Patent Application
20050236831
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to suspended file folders of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,057 to Snowden, and in particular to a labelng system for use with such file folders. As described in the Snowden patent, flexible plastic index tabs are formed with resilent lugs which are sprung into spaced vertical slots along the top margin of the file folder. The index tabs are formed by folding over the front and back portions so that a label may be inserted inbetween the front and back portions.
The prior art type of labelling system is inconvenient to use in that labels must be inserted into the space between the front and back portions of the index tab, which can be time consuming and annoying. Likewise, labels may require changing to reflect the changing contents of the file folder or to allow the folder to be reused for a different purpose. Changing labels requires the old label to be removed from the index tab (a difficult task in itself), which often necessitates removing the index tab from the folder before the new label can be inserted and the index tab reinstalled in the file folder. In addition to the inconvenience and inefficiency involved in changing the index information on a file folder, the prior art system also suffers from a tendency for the labels to fall out of the index tab and become lost.
It is therefore desirable to have a labeling system that is more convenient and efficient to use, particularly as to file folders which require the changing or updating of index information. The limitations of the prior art are overcome by the present invention as described below.
In the present invention, the index tab is preferably a single layer of resilient material with lugs for insertion into the spaced vertical slots in the file folder. A pad of labels is affixed to the upper portion of the index tab by a releasable adhesive. The pad has a plurality of labels which are held to each other by a layer of releasable adhesive on the respective lower surfaces of each label. The user may write or otherwise enter index information on the upper surface of the uppermost label and when the index information requires changing, the uppermost label may be peeled off and the next label is made available for index information to be entered thereon.
A pad of three labels is considered to be optimum. Fewer are less likely to offer the advantages of ease in changing index information, while more may prove inefficient as providing excessive unneeded labels as well as presenting too thick an aspect. When all the labels in one pad are used, a new pad of labels may be releasably adhered to the index tab.
In an alternative embodiment, each of the labels may be supplied with a portion that does not have a releasable adhesive applied to it. This allows each label to be more easily grasped and removed when a label requires replacement.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims in conjunction with the drawings as described following:
With reference to
As shown in
A pad 30 of three labels 31 is considered to be optimum, although the present invention is not limited thereto. A greater or lesser plurality of labels 31 may be desirable in particular applications. The releasable adhesive layer 34 of the lowermost label 31 may be protected by a removable layer of material (not shown) until the pad 30 is adhered to the receiving portion 22 of the index tab 20.
In use, the uppermost label 31 may have index information entered onto its upper surface 32 either before or after the pad 30 is adhered to the index tab 20. When the index information requires changing, the uppermost label 31 is peeled from the next label 31 and the new index information entered thereon. This process continues until the pad 30 is exhausted. A new pad 30 may be adhered to the index tab 20 and the process repeated as often as needed.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention as shown in
The present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred and alternative embodiments that are intended to be exemplary only and not limiting to the full scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.
