Container for compact disks
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a container for storing compact disks. 
     Compacts disks have become very popular in recent years in view of the high quality sound reproduction and their resistance to damage and other mistreatment. Sound recordings therefore are now available on three difference mediums, that is the somewhat oldfashioned conventional twelve inch disk, the tape cassette and the compact disk or laser disk. Storage of these different types of record of course requires entirely different storage equipment. 
     Conventionally, twelve inch records have been stored side by side in vertical arrangement generally in furniture which is shaped to receive the twelve inch record. Various holders are available for cassette tapes or they can simply be stacked on top of another. 
     Attention has been given to the storage of compact disks and various different designs of equipment and furniture have been developed for storing such disks. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,741,438 and 4,790,926 (Mastronardo), 4,655,345 (Drake), 4,762,225 (Henkel), 4,807,749 and 4,747,484 (Ackerat). 
     In all these devices the disks are stored side by side generally inserted into slots defined in a rectangular housing resulting in a unit which is approximately five inches by five inches with a length or height which is dependent upon the number of disks stored. Henkel discloses a foldable system which defines a number of pockets of very limited storage capacity. However storage in a device -of this type provides a resultant unit which is not very convenient and must merely rest upon suitable surface of the furniture. 
     Much furniture designed in the past and still used by record collectors is dimensioned to receive twelve inch records and has a number of shelves and compartments for receiving such twelve inch records. However these shelves are not suitable for receiving the container described above since much space is wasted and the resultant appearance is makeshift and unattractive. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a container for compact disks which improves the storage of compact disks. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a storage unit for compact disks which enables them to be stored conveniently with existing twelve inch records. 
     It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a storage device for compact disks which enable the disks to be readily accessible and available for inspection of the disks stored in a comprehensive library of the disks. 
     According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a container for storing compact disks comprising a planar support member which is square in plan defining four sides each substantially equal to twelve inches in length, and receiving means mounted on at least one side of the support member for receiving a plurality of said compact disks, said receiving means being shaped to receive said compact disks mounted parallel to the support member and so as to confine said compact disks so as to lie spaced apart on and within the square face of the support member, said container being self-supporting and thin so as to simulate the size of a conventional twelve inch record. 
     The unit in which the compact disks are stored is therefore a substantially flat element which is shaped to simulate a twelve inch record so that the flat element containing four or eight of the compact disks can be inserted with conventional records or in place of conventional records in an existing furniture unit. 
     With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the best mode known to the application and of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the first embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a second embodiment to the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 in use for storing compact disks. 
     In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The storage device of FIG. 1 comprises a support plate 10 in the form of a square flat plate formed of a thin plastics material which is preferably transparent and of sufficient rigidity to hold the unit and particularly the support member flat and self supporting. Three side walls 11, 12 and 13 are provided with the first indicated at 11 arranged along one side of the square support member 10 and the third side wall 13 arranged along the opposed side of the support member 10. The second of the side walls is arranged directly along the centre line of the support member. Each of the side walls is parallel to the others and all extend at right angles to the support member 10. 
     The height of each of the side walls is arranged in the order of 0.5 inches. The outer edge or each of the side walls is formed a flange member which extends parallel to the support member 10. The side wall 11 thus has a flange member 14 extending inwardly across the upper surface member 10. The side wall 13 similarly has a flange member 15 which projects inwardly towards the flange member 14. In between the flange members 14 and 15 is provided flange member 16 of double width relative to the flange members 14 and 15 and which bridges the outer edge of the side wall 12 with portions extending in either direction. It is appreciated therefore that the flange members 14 and 16 define with the side walls 11 and 12 a slot shaped channel with a central opening 17. 
     With the sides of the support member 10 being of the order of twelve inches, the length of the slot shaped opening of the channel is of the order of six inches with a width slightly less than 0.5 inches which is sufficient to receive a packaged compact disk which can slide along the channel. The lower end of the channel opposite the-open end at the upper side of the support member 10 is closed by a flat end face 18 which is connected to the support member 10 and extends outwardly therefrom a right angles and is also connected to the side walls 11, 12 and 13 together with the flange members 14, 16 and 15. 
     The unit thus provides or forms an integral member which has a front face and a rear face both of which are square in plan view and have sides substantially equal to twelve inches in length. The thickness of the containers of the order of 0.5 inches so that it simulates the size of a conventional twelve inch record which is as is well known is generally stored in a square cardboard container with a thickness of the order of one-quarter inch. 
     Each channel defined on one side of the support member 10 can receive two compact disks which slide downward into the channel and sit one on top of the other confined in the channel. 
     One outer face of the a side wall, in this case the side wall 11 carries a label 20 which has spaces defined on the label for receiving written indicia cataloguing the four compact disks stored on the container. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be appreciated that the embodiment shown in these figures is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 1 except that it has channels formed on both sides of the support member 10A. Thus in this case there are defined four channels 21, 22, 23 and 24 each of which can receive two compact disks as previously described. The label indicated at 20A is of course modified to receive sufficient spaces for the indicia relating to eight compact disks so that each can be catalogued on the end face. In this case the end face 18A has a pair of recessed cut outs 25 and 26 each cooperating with a respective one of the channels. The recess acts a finger recess so that the user can insert his finger into the recess and lift lowermost one of the stored compact disks out of the respective channel. 
     As the container shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is sized to receive eight compact disks, its width is of the order of one inch that is double the width of the container shown in FIG. 1. The structure is again substantially rigid so that it can be grasped at one edge and inserted into a vertical position along side like containers or along side conventional twelve inch disks. 
     In FIG. 4 shown schematically one of the containers indicated at 30 including compact disks 31, 32, 33 and 34 with a label 35 on the outermost faces of the container. The container is stored in a furniture structure 36 along side a plurality of conventional twelve inch records indicated at 37. It will be appreciated that further conventional records can be inserted into the furniture structure 30. Alternatively, the furniture structure can contain solely containers of the type shown in FIGS. 1 or 2. 
     The containers of the present invention thus enable compact disks to be stored in an effectively catalogued manner in conventional furniture dimensioned to receive the conventional twelve inch disk. 
     Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.