Storage and carrying case for compact cassettes

Claim 2

A case for storing and carrying a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes of a type described as compact cassettes having two tape drive hub openings in the sides thereof and a cassette recorder coupling edge having a magnetic tape head engaging opening therein on said edge, said case comprising in combination: a cassette tray for receiving and storing compact cassettes in transverse parallel position, having a bottom wall, left and right sidewalls and back and front walls joined together to form an open top rectangular shaped tray, said walls extending substantially equidistantly above the bottom wall a heighth less than that of a compact cassette, said tray having an inside width between the sidewalls slightly greater than a length of a compact cassette and having an inside length between front and back walls equal to a sum of a plurality of incremental distances, each increment being slightly greater than a maximum width of a compact cassette, said tray having a plurality of cassette positioning rib sets, a first member of each set being integral with a right tray wall inner surface and extending a relatively short distance outwardly therefrom and at a lower rib portion being integral with a tray bottom wall inner surface and extending a relatively short distance transversely along said bottom wall inner surface and a remaining second member of each rib set being similarly disposed along a tray left wall inner surface and bottom wall inner surface and being in parallel alignment with the right wall set member, said plurality of rib sets being disposed longitudinally from a first rib set adjacent a front tray wall inner surface to a last rib set adjacent a back tray wall inner surface, each of said rib sets having a distance between adjacent rib sets such that a compact cassette positioned between adjacent rib sets and a cassette recorder coupling edge resting on and in parallel alignment with the tray bottom wall inner surface nearly touches an adjacent compact cassette similarly positioned between adjacent rib sets, said cassettes being positioned in leafed arrangement, a top cover rearwardly hinged to the tray back wall having a cover top wall, left and right cover sidewalls, and front and back cover walls joined together to form an open bottom rectangular shaped tray covering having an opening substantially equivalent to a tray top opening, said cover walls being of at least sufficient depth, when the cover is closed, to enclose compact cassettes positioned transversely within the tray, and a case latch means further comprising in combination; a tray cover latch engaging throughhole in the cover front wall a relatively short distance above a tray cover front wall lower edge extending through the tray cover front wall, said throughhole having a latch positioning slot opening downwardly and out of the cover front wall lower edge, said throughhole further having latch hook retaining shoulders on each side of said slot, a latch member having a lower end mounted on a tray front wall inner surface, a throughhole engaging hook on a top end, a latch positioning member a relatively short distance below said hook, and a resilient shank intermediate said latch positioning member and the lower end, said latch positioning member extending forwardly across a tray front wall top edge and forward the tray front wall front surface a distance greater than a throughhole engaging hook length, said latch positioning member being inserted into the said slot when the cover is closed and said hook engaging said hook engaging shoulder, said forwardly extending latch positioning member further comprises a push button for disengaging the latch hook upon depressing the push button thereby disengaging the latch hook from the throughhole to permit opening the cover.

Claim 3

A case as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tray cover throughhole is rectangular and the slot has curved edge walls for accepting a rounded latch positioning member having a curved surface opposite a curvature of the slot edge walls and wherein the throughhole engaging latch hook means is tapered from a latch hook back top portion to a hook front, said hook front having a very thin front hook edge, said hook having throughhole engaging shoulder disposed backwardly from and parallel to said front hook edge for engaging said throughhole when the cover is closed, said tapering of the hook to provide for backward movement of the hook when closing the cover until the cover is closed completely.

Claim 4

A case as set forth in claim 2 wherein the tray cover throughhole is circular and the throughhole engaging hook comprises a throughhole mating rod member.

Claim 5

A case as set forth in claim 1 further providing the push button means having fixedly attached thereto on a front surface thereof a throughhole cover plate.

Claim 6

A case as set forth in claim 1 further providing a carrying handle removably mounted in brackets mounted on a tray front wall outer surface.

Claim 7

A case as set forth in claim 1 wherein the top cover is rearwardly hinged to the tray by a plurality of hinges each hinge comprising in combination a hinge pin retaining member fixedly attachd to a tray back wall outer surface having a cylindrical hinge pin fixedly retained therein and extending outwardly therefrom in parallel alignment with a tray back wall top surface and, a hinge pin insertion member fixedly attached to a cover back wall outer surface having a hinge pin cylindrical insertion cavity for slidably and rotatably inserting a mating hinge pin thereinto thereby positioning the cover above the tray in hinged position providing for swinging the cover downwardly and upwardly with respect to the tray top opening and further for slidably removing the cover by sliding the cover away from the hinge pin retaining member.

Claim 8

A case as set forth in claim 6 wherein said hinge pin retaining member is fixedly attached to the cover back wall outer surface and the hinge pin insertion member is fixedly attached to the tray back wall outer surface.

Claim 9

A case for storing and carrying a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes of a type described as compact cassettes having two tape drive hub openings in the sides thereof and a cassette recorder coupling edge having a magnetic tape head engaging opening therein on said edge, said case comprising in combination; a cassette tray for receiving and storing compact cassettes in transverse parallel position, having a bottom wall, left and right sidewalls, back and front walls and one or more partitions extending longitudinally between and at right angles to the front and back walls, said walls and partitions being joined together to form a plurality of two or more open top rectangular shaped tray compartments, a first compartment being formed between a right sidewall inner surface and a first partition left inner surface, and successive compartments thereafter, being formed between successive right and left partition surfaces and a last compartment formed between a last partition right inner surface and a left wall inner surface, said walls and partitions extending above the bottom wall a heighth less than that of a compact cassette, each of said compartments having an inside width slightly greater than a compact cassette length and having an inside length between front and back walls equal to a sum of a plurality of incremental distances, each increment being slightly greater than a maximum width of a compact cassette; and a top cover rearwardly hinged to the tray back wall having a cover top wall, left and right sidewalls, and front and back walls joined together to form an open bottom tray cover having said openings mating in hinged alignment with the tray opening and said cover walls being at least of sufficient depth, when the cover is closed, to enclose compact cassettes positioned transversely within the case, said tray compartments each having a plurality of cassette positioning rib sets, one member of each rib set being integral with a right compartment wall inner surface and extending a relatively short distance outwardly therefrom and at a lower rib portion being integral with a tray bottom wall inner surface and extending a relatively short distance transversely along said bottom wall inner surface and a remaining corresponding rib set member of each rib set being similarly disposed along an opposite compartment wall inner surface and the bottom wall inner surface adjacent thereto, said wall surfaces together with front and back walls defining a compartment, each of said rib set members being in transverse parallel alignment with respect to a corresponding opposite rib set, said plurality of rib sets being disposed longitudinally and substantially in equidistant increments from a compartment front wall inner surface to a compartment back wall inner surface, each of said rib sets having a distance between adjacent rib sets such that a compact cassette positioned therebetween with a cassette recorder coupling edge resting on and being parallel to a tray bottom wall inner surface nearly touches an adjacent compact cassette similarly positioned between adjacent rib sets, said cassettes being positioned in leafed arrangement, each of said plurality of compartments having substantially equivalent dimensions and rib set arrangement, and a case latch means further comprising in combination: a tray cover latch engaging throughhole a relatively short distance above a tray cover front wall lower edge extending through the tray cover front wall, said throughhole having a latch positioning slot opening downwardly and out of the cover front wall lower edge, said throughhole further having latch hook retaining shoulders on each side of said slot, a latch member having a lower end mounted on a tray front wall inner surface, a throughhole engaging hook on a top end, a latch positioning member a relatively short distance below said hook, and a resilient shank intermediate the latch positioning member and the lower end, said latch positioning member extending forwardly across the tray front wall top surface and forward the tray front wall front surface a distance greater than a throughhole engaging hook means length, said latch positioning member for aligning the latch member in latching position being inserted into the said slot when the cover is closed and said hook engaging said shoulders, said forwardly extending latch positioning member further comprises a push button for disengaging the latch hook from the throughhole upon depressing the push button thereby disengaging the latch hook means from the throughhole to permit opening the cover.

Claim 10

A case for storing and carrying a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes of a type described as compact cassettes having two tape drive hub openings in the sides thereof and a cassette recorder coupling edge having a magnetic tape head engaging opening therein on said edge, said case comprising in combination; a cassette tray for receiving and storing compact cassettes in transverse parallel position, having a bottom wall, left and right sidewalls, back and front walls and one or more partitions extending longitudinally between and at right angles to the front and back walls, said walls and partitions being joined together to form a plurality of two or more open top rectangular shaped tray compartments, a first compartment being formed between a right sidewall inner surface and a first partition left inner surface, and successive compartments thereafter, being formed between successive right and left partition surfaces and a last compartment formed between a last partition right inner surface and a left wall inner surface, said walls and partitions extending above the bottom wall a heighth less than that of a compact cassette, each of said compartments having an inside width slightly greater than a compact cassette length and having an inside length between front and back walls equal to a sum of a plurality of incremental distances, each increment being slightly greater than a maximum width of a compact cassette; and a top cover rearwardly hinged to the tray back wall having a cover top wall, left and right sidewalls, and front and back walls joined together to form an open bottom tray cover having said openings mating in hinged alignment with the tray opening and said cover walls being at least of sufficient depth, when the cover is closed, to enclose compact cassettes positioned transversely within the case, said tray compartments each having a plurality of cassette positioning rib sets, one member of each rib set being integral with a right compartment wall inner surface and extending a relatively short distance outwardly therefrom and at a lower rib portion being integral with a tray bottom wall inner surface and extending a relatively short distance transversely along said bottom wall inner surface and a remaining corresponding rib set member of each rib set being similarly disposed along an opposite compartment wall inner surface and the bottom wall inner surface adjacent thereto, said wall surfaces together with front and back walls defining a compartment, each of said rib set members being in transverse parallel alignment with respect to a corresponding opposite rib set, said plurality of rib sets being disposed longitudinally and substantially in equidistant increments from a compartment front wall inner surface to a compartment back wall inner surface, each of said rib sets having a distance between adjacent rib sets such that a compact cassette positioned therebetween with a cassette recorder coupling edge resting on and being parallel to a tray bottom wall inner surface nearly touches an adjacent compact cassette similarly positioned between adjacent rib sets, said cassettes being positioned in leafed arrangement, each of said plurality of compartments having substantially equivalent dimensions and rib set arrangement, and a case latch means further comprising in combination: a tray cover latch engaging throughhole a relatively short distance above a tray cover front wall lower edge extending through the tray cover front wall, said throughhole having a latch positioning slot opening downwardly and out of the cover front wall lower edge, said throughhole further having latch hook retaining shoulders on each side of said slot, a latch member having a lower end mounted on a tray front wall inner surface, a throughhole engaging hook on a top end, a latch positioning member a relatively short distance below said hook, and a resilient shank intermediate the latch positioning member and the lower end, said latch positioning member extending forwardly across the tray front wall top surface and forward the tray front wall front surface a distance greater than a throughhole engaging hook means length, said latch positioning member for aligning the latch member in latching position being inserted into the said slot when the cover is closed and said hook engaging said shoulders, said forwardly extending latch positioning member further comprises a push button for disengaging the latch hook from the throughhole upon depressing the push button thereby disengaging the latch hook means from the throughhole to permit opening the cover.

Claim 11

A case as set forth in claim 8 wherein the tray cover throughhole is rectangular and the slot has curved edge walls for accepting a rounded latch positioning member having a curved surface opposite a curvature of the slot edge walls and wherein the throughhole engaging latch hook means is tapered from a latch hook back top portion to a hook front, said hook front having a very thin front hook edge, said hook having throughhole engaging shoulder disposed backwardly from and parallel to said front hook edge for engaging said throughhole when the cover is closed, said tapering of the hook to provide for backward movement of the hook when closing the cover until the cover is closed completely.

Claim 12

A case as set forth in claim 8 wherein the tray cover throughhole is circular and the throughhole engaging hook comprises a throughhole mating rod means.

Claim 13

A case as set forth in claim 8 further providing the push button means having fixedly attached thereto on a front surface thereof a throughhole cover plate.

Claim 14

A case as set forth in claim 8 further providing a carrying handle removably mounted in brackets mounted on a tray front wall outer surface.

Claim 15

A case as set forth in claim 8 wherein the top cover is rearwardly hinged to the tray by a plurality of hinges each hinge comprising in combination a hinge pin retaining member fixedly attached to a tray back wall outer surface having a hinge cylindrical pin fixedly retained therein and extending outwardly therefrom in parallel alignment with a tray back wall top surface and a hinged pin insertion member fixedly attached to a cover back wall outer surface having a hinge pin cylindrical insertion cavity for slidably and rotatably inserting a mating hinge pin thereinto thereby positioning the cover above the tray in hinged position providing for swinging the cover downwardly and upwardly with respect to the tray top opening and further for slidably removing the cover by sliding the cover away from the hinge pin retaining member.

Claim 16

A case as set forth in claim 13 wherein said hinge pin retaining member is fixedly attached to the cover back wall outer surface and the hinge pin insertion member is fixedly attached to the tray back wall outer surface.