Video cassette storage container

• US 4,184,594 A
• Filed: 12/22/1978
• Issued: 01/22/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alpha Enterprises, Inc. (Nexpak Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bruce A. Hehn
• Inventors: Hehn, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixson, Jr., William T.
• Application Number:
  US05/972,386
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 206/387, 206/446, 206/493, 220/339, 108/55.3, 242/199, 242/200
• US Class Current: 206/387.14
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0233 Containers for a single cassette

Abstract

A storage container for securely holding and containing two different sizes of video cassettes therein by a pair of projections molded integrally with either the top or bottom wall of the container. One of the projections is a usual pair of annular concentric members which extends into one of the reel hub openings formed in the cassette. In accordance with the invention, the other projection preferably is an oval-shaped member formed by two semicircular arcuate sections which terminate in end posts. One of the arcuate sections extends into a second reel hub opening in the cassette and coincides with an outer arcuate curved section of the opening when storing a small size cassette, with the other arcuate section coinciding with an inner arcuate curved section of a reel hub opening when storing a larger size cassette. Alternately, the improved projection can be a pair of transversely spaced projection members formed on the container wall at a location determined by the imaginary overlapping of the cassette hub openings to be engaged by the improved projection. The top wall is movably connected to the bottom wall by a double hinged panel assembly. Flanges are formed on the hinged panel and top wall and have angled edges which abuttingly engage each other upon moving the top wall toward closed position to limit movement of the top wall toward closed position to properly align the container latching members when the top wall is in a fully closed position.

Claims

1. An improved box-like storage container construction of the type having spaced side, end, top and bottom walls forming a hollow enclosure for containing a cassette therein, in which first and second projection means are mounted on either the top or bottom walls and are spaced from each other a predetermined distance on said wall for projecting into a pair of spaced reel hub openings formed in a cassette for positioning and retaining the cassette in said container, wherein the improvement includes:

the first projection means having an oval-shaped configuration with major and minor axes formed by first and second arcuate curved sections, with said first curved section being adapted to coincide with an outer arcuate curved section of a reel hub opening of a first size cassette, and with said second curved section being adapted to engage an inner arcuate curved section of a second size cassette for selectively retaining either of said first and second size cassettes in the storage container.

2. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which the second projection means is a pair of inner and outer concentric annular members with said inner member having a greater vertical height than the outer member.

3. The container construction defined in claim 2 in which the major axis of the oval-shaped first projection means is generally equal to the diameter of the outer annular member of the second projection means.

4. The container construction defined in claim 2 in which the vertical height of the first projection means is generally equal to the vertical height of the outer annular member of the second projection means.

5. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which the major axis of the oval-shaped first projection means is perpendicular to an imaginary line extending between the centerpoints of the first and second projection means.

6. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which post means are formed adjacent the junction of the arcuate curved sections and project upwardly beyond the height of said curved sections for engaging the reel hub of a cassette being stored in the container.

7. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which each of the arcuate curved sections has a semicircular configuration.

8. The container construction defined in claim 7 in which the radii of curvature of the arcuate curved sections are equal to each other and are equal to the minor axis of the first projection means.

9. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which the first and second projection means are mounted on the bottom wall which has a rectangular configuration;

and in which the minor axis of the first projection means extends in the direction of a longitudinal axis of said bottom wall.

10. An improved box-like storage container construction of the type having spaced side, end, top and bottom walls forming a hollow enclosure for selectively containing first and second different size cassettes therein, in which each of the cassettes is formed with a pair of spaced reel hub openings with the spacing between the hub openings of the second cassette being greater than the spacing between the hub openings of the first cassette, and in which first and second projection means are mounted on either the top or bottom walls of the container and are spaced longitudinally from each other a predetermined distance on said wall for projecting into the pair of spaced reel hub openings formed in the cassettes for positioning and retaining individual first and second cassettes in said container, wherein the improvement includes:

the first projection means being formed by a plurality of spaced projections located adjacent to an imaginary oval-shaped pattern formed by two overlapping arcuate portions of two circles, with each of said circles representing a respective one opening of each of the hub openings of the first and second cassettes when the other of the respective hub openings is located concentric to each other and to the second projection means.

11. The container construction defined in claim 10 in which the top wall is hingedly mounted on the bottom wall by a double hinged panel assembly including an elongated panel and a pair of flexible hinge strips pivotally connecting the panel to the bottom and top walls.

12. The container construction defined in claim 11 in which a pair of upstanding transversely extending flanges are formed on the elongated panel adjacent the ends thereof;

in which a pair of upstanding flanges are formed adjacent to and extend along side edges of the top wall so as to lie adjacent to and inwardly of the side walls of the container when the top wall is in a closed position;

in which the flanges of the elongated panel and of the top wall are in longitudinal alignment with each other and are formed with tapered adjacent edges which abuttingly engage each other upon pivotal movement of the top wall toward closed position; and

in which the adjacent tapered edges have predetermined angles limiting pivotal movement of the top wall to an angle of between 85° and

90°

with respect to the elongated panel of the hinged panel assembly.

13. The container construction defined in claim 12 in which the adjacent abutting edges of the top wall and elongated panel are tapered to form included angles of approximately 45°

.

14. The container construction defined in claim 10 in which the container construction is formed of a molded, polypropylene plastic material.

15. The container construction defined in claim 10 in which the spaced projections of the first projection means are a pair of posts located at the intersection of the two circles at the junction of the two arcuate portions.

16. The container construction defined in claim 10 in which the spaced projections of the first projection means are two pairs of spaced projections, with each pair of projections being located adjacent a respective one of the arcuate portions and on opposite sides of an imaginary centerline extending between the centerpoints of the first and second projection means.

17. The container construction defined in claim 10 in which the spaced projections of the first projection means are a pair of spaced posts located on an imaginary centerline extending between the centerpoints of the first and second projection means.

18. The container construction defined in claim 10 in which the spaced projections of the first projection means are a pair of arcuate-shaped projections forming an oval-shaped projection coinciding with the imaginary oval-shaped pattern.

19. The container construction defined in claim 18 in which a pair of posts are formed at the junction of the pair of arcuate-shaped projections.

20. An improved box-like storage container construction of the type having spaced side, end, top and bottom walls forming a hollow enclosure for selectively containing first and second different size cassettes therein, in which each of the cassettes is formed with a pair of spaced reel hub openings with the spacing between the second cassette openings being greater than the spacing between the first cassette openings, and in which first and second projection means are mounted on either the top or bottom walls of the container and are spaced longitudinally from each other a predetermined distance on said wall for projecting into the pair of spaced reel hub openings formed in the cassettes for positioning and retaining individual first and second cassettes in said container, wherein the improvement includes:

the first projection means including at least a pair of transversely spaced projections, said projections being located adjacent the imaginary intersection of two overlapping circles representing a respective opening of each of the hub openings of the first and second cassettes with the other of the respective hub openings being located concentric to each other and to the second projection means.