초록 ▼

A storage and management assembly for a plurality of portable electronic devices is provided. The assembly includes a tower assembly to define a vertical channel along a first side of the tower assembly. A plurality of shelves are removably coupled to a second side of the tower assembly, each of the

A storage and management assembly for a plurality of portable electronic devices is provided. The assembly includes a tower assembly to define a vertical channel along a first side of the tower assembly. A plurality of shelves are removably coupled to a second side of the tower assembly, each of the shelves includes a storage bay defined by a bottom portion provided perpendicular to the first member, and opposing raised edge portions provided about a portion of the perimeter of the bottom portion, the plurality of shelves provided in a stacked vertical arrangement along the tower assembly. A locking assembly having a top wall and sidewalls attached to the shelves, with a pivotable door to prevent removal of electronic devices but permit visual confirmation of shelf contents.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A storage and management assembly for a plurality of portable electronic devices comprising: a vertical tower assembly for housing and locating a plurality of electronic cables for supplying power and transferring electronic data to a plurality of portable electronic devices;the tower assembly de

1. A storage and management assembly for a plurality of portable electronic devices comprising: a vertical tower assembly for housing and locating a plurality of electronic cables for supplying power and transferring electronic data to a plurality of portable electronic devices;the tower assembly defining a cable management channel portion and a plurality of shelf portions coupleable to the channel portion in a stacked vertical array, each shelf portion providing a storage bay defined by a bottom portion and opposed edge portions extending upwardly along opposed sides of the bottom portion for supporting and retaining a portable electronic device on the shelf portion for storage and charging, at least one of the channel portion and of the shelf portions further defining a plurality of first cable support apertures for support of and entry and exit of electronic cables to and from the channel portion and the shelf portions and between the channel portion and each shelf portion, the plurality of first cable support apertures each providing electronic cable access for at least one electronic device supported by each of the shelf portions at spaced locations on the channel portion;the tower assembly further including a locking assembly having opposed first and second sidewalls, and a top wall coupled to the first and second sidewalls to overlap a topmost shelf portion of the tower assembly, at least one of the first and second sidewalls being coupleable to any one of the plurality of shelf portions and the channel portion, the locking assembly further providing at least one door pivotally coupleable to at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall and movable between an open position for permitting user access to the shelf portion storage bays and a closed position for selectively limiting access to the storage bays, the at least one door being engageable with a locking member on the tower assembly to selectively retain the at least one door in the closed position to secure electronic devices within the shelf portions for storage and charging. 2. The storage and management assembly of claim 1 wherein the shelf first and second edge portions have a decreasing height as they extend away from the channel portion and wherein sufficient open space between the shelf portions and the locking assembly is provided when the at least one door is in a closed position to allow a user positioned externally of the tower assembly to visually confirm the presence and absence of electronic devices within the storage bays of each of the shelf portions of the storage and management assembly. 3. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein at least one power distribution strip having a plurality of electrical outlets is provided for attachment within the tower assembly to provide electrical power for each electronic device positioned within each storage bay of each shelf portion coupled to the tower assembly. 4. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein the channel portion defines a plurality of second cable support apertures for receiving attachment apparatus for positioning and coupling electrical components to the channel portion. 5. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein the channel portion defines at least one third cable support aperture having a diameter at least as great as the first cable support apertures to provide entry into the channel portion by at least one of a main power cable and a main communication cable. 6. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the shelf portions defines at least one second shelf aperture and a plurality of third shelf apertures for entry of attachment apparatus for positioning and coupling electrical components to the shelf. 7. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the shelf portions' bottom portion has a front margin which defines an approximately U-shaped open area in the bottom portion extending rearwardly to allow a user to simultaneously grip both upper and lower surfaces of an electronic device to facilitate insertion in and removal of the electronic device from the shelf portion. 8. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein at least one said shelf portion edge portion has at least one cable management aperture near a rear end of at least one said shelf portion edge portion, and wherein the at least one cable management aperture has a cable management tab within the cable management aperture to retain a cable adjacent to a surface of the at least one shelf portion edge portion and restrict linear movement of the cable within the cable management aperture to control a free length of the cable during plugging and unplugging of a coupling end of the cable to an electronic device positioned on the shelf portion. 9. The storage and management system of claim 1, wherein the cable management channel portion of the tower assembly includes at least one wall engaging tab coupled to the channel portion to facilitate coupling the channel portion to a vertical support surface to retain the channel portion in a substantially vertical position. 10. An expandable storage assembly for storing a plurality of portable electronic devices comprising: a tower support portion having a vertical channel comprising a plurality of members including a first member which is coupled to at least a second member at an angle to the first member, the first member further defining a first side of the tower support portion; anda plurality of vertically stacked shelves coupled to and extending away from a second side of the tower support portion also defined by the first member, the second side being opposite the first side, each of the shelves including a storage bay defined by opposing first and second edge portions extending upwardly from a bottom portion, the first and second edge portions having a decreasing height as the first and second edge portions extend away from the tower support portion and being configured to provide limited visibility into the storage bay of each of the stacked shelves; anda locking assembly having a first sidewall adjacent to the first edge portions of the plurality of shelves, a second sidewall adjacent to the second edge portions of the plurality of shelves, the first and second sidewalls each interconnecting with at least a plurality of the shelves, a top wall connected to the first and second sidewalls and overlapping a portion of a top most shelf of the plurality of vertically stacked shelves, and at least one door pivotably connected to at least one of the first sidewall and second sidewall and limiting physical access to at least a portion of the storage bays of each of the shelves, the door being selectively engageable with a locking member provided on at least one of the shelves of the plurality of shelves, and wherein sufficient open space between the shelf portions and the locking assembly is provided when the at least one door is in a closed position to allow a user positioned externally of the tower assembly to visually confirm the presence and absence of electronic devices within the storage bays of each of the shelf portions of the storage and management assembly. 11. The expandable storage assembly of claim 10, wherein the tower support portion vertical channel has a third member coupled to the first member, the second and third members each extending at an angle from the first side of the first member to define the vertical channel and wherein at least one wall engaging tab is coupled to the channel to facilitate coupling the channel to a vertical support surface to retain the channel in a substantially vertical stationary position wherein the shelf portions are readily accessible when the at least one door is in an open position. 12. The expandable storage assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of shelves are coupled to the tower support portion at spaced intervals and each of the plurality of shelves includes a first locking slot provided at an intersection of the shelf first edge portion and the bottom portion and a second locking slot provided at an intersection of the shelf second edge portion and the bottom portion, and wherein each of the first and second locking slots define an opening of greater length than a width of the first and second sidewalls of the locking assembly and of greater horizontal width than a thickness of the first and second sidewalls of the locking assembly to permit the first sidewall to extend vertically through a plurality of the first shelf locking slots and the second sidewall to extend vertically through a plurality of the second shelf locking slots when the shelves are coupled to the tower support portion, and wherein the first and second sidewalls have a plurality of horizontal engagement slots spaced along a sidewall outer edge at the same intervals as the shelves are coupled to the tower support portion whereby the first and second sidewalls of the locking assembly can be shifted horizontally to cause the shelves to be retained within the horizontal engagement slots to thereby provide vertical support for the shelves. 13. The expandable storage assembly of claim 10, wherein the bottom portion of at least one of the shelves has a front edge which defines a substantially U-shaped open area extending rearwardly into the at least one shelf bottom portion and having a limited width adapted to be spanned by portable electronic devices to be supported by the at least one shelf bottom portion but sufficient width to enable a user of said electronic devices to simultaneously grasp both upper and lower surfaces of one of the electronic devices within margins of the U-shaped open area to facilitate insertion in and removal of the electronic device from the at least one shelf. 14. The expandable storage assembly of claim 13, wherein an average width of the U-shaped open area defined by the front edge of the bottom portion of the at least one shelf is not more than approximately one-half the width of the at least one shelf bottom portion. 15. An expandable storage assembly for storing a plurality of portable electronic devices comprising: a tower support portion having a first member coupled to a second member, and a third member coupled to the first member, the second and third members being provided at an angle to the first member such that the first, second, and third members define a vertical channel provided on a first side of the tower support portion;a plurality of vertically stacked shelves coupled to a second side of the tower support portion, the second side being opposite the first side, each of the shelves including a storage bay defined by opposing first and second edge portions which extend upwardly from a bottom portion;each of the plurality of shelves further including back tabs provided along a portion of the perimeter of the bottom portion, the back tabs being engaged in slots in the first member to couple each of the plurality of shelves to the tower assembly, the back tabs each having a bias to facilitate engagement and retention of the backtabs within the slots provided in the first member;each of the plurality of shelves including a first slot provided between the bottom portion and the first edge portion and a second slot provided between the bottom portion and the second edge portion;a locking assembly having a first sidewall received by the first slots of each of the plurality of shelves, a second sidewall received by the second slots of each of the plurality of shelves, a top wall connected to the first and second sidewalls and overlapping a majority of a top most shelf of the plurality of vertically stacked shelves, and having a door pivotably connected to a one of the first and second sidewalls, the door being adaptable to engage a locking member provided on one of the shelves of the plurality of shelves when the door is pivoted to a closed position to prevent removal of electronic devices from the storage assembly;a plurality of first channel cable support apertures and shelf cable support apertures for support of and entry and exit of electronic cables to and from the vertical channel and the shelves and between the vertical channel and each shelf, the first channel support apertures and shelf support apertures each providing electronic cable access for at least one electronic device supported by each of the shelves at spaced locations on the vertical channel; andwherein sufficient open space between the shelves and the locking assembly is provided when the door is in a closed position to allow a user positioned externally of the tower assembly to visually confirm the presence and absence of electronic devices within the storage bays of each of the shelves of the storage assembly. 16. The storage assembly of claim 15 wherein at least one power distribution strip having a plurality of electrical outlets is provided for attachment within the storage assembly to provide electrical power for each electronic device positioned within each storage bay of each shelf portion coupled to the storage assembly. 17. The storage assembly of claim 16 wherein the vertical channel defines a plurality of second cable support apertures for receiving attachment apparatus for positioning and coupling electrical components to the vertical channel. 18. The storage assembly of claim 16 wherein at least one of the shelves define at least one second shelf aperture and a plurality of third shelf apertures for entry of attachment apparatus for positioning and coupling electrical components to the at least one shelf. 19. The storage assembly of claim 16 wherein the vertical channel defines at least one third cable aperture having a diameter at least as great as the first cable apertures to provide entry into the vertical channel by at least one of a main power cable and a main communication cable. 20. The storage assembly of claim 15 wherein the tower support vertical channel has a top wall and a back side with a pivotably hinged rear door having an open position to access and receive cables and connectors within the vertical channel and a closed position to prevent access to the interior of the vertical channel. 21. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein at least one said shelf portion edge portion has at least one cable management aperture having spaced side margins defined by the said shelf portion edge portion which extend upwardly from a closed end of the cable management aperture to a top margin of the said shelf portion edge portion to provide an upwardly opening cable management aperture. 22. The storage and management system of claim 21 wherein two said upwardly opening cable management apertures are provided in at least one said shelf portion edge portion in spaced relation to each other to provide double upwardly opening cable management apertures such that the portion of the shelf edge portion lying between said spaced double cable management apertures will comprise a cable management tab extending upwardly between and defined by the adjacent said side margins of the said spaced upwardly opening double cable management apertures. 23. The storage and management system of claim 1 wherein at least one said shelf portion edge portion has at least one cable management aperture, and wherein the at least one said shelf portion edge portion cable management aperture has spaced side margins defined by the said shelf portion edge portion which extend upwardly from a closed end of the cable management aperture to a top margin of the said shelf portion edge portion to provide an upwardly opening cable management aperture, and wherein at least one of the said side margins of the said upwardly opening cable management aperture protrudes inwardly at an intermediate distance between the said closed end and an open end of the cable management aperture to provide a partial restriction.