GB2275180A - Storage unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage unit, for example for compact discs, consists of a storage cabinet 110, 116, 118 containing four storage receptacles 122, 124. Each receptacle has supports (148 in Figure 3) for compact discs (150 in Figure 3). The receptacles can be tilted from the open position shown to a closed position in which their fronts 130, 136, together with the rails 146, 120, close the front of the unit. The receptacles are linked by a strut 142 for simultaneous opening and closing. The unit stores the items in a convenient orientation and can be opened to allow simultaneous viewing of all items. The storage receptacles remain substantially within the cabinet in their open positions. <IMAGE>

Description

STORAGE UNIT This invention relates to storage units.

Storage units according to the invention are particularly suited to the storage of items such as compact discs, audio and video tapes, books, records, computer tapes, files, etc., the items or their storage cases usually being generally cuboid in shape and having two dimensions of the same or comparable size and a third dimension substantially less.

Known types of storage for items such as compact discs, audio tapes and video tapes include various open rack systems, in which the discs or tapes are stored in their cases in a vertical or horizontal orientation. These storage racks do not protect the stored items from dust, light, heat and other external influences and are not always attractive in appearance.

Another type of storage comprises drawers for receiving the items to be stored. This type of storage protects the items better against external influences but has its own disadvantages: space must be provided in front of the drawers to allow for their opening and inspection of their contents (a particular problem if two storage units face each other); open drawers tend to obscure the contents of other open drawers and make it difficult or impossible to view the contents of all drawers simultaneously.

A storage unit according to the present invention comprises a housing defining an inner storage space, the housing having an opening for addition and removal of stored items and containing at least one storage receptacle for receiving items to be stored, the storage receptacle: having first and second mutually-perpendicular support surfaces for stored items, being mounted in the housing for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal transverse axis between first and second positions relative to the housing, and having a portion which, in the first position of the receptacle, closes at least a portion of the access opening of the housing whilst items received in the receptacle are supported by at least one of the support surfaces, wherein, in the second position of the receptacle, the access opening is opened for access to the stored items received in the receptacle.

Preferably, in the first position of the storage receptacle, the first and second support surfaces extend substantially horizontally and substantially vertically, respectively. Stored items are thus supported by the first surface.

In the second position of the storage receptacle the second support surface is preferably either horizontal or inclined downwardly away from the access opening at a small angle to the horizontal, for example about 15 . Stored items are thus supported wholly or mainly by the second surface. An orientation in which the second support surface is inclined downwardly at a small angle towards the opening is also possible, if means (for example a lip) are provided to retain stored items. This arrangement may be desirable if the storage unit is positioned relatively high with the stored items at or around eye level.

The support surfaces can be provided by continuous surfaces, or, for example, by bars, rails, grids, etc.

Conveniently, the closure portion of the storage receptacle is an outer surface of the portion of the receptacle, the inner surface of which provides the second support surface.

The pivot axis of the storage receptacle is advantageously positioned such that the receptacle is contained substantially completely within the housing in its second position as well as its first position.

The space requirements of the unit are thus minimised.

If desired, the storage receptacle have means for supporting stored items in a desired orientation, preferably means for receiving individual stored items, for example storage cases of compact discs.

Such means can take the form of a series of transverse support ribs on at least one of the first and second support surfaces.

The housing preferably contains a plurality of the storage receptacles, each of which closes a respective portion of the access opening, or a respective access opening, in its first position.

Advantageously, at least two storage receptacles are linked by linkage means so that, when one of the linked receptacles is pivoted between its first and second positions, the other linked receptacle or receptacles do likewise.

The contents of the linked receptacles can thus be viewed simultaneously after a single opening movement, without one receptacle obscuring the contents of the other.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a first storage cabinet in a closed condition, Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line II - II of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a front view of a second storage cabinet in an open condition, and Figure 4 is a section on the line IV - IV of Figure 3.

The storage cabinet shown in Figure 1 is intended for the storage of compact discs in their normal storage cases which measure about 143 mm by 125 mm and are about 11 mm or 25 mm thick depending on the number of discs which they contain.

The cabinet is built from pieces of wood but could instead be made of any other suitable material.

The cabinet has a back 10, sides 12, 14, a top 16 and a bottom 18. A rail 20 extends between the sides 12, 14 at the lowermost part of the cabinet front and defines an access opening between itself and the top 16.

Upper and lower storage receptacles 22, 24 are pivotally mounted in the cabinet. The upper receptacle 22 is attached to the insides of cabinet sides 12, 14 by pivots 26. The lower receptacle 24 is attached to the insides of the cabinet sides 12, 14 by pivots 28. The pivots are positioned substantially to coincide with the centres of gravity of the compact discs to be stored.

The upper storage receptacle 22 has a front wall 30 of wood, to which is attached a bottom 32 and ends 34 which are formed from a single sheet of steel folded appropriately and attached to the front 30 by screws (not shown). The lower receptacle 24 is similarly formed from a front 36, bottom 38 and ends 40. The pivots 26, 28 pass through the receptacle ends 34, 40. The receptacles 22, 24 are thus pivotable about transverse horizontal axes extending parallel to the receptacle fronts 30, 36 and their bottoms 32, 38.

The two receptacles 22, 24, are linked at each end by struts 42 extending between respective pivotal attachments to the ends 34, 40 of the upper and lower storage receptacles 22, 24.

It will be noted that the fronts 30, 36 of the upper and lower storage receptacles 22, 24 together close the access opening of the storage cabinet, the front 36 of the lower receptacle being somewhat higher than that of the upper receptacle 30.

Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings show a second storage cabinet which is shown in its open condition.

The parts of this cabinet corresponding to those of the first cabinet are identified by reference numerals greater by "100" than those of the Figures 1 and 2.

The second cabinet has four storage receptacles and in that the access opening of the cabinet is interrupted between adjacent pairs of storage receptacles by transverse rails 146. As is shown in Figure 3 for the upper storage receptacle 122 the inner surface of the front 130 of the receptacle is divided by a series of ribs 148 so as to provide support for individual compact disc cases 150. These ribs 148 may be provided by, for example, a moulded plastics insert attached to the receptacle 122.

The use of the storage cabinets will now be described, it being assumed first that the cabinets are closed and empty. To open either cabinet, it is necessary simply to pivot any storage receptacle front 30, 36, 130, 136 from its closed position, shown for the first cabinet in Figures 1 and 2, to its open position, shown for the second cabinet in Figures 3 and 4. Handles could be provided on the receptacle fronts to facilitate opening. Because of the linking struts 42, 142, such movement will result in the other receptacle or receptacles of the storage cabinet also pivoting open.

It will be seen from Figure 4 that the fronts 130, 136 of the storage receptacles are inclined at about 150 to the horizontal in the open condition.

This is achieved in these embodiments by abutment of the struts 42, 142 against the rear edge of receptacle fronts 30, 130, 136 which project slightly beyond the ends 34, 134, 140 of the receptacles. Any other convenient stop or abutment could be used however.

The storage receptacles 22, 24, 122, 124 can now be accessed and items such as compact discs in storage cases 150 placed on the second support surfaces provided by the inner surfaces of the receptacle fronts 30, 36, 130, 136, the cases being placed with their spines facing outwards. To close either cabinet, any one of its receptacles is pivoted into its closed position as shown for the first cabinet in Figures 1 and 2 and the remaining receptacle or receptacles do likewise. In the closed position, the stored items are supported on the first surfaces of the storage receptacles, provided by the bottom parts 32, 38 or 132, 138 of the receptacle.

It should be particularly noted that, as can be seen by comparison of Figure 2 with Figure 4, the receptacles of both storage cabinets remain substantially within the interior space of their cabinets throughout their movement between their first and their second positions. The amount of access space required in front of the storage cabinet is therefore minimised and, as will be seen from Figure 4 in particular, the items stored in all the receptacles of either cabinet are simultaneously available for inspection or removal. It will also be seen that all storage receptacles of either cabinet are closed simply by closing movement of any one of them.

Claims (15)

1. A storage unit comprising a housing defining an inner storage space, the housing having an opening for addition and removal of stored items and containing at least one storage receptacle for receiving items to be stored, the storage receptacle: having first and second mutually-perpendicular support surfaces for stored items, being mounted in the housing for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal transverse axis between first and second positions relative to the housing, and having a portion which, in the first position of the receptacle, closes at least a portion of the access opening of the housing whilst items received in the receptacle are supported by at least one of the support surfaces, wherein, in the second position of the receptacle, the access opening is opened for access to the stored items received in the receptacle.

2. A storage unit according to claim 1, in which, in the first position of the storage receptacle, the first and second support surfaces extend substantially horizontally and substantially vertically, respectively.

3. A storage unit according to claim 1 or 2, in which, in the second position of the storage receptacle, the second support surface is horizontal or inclined downwardly away from the access opening at a small angle to the horizontal.

4. A storage unit according to claim 3, in which the angle is about 150.

5. A storage unit according to claim 1 or 2, in which, in the second position of the storage receptacle, the second support surface is inclined downwardly towards access opening at a small angle and means are provided to retain items stored in the receptacle.

6. A storage unit according to any preceding claim, in which the support surfaces are provided by continuous surfaces.

7. A storage unit according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which the support surfaces are provided by bars, rails or grids.

8. A storage unit according to any preceding claim, in which the closure portion of the storage receptacle is an outer surface of the portion of the receptacle, the inner surface of which provides the second support surface.

9. A storage unit according to any preceding claim, in which the pivot axis of the storage receptacle is positioned such that the receptacle is contained substantially completely within the housing in its second position as well as its first position.

10. A storage unit according to any preceding claim, in which the storage receptacle has means for supporting stored items in a desired orientation.

11. A storage unit according to claim 10, in which the support means are for receiving individual stored items.

12. A storage unit according to claim 11, in which the support means take the form of a series of transverse support ribs on at least one of the first and second support surfaces.

13. A storage unit according to any preceding claim, in which the housing contains a plurality of storage receptacles, each of which closes a respective portion of the access opening, or a respective access opening, in its first position.

14. A storage unit according to claim 13, in which at least two storage receptacles are linked by linkage means so that, when one of the linked receptacles is pivoted between its first and second positions, the other linked receptacle or receptacles do likewise.

15. A storage unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.