Patent Application
20080223907
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an accordian-like file folder, and more particularly to an accordian-like file folder including an improved expandable or collapsible side connecting member made of cheaper or economical materials and having a structure to be easily and quickly manufactured.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical file folders, particularly the accordian-like file folders comprise a front panel, a rear panel, and two side expandable or collapsible envelopes or connecting members coupled between the front panel and the rear panel for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other in order to adjust the volume or space or compartment size between the front panel and the rear panel.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,509 to Su discloses one of the typical accordian-like file folders also comprising two expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members coupled between the front panel and the rear panel for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other in order to adjust the volume or space or compartment size between the front panel and the rear panel.
For allowing the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members to be suitably expanded or collapsed or for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other, the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members are required to be made of resilient synthetic materials, such as polypropylene (PP), rubber materials or other expensive synthetic materials which are very expensive and which may greatly increase the manufacturing fee or cost for the typical accordian-like file folders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,724 to Ho discloses another typical accordian-like file folder or compartmentized file folder also comprising two expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members coupled between the front panel and the rear panel for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other in order to adjust the volume or space or compartment size between the front panel and the rear panel.
The expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members are also required to be made of resilient synthetic materials, such as polypropylene (PP), rubber materials or other expensive synthetic materials which are very expensive and which may greatly increase the manufacturing fee or cost for the typical accordian-like file folders, for allowing the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members to be suitably expanded or collapsed or for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other.
In addition, in the typical accordian-like file folders or compartmentized file folders, the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members are normally bent or formed or molded or deformed from a continuous sheet member, but the continuous sheet member are required to be made of resilient synthetic materials that may not be easily folded or bent or deformed into the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members, and the manufactured expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members of the typical accordian-like file folders or compartmentized file folders may be sprung back and may not be suitably compressed to a flat folding structure.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members for the file folders.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a file folder including an improved expandable or collapsible side connecting member made of cheaper or economical materials and having a structure to be easily and quickly manufactured.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a file folder comprising a front panel, a rear panel, and two side expandable connecting members coupled between the front panel and the rear panel for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other in order to adjust a space between the front panel and the rear panel, the expandable connecting members each including a V-shaped front connecting segment which includes a free end attached to the front panel with weldings, and a V-shaped rear connecting segment coupled to the V-shaped front connecting segment and having a free end attached to the rear panel with weldings for forming the expandable connecting member. The V-shaped front and the rear connecting segments may be formed or manufactured separately and then attached or secured together with such as stitches or weldings or spot weldings for allowing the connecting segments to be made with cheaper or economical materials, such as cheaper or economical plastic materials without being made or manufactured with the expensive polypropylene (PP) materials, rubber materials or other expensive synthetic materials.
The expandable connecting members each further include at least one V-shaped intermediate connecting segment attached between the front connecting segment and the rear connecting segment for increasing the expandable space or compartment between the front panel and the rear panel.
The panel include a cover foldably attached to the rear panel with a foldable hinge for allowing the cover to be folded relative to the front panel and the rear panel between a folding position and an opened working position.
The rear panel include at least one lock attached to the cover for selectively engaging with a corresponding lock member of the front panel in order to selectively secure and lock the cover to the front panel at the folding position.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
For example, the first or front connecting segment 31 of each of the expandable or collapsible envelopes or connecting members 30 includes a free end 34 attached or secured to the front panel 10 with such as stitches or weldings or spot weldings 37, and the second or rear connecting segment 32 also includes a free end 35 attached or secured to the rear panel 20 with such as stitches or weldings or spot weldings 37, and the third or intermediate connecting segments 33 each include two free ends attached or secured to or between the first or front connecting segment 31 and the second or rear connecting segment 32 with such as stitches or weldings or spot weldings 37 for allowing the connecting segments 31-33 to be coupled or secured together to form the expandable or collapsible envelopes or connecting members 30.
It is to be noted that the first or front connecting segment 31 and the second or rear connecting segment 32 may also be directly attached or secured together with such as stitches or weldings or spot weldings 37 without the third or intermediate connecting segments 33. The file folder 1 may further include a cover 21 foldably or hingely attached or secured to the rear panel 20 with such as foldable hinges 22 (
Alternatively, as shown in
It is to be noted that the substantially V-shaped connecting segments 31-33, 41 may be formed or manufactured separately and then attached or secured together with such as stitches or weldings or spot weldings 37 for allowing the connecting segments 31-33, 41 to be made with cheaper or economical materials, such as cheaper or economical plastic materials without being made or manufactured with the expensive polypropylene (PP) materials, rubber materials or other expensive synthetic materials.
Accordingly, the file folder in accordance with the present invention includes an improved expandable or collapsible side connecting member made of cheaper or economical materials and having a structure to be easily and quickly manufactured.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
