초록 ▼

The present invention is a disc media storage and retrieval system for safely and efficiently storing and conveniently retrieving specific disc media from a plurality of disc media stacked on a central column or spindle. Modified disc media are rotationally aligned on the spindle using corresponding

The present invention is a disc media storage and retrieval system for safely and efficiently storing and conveniently retrieving specific disc media from a plurality of disc media stacked on a central column or spindle. Modified disc media are rotationally aligned on the spindle using corresponding alignment protrusion(s) formed on the spindle and notch(es) on the inner chuck hole of the disc. Accordingly, disc media is further modified with the addition of indexing notches on the outer circumference of the disk, such that each disc within the system is provided a unique notched-index. The aligned stack is protected by a cover member that forms a disc lifting device. A disc of interest is indexed and retrieved from the stack by rotating the cover member relative to the disc stack thereby aligning the disc notch-index with the lifting device. When the cover member is raised, the lifting device separates the stack at the disc of interest. These innovations and modifications to the disc media provide improvements in disc storage and retrieval over existing spindle-type disc media storage systems.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for the storage and retrieval of disc media, comprising:a plurality of discs, each of said discs having a chucking hole, said chucking hole havinga cross-section,a base plate member,a stacking column projecting from said base plate member and having a cross-section corresponding to the c

1. A system for the storage and retrieval of disc media, comprising:a plurality of discs, each of said discs having a chucking hole, said chucking hole havinga cross-section,a base plate member,a stacking column projecting from said base plate member and having a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section of said chucking hole, whereby said discs can be chucked onto said stacking column, means to rotationally align said discs on said stacking column, means to selectively retrieve a desired one of said discs. 2. A system according to claim 1 where said means to retrieve comprises a lifting device formed on a protective cover member removably attached to said stacking column. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said discs have a plurality of outer disc notches extending radially inward from the outer edges of said discs, wherein the angular positions of said outer disc notches relative to a fixed point on said stacking column are unique for each of said discs, and said means to retrieve comprises a plurality of disk lift mechanisms, equal in number to the number of outer disc notches, rotatable around said base plate member and spaced such that each of said disk lift mechanisms aligns with a said outer disc notch of a unique one of said discs when said disks lift mechanisms are rotated to said angular position of said unique one of said discs. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said means to align said discs chucked onto said stacking column constrains each of said discs to one of a set of uniformly-spaced rotational orientations, the number of said uniformly-spaced rotational orientations being equal to said number of outer disc notches. 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said discs have a recordable surface having a maximum diameter and said outer disc notches extend inward no further than said maximum diameter of said recordable surface. 6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said disc lift mechanisms are attached to a protective cover member removably attached to said stacking column. 7. The system according to claim 4, wherein said discs contain at least one disc alignment notch protruding radially outward from said chucking hole and said means to align comprises at least one stacking column alignment notch, equal in number to the number of said at least one disc alignment notch, protruding radially outwards from said stacking column, whereby said at least one stacking column alignment notch aligns with said least one disc alignment notch to constrain said discs chucked onto said stacking column at one of said uniformly-spaced rotational orientations and prevent rotation of said discs about said stacking column. 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said discs have a recordable surface and said at least one stacking column alignment notch and said at least one disc alignment notch are oriented so that said plurality of discs can be chucked on said stacking column only with said recordable surface facing said base plate member. 9. The system according to claim 4, wherein said discs contain at least one disc alignment notch protruding radially inward from said chucking hole and said means to align comprises at least one stacking-column notch, equal in number to the number of said at least one disc alignment notch, protruding radially inward from said stacking column, whereby said at least one stacking column alignment notch aligns with said at least one disc alignment notch to constrain said discs chucked onto said stacking column at one of said uniformly-spaced rotational orientations and prevent rotation of said discs about said stacking column. 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said discs have a recordable surface and said at least one stacking column alignment notch and said at least one disc alignment notch are oriented so that said plurality of discs can be chucked on said stacking column only with said recordable surface facing said base plate member. 11. The syste m according to claim 4, wherein said disc lift mechanisms comprisesa plurality of flexible tabs protruding radially inward from the bottom edge of a protective cover member removably attached to said stacking column, and wherein said base plate member comprisesan upper base plate portion having a diameter substantially the same as said maximum diameter of said discs,a recess base plate portion having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter formed by said outer disc notches and a thickness substantially the same as the thickness of said discs, anda lower base plate portion with a diameter greater than the diameter of said protective cover member. 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the cross-section of said flexible tabs corresponds to cross-section of said outer disc notches so that said flexible tabs fit into said outer disc notches. 13. The system according to claim 4, wherein said means to retrieve further comprises a plurality of rotation index markings appearing on the outer surface of a protective cover member removably attached to said stacking column, each of said rotation index markings corresponding to a unique one of said plurality of discs, anda plurality of base plate rotation reference marks, equal in number to the number of outer disc notches, whereby rotation of said protective cover member so that one of said plurality of base plate rotation reference marks substantially aligns with one of said plurality of rotation index markings corresponding to said disc of interest, aligns said disc lift mechanisms with said outer disc notches of said disc of interest. 14. The system according to claim 4, wherein the stacking column is tapered at the end to allow easier chucking of discs. 15. The system according to claim 4, further comprising means for securing said protective cover member to said base plate member. 16. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a cover locking mechanism, comprising:a plurality of raised slots, protruding from said lower base plate,a plurality of locking tabs, equal in number to the number of said raised slots, protruding from said protective cover member, whereby said locking tabs engage said raised slots when said protective cover member is rotated, thereby securing said protective cover member to said lower base plate. 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said locking tabs form an interference fit with said raised slots. 18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said raised slots engage said locking tabs in only one direction. 19. An apparatus for notching a disc for use in a system for the storage and retrieval of disc media, comprising a central hub, an alignment notch punch protruding from said central hub, an outer ring that rotates about said central hub, and a plurality of outer disc notch punches protruding from said outer ring, wherein said outer ring is rotated to orient said disc notch punches at a desired angle from said alignment notch punch. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a supporting plate. 21. A disc media storage and retrieval system, comprising:a base section containing a plurality of base section rotation marks,a spindle protruding from said base section and containing a spindle notch,a cover section removably attached to said notched spindle and rotatable about said spindle, containinga plurality of cover section rotation marks anda plurality of disc lifting tabs, wherein the number of said plurality of disc lifting tabs is the same as the number of said base section rotation marks, anda stack comprising a plurality of disc media, each one of said disc media containinga chucking hole having a cross-section substantially the same as the cross-section of said spindle,an alignment notch having a cross-section substantially the same as the cross-section of said spindle notch, anda plurality of outer disc notches, wherein the number of said plurality of outer disc notches is the same as the number of said plural ity of said disc lifting tabs,wherein each one of said disc media is assigned a unique index angle comprising the angle between said alignment notch and the first of said plurality of outer disc notches, andwherein said cover section rotation marks are indexed to correspond to said unique index angle for each one of said disc media, andwherein rotation of said cover section to align one of said cover section rotation marks to one of said base section rotation marks aligns said plurality of disc lifting tabs with said outer disc notches for said disc having said unique index angle corresponding to said one of said base section rotation marks,whereby removing said cover section axially to said spindle exposes said corresponding one of said disc media.