Patent Application
20230110892
This application claims the benefit of priority from European Patent application No. EP 21196426.7 filed on Sep. 13, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a die-cut sheet for making an agenda equipped with an integrated housing for a writing instrument.
In particular, an object of the present invention is a method and a die-cut paper material sheet for making an agenda configured in such a way as to be able to also accommodate a writing instrument, such as a pen, a pencil, a marker, a ruler, a rubber, etc. or a combination thereof.
Notebooks are known which are simply formed by a block of detachable paper sheets which is applied on a cardboard support laterally supporting a surface intended to accommodate a pen.
The document EP 3323625 A1 describes a notebook made by means of a paper-making method, in which from a single die-cut sheet, preferably made of card stock, a support is made for the block of sheets of the notebook equipped at the top with a prismatic compartment for a pen.
In EP 3323625 A1, the end flap of this compartment also acts as a fin for protecting the binding of the block of sheets of the same notebook.
The shape of the compartment for a pen of EP 3323625 A1 de facto prevents the notebook from being able to be flipped through like a book and therefore that instead of the notebook, an agenda, i.e., a block of sheets bound like a book is used.
The Chinese utility model CN 2080462 U describes an agenda with a support obtained from a cardboard sheet or plate and a pen-holder case, also made of cardboard, which is integrated on such a support. The case is made separately from the support and is therefore fastened subsequently to the aforesaid support.
An object of the present invention is to implement an agenda with an integrated housing for a writing instrument, by making use, at least partially, of a paper-making method in a simple and economical way.
Another object of the invention is to implement an agenda with an integrated housing for a writing instrument which, by using only paper material for the cover and the respective block of sheets, complies with the objectives of reducing pollution from plastic or synthetic materials.
It is still another object of the present invention to implement an agenda, with a book-like opening, equipped with a respective paper material support, i.e., cover, with an integrated housing for a writing instrument, such as e.g. a pen or a pencil or a ruler, etc., wherein said support can be easily obtained from a single paper material plate or sheet through a paper-making method.
These objects are achieved by a method for making an agenda with an integrated housing for at least one writing instrument, the aforesaid agenda being achievable by folding a die-cut paper material sheet provided with lines of pre-set folding or creases, where the aforesaid sheet has at least one plurality of elements adapted to form the cover of the aforesaid agenda and mutually separated in their inside by corresponding first parallel creases, and at least one plurality of preferably quadrangular strips mutually separated in their inside by corresponding second creases which are arranged transversely to said first parallel creases, said plurality of preferably quadrangular strips being connected, through its own crease, to a first element of the aforesaid plurality of elements, the method comprising at least the following steps:
In the present description, the expression “paper-making method” means a method in which a flat plate or sheet of card stock or cardboard, or other paper material, is treated with creasing, die cutting and folding in order to obtain an object of common use.
The term “block of sheets” means a block of sheets bound on one side, e.g., by gluing, sealing, or plastic comb binding, or other. A book-like bound block of sheets will be equipped with a binding that allows the user to flip through such block as if it were a common book.
Preferably, said quadrangular elements are at least three and said quadrangular strips are at least four.
It should be noted that the expression “tubular frame” herein means a generally cylindrical or prismatic or, in any case, polyhedral frame, even if not extending rectilinearly, which is closed on the sides and has at least one open base and which is capable of housing, without the aid of other components other than its side surfaces made through the aforesaid strips, e.g. at least one writing instrument, such as a pen, a pencil, a ruler, a rubber to erase, etc.
The ease of making and effectiveness of use that this agenda shows, is essentially due to the particular implementation of the aforesaid tubular frame.
It should also be noted that the aforementioned feature described and claimed herein as “the block of sheets extends below said tubular frame” means that the tubular frame is arranged above the block of paper sheets so that it does not hinder the flipping through of the paper sheets of the block. In other words, the tubular frame never overlaps the block of paper sheets, so that full accessibility to the agenda is allowed.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the tubular frame is also arranged transversely to the direction of binding of the pages of the block of paper sheets to allow the user to flip through the sheets of the block of paper sheets, i.e. through the agenda, and to be able to write in it without being prevented by the encumbrance of the tubular frame.
According to a further preferred aspect of the invention, the method may preferably comprise, but not necessarily, after the aforesaid step of folding the plurality of quadrangular strips, one or both of the steps of:
According to another aspect of the invention, at least one element of the plurality of elements comprises one or more perimeter flaps which are preferably quadrangular and even more preferably shaped as an isosceles trapezium, separated from the respective element thanks to third creases which are also transverse to said first creases, the method also comprising the step of folding and fastening said perimeter flaps to define at least said first and said second sides of the agenda cover.
These steps allow to strengthen at least part of the sides of the agenda cover.
Among the advantages of this implementation is that an agenda, which is equipped with an integrated housing for a writing instrument, can be formed from a single sheet of cardboard or card stock, or other paper material, by means of a few simple steps.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the die-cut sheet comprises one or more additional fins which, in an embodiment of the method of this invention, are subjected to a further folding step to close a side (base) of the tubular frame.
Other characteristics of the invention can be deduced from the claims.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from reading the following description provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures depicted in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying figures in which, in addition to the die-cut paper material sheet intended to constitute the cover (or support) of the agenda with integrated housing for a writing instrument, according to an implementation of the invention, some steps of folding such die-cut sheet and the agenda obtained at the end of this method, can also be seen.
The agenda of the invention can be implemented by folding a sheet, sometimes also referred to as a plate or blank, provided with lines of pre-set folding or creases, and globally denoted by the reference numeral 10 in
The sheet 10 of
In the present description, the term creases means dry traces implemented on the sheets of paper material, e.g. card stock or cardboard, which make folding easier.
In the implementation of the die-cut sheet 10 of
The first element 20 and the second element 40 define at least part of the opposite sides of the agenda cover.
It should be noted that the elements 20,40,60 are herein referred to as essentially quadrangular. However, any other shape whether or not regular, which allows the method described here to be implemented, may likewise be used.
At the free ends of the first and second elements 20,40 of the sheet 10 of
In the sheets 10 of
In this regard, it is in any case important to note that the first creases A between the aforesaid elements 20,23 (or 30), 40,42 (or 50),60 are parallel to each other, even if these elements 20,23 (or 30), 40,42 (or 50),60 may also assume a non-quadrangular shape (e.g. with two opposite curvilinear sides not affected by the aforesaid creases).
The elements 20,23 (or 30), 40, 42 (or 50) and 60 of the die-cut sheet 10 are preferably five in number, but as will be clear to those skilled in the art, for the making of an agenda cover it is sufficient that their number be at least three.
It is not excluded that a die-cut sheet, according to the present invention, comprises any number of the aforesaid elements, even if higher than three, and preferably substantially parallel to each other and quadrangular, in any case joined, or rather internally separated, by parallel creases A, for defining the agenda cover.
According to a preferred aspect, the die-cut sheet 10 of
More particularly,
The same function is achieved by folding the end elements 23,42, which are also trapezoidal, onto the respective elements 20,40, through the creasing lines which join them (or separate them geometrically) from the respective element 20,40.
Again
These second creases B are transverse, preferably orthogonal, to the first creases A which join, or rather separate internally, the elements 20,40,60 and are preferably parallel to each other.
As will become clearer hereinafter, the quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28 are intended to be folded to form a tubular case which constitutes the housing for a writing instrument integrated in the agenda. Since this tubular frame (or case) can preferably have a square, rectangular or in any case polygonal section, with at least one open base, the number of quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28 provided is at least equal to four. It is not excluded that this number may be higher.
In the case of four preferably quadrangular strips, 22,24,26,28 of the die-cut sheet 10 depicted in
Optionally, as can be seen in
As will be seen, the folding of these additional fins 32,34 allows to close an open end of the tubular frame made by folding the quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28. Above all, but not necessarily, if the aforesaid additional fins 32,34 are not present, it is possible to provide for a stabilising body to be inserted inside the tubular frame (case) defined by the quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28, which body can be constituted by a specially die-cut and folded card stock sheet of such dimensions and shape as to be inserted in contact with the inner walls of such tubular frame (case) and to increase the compressive or tensile strength of the same tubular frame.
The stabilizing body can be constituted by any other object adapted to constitute as a stabiliser, comprising the same writing instrument intended to be housed.
As will be apparent later (e.g. see
In other words, the tubular frame 22, 24, 26, 28 never overlaps the block 200 of paper sheets, so that the user of the agenda has no hindrances when he/she intends to leaf through the paper sheets of the block 200 and/or to write on them.
As will be discussed later, the tubular frame 22, 24, 26, 28 may also be arranged preferably transversely to the direction of binding of the pages of the block 200 of paper sheets, to allow the user to flip through the sheets of the block 200 of paper sheets and to be able to write in them without being prevented by the encumbrance of the tubular frame 22, 24, 26, 28.
In the light of what has been described above, it will become clear that, in the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown here in
It should be noted that the quadrangular elements 20,40,60 are at least three and the aforesaid quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28 are at least four.
In this first step of the method for making an agenda depicted in
The adhesion of the end strip 28 to the surface of the first element 20, after the folding of these strips 22,24,26,28 has defined a tubular frame, is preferably carried out by gluing.
The strips 22,24,26,28 are preferably rectangular and have a sufficient length to define a tubular frame sufficiently capable of accommodating, at least partially, at least one writing instrument, such as a pen, a pencil, a ruler, etc.
Preferably, the aforesaid tubular frame formed by folding the quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28, and also depicted in
The elements 20 and 40 which, as mentioned, form the rear and front sides of the agenda cover, preferably have a rectangular shape, even if not necessarily all the elements 20 and 40 have the same dimensions and, in the implementation of the invention described herein, the tubular frame is implemented at the short side of the first element 20.
As already mentioned, if the additional fins 32, 34 are present, their folding allows to close one of the ends of the aforesaid tubular frame otherwise equipped with both open ends, as also depicted in
The trapezoidal outline of these elements 23,42 and of these perimeter flaps 21,41,43 allows them, once folded and fastened — preferably by gluing — to the respective first or second element 20,40, to be juxtaposed with each other without interference and to strengthen such sides of the agenda cover.
It is noticeable that the folding of the end element 23 of the first element 20 and its respective fastening, preferably by gluing, to the latter does not interfere, i.e. is not superimposed, with the strip 28 which is folded and fastened to the first element 20 but is juxtaposed to such strip 28.
In alternative embodiments, the end element 23 may be shaped to be at least partially superimposed on the aforesaid strip 28 which is folded and fastened to the first element 20.
The sheet 10 of
In this variation, however, next to the element 40 (on the left side in the figure), an element 50 has been arranged with dimensions and shape similar to those of the second element 40 to which it is joined, instead of the trapezoidal element 42 of
In other words, the positioning of the element 50 above the element 40 occurs in such a way that the element 50 covers the perimeter flaps 41 and 43 that adhere to the second element 40 and, at the same time, a side of the agenda cover is formed, as shown in
Similar to the case of the sheet 10 of
The trapezoidal end element 23 is then folded and fastened on the first element 20 to form a side of the cover.
Also in this case, the die-cut sheet 10 has two additional fins 32,34 connected, through crease D, to the first element 20 and divided from each other by a crease transverse, preferably orthogonal, to the second creases B which divide the quadrangular strips 22,24,26 and 28.
The additional fins 32,34, which may generally be one or more, are preferably connected to said first element 20 but can also be connected, through a crease, to one of said quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28, in particular to the strip 22 which joins the quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28 to the first element 20.
The dimensions of these additional fins 32,34 are such as to allow, once folded, the occlusion of an open end of the tubular frame (case) defined by the quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28, with e.g. the end fin 34 inserted into the tubular frame, possibly glued.
The die-cut sheet 10 depicted in
The method for the making of an agenda which makes use of the sheet 10 of
Unlike the preceding embodiments, however, the method that uses the sheet 10 of
The block 200 of paper sheets is, for example, glued on the first element 20, below the tubular frame defined by the strips 22,24,26,28.
In an alternative embodiment (
Other methods of fastening the block 200 of paper sheets to the sheet 10 constituting the agenda cover may be provided, as long as the block 200 of paper sheets, when the agenda is complete, extends below the tubular frame intended to house a writing instrument.
Optionally, the rectangular fins 32 and 34 may be folded to close the side of the tubular frame opposite the side for inserting the pen 100.
Finally,
As mentioned, the agenda thus implemented provides that the tubular frame defined by the quadrangular strips 22,24,26,28 and constituting the housing for at least one writing instrument, is arranged above the block 200 and transversely to the direction of binding of the pages of the block 200 of paper sheets, to allow the user to flip through the agenda and to be able to write in it without being prevented by the encumbrance of the same tubular frame.
Modifications or improvements that are dictated by contingent or particular reasons, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention, may be made to the invention as described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21196426.7 | Sep 2021 | EP | regional |
