Storage device and method of using and making same

#The invention relates to method and system for storing elements such as media. In particular, the invention relates to storage devices for storing elements in a side-by-side manner.

#The information contained in this section relates to the background of the art of the present invention without any admission as to whether or not it legally constitutes prior art.

#Various systems of media storage are known. For example, reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,781 to Gilley, U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,386 to Osojnak, U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,381 to Guest et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,812 to Gutierrez, U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,050 to Dahl, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,548 to Posso, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,813 to Schubert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,955 to Shoemaker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,908 to Hepp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,235 to Hunt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,796 to Weisburn, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,332 to Clausen.

#The following is a description of the drawings of certain embodiments of the present invention:

#FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a storage device, which is constructed according to an embodiment of the invention, and which is illustrated mounted to a support structure;

#FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged pictorial views of the device of FIG. 1, illustrating it in its stressed bowed condition;

#According to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a storage device for supporting elements such as media packages, books and others, in an upright side-by-side configuration. The device includes a body having an inclined element support surface having a sufficient incline to cause at least one of the elements to be biased to fall under the force of gravity toward one direction and align itself against a vertical surface.

#According to one of the embodiments of the invention, the inclined surface may be upwardly curved in a convex manner. Alternatively, according to another embodiment of the invention, the inclined surface may be downwardly curved in a concave manner. According to another embodiment of the invention, the inclined surface may be a v-shaped surface having a pair of substantially flat inclined, intersecting surfaces. According to a still further embodiment, the inclined surface may be an inverted v-shaped surface. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art, that there may be compound surfaces including 2 or more of the curved or flat surfaces in accordance with the teachings relative to other embodiments of the invention.

#Thus, the disclosed embodiments of the present invention enable elements to be supported conveniently in an upright manner by merely placing them on the storage device, which may serve as a shelf mounted in a cabinet, a furniture piece, or other, or may also be free standing, without the need of a movable book end or other such side support as additional elements are placed on the storage device. In this regard, as additional elements are added to the storage device, they automatically fall against previously stored adjacent elements under the force or gravity to assume an upright disposition automatically without the need of placing a book end or other side support against it.