Lamina storage device

Abstract

A lamina storage device comprising a spine, first and second leaves hingedly secured to the spine to permit hinging movement of the leaves between a closed position of the device in which the leaves and spine define a hollow interior of the device and an open position for insertion and removal of a lamina to be stored, and a lamina support carried by the spine, the lamina support comprising a pair of resilient arms projecting when the device is in the closed position from the spine into the hollow interior of the device between the leaves, each arm having a groove extending therealong and the grooves facing one another and into the hollow interior, the grooves of the arms being spaced apart a distance suitable for receiving edge portions of the lamina to be stored in the grooves, the arms having a length greater than the effective radius of a lamina to be stored and each arm being provided at its end portion remote from the spine with a projection into the groove spaced from the spine by a distance greater than the axial dimension of a portion of the lamina to be received between the arms, the projections of the arms facing one another and being of a lamina to be stored.

1 . A lamina storage device comprising a spine; first and second leaves hingedly secured to the spine to permit hinging movement of the leaves between a closed position of the device in which the leaves and spine define a hollow interior of the device and an open position for insertion and removal of a lamina to be stored; and a lamina support carried by the spine, the lamina support comprising a pair of resilient arms projecting when the device is in the closed position from the spine into the hollow interior of the device between the leaves, each arm having a groove extending therealong and the grooves facing one another and into the hollow interior, the grooves of the arms being spaced apart a distance suitable for receiving edge portions of a lamina to be stored in the grooves, the arms having a length greater than the effective radius of a lamina to be stored and each arm being provided at its end portion remote from the spine with a projection into the groove spaced from the spine by a distance greater than the effective radius of the lamina to be received between the arms, the projections of the arms facing one another and being spaced apart by a distance less than the effective diameter of a lamina to be stored.  
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the leaves comprises a skirt portion projecting therefrom which in the closed position of the device engages the other of the leaves and encloses at least part of the arms of the lamina support.  
     
     
         3 . A device according to either one of claims  1  and  2  wherein both of the leaves comprise skirt portions which abut one another in the closed position of the device and enclose the arms of the lamina support, the abutting skirt portions of the leaves defining a wall that includes a lock for locking the leaves in the closed position.  
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 3  wherein the lock comprises an elongate recess and a detachable locking member wherein the recess is defined by wall portions secured on the respective leaves, that are spaced from the abutting skirt portions of the leaves whereby in the closed position the wall portions lie adjacent one another to define, with the skirt portions, the recess, each said wall portion including a plurality of slots and the locking member including a plurality of depressible teeth and being insertable into the recess such that slots in both the wall portions are engaged by teeth on the locking member to secure the locking member in the recess, tabs on the device engaging a channel in the locking member to prevent access thereto.  
     
     
         5 . A storage case according to  claim 4  wherein the locking member is removable on simultaneous depression of the teeth out of their associated slots to permit removal of the locking member from the recess.  
     
     
         6 . A storage case according to  claim 4  or  claim 5  wherein the wall portions each include formed therein an opening that permits insertion of a thumb or finger to assist opening of the leaves when the locking member is absent.  
     
     
         7 . A storage case according to  claim 6  wherein the openings are located so as to define a single, continuous opening in the wall portions when the leaves are in the closed position.  
     
     
         8 . A storage case according to any one of  claims 4  to  7  wherein the locking member is slideably receivable in the recess.  
     
     
         9 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each channel has a truncated V-shape cross-section.  
     
     
         10 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the distance between the bottoms of the grooves when no lamina is inserted in the support, at the positions where the arms make a tangent to a lamina in the support, is slightly less than the effective diameter of the lamina.  
     
     
         11 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a projection from at least one of the leaves which in the closed position of the device projects into the hollow interior spaced from the spine by a distance greater than the effective diameter of a lamina to be stored.  
     
     
         12 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the arms of the lamina support comprises a plurality of opposed grooves for storage of a plurality of laminae.  
     
     
         13 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spine comprises a plurality of lamina supports.  
     
     
         14 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spine and arms are moulded as an integral part.  
     
     
         15 . A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spine, arms and leaves are integrally moulded.  
     
     
         16 . An assembly comprising a disk storage device according to any one of the preceding claims and a lamina mounted in the lamina support with edge portions received in the opposed grooves and retained in the grooves by the opposed projections.