Indicator circuit for storage container for addressable objects
First Claim
1. In a storage container having circuitry for enabling remote location and retrieval of documents located in file folders operationally installed within said storage container, said storage container including a base wall;
- a plurality of upstanding wall members connected to said base wall, said base wall and said plurality of upstanding wall members defining an enclosure volume;
first and second electrically conductive support members each secured to at least one of said wall members in an essentially parallel and mutually spaced manner, the spacing between said first and second support members being sufficient to accommodate the ends of a file folder in mechanically supportive fashion;
an electrical input connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and ohmically coupled to said first and second support members for providing file folder address signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members, so that said file folder address signals are coupled to any file folder supported by said support members; and
a storage container indicator;
the improvement comprising an indicator control circuit for activating said storage container indicator when a file folder operationally installed on said first and second electrically conductive support members has an address matching said file folder address signals and said storage container is electrically coupled to another storage container.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An indicator circuit for a storage container designed to enable remote electronic searching for file folders located within the container. Address signals from a host computer are supplied to the storage container to designate a sought file folder. The indicator circuit is activated whenever a sought file folder is located in a given container. When two or more storage containers are interconnected to receive address signals designating a sought file folder, only the indicator circuit of the storage container containing the sought file folder is activated.
8 Citations
14 Claims
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1. In a storage container having circuitry for enabling remote location and retrieval of documents located in file folders operationally installed within said storage container, said storage container including a base wall;
- a plurality of upstanding wall members connected to said base wall, said base wall and said plurality of upstanding wall members defining an enclosure volume;
first and second electrically conductive support members each secured to at least one of said wall members in an essentially parallel and mutually spaced manner, the spacing between said first and second support members being sufficient to accommodate the ends of a file folder in mechanically supportive fashion;
an electrical input connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and ohmically coupled to said first and second support members for providing file folder address signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members, so that said file folder address signals are coupled to any file folder supported by said support members; and
a storage container indicator;the improvement comprising an indicator control circuit for activating said storage container indicator when a file folder operationally installed on said first and second electrically conductive support members has an address matching said file folder address signals and said storage container is electrically coupled to another storage container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- a plurality of upstanding wall members connected to said base wall, said base wall and said plurality of upstanding wall members defining an enclosure volume;
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8. An array of portable document storage containers for enabling remote location and retrieval of documents located in file folders received with said storage containers, said array comprising:
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a plurality of document storage containers each having a base wall;
a plurality of upstanding wall members connected to said base wall, said base wall and said plurality of upstanding wall members defining an enclosure volume;
first and second electrically conductive support members each secured to at least one of said wall members in an essentially parallel and mutually spaced manner, the spacing between said first and second support members being sufficient to accommodate the ends of a file folder in mechanically supportive fashion;
an electrical input connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and ohmically coupled to said first and second support members for providing file folder address signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members, an electrical output connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and ohmically coupled to said electrical input connector, the output connector of some of said document storage containers being coupled to the input connectors of other ones of said document storage containers to form an electrically intercoupled array so that said file folder address signals are coupled to any file folder supported by said support members in all of said storage containers in said intercoupled array;
a storage container indicator; and
an indicator control circuit for activating the storage container indicator in said storage container when a file folder operationally installed on said first and second electrically conductive support members has an address matching said file folder address signals; anda controller having an output coupled to the input connector of one of said plurality of document storage containers for providing file folder search signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members of the document storage container connected thereto, said file folder search signals being coupled to all of said document storage containers in said electrically intercoupled array so that said file folder search signals are coupled to any file folder supported by said support members in any of said document storage containers in said intercoupled array. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification