Patent Application
20050156017
None.
The present invention relates to a folder suitable for use with the making or delivery of presentations that is capable of being provided with variable pocket configurations that are produced from separate sheet or laminates or combinations thereof that are imprintable, such as through non-impact printing means. The sheets, laminates or combinations are used in creating personalized pockets on demand for use with presentation folders, document containment devices and other items for which personalized and/or an auxiliary pocket may be useful. The laminates that are used in the creation of pockets for the present invention are created from a first sheet having patterns coated thereon, including patterns of adhesive and release which is then attached to a second or base sheet to protect the adhesive coated portions of the substrate. The patterns of release and adhesive enable the application of the pocket portion to a blank suitable for use in forming a presentation folder or other structure or item for which a pocket may be useful or beneficial. The sheets, laminates and the like may be provided in multiple configurations through the use of die cuts, scores and the like so as to enable the creation of variable pocket configurations, including juxtaposed pockets.
Stock folders are generally well known today and are provided in a variety of colors and typically in several standard formats. Such stock products are created from a blank of material to which at least one and usually two pockets are provided on the inner face of the blank. The pockets are generally formed from the same sheet or blank and are then folded over onto the blank and sealed to the blank to create the pockets. The blank is then folded, usually centrally, to form two relatively equal sides.
Such folders are used in a number of applications ranging from academic, such as in elementary, middle school, high school or collegiate environment to education purposes including seminars and technical symposiums. In addition, folders have also been used in the past to hand out information on products and services in the hopes of inducing purchases or sales of such products or services.
These prior art folders are provided in a broad spectrum of colors and can even have different finishes such as glossy or a metallic appearance in order to supplement the product of topic offering. In addition, such prior art products may also be provided with textural or tactile features so as to resemble grains in leather or wood, again all in an effort to produce or tailor the communication vehicle to the audience or presenter to garner more attention for the products or services being offered.
Examples of such prior art folders include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,870,223, 4,109,850, 4,301,962, 4,731,142, 4,989,777 and 5,836,507. Each of these prior art constructions are constructed from a single blank of material. That is, the portion making up the folder which comprises the pocket, are part of the same blank. The portion which becomes the pocket is then folded onto the folder portion to create the pocket portion. Such constructions normally require the manufacturer to purchase expensive and complicated folding equipment in order to process and fold the pocket portion, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,439,436 and 6,063,226.
One of the difficulties with such stock folder products is that the user of such products must order the folders in large lots or amounts, or must select from a generic stock inventory that may only have a pre-determined number of colors or finish options. If a presenter or distributor would prefer to have at least limited information printed on the folder, such as the name of the company or presenter or to have certain colors or finishes that represent the company, such as to emphasize the trade dress, then the user is stuck with the unfortunate option of having to order such products in large quantities typically greater than 50 and more often in the hundreds as the set up for the production or manufacture of folders is complex and orders in the hundreds of units is normally required by the manufacturer due to the complexity associated with such set up of equipment. This dilemma has thwarted the growth of the folder industry and prevented the use of this tool from expanding its communication potential to users of the product as an advertising vehicle.
The foregoing prior art products also suffer from the fact that they are normally provided only in a few relatively standard configurations, choices of only one or two products having only one or two pockets. This may require the presenter to over stuff the pockets provided with the folder or alternatively to have to distribute multiple folders in order to achieve the communication that is intended, that is in order to discuss multiple products or services multiple folders need to be provided to the attendees of the meeting. In addition, attendees may also wish to include materials collected at the event such as notes, brochures or other collateral material and are faced with stuffing the material into already tight spaces or simply dropping them internally from the folder which can lead to the materials being lost as they are not secured by a pocket. The ability to add additional pockets or the ability to position pockets in different areas of the folder is simply not an option or if it is it may be an expensive option requiring the manufacturer to purchase additional equipment, rework existing equipment or obtain further tooling in order to produce what may only be a single order.
The difficulty with current stock folder offerings is that the purchaser must also select from a number of pre-arranged configurations. If all business, products and marketing tools were also standardized, this would not be a problem. However, in an effort to market products, marketing and advertising materials come in an array of shapes, sizes and substances. Thus, a standard configuration may not lend itself to an advertising or marketing message that has a particular “map” or arrangement that requires different pieces to appear in different areas.
Another problem faced by users of such stock folders is that they have virtually no personalized or individualized information. For example, in a typical introductory business meeting between two entities, the attendees may include an executive, members of sales and marketing and production personnel. Distributing the exact same information to each attendee may result in the information simply being deposited into the attendee's files, instead of the presenter's intent of delivering a specific message to each participant. Any personalized or individualized information is then limited to the sheets that are included inside the folders and those specific to a particular attendee may be buried deep within myriad of pages of information provided to the attendees. Alternatively, some level of personalization can be applied through the application of labels to the exterior of the folder.
Attempts at personalization or individualization have sometimes been elaborate, such as that illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,038 in which a personalized sheet is printed and then inserted so that the personalized information is then visible through die cut windows in the blank. As one might imagine, this limits the amount of personalization that can be provided and also requires that the information be aligned with the windows in the folder assembly so that it is visible. In addition, to the steps of folding the blank and the equipment required to achieve those tasks, in order to manufacture such a product one needs to add additional die cutting stations and then is faced with the challenge of inserting the personalized sheet of information. In preparing for a meeting, even a small meeting, having to insert 10 sheets into 10 different folders can be time consuming, particularly if one is rushed in trying to get to the meeting.
Publications, patents and patent applications are referred to throughout this disclosure. All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
What is needed therefore is a product that can be produced in a convenient manner that overcomes the foregoing drawbacks. In addition, what is needed is a product that can be customized and tailored on demand to the individual needs of a customer or presenter and one which enables the customer or presenter to convey personalized or individualized messages so as to increase the impact of the delivered materials and to provide various pocket configurations on demand. Moreover, the ability to provide any number of individual pockets would assist in the direct marketing effort to each of the attendees.
The embodiments of the present invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present invention.
The present invention pertains to the creation of folders, more specifically presentation folders that can be used as a communication and/or advertising tool. The present invention enables the pieces that make up a folder to be provided separately from one another so that each of the pieces, blanks and pocket types, may be provided with individualized or personalized information for the end user. The pocket types may then be formed, where necessary, and placed on the blank of material to form a folder.
The present invention is directed to the use of imprintable pockets formed from sheets or laminates and having generally pre-determined pocket configurations, or first and second pocket types. The sheets or laminates can be processed through a laser or other non-impact printer to produce a plurality of pockets “on-demand” for the creation of personalized or individualized folders. In other embodiments, the pocket configurations of the present invention can be applied to pre-existing document retention devices so as to provide additional, supplemental or auxiliary pockets for the device. One type of pocket prepared in accordance with the present invention may have a generally quadrate or rectilinear shape and the other may have other geometric or animate shapes depending on the needs or desires of the customer or end user. While the term sheet or laminates is used herein and generally refers to sheets having a particular dimension, it should be understood that the sheets and/or laminates suitable for use in forming the pockets may be provided in a roll or continuous format and need not be sheeted prior to printing or advancing to the folding station.
In one embodiment of the present invention folder is provided and includes a blank of material having first and second faces and first and second sections. The blank has a top edge, a bottom edge and a pair of side edges, and the blank of material has a generally uniform thickness. The presently described embodiment provides for at least a first pocket type that is created from a sheet and which has a first configuration. The first configuration sized and configured to fit within at least a portion of the first and second sections of the blank. At least a second pocket type is also provided and is created from a sheet and that has a second configuration that is distinct from the first configuration with the second configuration sized and configured to fit within at least a portion of the first and second sections. Each of the first and second pocket types are provided independent and separate from the blank of material such that after the first and second pocket types are formed they are applied to the blank of material on at least one of the first and second faces of at least one of the first and second sections.
In a still further embodiment of the present invention a document containment article is described and includes a relatively rigid article having at least one pre-existing document retaining device. At least a first pocket type is provided and is separate and independent from the article and is formable into the first pocket type from a sheet of material. The first pocket type is sized and configured to receive and hold an item after the pocket type is formed and applied to the article. The first pocket type is applied to the article in such a manner so as to not interfere with the pre-existing document retaining device.
In a yet still further embodiment of the present invention, method for preparing a folder in accordance with the present invention and includes the steps of, initially supplying at least one blank having a size and configuration suitable for use as a presentation folder. Then providing at least one sheet of material suitable for forming one or more pocket types. Next, the sheet of material and blank are processed and the sheet is acted upon to form at least one pocket. Finally, the pocket is applied to the blank.
These, as well as other objects and advantages of this invention, will be more completely understood and appreciated by referring to the following more detailed description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:
The present invention is now illustrated in greater detail by way of the following detailed description which represents the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention. However, it should be understood that this description is not to be used to limit the present invention, but rather, is provided for the purpose of illustrating the general features of the invention.
The pockets formable from sheets of material of which exemplary embodiments are depicted in
Unexpectedly, it has been found that there is not a simple, efficient manner in which to create personalized presentation folders which can be produced in either small quantities, such as by a manufacturer of printed products or by a small office or home office (“SOHO”) for presenting products or services or by an independent user, such as a student in preparation for a report for school or a small business person or sales person for presentation to a potential client.
As used herein, the term “adhesive” includes, but is not limited to strips, patterns, segments, shapes, spots, continuous arrangements, discontinuous arrangements and combinations thereof. The type of adhesive that may be used includes but is not limited to repositionable, removable, permanent, remoistenable, hot melt, pressure seal (cohesive), cold glues and combinations and mixtures thereof. The present invention may also include adhesive strips that are provided in the form of transfer tapes, pressure sensitive tapes and the like which usually will have a removable release liner, which when removed will expose and/or activate the adhesive that can be used to form a sealing arrangement.
The term “document containment device or article” as used herein includes portfolios, notebooks, binders, clipboards, sleeves, folders, envelopes, accordion folders and the like.
The printing or imaging that is envisioned in connection with the present invention can be provided on one or both faces of the sheet or laminate. The information to be provided is generally intended to be personalized or individualized so that each attendee of a business meeting can receive a specially tailored message, however, it may also contain fixed or static information or combinations of both. For example, a normal introductory business meeting, the attendees from the target company (company that is being targeted for the sale of goods or services) may have an executive present, members of the sales and marketing team as well as production personnel in attendance to consider the information being provided. The presenter ideally wants to deliver a unique message to each person or group in the audience and is only offered a short period of time to accomplish this task, and usually devotes most of the period to “walking through” a visual presentation. However, through the use of the present invention, the presenter can deliver personalized or individualized information to each group while still focusing on delivering the information to the group. For example, information for sales and marketing may relate to increased sales and commissions or sales strategies for selling the product. Production personnel may receive information relating to efficient manufacturing techniques and other products for which the services may be used with as well as contact numbers for support and other technical data. The executive may only receive summary or overview information and financial numbers relating to the impact of the divisional bottom line. Thus each person is provided with a unique package of information that is tailored to his or her specific talents thereby potentially increasing the chances of success of the presentation. It should be understood that in addition to personalized or individualized information, the sheet or laminate of the present invention may also include static, fixed or regularly repeating information (such as information printed on each folder to be presented).
Each panel or section of the presentation folder or folder page will in one exemplary embodiment have a width of approximately 9 inches and a length of about 12 inches. Together, two panels are generally required to create a presentation folder with the overall dimensions running about twelve inches high by eighteen inches wide. One pocket type formed from the sheet or laminate of the present invention will have a height of around 4″ to 4¼″ and a width of up to 9 inches, which resembles a relatively standard rectilinear or generally quadrate pocket configuration.
The other or second pocket type of the present invention may have any dimension or shape depending on the desire or intended use of the end user or customer. In addition, the pocket type may be confined within an area of just one panel or section or may extend across both panels or sections or portions thereof. The second pocket type may be smaller than the first pocket type so that it can serve to carry supplemental material such as business cards, discs, diskettes, samples, prizes and other collateral material which may be too small to be placed in a larger pocket. It should be understood that the second pocket may also be larger than the first pocket so as to be able to accommodate bulkier sheets or materials.
The foregoing dimensions are used when preparing a standard configuration presentation folder. That is, each panel of the blank runs about 12″ high and about 9″ wide with the pocket having a length of about 9″ and a height of around 4″. Obviously, other dimensions are possible and would simply require the repositioning of the adhesive areas, lines of weakness, etc. on the sheet or the use of different sized sheets of material. The pocket of the presently described embodiment is sized and configured so that it can receive and retain a standard size sheet of paper in a portrait arrangement (8½″ side placed in the pocket which has a width of approximately 9″). The sheets or laminates as used herein may be provided in a cut sheet arrangement or may be obtained in a continuous or roll format.
The sheet of material provided in
As depicted in
The sheet 10 has first and second transversely extending edges 12 and 14, and first and second longitudinally extending edges 16 and 18. The sheet is also provided with first and second strips of adhesive 20 and 22. Each of the strips of adhesive 20 and 22 have first and second side edges 21, 23 and 25 and 27 which define the area of the adhesive. As indicated previously, the adhesive may be selected from any suitable type, and in the presently described embodiment, the adhesive strips are preferably pressure sensitive tapes that are provided with a release liner that can be removed at the time of folding and/or attachment to the blank to make up the presentation folder.
The sheet 10 is also provided with a fold line 24. While
Turning now to
The second pocket types are generally depicted by reference to numeral 50 and have first and second sides, illustrated by letters A and B. The second pocket type 50 has a fold line 52 which is shown extending substantially medially of the construction. It should be understood, that the fold line 52 may appear in any portion of the construction depending on the ultimate configuration requested by the end user or customer of the construction. The second pocket type 50 is provided with first and second flaps or tabs 54 and 56 that extend generally outwardly from end edge 51. On one side of the pocket 50, shown as the “B” face, adhesive 58 is provided. As above, any suitable type of adhesive may be used to create the pocket and secure the pocket 50 to the blank as will be shown in later FIGURES. In one embodiment, pressure sensitive adhesive is used.
In order to form the pocket 50, the sheet material is folded about fold line 52. One of the first and second tabs 54 and 56 is folded inwardly of face B and about end edge 51 so as to come into direct contact with face B. The adhesive 58 is used to secure the faces of B to one another to create a sealed end edge thus forming the pocket. The other of the first and second tabs 54 and 56 is then folded in the opposite direction around end line 51 so that the exposed adhesive may be brought into contact with one of the faces and one of the sections of the blank.
Next, attention is directed to
The folder 100 is provided with a number of first pocket types designated by reference numeral 140 and second pocket types designated by reference numeral 150. As can be seen from
As discussed previously, the pockets 140 and 150 as well as the blank 110 may be provided with printing or imaging designated by reference numeral 160. The printing may be personalized for each folder that is being produced or it may contain elements of personalized information in combination with static information or areas that may have static information and other areas of personalized information. Printing can be accomplished by ink jet, laser, ion deposition and other suitable means. Again, the present invention lends itself to a large degree of variability and flexibility by the user of the sheets, laminates and blanks used to form the folder.
The sheets and/or laminates of material that will be used in the formation of the pockets for the folder as well as the blank that is to be used for the folder may undergo processing at step 320. The processing may include printing, imaging, folding, coating or the like. Where printing or imaging is provided data is supplied from a data base at step 325. The data base may be resident at the manufacturing location or the information may be received from a location that is remote from the manufacturing site.
Next, the sheets and or laminates are acted upon at step 330 to create one or more pockets to be used in connection with the invention. At this step, the pockets, where they are formed from a laminate, are removed and then folded to create a pocket. Where they are produced from a sheet, no removal from a base sheet is normally required and the sheet can be folded and prepared for the next step. However, separation or removal of portions of the adhesive strips may be necessary. The pockets will typically have one sealed end edge and one open end edge which has a tab or flap that is used to secure the pocket to the blank to create the folder.
After the pockets have been formed as provided in step 330, the pockets are then placed on the blank in step 340. Placement of the pockets on the blanks can be a matter of personal choice, such as a folder to be created for a single use or individual or the pockets can be used to create several similar folders such as might be needed for a meeting or the like. In preparing several similar folder arrangements, the presenter can still add additional pockets to make each folder different from all the others so as to be able to concentrate the appropriate part of the message on the specific individual in attendance at the meeting.
The pockets suitable for use with the present invention may be applied to a single panel or section of the blank or alternatively can stretch across both of the sections. In addition, the pockets may be disposed in a juxtaposed arrangement or positioned so as to have an overlapping configuration or relationship with other pockets, as was provided for example in
Through use of the present invention, marketing, advertising, communications, educational and professional topics can be delivered in a much more efficient manner as the personalized folders can be presented to each prospective client, participant or recipient.
It will thus be seen according to the present invention a highly advantageous variable pocket configurations produced from sheets or laminates for use with presentation folders and binders has been provided. While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, that many modifications and equivalent arrangements may be made thereof within the scope of the invention, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent structures and products.
The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of their invention as it pertains to any apparatus, system, method or article not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims.
