Device for storing flat recording media

Claim 4

A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said one spring end is fastened adjacent the open housing front through which said slider member moves.

Claim 6

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each plate member is fixed to at least one of said housing walls by means of integral anchoring elements.

Claim 7

A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said plate member and said housing walls are made of different plastic material.

Claim 8

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein one end of each said spring is fastened to said slider member adjacent an inner end of said bottom.

Claim 9

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said spring is positioned symmetrically with respect to said guide rails.

Claim 10

A device as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of said springs is a helical spring extending along a plane of symmetry between two parallel guide rails.

Claim 11

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said slider member bottom has a central bottom member with said spring therebeneath.

Claim 12

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said plate member carries a roller adjacent the open housing front through which said slider moves, and each said spring comprises a helical spring having a first end fastened at said housing adjacent the rear wall thereof, being laid about said roller and having its other end fastened at said slider member adjacent an inner end of said bottom.

Claim 13

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each said plate member has slots into which stop members of said slide member extend, and said slots having resilient stop ends.

Claim 14

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least part of said locking means is provided on said plate member.

Claim 15

A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plate member defines a channel wherein said spring is located.

Claim 16

A device as set forth in claim 14 including a front end cover for said channel formed integrally with said plate member.

Claim 17

Apparatus for the storage of recording media comprising: housing means, said housing means having at least a top wall, said housing means also having oppositely disposed side walls and a rear wall, said housing means having a front which is disposed oppositely with respect to said rear wall, said walls and top in part defining an internal housing means volume which is accessible from the housing means front; at least a first plate member, said plate member being sized to be received in said housing means and to cooperate with walls thereof to partition said housing means volume to thereby define at least a first cavity said said housing means, said plate member having anchoring means integral therewith for engaging said housing means to lock said plate member in said housing means; a slider member disposed in said cavity; guide means for slidably guiding said slider member for movement relative to said housing means between an inserted position and an ejected position wherein the slider member in part extends outwardly from said housing means through said housing means front, said guide means being integral with said plate member; stop means for defining the ejected slider member positions, a recording medium transported by said slider member being accessible from the exterior of said housing means when the slider member is in the ejected position; manually releasable locking means for defining the inserted slider member positions; and spring means for biasing said slider member toward the ejected position thereof, said spring means each being coupled at a first end to a plate member and cooperating therewith to form a subassembly which is installed in said housing means, thereby being one such subassembly for each defined housing means cavity.

Claim 18

Apparatus for the storage of recording media comprising: housing means, said housing means having at least a top wall, said housing means also having oppositely disposed side walls and a rear wall, said housing means having a front which is disposed oppositely with respect to said rear wall, said walls and top in part defining an internal housing means volume which is accessible from the housing means front; at least a first plate member, said plate member being sized to be received in said housing means and to cooperate with walls thereof to partition said housing means volume to thereby define at least a first cavity said said housing means, said plate member having anchoring means integral therewith for engaging said housing means to lock said plate member in said housing means; a slider member disposed in said cavity; guide means for slidably guiding said slider member for movement relative to said housing means between an inserted position and an ejected position wherein the slider member in part extends outwardly from said housing means through said housing means front, said guide means being integral with said plate member; stop means for defining the ejected slider member positions, a recording medium transported by said slider member being accessible from the exterior of said housing means when the slider member is in the ejected position; manually releasable locking means for defining the inserted slider member positions; and spring means for biasing said slider member toward the ejected position thereof, said spring means each being coupled at a first end to a plate member and cooperating therewith to form a subassembly which is installed in said housing means, thereby being one such subassembly for each defined housing means cavity.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the second end of said spring means acts on said slider member and wherein said subassembly comprises said slider member supported on said plate member in cooperative relationship with the guide means which are integral with the said plate member.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said housing means and said plate member are molded from different material.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said locking means comprises: a release button; an aperture in the plate member; and latch means carried by said slider member and resiliently biased toward engagement with said plate means aperture, said latch means being operable in response to movement of said button to disengage from the cooperating aperture.

Claim 22

Apparatus for the storage of recording media comprising: housing means, said housing means having at least a top wall, said housing means also having oppositely disposed side walls and a rear wall, said housing means having a front which is disposed oppositely with respect to said rear wall, said walls and top in part defining an internal housing means volume which is accessible from the housing means front; at least a first plate member, said plate member being sized to be received in said housing means and to cooperate with walls thereof to define at least a first cavity within said housing means, said plate member having anchoring means integral therewith for engaging said housing means to lock said plate member in said housing means; a slider member disposed in said cavity, said slider member being mounted on said plate member and cooperating therewith to define a subassembly which is installed in said housing means; guide means for slidably guiding said slider member for movement relative to said housing means between an inserted position and an ejected position wherein the slider member in part extends outwardly from said housing means through said housing means front, said guide means being integral with said plate member and forming part of said subassembly; stop means for defining the ejected slider member position, a recording medium transported by said slider member being accessible from the exterior of said housing means when the slider member is in the ejected position; manually releasable locking means for defining the inserted position of said slider member; and spring means for biasing said slider member toward the ejected position thereof.

Claim 23

Apparatus for the storage of recording media comprising: housing means, said housing means having at least a top wall, said housing means also having oppositely disposed side walls and a rear wall, said housing means having a front which is disposed oppositely with respect to said rear wall, said walls and top in part defining an internal housing means volume which is accessible from the housing means front; at least a first plate member, said plate member being sized to be received in said housing means and to cooperate with walls thereof to define at least a first cavity within said housing means, said plate member having anchoring means integral therewith for engaging said housing means to lock said plate member in said housing means; a slider member disposed in said cavity, said slider member being mounted on said plate member and cooperating therewith to define a subassembly which is installed in said housing means; guide means for slidably guiding said slider member for movement relative to said housing means between an inserted position and an ejected position wherein the slider member in part extends outwardly from said housing means through said housing means front, said guide means being integral with said plate member and forming part of said subassembly; stop means for defining the ejected slider member position, a recording medium transported by said slider member being accessible from the exterior of said housing means when the slider member is in the ejected position; manually releasable locking means for defining the inserted position of said slider member; and spring means for biasing said slider member toward the ejected position thereof.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said housing means and said plate member are molded from different material.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said locking means comprises: a release button; an aperture in the plate member; and latch means carried by said slider member and resiliently biased toward engagement with said plate means aperture, said latch means being operable in response to movement of said button to disengage from the aperture.

Claim 26

Apparatus for the storage of recording media comprising: housing means, said housing means having at least a top wall, said housing means also having a pair of oppositely disposed side walls and a rear wall, said housing means having a front which is disposed oppositely with respect to said rear wall, said walls and top in part defining an internal housing means volume which is accessible from the housing means front; at least a first plate member, said plate member being sized to be received in said housing means and to cooperate with walls therewith to partition said housing means volume to thereby define at least a first cavity within said housing means, said plate member having anchoring means integral therewith for engaging said housing means to lock said plate member in said housing means; slider means disposed in said first cavity, said slider means having a bottom plate portion; guide means for slidably guiding said slider means for movement relative to said housing means between an inserted position and an ejected position wherein the slider means in part extends outwardly from said housing means through said housing means front, said guide means being integral with said plate member; stop means for defining the ejected position of said slider means, a recording medium transported by said slider means being accessible from the exterior of said housing means when the slider means is in the ejected position; manually releasable locking means for defining the inserted position of said slider means; and spring means for biasing said slider means toward the ejected position thereof, said spring means comprising a tension spring disposed between said plate member and the bottom plate of said slider means which cooperates therewith.

Claim 27

Apparatus for the storage of recording media comprising: housing means, said housing means having at least a top wall, said housing means also having a pair of oppositely disposed side walls and a rear wall, said housing means having a front which is disposed oppositely with respect to said rear wall, said walls and top in part defining an internal housing means volume which is accessible from the housing means front; at least a first plate member, said plate member being sized to be received in said housing means and to cooperate with walls therewith to partition said housing means volume to thereby define at least a first cavity within said housing means, said plate member having anchoring means integral therewith for engaging said housing means to lock said plate member in said housing means; slider means disposed in said first cavity, said slider means having a bottom plate portion; guide means for slidably guiding said slider means for movement relative to said housing means between an inserted position and an ejected position wherein the slider means in part extends outwardly from said housing means through said housing means front, said guide means being integral with said plate member; stop means for defining the ejected position of said slider means, a recording medium transported by said slider means being accessible from the exterior of said housing means when the slider means is in the ejected position; manually releasable locking means for defining the inserted position of said slider means; and spring means for biasing said slider means toward the ejected position thereof, said spring means comprising a tension spring disposed between said plate member and the bottom plate of said slider means which cooperates therewith.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said plate member, cooperating slider means and a tension spring form a pre-assembled unit which may be installed in said housing means.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said plate member and cooperating slider means have front and rear ends, and wherein said plate member is provided with a channel extending in the direction of slider means movement, said tension spring extending along said channel and being connected at a first end thereof to the slider means adjacent the rear end thereof, the second end of said tension spring being attached to the plate member at a point thereon adjacent the front end thereof, said spring second end attachment point on said plate member being positioned in the direction of slider means travel in front of said slider means stop means, said stop means being integral with said plate member.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said plate member, slider means and a tension spring form a subassembly unit which may be installed as a unit in said housing means cavity.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein each of said plate member and cooperating slider means have front and rear ends and wherein said slider means is provided with a channel extending in the direction of movement of the slider means, said tension spring being positioned in said channel with a first end thereof coupled to the slider means adjacent the rear end thereof, the plate member being provided with a capstan positioned adjacent the front end thereof, said tension spring passing around said capstan and being connected to said plate member at an attachment point thereon located toward the rear end of said plate member relative to said capstan.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said plate member, slider means and a tension spring form a subassembly unit which may be installed in a said housing means cavity as a unit.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said housing means and said plate member are molded from different material.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said locking means comprises: a release button; an aperture in the plate member; and latch means carried by said slider member and resiliently biased toward engagement with said plate means aperture, said latch means being operable in response to movement of said button to disengage from the aperture.

Claim 35

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said housing means and said plate member are molded from different material.

Claim 36

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said locking means comprises: a release button; an aperture in the plate member; and latch means carried by said slider member and resiliently biased toward engagement with said plate means aperture, said latch means being operable in response to movement of said button to disengage from the aperture.