1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable file folder and a system for facilitating viewing and access to the index tabs of dividers within the folder when the folder is opened.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some conventional portable file folders are provided with closure flaps that fold over the top of the folder to securely encase and protect the contents of the file folder when the file folder is transported, stacked, stored or otherwise maintained in a closed condition. The closure flaps of such folders prevent the contents of the folders from spilling out, and also protect the contents from damage that might otherwise result from exposure to inclement weather, beverage spills and other conditions that might damage papers or other articles that are stored in the folders.
Conventional folder flaps do present certain difficulties in utilizing the folders bearing them, however. Conventional folder flaps are normally constructed as extensions of a back panel or back cover of the folder and are typically biased to a closed condition covering the tops of any dividers within the folders. While such a construction aids in protecting and preventing damage to the contents of the folder, folder flaps of this type also hinder easy viewing and access to divider tabs and the dividers within the folder pocket. That is, conventional folder flaps tend to drop down over the tops of the compartment dividers, thereby obscuring them both visually and hindering physical access. The folder flaps can be drawn back out of the way. However, this typically occupies one of the users hands, thereby reducing the ability of the user to manipulate the folder dividers so as to easily extract documents from a particular compartment within the folder pocket.
Other portable file folders are constructed without closure flaps. One manner of construction is to create a file folder with front and back panels that extend at least as high, and often slightly higher, then the index tabs on the dividers within the folder pockets. The extension of the front and back covers above the level of the divider tabs does provide some protection to the divider tabs. That is, this construction reduces excessive bending of the tabs and premature dilapidated of the file divider tabs. Such a construction eliminates the problem of a folder flap dropping down over the tops of the dividers. Nevertheless, the relatively high front cover or front panel of such a folder also visually obscures the divider tabs and in addition impairs physical access to the folder compartments.
The present invention solves the deficiencies of the prior art portable file folder constructions which produce problems with both visual and physical access to the divider tabs. According to the present invention the front cover or panel, while extending upwardly to at least the level of the divider tabs, is also provided with a transverse fold. The upper part of the front cover or panel can be folded down to face the lower part, thereby providing easy access to the file folder divider tabs. Moreover, the front cover or panel is provided with a fastening mechanism, which may include a catch and a latch. These fastening elements allow at least part of the upper portion of the front cover not only to be folded down against the lower portion, but to be held in this condition until such time as the user is finished using the folder. This frees both of the users hands. The file folder of the invention thereby provides the advantages of protection of the divider tabs, but without the disadvantage of interfering with viewing and access to them when the folder is in use.
In one broad aspect the present invention may be considered to be a file folder comprising a back cover, a plurality of compartment dividers, a front cover and a fastener mechanism. Each of the dividers is located in front of the back cover and has an upper edge and a lower edge. The dividers define filing compartments within the folder pouch. The front cover is formed of a lower face portion and an upper shield portion which are delineated from each other by a laterally extending fold that extends across the width of the front cover. The upper shield portion is biased toward an extended disposition to project upwardly above the upper edges of the compartment dividers. A latch is located on the upper shield portion and a catch is located on the lower face portion. The latch and catch are engageable with each other when the shield portion is forced downwardly. At least part of the shield portion bends in articulated fashion from the lower face portion into a disposition facing the lower face portion, whereupon the latch is engageable with the catch.
In another broad aspect the invention may be considered to be a portable file folder comprising a pocket in which a plurality of dividers are located wherein. The pocket has a back and a front. Both the back and the front are high enough to extend at least as high as the upper extremities of the dividers. The front includes a front upper portion, a front lower portion and a transverse fold extending across the front, whereby the front upper portion and the front lower portion lie on opposite sides of the transverse fold. The front upper portion is biased to an extended position projecting upwardly from the front lower portion in front of the upper extremities of the dividers. At least part of the front upper portion is foldable downwardly to a collapsed position disposed against the front lower portion to expose the upper extremities of the dividers. The front upper portion has a first fastening element and the front lower portion has a second fastening element that mates with the first fastening element. The second fastening element engages the first fastening element when the front upper portion is in the collapsed position.
In still another broad aspect the invention may be considered to be a file folder having a back panel, a front panel and at least one divider disposed therebetween to delineate a plurality of compartments between the front and back panels. Each divider has an upper region. The front panel has a front lower portion and an upper shield portion delineated from each other by a transverse fold. The upper shield portion is biased to project upwardly from the front lower portion in an extended condition in front of the upper region of the divider or dividers. The front panel is bendable to bring at least part of the upper shield portion into a folded condition facing the front lower portion. The upper shield portion is provided with a first releasable fastening a member and the front lower portion is provided with a second releasable fastening number. The fastening members are engageable when the shield portion is in the folded condition.
The invention may be described with greater clarity and particularity by reference to the accompanying drawings.
The portable file folder 50 has a pair of end closure of panels 30 folded in pleated fashion in accordion folds and joining the back cover 10 and front cover 20 together at the laterally opposing ends of the portable file folder 50. The portable file folder 50 is thereby constructed as an accordion file that may be collapsed as illustrated in
The dividers 32 are all located in front of the back cover 10, and the front cover 20 is located in front of all of the compartment dividers 32. The front cover 20 is formed with a lower face portion 52 and an upper face portion 22. The upper face portion 22 may also be considered to be an upper shield portion. The front cover 20 may be constructed of opaque plastic and a transparent window 221 may be defined in it, as illustrated in the embodiment of
The front cover 20 is constructed of a relatively stiff material, such as Manila cardstock or polypropylene plastic. The stiffness of the front cover 20 thereby biases the upper shield portion 22 toward an extended disposition to project upwardly above the height of the upper edges 31 of the pocket dividers 32 and also above the height of the index tabs 33 extending upwardly from the upper edges 31 of the compartment dividers 32.
The portable file folder 50 has a fastening mechanism that in the embodiment of
The offset crease 225 passes through the oval shaped buttonhole latch opening 222 near its lower edge. The latch buttonhole opening 222 in the upper shield portion 22 is a first fastening element or member and is located above the transverse laterally extending fold 220. The catch button 21 is a second fastening element or member and is located below both the transverse laterally extending fold 220 and the offset crease 225. The latch buttonhole opening 222 and the catch button 21 are spaced from each other distances such that the catch button 21 is engageable with the latch buttonhole opening 222 when the shield portion 22 is forced downwardly, bending in articulated fashion about the transverse crease 225, as illustrated in
The offset crease 225 is defined through the upper shield portion 22 and the lower face portion 52 of the front cover 20 parallel and proximate to the laterally transverse extending fold 220 to improve the stability of the engagement of the catch button 21 with the latch buttonhole opening 222. The offset crease 225 thereby divides the upper shield portion 22 into two parts. In the embodiment of
The location of the laterally extending fold 220 delineates the lower front portion 52 from the upper shield portion 22. The formation of the offset strip 227 aids in maintaining the catch button 21 engaged in the latch buttonhole opening 222. That is, due to the stiffness of the material of the front cover 20, as the upper edge of the buttonhole latch opening 222 is pulled downwardly over the lower edge of the button 21, as illustrated in
The portable file folder 50 in the embodiment illustrated in
The button and buttonhole arrangement of the embodiment of
When the upper shield portion 22 is folded downwardly into a face-to-face disposition relative to the upper region of the lower face portion 52, the stud 321 snaps into and is releasably engaged with the socket 323. Alternatively, when the file folder 350 is closed, the upper shield portion 22 is pulled outwardly, thereby freeing the stud 321 from the socket 323, whereupon the upper shield portion 22 is moved upwardly into the disposition illustrated in
The locations of the socket 323 and stud 321 can be reversed. That is, the socket 323 could be located on the lower face portion 52 of the front cover 20, while the stud 321 could be located on the upper shield portion 22 of the front cover 20.
The pads 422 and 421 are respectively located equidistant from each other above and below the laterally extending fold 220. It is apparent that the positions of the pads 421 and 422 can be reversed. That is, the pad 422 bearing the multiplicity of hooks can be located on the lower face portion 52 of the front cover 20, while the pad 421 bearing the loop pile can be located an equal distance above the laterally extending fold 220 on the upper shielding portion 22.
The second fastening element is formed by a linear, laterally extending slit 521 in the front lower face portion 52 of the front cover 20. The slit 521 is located below the laterally extending fold 220 the same distance that the shoulders 525 of the arrowhead shaped barbed tongue 522 are located above the laterally extending fold 220. The base of the arrowhead shaped tongue 522 defined by the shoulders 525 is slightly wider than the slit length of the slit 521. The barbed tongue 522 is thereby releasably engageable in the slit 521 when the upper shield portion 22 is folded downwardly into a face-to-face disposition against the upper region of the lower face portion 52. The tongue 522 may be squeezed laterally slightly so as to force the shoulders 525 toward each other slightly to allow the tongue 522 to enter the slit 521. The tongue 522 is resilient enough so that it can be bowed slightly upon insertion into the slit 521. The shoulders 525 of the tongue 522 extend outwardly a distance slightly greater than the length of the slit 521 so that once it is released, the tongue 522 will remain engaged in the slit 521, thereby holding at the upper shielding portion 22 against the lower face portion 52 of the front 20. The upper regions of the dividers 32 are then exposed to view and manual access until the tongue 522 is purposely removed from the slit 521.
It is to be understood that the location of the tongue 522 and slit 521 could be reversed. That is, the tongue 522 can be formed on the lower face portion 52, while the slit 521 can be defined in the upper shield portion 22.
Other variations of the portable file folder of the invention differing in other respects from the portable file folder 50 are also possible.
In the embodiment of the
Undoubtedly, numerous other variations and modifications of the invention will become readily apparent to those familiar with office supply products. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be construed as limited to this specific embodiments depicted and described, but rather is defined in the claims appended hereto.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201020635963.6 | Dec 2010 | CN | national |