The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 18, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 15, 2000
Kevin Arnal, Chanhassen, MN (US);
Plasmon IDE, Inc., Eden Prarie, MN (US);
Abstract
A media magazine container utilizes a recirculating latch mechanism that makes minimal use of a solenoid and includes a safety door. The latch mechanism includes a contoured latch arm with a configured opening and a shoulder, a slider moving in a slider track and coupled to the latch arm, and a restoring device, such as a spring, for providing a counteractive force. The mechanism latches a magazine into the container by capturing magazine pins in the shoulder of the latch arm. The magazine can be easily unlatched by forcing the latch arm downward with an actuating device, causing the slider and configured opening to interact. As the magazine is extracted from the container, the slider and configured opening interact in such a manner that when the magazine is fully extracted the latch arm is back to the original position where it first received the magazine, and is ready to receive another. A safety door blocks passage to any objects entering the container other than a media magazine. The latch mechanism can further actuate an external access door.