Storage unit for compact discs and the like

Claim 2

A storage unit for compact discs comprising: an essentially box-shaped housing; side walls of said housing; a plurality of means mounted within the housing on which jewel boxes for compact discs can be mounted, in use; first track means on the side walls with which said box mounting means are movably engaged to permit individual box mounting means to be moved in and out of the housing through an open front thereof; and means for opening the lid of a jewel box mounted on a mounting means when that mounting means is moved partially out of the housing, said lid opening means comprising means extending laterally from the jewel box and engaged with the lid thereof, and second track means in the side walls with which outer ends of said lid opening means are engaged and which are increasingly spaced apart from the first track means in the direction of the open front of the housing.

Claim 3

A unit according to claim 1 wherein the opening means include a member engaged, in use, with the lid of a jewel box and having laterally extending end portions slideably engaged in the second track means.

Claim 4

A unit according to claim 1 wherein the peg means are constituted by the ends of a rod passing through openings in the lid of the jewel box.

Claim 5

A unit according to claim 3 wherein the rod is compressible along its axis to enable it to be inserted into grooves in the side walls of the unit when a jewel box engaged rod is loaded into the housing.

Claim 6

A storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the sled means comprises a base for receiving the conventional jewel box having a rear channel member for engaging the hinged edge of the jewel box and a forward latch member for engaging the front lip of the jewel box.

Claim 7

A storage unit for compact discs comprising a housing, a plurality of sleds, each of which, in use, accommodates a CD jewel box, means for slideably mounting said sleds for individual movement into and out of the housing through an open front thereof, said mounting means comprising substantially horizontally disposed aligned pairs of grooves in opposed side walls of the housing, and laterally projecting runners on the lateral edges of each sled slideably engaged in opposed grooves, means for opening the lid of each jewel box as said jewel box is moved out of the housing, said lid opening means comprising a member which is engaged with the lid of the jewel box and which has outer ends that extend beyond the sled and engage in oppositely disposed second pairs of grooves in the side walls of the housing, which second grooves diverge increasing from the first grooves in an upwardly vertical direction towards the open front of the housing.

Claim 8

A storage unit for compact discs comprising a housing, a plurality of sleds, each of which, in use, accommodates a CD jewel box, means for slideably mounting said sleds for individual movement into and out of the housing through an open front thereof, said mounting means comprising substantially horizontally disposed aligned pairs of grooves in opposed side walls of the housing, and laterally projecting runners on the lateral edges of each sled slideably engaged in opposed grooves, means for opening the lid of each jewel box as said jewel box is moved out of the housing, said lid opening means comprising a member which is engaged with the lid of the jewel box and which has outer ends that extend beyond the sled and engage in oppositely disposed second pairs of grooves in the side walls of the housing, which second grooves diverge increasing from the first grooves in an upwardly vertical direction towards the open front of the housing.

Claim 9

A storage unit according to claim 6 wherein said lid opening means comprises a compressible rod-like member, the outer ends of which are resiliently and outwardly urged.

Claim 10

A storage unit according to claim 7 wherein said second and first grooves are coextensive towards the interior of the box and diverge only toward the open front, said first grooves having less depth than said second grooves so that, when they diverge, the outwardly urged ends of the rod-like member follow the second grooves.