Holder and ejector assembly for cassette-type casings

Claim 1

A holder assembly for the storage and dispensing of a plurality of casings such as, but not limited to, audio or video cassettes, said assembly comprising: a. a housing having a base portion, two wall portions and two end portions each connected at one end to said base portion and extending outwardly therefrom in spaced, substantially parallel relation to one another, b. said two wall portions and said two end portions extending outwardly from said base an equal distance and having substantially correspondingly positioned outer opposite ends disposed in spaced apart relation and at least partially defining an open face of said housing, c. said open face oppositely disposed relative to said base portion and extending along a length of said housing and dimensioned and disposed to expose an outer portion of any of a plurality of casings within said housing, d. a plurality of channel means formed within said housing and extending between said base portion and said open face for retention of the plurality of casings in spaced and adjacent relation to one another, e. a retaining means for maintaining the plurality of casings within said housing and comprising a flange structure secured to one of said two walls and disposed adjacent to open end of each of said plurality of channel means, f. said flange structure extending outwardly from said one wall in substantially blocking relation to a front peripheral end portion of each casing exiting any of said channel means through said open face and having a length sufficient to connect to said two end portions and extend continuously therebetween, f. an ejector assembly comprising a spring means for biasing the plurality of casings towards and out of the open face, said spring means comprising a plurality of spring elements each extending outwardly from an inner surface of said base portion and into engagable relation with each of the casings within separate ones of said plurality of channel means, g. said plurality of spring elements being disposed to engage the inner portion of a correspondingly positioned one casing at a proximate transverse center thereof but between said transverse center and one end of the casing disposed closest to said one wall furthest from said retaining means, h. said spring means disposed to force the plurality of casings into interruptive, abutting engagement with said retaining means to define a retained position thereof, and i. said spring means disposed and said housing cooperatively dimensioned both relative to said plurality of casings to define an ejected position of the casing, said ejected position further defined by an extension of an outer portion of the casing beyond said retaining means and out of said open face.