of the movable member (3) to the inner part (1) is so positioned that a forward edge (40) of the movable member can abut a supporting surface (41), when the movable member is moved to its compression position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
A box as claimed in claim 13, wherein the forward edge (40) of the movable member (3) has a cut-out occupied in the closed position of the box by a rib (33) formed on the forward edge of the support surface (4) and the forward edge (40) has fingers (36) occupying cut-outs (35) in the support surface, the fingers (36) providing the pivotal limitation means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A box as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 as appendant to claim 11, wherein the cover panel (18) and the movable member (3) are formed with co-operating catch formations (24,25).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
205 words
A box as claimed in claim 16 as appendant to claim 7, wherein the side members (7) of the inner part (1) each have an oblique step in their outer surface, behind which the respective side member (19) of the outer part (2) is accommodated and against which this side member (19) abuts in the open position of the box, a rebate (11) at the lower edge of the side member (7) and a groove (12) parallel to the rebate (11), the rebate (11) and the groove (12) extending behind the step (9), and a resilient detent (45) at the forward end of the groove (12); and the side members (19) each have a pin (27) for engaging in a respective one of the grooves (12) and a rib (50) at the bottom edge of the side member (19) for accommodation in the rebate (11); the grooves (12) and the pins (27) forming the said engagement means; the arrangement being such that in the open position the resilient detents (45) bias the pins (27) for abutment of the side members (19) against the steps (9) and the forward end of the ribs (50) abut the side members in the rebates (11) at the steps (9).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
121 words
A box as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 12, wherein the inner part (51) has a respective pin (74) extending from each side member (53) and the outer part (52) has a respective aperture (75) in each of side members (72) thereof, whereby the inner and outer parts (51,52) are pivotally connected together so as to allow the outer part (52) to be swung through an angle of more than 270° with respect to the inner part (51) for movement of the box into an open position, in which the outer part (52) extends behind the inner part (51) for support of it in its leaning back open position with the outer part (52) on a supporting surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
157 words
A box as claimed in claim 18 as appendant to claim 7, wherein the side wings (64) of the movable member (53) each have two pins (65,66); the side members (57) of the inner part (51) each have an aperture (61) for pivotal accommodation of the respective pin (65) and a slot (62) arcuate about the aperture (61) for pivotal accommodation of the respective pin (66) to provide the said pivotal limitation means by abutment of the pins (66) against ends (68) of the slots (62); and the side members (72) of the outer part (52) each have on their inner surface a ramp (79) at a lower edge for guiding the respective pin (65) to pass over the inner surface on closing of the box and a recess (80) for accommodating the respective pins (65) when the box is closed, the pins (65) being of a length to normally stand proud of the side members (57).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
78 words
A box as claimed in claim 4, wherein the box has two fixed end walls (107), two fixed side walls (106), a base (104) integral with the walls (106,107), and at least one movable divider (103) pivotally carried on and extending between the side walls (106), the base (104) providing the said support surface, the movable divider (103) providing the said movable member and the end wall (107) or the movable divider (103) providing the said reaction member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
88 words
A box as claimed in claim 21, wherein each side wall (106) has for the or each divider (103) a central upstanding rib (110), two higher upstanding ribs (111) neighbouring the central rib on opposite sides and two further yet higher upstanding ribs (112) neighbouring the higher ribs on opposite sides; and the or each divider (103) has a pivot point (125), supportable on the central rib (110) and laterally captive between the higher ribs (111), and a pivotal limitation point laterally captive between the further ribs (112).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A box as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the end walls (107) have ribs (113) acting as the said reaction member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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