Method and system for storing and dispensing compact discs and DVDs

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a manually activated disc storage and dispensing device. A disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component is slideably mounted to a disc storage base containing a stack of discs. Manual depression of the disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component causes the disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component to slide toward the disc storage base and grab the stack of discs between two vertically mounted, continuous belts. Manual releasing of the disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component allows the disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component to return to the released position, carrying the stack of discs. Manual activation of a thumb wheel transfers rotational motion to gears on which the continuous belts are mounted, driving the continuous belts downward, and releasing discs one-at-a-time at a rate determined by the rate at which the thumb wheel is turned. A second embodiment employs wheels circumferentially coated with a compressible material and rotated through a drive gear to release discs one-at-a-time from a columnar retaining component. A third embodiment of the present invention employs air currents to carry discs from a base component up a first tube and to suspend discs translating across a display tray before entering a second tube in which the discs descend back to the base component. Additional embodiments generally allow a stack of discs to be dispensed, one-at-a-time, for viewing and selection by a user.

1 . A disc storage and dispensing device comprising: 
 a disc-storage component that stores discs in a stack;    and a disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component that grabs the stack of bare discs from the disc-storage component and dispenses the discs, one-at-a-time, under user control from the disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component back to the disc-storage component.    
     
     
         2 . A method for storing and managing discs, the method comprising: 
 storing the discs in a disc storage and dispensing device that includes a disc-storage component that stores discs in a stack and a disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component that grabs the stack of bare discs from the disc-storage component;    activating the disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component to grab the stack of bare discs; and    and dispensing the discs, one-at-a-time, by activating a dispensing subcomponent of the disc-grabbing-and-dispensing component.    
     
     
         3 . A disc-storage component of a disc storage and dispensing device comprising: 
 a semi-cylindrical, flexible wall enclosing slightly more than one half of the circumference of a disc for retaining a stack of discs but allowing extraction of an individual disc.