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US 5,509,731 AGranted
Ejecting storage case
AssigneeMicroplas, Inc.
InventorsSteven E. Callahan, Todd K. Dyment, Anthony L. Gelardi, Tyler Fitzsimmons
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMicroplas, Inc.
InventorsSteven E. Callahan, Todd K. Dyment, Anthony L. Gelardi, Tyler Fitzsimmons
Estimating the term…
A storage device stores computer data cartridges in individual boxes. The storage device can store multiple boxes of computer cartridges. Preferably six boxes are stored in one case. The case has two side walls, a back, an upper wall, and a lower wall. A case with multiple inner dividers forms inner chambers for holding and separating one box from another. An ejector is associated with each of the chambers. Each ejector has an elongated and tilted floor member extending from the front of the ejector to the back of the case. The upward tilted position of the floor member holds the boxes against the upper wall and back of the case and therefore does not allow unintentional ejection of the boxes. Pushing the ejector downward forces the tilted floor member downward, sliding and ejecting the box outward under its own weight. A comb-like clamp and ejector assembly has rear grippers that grip a downward edge of the back. Fulcrums upwardly tilt forward cantilevered fingers which form the floors of the chambers. Forward ends of the floors are pressed downward to admit cartridges then spring upward to hold the cartridges. Pressing downward on a forward end slopes a floor downward to slide out a cartridge. Elongated sloped legs dovetail into sloped recesses in the top for locking stacked cases together. Elastomeric non-skid feet attach to ends of the legs on laterally adjacent cases to lock a bottom row of cases together.
A storage case comprises a housing with a bottom, first and second side walls extending upward from opposite ends of the bottom, and a top extending across upper ends of the first and second side walls and a back joining the bottom, top and side walls, parallel ramps extending upward from the bottom and connected to lower portions of the back, the ramps having upper surfaces sloping downward and forwardly from the back, a first anchor along a lower portion of the back, a retainer-ejector having a second anchor complementary with the first anchor, and having elongated openings for receiving the ramps, and having fulcrum legs extending downward between the openings and oriented transversely thereto, and having plural leaves extending forward from the fulcrum legs, with finger pads at fronts of the leaves, the fulcrums and anchors urging the fronts of the leaves upward for urging data cartridges upward and rearward toward the top and back, the leaves being flexible and depressible about the fulcrums for allowing data cartridges to slide downward and forward on the leaves and on sloping upper surfaces of the ramps when the finger pads are depressed.
Magnetic media storage case apparatus, comprising first and second sides, a top extending across upper ends of the first and second sides, parallel ramps extending upward from a bottom, plural flanges having upper surfaces sloping downward and forward, resilient retainer-ejectors having forks extending along the ramps and having elongated openings between adjacent forks for receiving the ramps, anchors at back ends of adjacent forks, and having fulcrums extending from the forks between the anchors and front ends of the forks, plural leaves extending forward from front ends of the forks, finger-engaging pads at fronts of the leaves, the fulcrums and anchors urging fronts of the leaves upward for urging data cartridges supported on the upward and forward sloping retainer-ejectors toward the top, the leaves and forks being flexible and depressible about the fulcrums for allowing data cartridges to slide downward and forward on the leaves and on sloping upper surfaces of the ramps when fronts of the leaves are depressed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.