US4573749A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Modular storage rack for tapes
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1983-10-21
•
Granted: 1986-03-04
•
Expires: 2003-10-21
Abstract
Abstract A modular storage rack for tapes, wherein the face of the tape cartridges is visible, rather than the edge of the tape cartridges, thereby facilitating identification. The tapes are positioned in the modular storage rack by using an insertion and dropping motion, and a means for locking the tapes within the modular storage rack is provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Vito Massaro
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:23
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B23/00; G11B23/02; G11B23/023; G11B23/0236
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
355 words
A modular rack unit for holding a plurality of tapes in tape covers, comprising: a back; an upper ledge projecting substantially forwardly from a top portion of the back; a lower ledge projecting substantially forwardly from a bottom portion of the back and having a plurality of portions thereof cut away, each cut-away portion being sized so that a finger can be inserted therethrough; a runner projecting substantially upwardly from the upper portion of the back; jaw means projecting substantially downwardly from the bottom portion of the back capable of engaging a runner of an adjacent substantially identical modular rack unit, said jaw means and said runner being sized so as to space the modular rack unit from any adjacent substantially identical modular rack unit when the jaw means of said unit engage the runner of the adjacent unit such that a finger can be inserted between said lower ledge of said unit and the upper ledge of the adjacent unit and into said cut-away portions; an upper retainer projecting substantially downwardly from the upper ledge and spaced apart from the back by slightly more than the thickness of a tape cover; a lower retainer projecting substantially upwardly from the lower ledge and spaced apart from the back by slightly more than the thickness of a tape cover; said upper and lower ledges being spaced apart and said upper and lower retainers being of sizes such that a top of a tape cover may be inserted into a space between the back, the upper ledge and the upper retainer far enough to allow a bottom of the tape cover to pass over a top of the lower retainer, and such that when a tape cover so inserted then is lowered so that the bottom thereof rests on the lower ledge between the back and the lower retainer, the top thereof cannot pass under the upper retainer; and wherein the modular unit is of a length to hold a plurality of tape covers and at least one said cut-away portion is provided for each portion of said length corresponding to the length of a tape cover.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
355 words
A modular rack unit for holding a plurality of tapes in tape covers, comprising: a back; an upper ledge projecting substantially forwardly from a top portion of the back; a lower ledge projecting substantially forwardly from a bottom portion of the back and having a plurality of portions thereof cut away, each cut-away portion being sized so that a finger can be inserted therethrough; a runner projecting substantially upwardly from the upper portion of the back; jaw means projecting substantially downwardly from the bottom portion of the back capable of engaging a runner of an adjacent substantially identical modular rack unit, said jaw means and said runner being sized so as to space the modular rack unit from any adjacent substantially identical modular rack unit when the jaw means of said unit engage the runner of the adjacent unit such that a finger can be inserted between said lower ledge of said unit and the upper ledge of the adjacent unit and into said cut-away portions; an upper retainer projecting substantially downwardly from the upper ledge and spaced apart from the back by slightly more than the thickness of a tape cover; a lower retainer projecting substantially upwardly from the lower ledge and spaced apart from the back by slightly more than the thickness of a tape cover; said upper and lower ledges being spaced apart and said upper and lower retainers being of sizes such that a top of a tape cover may be inserted into a space between the back, the upper ledge and the upper retainer far enough to allow a bottom of the tape cover to pass over a top of the lower retainer, and such that when a tape cover so inserted then is lowered so that the bottom thereof rests on the lower ledge between the back and the lower retainer, the top thereof cannot pass under the upper retainer; and wherein the modular unit is of a length to hold a plurality of tape covers and at least one said cut-away portion is provided for each portion of said length corresponding to the length of a tape cover.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The modular rack unit of claim 1, wherein said lower retainer has cut-away portions adjacent to the lower ledge cut-away portions such that each pair of cut-away portions of said lower retainer and said lower ledge together form a single opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 2, wherein each single opening is arcuate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 1, wherein each cut-away portion comprises a slot located within the plane of the lower ledge, the peripheral portions of the slot being entirely within the space between the lower retainer and the back.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 1, further comprising means for stopping tapes from sliding out longitudinal ends of the modular storage rack, said means comprising a ledge located adjacent to each longitudinal end of the modular storage rack.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 1, further comprising means for stopping tapes from sliding out longitudinal ends of the modular storage rack, said means comprising a peg extending forwardly from each longitudinal end of the back.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral shape of the jaw means substantially corresponds to an outer peripheral shape of the runner.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 1, further comprising a front cover which is slidably engageable with the upper and lower retainers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 8, wherein the front cover has a slotted area at an upper edge portion thereof and a slotted area at a lower edge portion thereof for engagement with said upper and lower retainers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The modular storage rack unit of claim 8, wherein the front cover is provided with a means for locking the front cover to the modular storage rack.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
A storage rack, comprising a plurality of modular storage rack units of claim 1 attached together by connecting the runner on each modular storage rack to the jaw means of an adjacent modular storage rack, thereby stacking one modular storage rack unit upon another modular storage rack unit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The modular rack unit of claim 1, wherein said upper retainer projects substantially downwardly and also forwardly at a slight angle relative to said back.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
The modular rack unit of claim 12, wherein said angle is about 5°.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2531737A
Cited
US3335874A
Cited
US3425568A
Cited
US3538724A
Cited
US3785482A
Cited
US3556620A
Cited
US3640379A
Cited
US3811745A
Cited
US4148535A
Cited
US4119200A
Cited
US4243279A
Cited
US4239109A
Cited
USD261326S
Cited
US4285554A
Cited
US4308961A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-03-03 | 1989-09-02 | 1990-03-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-03-03 | 1993-09-02 | 1994-03-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-03-03 | 1997-09-02 | 1998-03-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |