Patent Application
20100007131
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container that can be used to store or house sheet material, such as label sheets, and also to display information for identifying materials housed within the container.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Files, such as hanging files, have index tabs for displaying information to identify contents within the file. For example, hanging files have index tabs that are positioned at an angle, for convenient viewing purposes.
Conventional label sheets contain multiple individual and removable labels. Conventional label sheets have borders surrounding the labels and offer labels in different sizes and shapes.
Many conventional label sheets have a face stock adhered to a base sheet. Conventional adhesives on label sheets adhere more to the face stock than to the base sheet, so that when a face stock label is removed from the base sheet, the layer of adhesive remains with or sticks to the face stock of the label. The face sheet and the adhesive can be used to removably attach or to permanently attach a label with respect to another surface.
According to the display apparatus and the label assembly of this invention, a container can be formed to house or store label sheets or label assemblies, such as within a compartment formed by the container. For example, label sheets of a particular size, style and/or other design parameter can be stored within the container.
An edge panel formed by the container can have at least one tab that can be released from the edge panel and displayed or positioned away from the edge panel. The tab can be positioned at a particular angle, depending upon a desired viewing arrangement of the tab and the corresponding file. For example, the container can be placed within a file drawer or within a hanging file, so that the tab is visible, such as in a manner similar to conventional index tabs of conventional hanging files. In some embodiments of this invention, the label sheet or label assembly housed within the container can have an identification label that is removable from the label sheet. The identification label can have an adhesive backing for adhering to the releasable tab formed by the edge panel of the container.
In some embodiments of this invention, the identification label has an identifier, such as printable text or handwritten text, on the surface of the printable label. In some embodiments of this invention, the identifier can correspond to any design parameter of the label assembly. For example, an alpha character and/or a numeric character can be printed or otherwise placed on the identification label.
With the label sheet and/or the display apparatus according to this invention, it is possible to display ordering information, such as a model number, a stock number, a design style, a label size and/or a label type on the identification label. Thus, when a particular label size or label sheet is required, the user can easily identify which containers house which label sheets or label assemblies. The identifier can also be used to reorder label sheets to replace empty or relatively low stock.
In some embodiments of this invention, the edge panel contains a plurality of tabs. The tabs can be positioned adjacent to each other or spaced apart from each other. Different tabs can be moved or released into different display positions. For example, to achieve a staggered arrangement for better visibility and easier reading, adjacently placed containers can have differently located or sequential tabs each moved into a display position.
In some embodiments of this invention, the tab can be released from the edge portion and then returned back to its normal position and held or locked into its original position by a structural element, such as a folding panel positioned within a slit or other opening. This particular feature can be used to use the releasable tab in one staggered position and then move the container to another area of the file and use a different releasable tab to maintain an overall staggered position or to provide better visibility.
In certain embodiments of this invention, at least a portion of a periphery of the releasable tab has a line of separation, such as a perforation, a microperforation or another suitable tearable line of separation.
The identification label can be positioned in a border area of the label sheet, so that the identification label does not occupy space that is otherwise available for a printable or otherwise usable label. Positioning the identification label within a border area also allows a mechanical printer or other conventional printer to move the label sheet through the printer by applying rollers to the border areas.
This invention is explained in view of exemplary embodiments, making reference to the drawings, wherein:
In certain embodiments of this invention, display apparatus 20 comprises container 30, such as shown in
The sheet material can have the shape shown in
Fold line 38 can be constructed by any suitable line of weakening known to those skilled in the art of container design. For example, fold line 38 can be constructed by bending the sheet material or by forming a perforation line or a die cut within the sheet material.
Once formed into a three-dimensional structure, container 30 can form a storage compartment or a space. In some embodiments of this invention, container 30 holds or houses a plurality of label sheets 50, such as label sheet 50 shown in
In some embodiments of this invention, label sheet 50 comprises at least one identification label 45. According to certain embodiments of this invention, identifier 46 can be printed on, written on or otherwise applied to a surface of identification label 45. As shown in
In some embodiments of this invention, identifier 46 can correspond to a particular model, size, shape and/or other design parameter of label sheet 50 or label assembly 25, such as those stored or housed within a corresponding container 30. Identifier 46 can be used to display or otherwise show, for example, which particular design or style of label sheet 50 is within the corresponding container 30. Identifier 46 can also be used to reorder label sheets 50 when container 30 is empty or nearly empty.
Edge panel 32 forms at least one releasable tab 40 that can be positioned away from outer surface 33 of edge panel 32. As shown in
As used throughout this specification and in the claims, the phrases separation line, line of separation, tearable line of separation and/or tearable line are intended to be interchangable with each other and related to a line of weakening within label sheet 50, including but not limited to face sheet 26 and/or back sheet 27. The line of weakening can have a weakened structural area along which label sheet 50, face sheet 26 and/or back sheet 27 can be separated. Each separation line or tearable line of weakening, according to this invention, comprises a perforation line, a microperforation line, a die cut line, a kiss cut line, a score, a score cut line, a laser die cut line, a chemically etched line, a gas etched line and/or any other suitable line that forms a weakened structure. Any separation line according to this invention may comprise any other suitable separation line or line of weakening known to those skilled in the art of label assemblies.
Flynn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,957, and Flynn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,976, the entire teachings of both of which are incorporated into this specification by reference, teach different technical features of label sheets, label assemblies and fold lines which can be used as corresponding elements in this invention.
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments of this invention, a plurality of identification labels 45 are positioned in, within and/or on border 53. As shown in
As shown in
Any separation line 35 of this invention can be structured so that it is relatively easy or relatively difficult to release or fold tab 40 away from edge panel 32. For example, spaces between perforations, depth of die cuts and/or lengths of any separation line 35 can be varied to provide more or less structural support between tab 40 and the remainder of container 30.
The plan view of
In some embodiments of this invention, border 53 can completely surround printable labels 51. In other embodiments of this invention, border 53 at least partially surrounds printable labels 51.
In other embodiments of this invention, identification label 45 can be attached to an order form or a shopping list, to communicate a need to replace or restock label sheets 50 within the corresponding container 30.
As shown in
While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.
