File index for organizing photograph compact disks (CD), thumbnail index of CD contents and/or photographs

Abstract

An arrangement for storing and readily reviewing digital photographic information stored on photographic CD;s, comprising a base, a number of CD boxes each adapted to store one of said CD's as well as at least a part of a reproduction of one of the photographs of the respective CD indicative of the photographic contents of the respective CD. The reproduction, in the form of photographs or thumbnail indexes, are stored on top of the CD, in the front section or chamber, and being visible through this first part. The second, or hinged back part will store the respective CD. A rack on the base is provided with slots for storing a plurality of CD / photograph boxes, each box with pivot pins to fit in slots in a predetermined rearward slanting position and for enabling a search of the contents of the CD boxes by flipping them into an oppositely forward slanting position. The plurality of CD / photograph boxes will be housed in a stackable carrying case.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] None FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH [0002] None SEQUENCE LISTING [0003] None [0004] This invention relates to the storage and organization of photographic compact disks (CD's) and their corresponding printed copies and / or index of contents of compact disk. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0005] This invention, a Photograph and Compact Disk file, is related to the storage and organization of Photo CD's, Thumbnail Indexes of CD's Photographic Contents and / or selected photographs from the attached CD. Digital photographs, when not actually printed are usually stored in a digital “.jpg” format on a photographic Compact Disk. The compact disk, when processed by a photo lab, is often accompanied by a 4″×6″ set of “thumbnail” indexes, indicating which photographs are stored on the CD. These “thumbnail” indexes and their CD's are often stored, along with selected photos from the CD, separately and with little order. Photo albums are desirable for sto...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] The photograph file, in it's preferred embodiment, is a photograph storage / carrying case containing a plurality of thin, transparent, plastic photograph and CD boxes, aligned in two rows. The individual photograph / CD boxes will each have pivot pins on the bottom right and left sides to rest in the storage racks, providing not only a secure base, but a means for pivoting (flipping) boxes frontward and backwards to quickly view the contents. The Photograph file, in it's preferred embodiment will provide visual access, organization and quick retrieval to between 24 and 30 sets of photographs and / or photograph indexes with corresponding CD's per storage / carrying case. The storage / carrying cases are stackable, enabling many sets of photos / CD's to be stored in a small space with the ability to view the top photograph or index from each set, vastly simplifying specific photograph identification and retrieval. The corresponding CD in a conveniently organized, visible case can accompany each set of photographs.

Problems solved by technology

Photo albums are desirable for storing individual photographs when space is not an issue and the user has the time to organize an album, and even with this arrangement, the storage of their source CD's and indexes is often lacking order and organization.

For those who prefer printing selected photographs from a CD and not placing them in an album, but rather accumulate them, there is again the issue of organizational storage.

Although this embodiment contains a plurality of cassettes housing a visible index corresponding to a set of photographs within each cassette, it is clearly evident that the complexity of each individual cassette with it's numerous parts and it's design would be costly in terms of manufacturing.

It also appears that the retrieval of each set of photographs from the attached cassettes within their storage envelopes will be burdensome.

Furthermore, with the increasing usage of digital photography, there is no provision for the storage of a digital memory card, or digital photographic CD.

This container not only is flimsy in its design, but it has been designed to store a roll of film with the photographs, making it unnecessarily awkward and bulky, in it's design and shape.

In fact, most film, when processed into photographs, does not provide the customer the empty roll of film for storage.

The said container, when filled with photographs and negatives does not provide the user a simple way to store the packet and quickly view them in a convenient manner.

It lacks the ability to provide organization, such as a dedicated container or box.

It also lacks the means for quick storage, quick retrieval, and an efficient stacking technique, which would provide a great deal of photographs to be stored in a small space, using the least effort to retrieve them.

This container, though it contains separate sections for packets of photographs, does not provide for the storage of either negatives or digital camera memory cards where the source of the photos might be contained.

Without this ability to group photo sources with photographs, Hae J. Kim's photo container lacks the complete storage capabilities one might like to have.

This box also does not allow for the quick identification of separate packs of photographs, as the only part visible to the user is the top edge of the photo in a fixed container, which in most cases would not be sufficient to identify the photograph.

This photograph container also lacks the ability to protect the photographs from the elements; most notably the top quarter of the photograph.

This top section of the photographs would be susceptible to constant handling when the user tries to identify the photos contained within the plurality of spaced plates.

This album, though it contains a plurality of photographs, would be costly for the photo-processing lab to assemble for each individual set of photographs.

Subsequently, while costing the lab substantially more money to assemble, the initial cost of manufacturing and assembling of the album itself would be expensive when considering it is designed to contain only one package of photos per album.

More importantly, this album does not allow for the viewing of the contents of the album quickly and easily when attempting to locate a photograph from a large quantity of stored photos.

Nor does it provide a container or housing where one can readily organize and access the photographs.

This embodiment, though it might be useful as an album to store photos along with their corresponding negatives, does not provide for the storage of a large quantity of photographs in a small space.

Photo albums are desirable when attempting to display each individual photograph, where space is not an issue, but for bulk storage of photographs, which need to be easily accessed, this embodiment cannot fulfill those criteria.

It is not capable of providing the user with the complete storage of photographs, negatives and / or digital memory cards with a users ability to quickly access said medium.

Images