Document folder for storage cabinets

Abstract

A document storage system for removably storing individual documents. A shelved cabinet has a track receptacle mounted to the lower shelf surface adjacent the cabinet front. The track receptacle has a plurality of tracks extending from the cabinet front to the cabinet rear. Each track has an open slot extending from the front to the rear of the cabinet. The track also has a rearwardly extending lip providing a rearwardly directed open notch. The cabinet further includes a back with an inner surface and a pair of ohmic conductors mounted on the inner surface and extending laterally thereof. An electronically searchable flexible file folder has a thin main body portion and a header secured to the top of the main body portion. The header is dimensioned to be removably received in any track of the track receptacle with the main body portion slidably received in the slot. The header portion has visible indicator mounted on a first end; and a latch pawl located on the first end engageable with the notch when the file folder is installed in the track. A pair of probe pins is mounted on the other end of the header and are engageable with the pair of ohmic conductors when the file folder is installed in a track.

Claims

1. An electronically searchable document file folder for use in a cabinet having at least one shelf with a track receptacle for providing removable storage for file folders, said file folder comprising a main body portion having a top, a bottom edge and opposing side edges; and a header portion secured to said top, said header portion being dimensioned to be removably received by the track receptacle for support thereby; said header portion having a first end and a second end; at least one visible indicator mounted on said first end of said header portion; a latch pawl located on said first end of said header portion; a pair of probe pins mounted on said second end of said header portion; and an opening in one of said side and said bottom edges for providing access to the interior of said file folder for insertion and removal of documents.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said at least one visible indicator comprises an LED.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said header portion has a pair of visible indicators mounted on said first end.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said pair of visible indicators comprises a pair of LEDs.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said latch pawl comprises an outward extension of said first end of said header portion.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said pair of probe pins comprises a spring-loaded retractable pin.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein said file folder has a long dimension; and wherein said header portion of said file folder extends along said long dimension of said file folder so that said file folder can be suspended in landscape mode.

8. A document storage system for removably storing individual documents, said system comprising: a cabinet having at least one shelf with an upper surface and a lower surface, said cabinet having a track receptacle mounted to said upper surface adjacent a front portion of said cabinet, said track receptacle having at least one track extending from said front portion of said cabinet towards a rear portion of said cabinet, said track having an open slot formed therein extending from said front portion towards said rear portion of said cabinet, said track having a rearwardly extending lip providing a rearwardly directed open notch, said cabinet further including a back with an inner surface and a pair of ohmic conductors mounted on said inner surface and extending laterally thereof; and a file folder comprising a main body portion having a top, a bottom edge and opposing side edges; and a header portion secured to said top, said header portion being dimensioned to be removably received in said track of said track receptacle with said main body portion slidably received in said slot; said header portion having a first end and a second end; at least one visible indicator mounted on said first end of said header portion; a latch pawl located on said first end of said header portion and engageable with said notch when said file folder is installed in said track; a pair of probe pins mounted on said second end of said header portion and engageable with said pair of ohmic conductors when said file folder is installed in said track; and an opening in one of said side and said bottom edges for providing access to the interior of said file folder for insertion and removal of documents.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said track receptacle extends along the width of said shelf and includes a plurality of laterally spaced tracks.

10. The system of claim 9 when said track receptacle extends across the entire width of said shelf.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said cabinet includes a plurality of shelves each provided with a track receptacle.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said at least one visible indicator comprises an LED.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said header portion has a pair of visible indicators mounted on said first end.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said pair of visible indicators comprises a pair of LEDs.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein said latch pawl comprises an outward extension of said first end of said header portion.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein each of said pair of probe pins comprises a spring-loaded retractable pin.

17. The system of claim 8 wherein said file folder has a long dimension; and wherein said header portion of said file folder extends along said long dimension of said file folder so that said file folder can be suspended in landscape mode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a prior art file folder designed for use with an open-faced shelved cabinet for removably storing file folders for documents;

(2) FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the retractable probe pins mounted to the upper and lower portions of the file folder of FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a portion of a cabinet illustrating a single file folder of the type shown in FIG. 1 installed in a pair of track receptacles mounted in a cabinet;

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a file folder according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating the upper portion of the file folder of FIG. 4 positioned adjacent a pair of cabinet mounted ohmically conductive strips;

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cabinet configured to accommodate the file folder of FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6 illustrating the side profile of two file folder track receptacles;

(8) FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial perspective view illustrating a single file folder of the FIG. 1 design installed in a single track; and

(9) FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate the process of installing a file folder according to the invention into a cabinet track.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(10) Turning now to the drawings illustrating the invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a file folder according to the invention. As seen in this Fig, a file folder 30 has a relatively thin, flexible main body portion 31 and a relatively thicker and rigid upper header portion 32. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the main body portion 31 is permanently sealed at the top and both edges 33, 34, and is provided with a zipper-like mechanism along the bottom edge 35 for providing access to the interior of file folder 30. This enables one or more documents to be manually inserted and removed from the interior of file folder 30. The upper header portion 32 is fabricated from a suitable durable material, such as printed circuit board material, capable of being formed to the shape depicted and suitable for mounting the electronic components noted below along with electrically conductive paths therebetween. Upper header portion 32 has an outer end provided with a latch pawl 37 and two visible indicators (preferable LEDs) 38, 39 for signifying power present and an address match. The inner end of upper header portion 32 is provided with a pair of spring-loaded probe pins 41, 42. Probe pins 41, 42 are preferably a type BGA-030-570DF unit available from Shenzhen Electro Corp. of China. As best seen in FIG. 5, probe pins 41, 42 are vertically spaced with a separation distance designed to mate with electrically conductive strips 44, 45, mounted on a back wall 46 of a conformable cabinet when a file folder is fully installed in the manner described below. As also seen in FIG. 5, a microcontroller unit (MCU) 43 is mounted on upper header portion 32. MCU 43 is ohmically connected by conductive paths (not shown) to LEDs 38, 39 and probe pins 41, 42. MCU 43 is preferably a type PCI 10F202 unit available from Microchip Technology of Chandler, Ariz.

(11) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an open-faced shelved cabinet configured to provide functional support for file folders fabricated according to the invention. As seen in this Fig., a cabinet 50 has an open front, a left side 51, a right side 52, a back side 46, a bottom shelf 54, intermediate shelves 55, 56, and a top shelf 57 which also serves as the top of the cabinet. Secured to the underside of shelves 55, 56, and 57 are individual identical track receptacles 60 shown in greater detail in FIG. 8. Each track receptacle 60 preferably spans the entire interior width of cabinet 50. FIG. 7 illustrates the side profile of each track receptacle 60 which is an essentially rectangular profile with an upward central relieved portion 61 to save material cost. FIG. 7 also illustrates the placement of conductive strips 44, 45, which extend along the entire width of cabinet 50 on the interior surface of back side 46.

(12) FIG. 8 illustrates in greater detail the configuration of each track receptacle 60 and shows a single file folder 30 fully inserted in one of the tracks in one of the track receptacles 60. Each track has an essentially rectangular opening bounded by track walls and a lower slot defined by a pair of ledges 62, 63 extending toward one another. The width of the slot is greater than the width of main body portion 31 of file folder 30 in order to accommodate sliding motion between file folder 30 and the track. The width of the slot is also less than the width of header portion 32 of file folder 30 so as to provide vertical support for the file folder 30 when installed in the track. The upper wall portion 65 of each track has an inwardly extending lip 66 forming a notch 67.

(13) FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate the installation process for installing a file folder 30 in a track in a secure fashion. Initially, the header portion 32 of a file folder 30 is maneuvered into a track in a slightly tilted position as shown in FIG. 9A. The file folder 30 is then pushed into the track until at least one of the probe pins 41, 42 makes contact with at least one of the conductive strips 44, 45 and latch pawl 37 clears inwardly extending lip 66. The outer portion of file folder 30 is then manipulated upwardly until latch pawl 37 is positioned in alignment with notch 67. Manual pressure on the file folder 30 is then released and the header portion 32 of folder 30 is free to move outwardly of track receptacle 60 under the force of the spring-loaded probe pins 41, 42 until latch pawl 37 is firmly engaged in notch 67. In this position, probe pins 41, 42 make effective ohmic contact with conductive strips 44, 45 while file folder 30 is firmly secured within the track of the track receptacle 60. Removal of file folder 30 is the reverse of the installation process.

(14) As will now be apparent, file folders fabricated according to the teachings of the invention provide easily installable and removable storage of documents in open-faced shelved cabinets having special track receptacles 60 installed therein. The vertical suspension of the file folders 30 is enhanced by the fact that the file folders 30 are suspended using the relatively rigid header portions 32. In addition, the file folders 30 can easily be engaged in the tracks in the track receptacles 60 using one hand. Further, the landscape orientation of an installed file folder 30 (i.e., the larger dimension is in a horizontal orientation, while the smaller dimension is in a vertical orientation) requires a smaller minimum vertical separation between adjacent shelves in the cabinet, which allows either a cabinet having a substantially smaller vertical dimension or a cabinet having more vertically spaced shelves than the design of the units shown in FIGS. 1-3. Lastly, the fact that the probe pins 41, 42 are devoid of sliding contact with stationary elements during insertion and removal of a file folder 30 eliminates destructive horizontal forces on the probe pins 41, 42, thereby prolonging the useful life of these elements.

(15) Although the above provides a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, while the invention has been described with reference to specific materials used in the fabrication of the main body portion of the file folder 30, other suitable materials will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, if desired the FIG. 4 embodiment may be modified by fabricating the file folder 30 is accordance with any of the embodiments shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,676,223 issued Jun. 13, 2017 for Secure Document Receptacle, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Moreover, different types of bottom edge enclosure mechanisms may be employed in the FIG. 4 embodiment, such as Velcro-type strips, mechanical snaps or the like. Therefore, the above should not be construed as limiting the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.