Document folder for storage cabinets

• US 10,350,936 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2018
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imicrodata Corporation
• Original Assignee: Microdata LLC (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Shengbo, Huang, Su Shiong
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Daniell L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Kam Wan
• Application Number:
  US15/932,821
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 340 81
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 63/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, specially adapted for storing books, documents, forms, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 63/06 with parts, e.g. trays, card containers, movable on pivots or on chains or belts revolving cabinets in general, cabinets with revolving parts in general A47B49/00; cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down in general A47B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 15/0011 for sheets, stacks of temporarily bound sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 15/0035 suspended at both extremities
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 15/0088 with access from the side
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 21/02 Tabs integral with sheets, papers, cards, or suspension files
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2221/02 with indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2241/10 Means for suspending

Abstract

A document storage system for removably storing individual documents. A shelved cabinet has a track receptacle mounted to the lower shelf surface adjacent the cabinet front. The track receptacle has a plurality of tracks extending from the cabinet front to the cabinet rear. Each track has an open slot extending from the front to the rear of the cabinet. The track also has a rearwardly extending lip providing a rearwardly directed open notch. The cabinet further includes a back with an inner surface and a pair of ohmic conductors mounted on the inner surface and extending laterally thereof. An electronically searchable flexible file folder has a thin main body portion and a header secured to the top of the main body portion. The header is dimensioned to be removably received in any track of the track receptacle with the main body portion slidably received in the slot. The header portion has visible indicator mounted on a first end; and a latch pawl located on the first end engageable with the notch when the file folder is installed in the track. A pair of probe pins is mounted on the other end of the header and are engageable with the pair of ohmic conductors when the file folder is installed in a track.

Claims

1. An electronically searchable document file folder for use in a cabinet having at least one shelf with a track receptacle for providing removable storage for file folders, said file folder comprising a main body portion having a top, a bottom edge and opposing side edges;

and a header portion secured to said top, said header portion being dimensioned to be removably received by the track receptacle for support thereby;

said header portion having a first end and a second end;

at least one visible indicator mounted on said first end of said header portion;

a latch pawl located on said first end of said header portion;

a pair of probe pins mounted on said second end of said header portion; and

an opening in one of said side and said bottom edges for providing access to the interior of said file folder for insertion and removal of documents.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said at least one visible indicator comprises an LED.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said header portion has a pair of visible indicators mounted on said first end.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said pair of visible indicators comprises a pair of LEDs.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said latch pawl comprises an outward extension of said first end of said header portion.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said pair of probe pins comprises a spring-loaded retractable pin.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein said file folder has a long dimension;

and wherein said header portion of said file folder extends along said long dimension of said file folder so that said file folder can be suspended in landscape mode.

8. A document storage system for removably storing individual documents, said system comprising:

a cabinet having at least one shelf with an upper surface and a lower surface, said cabinet having a track receptacle mounted to said upper surface adjacent a front portion of said cabinet, said track receptacle having at least one track extending from said front portion of said cabinet towards a rear portion of said cabinet, said track having an open slot formed therein extending from said front portion towards said rear portion of said cabinet, said track having a rearwardly extending lip providing a rearwardly directed open notch, said cabinet further including a back with an inner surface and a pair of ohmic conductors mounted on said inner surface and extending laterally thereof; and

a file folder comprising a main body portion having a top, a bottom edge and opposing side edges; and

a header portion secured to said top, said header portion being dimensioned to be removably received in said track of said track receptacle with said main body portion slidably received in said slot;

said header portion having a first end and a second end;

at least one visible indicator mounted on said first end of said header portion;

a latch pawl located on said first end of said header portion and engageable with said notch when said file folder is installed in said track;

a pair of probe pins mounted on said second end of said header portion and engageable with said pair of ohmic conductors when said file folder is installed in said track; and

an opening in one of said side and said bottom edges for providing access to the interior of said file folder for insertion and removal of documents.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said track receptacle extends along the width of said shelf and includes a plurality of laterally spaced tracks.

10. The system of claim 9 when said track receptacle extends across the entire width of said shelf.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said cabinet includes a plurality of shelves each provided with a track receptacle.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said at least one visible indicator comprises an LED.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said header portion has a pair of visible indicators mounted on said first end.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said pair of visible indicators comprises a pair of LEDs.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein said latch pawl comprises an outward extension of said first end of said header portion.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein each of said pair of probe pins comprises a spring-loaded retractable pin.

17. The system of claim 8 wherein said file folder has a long dimension;

and wherein said header portion of said file folder extends along said long dimension of said file folder so that said file folder can be suspended in landscape mode.