Patent Grant
8459451
The present invention relates generally to providing tabs which may be readily clipped on and unclipped from one or more sheets of paper. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rewritable note which includes a tab section and a fastener that enables the note to be efficiently attached and detached from sheets of paper.
Despite great strides and advances in electronic technology, the birth of the Internet, and continued promises of the paperless office, paper remains critical to the functioning of society and business today. Using paper is familiar, easy, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. With paper comes the need to organize and manage the growing mountains of paper better. Some of the most successful inventions in human history are tools or devices to manage paper better: Some well-known examples that quickly come to mind include the paper clip, binder clip, staple, stapler, file folder, binder, and many others.
Given a mountain of papers, some of the papers may be more important than other papers in the mountain, or groups of papers may have a different priority than other groups in the mountain. It would be very time consuming if one were to start from the beginning each time he or she were searching for a particular piece of paper. Therefore, to organize one or more sheets of paper such that specific sheets of paper may be readily identified, tabbed folders may be used. An individual may label folders to essentially provide labels for any sheets of paper contained therein. By way of example, when papers are to be separated into high priority and low priority groups, the tab portion of one folder may be labeled “high priority” and used to hold high priority papers, while the tab portion of another folder may be labeled “low priority” and used to hold low priority papers. Additional descriptions or notations pertaining to the contents of the folders may be printed or written directly onto the folders.
While the use of tabbed folders in the organization of papers is effective, the use of tabbed folders is not always desirable. Tabbed folders may be bulky, and if multiple folders are needed to organize papers, the amount of bulk added by the tabbed folders may be cumbersome. In addition, the need to open tabbed folders to view the contents of the folders may prove to be inconvenient.
Tabs or labels may be provided directly on sheets of paper to allow for the efficient filing of the sheets of paper. For example, a label may be positioned and glued over a paper clip. When the paper clip is secured to one or more sheets of paper, the label may be used to effectively label the sheets of paper when a printed card is received within the label. While such a label may be effective in allowing sheets of paper to be organized, having to remove a printed card held within the label when the text on the printed card is no longer relevant may be inefficient. Further, the label and paper clip assembly does not allow for additional notes regarding the sheets of paper held by the assembly to be made thereon.
Post-it® notes, which are available from 3M Incorporated of St. Paul, Minn., may be used to provide tabs for a sheet or sheets of paper, and are reusable. Post-it notes may be erased, as well as readily removed and reused. Despite the success of Post-it notes, there are shortcomings such as the inability to secure multiple papers together and not necessarily reliable and substantial in all circumstances. For example, Post-it notes are sometimes too easily removable, even by accident. Over time, Post-it notes may simply loose their adhesiveness.
Though a Post-it note may be positioned on a sheet of paper such that a portion of the Post-it note extends above an edge of the sheet of paper to effectively form a tab while a portion of the Post-it note that does not extend above the edge may serve to allow notes to be made thereon, the tab is relatively flimsy. Hence, the tab portion of a Post-it note used to form a tab may be accidentally bent such that any writing on the tab portion is obscured. In addition, a Post-it note may relatively easily become detached from a sheet of paper to which it is affixed, and is not arranged to secure multiple sheets of paper together.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and an apparatus which is relatively easy to reuse, and allows one or more sheets of paper to be securely tabbed. That is, what is desired is a tab arrangement which is reusable, secures one or more sheets of paper, and allows notes in addition to notations on a tab to be written thereon.
Methods and apparatus for securely but removably tabbing one or more sheets of paper are disclosed. According to another aspect of the present invention, a kit includes a container and a first tabbed note assembly. The container includes at least a first compartment, and the first tabbed note assembly includes a first tabbed note and a first fastener. The first tabbed note has a first opening defined therein, and the first fastener is at least partially disposed in the first opening. The first tabbed note is positioned, or otherwise contained, at least partially in the first compartment. In one embodiment, the kit includes a divider that is inserted at least partially in the container such that the first compartment and a second compartment are defined at least partially by the divider.
In an implementation, the present invention relates to a kit that contains an apparatus that functions as a secure, removable tab for one or more sheets of paper. According to one aspect of the present invention, a kit contains tabbed notes and may be held in a box or other container with one or more compartments. This container may be made from plastic, glass, wood, ceramic, or other material. For example, in one embodiment, the container is clear or colored see-through plastic. The kit may be in a container that may be fully closed securely so that the kit may be moved from one location to another location easily, without a user worrying about the contents of the kit shifting or dropping out.
In an implementation, a kit including: a rigid container including at least two compartments separated by a single divider; in a first compartment of the rigid container, a first number of single-sheet tab notes, each note including at most a single opening and a clip inserted through the opening, where an upper loop of the clip is on a first side of the note and a lower loop of the clip is on a second side of the note, and the first number of single-sheet tab notes has a first color scheme; and in a second compartment of the rigid container, a second number of single-sheet tab notes, substantially the same as the first number of single sheet tab notes, except that the second number of single-sheet tab notes has a second color scheme, different from the first color scheme.
The compartments of the container may be equally sized or each may be different size from other compartments. The compartments may have the same width, height, or depth, or any combination of these. For example, one compartment may have a first width and a second compartment may have a second width, where the second width is different from the first width.
The kit may further include: in the first compartment, a third number of single-sheet tab notes, substantially the same as the first number of single sheet tab notes, except that the third number of single-sheet tab notes has a third color scheme, different from the first and second color schemes, where the first number of single-sheet tab notes are arranged together in a first single group in a first portion of the first compartment and the third number of single-sheet tab notes are arranged together in a second single group in a first portion of the second compartment; and in the second compartment, a fourth number of single-sheet tab notes, substantially the same as the first number of single sheet tab notes, except that the fourth number of single-sheet tab notes has a fourth color scheme, different from the first, second, and third color schemes, where the second number of single-sheet tab notes are arranged together in a first single group in a first portion of the second compartment and the fourth number of single-sheet tab notes are arranged together in a second single group in a second portion of the second compartment.
In an implementation, each compartment hold notes of one color scheme, where each compartment has notes of a different color scheme. There may be any number of compartments, one, two, three, four, or five or more. In an implementation, the compartments are side by side, but in other implementations, the compartments may be back to back. In the back-to-back arrangement, the back compartment may have a bottom that is raised compared to the front compartment. This permits lifting or elevating of the notes in the back compartment slightly above those in the front compartment, so these notes may be more easily seen and selected. In a container of the invention, there may be any number side-to-side and back-to-back compartments and in any combination. The figures show some specific implementations as examples.
Further, there may be some notes of a first color scheme in a front portion on one compartment and a second color scheme in a back portion of the same compartment. In this arrangement of notes, a user may select and pick notes of the first color scheme from the front of the container and select and pick notes of the second color scheme from the back of the container. Therefore, if this arrangement is used in two compartment container, there will be at least four different color schemes.
The first color scheme may include a first color applied to a portion of a note defined by a straight line above the opening; and a second color applied to a portion of a note below the straight line, where the first and second colors are different. The straight line may touch an upper edge of the opening. The first and second colors may be different shades of the same color, such as darker and light shades of blue, green, pink, yellow, or gold. The second color scheme may include a third color applied to a portion of a note defined by a straight line above the opening; and a fourth color applied to a portion of a note below the straight line, where the third and fourth colors are different. The second color may be applied by dying the note and the first color is printed on the note after the note has been dyed.
By dying the note, the color is relatively colorfast compared to the printed color, so when attaching a tab note to a sheet of paper, the dyed color will not rub off or less likely rub off on the sheet of paper, especially compared to the printed color. In a specific implementation, the dyed color is at a lower portion of the note, below the opening, while the printed color is above the opening. The printable portion is writeable. The lower portion of the note is the portion where the clip attaches using pressure. The single sheet is held by pressure between the two loops of the clip at the lower portion. This is where the note is attachable using the clip to other sheets or items. The upper loop exerts pressure in a direction toward the lower loop, and the lower loop exerts pressure in a direction toward the upper loop. In an implementation, the upper and lower loops of the clip are planar. However, in another implementation, to exert greater pressure, the upper loop and lower loop have an offset or gap from the plane, and the clip is placed in a note so the loops exert pressure toward the sheet so the clip holds to the sheet.
In a specific implementation, two side edges of the note above the straight line are substantially parallel as these side edges extend toward a top edge of the note, and two side edges of the note below the straight line are tapered as these side edges extend toward a bottom edge of the note. The bottom edge of the note is a straight line. This edge allows the note to stand upright in a container, and this edge touches a bottom of the container compartment. By tapering the edges of the lower portion of the note, also the portion where the note is attached to other sheets, the note will obscure or block less of the document which the note is attached to. By starting the tapering from a straight line defined above the opening of the note, this permits a sturdy and durable note that remains rigid, but flexible (i.e., not or less flimsy) when in use.
In an implementation, the container is translucent plastic and the single-sheet tab notes are visible through the plastic. This permits a user to see the notes easily, especially to determine how many notes remain in the container and how many notes of a certain color remain. However in other implementations, the container may be opaque or may be made of other colors. The container may have a top cover to hole the notes in place during transportation such as in a briefcase or backpack. This container may be a hinged cover or a completely removable cover.
In other implementations, the container may be a soft container, such as made from fabric, material, paper, plastic, nylon, or polyester. The notes may be held in place through friction. They may be a top flap to this soft container that folds over to hold the notes in place, and this top flap may be secured by Velcro, snap, or other fastener.
In an implementation, a height of the divider is less than or equal to a distance from a bottom edge of a tab note to its top edge and greater than of a distance from the bottom edge to a top edge of an opening of the tab note. This divider helps keep the notes upright in the container and helps prevent shifting or rotation of the notes when in the container.
At least one compartment of a kit may hold fully assembled tabbed note assemblies. Another compartment may hold replacement tabbed notes for the tabbed note assemblies, which may be used to replace the tabbed notes of the fully assembled tabbed note assemblies when their tabbed notes are discarded. As discussed above, in an embodiment, a tabbed note has an opening or a hole. The compartment holding the replacement tabbed notes may be specially shaped to the replacement paper. For example, if the replacement tabbed notes are rectangular, the compartment will likely be rectangular, and sized just large enough to hold the replacement tabbed notes. Further, in one embodiment, the compartment may have a spindle that fits through the opening or hole in the tabbed note. This spindle will typically be sized similarly to the opening or hole and serves to hold the tabbed note more securely in place in its compartment.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a kit includes a container and a first tabbed note assembly. The container includes at least a first compartment, and the first tabbed note assembly includes a first tabbed note and a first fastener. The first tabbed note has a first opening defined therein, and the first fastener is at least partially disposed in the first opening. The first tabbed note is positioned, or otherwise contained, at least partially in the first compartment. In one embodiment, the kit includes a divider that is inserted at least partially in the container such that the first compartment and a second compartment are defined at least partially by the divider.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a kit includes a container with at least a first compartment and a second compartment that are defined in the container by at least one divider. The kit also includes a first plurality of tabbed note assemblies and a second plurality of tabbed note assemblies. The first plurality of tabbed note assemblies is positioned at least partially in the first compartment and the second plurality of tabbed note assemblies is positioned at least partially in the second compartment. The first plurality of tabbed note assemblies has a first tabbed note assembly with a first tabbed note and a first fastener. The first tabbed note has a first tab portion and a first note portion. The first note portion is of a first shade of a first color and the first tab portion is of a second shade of the first color. A first opening is defined in the first tabbed note, and which the first fastener is inserted through the opening, where the first plurality of tabbed notes is positioned at least partially in the first compartment. The second plurality of tabbed note assemblies includes a second tabbed note assembly having a second tabbed note and a second fastener. The second tabbed note has a second tab portion and a second note portion. The second note portion is of a first shade of a second color and the second tab portion is of a second shade of the second color. The second tabbed note has a second opening defined therein through which the second fastener is inserted.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference designations represent like features throughout the figures.
In one embodiment, the body includes a first portion and a second portion, and the opening is defined at least partially in the second portion. In such an embodiment, when the tabbed note assembly is coupled to a sheet such as a sheet of paper, the first portion extends above a first edge of the sheet of paper to form a tab for the sheet of paper.
A card or a small piece of paper material that includes a tab portion may be attached to the sheet of paper using fastener to effectively enable the sheet of paper to be tabbed. When the card is fastened to the sheet of paper, the tab portion extends above or beyond an edge of the sheet of paper. Such a tab portion may be written on to enable the sheet of paper to be labeled, while the remainder of the card may be used for writing notes.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a tabbed note assembly includes obtaining a body with an opening defined therein, obtaining a fastener, and positioning the fastener with respect to the body. The fastener is positioned such that a first portion of the fastener is on one side of the body while a second portion of the fastener is on another side of the body. A third portion of the fastener is disposed within only the opening. In one embodiment, the fastener is either a paper clip or a binder clip.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a tabbed note assembly includes at least one piece of a paper product that has a first side, a second side, a tab portion, and a note portion. The paper product has one opening. The assembly also includes a fastener that is at least partially disposed in only the one opening. When the fastener is disposed in the one opening, the fastener contacts both the first side and the second side of the paper product. In one embodiment, the paper product has a polygonal shape. In another embodiment, the paper product has a bottom edge and the fastener has a first top edge and a first bottom edge. In such an embodiment, the bottom edge of the paper product and the first bottom edge of the fastener are separated by at least approximately 0.125 inches when the first bottom edge is positioned in the note portion and the first top edge is disposed in the opening. In other embodiments, a fastener edge may extend beyond the bottom edge of the note.
Further, an aspect of the invention is that a tabbed note of the invention may be clipped to a single piece of paper in a secure, but removable manner. Before or while the tabbed note it attached, a user may write on the tabbed portion. The fastener portion of the tabbed may be reusable. For example, the note or paper portion (which has an opening or hole in a specific embodiment) of the tabbed note may be removed and a replacement paper portion (with a similar opening or hole) may be used with the same fastener.
An aspect of the invention is a kit containing tabbed notes as described above. The kit may be held in a box or other container with one or more compartments. This container may be made from plastic, glass, wood, ceramic, or other material. For example, in one embodiment, the container is clear or colored see-through plastic. The kit may be in a container that may be fully closed securely so that the kit may be moved from one location to another location easily, without a user worrying about the contents of the kit shifting or dropping out.
One compartment of a kit may hold fully assembled tabbed note assemblies. Another compartment may hold replacement tabbed notes for the tabbed note assemblies, which may be used to replace the tabbed notes of the fully assembled tabbed note assemblies when their tabbed notes are discarded. As discussed above, in an embodiment, a tabbed note has an opening or a hole. The compartment holding the replacement tabbed notes may be specially shaped to the replacement paper. For example, if the replacement tabbed notes are rectangular, the compartment will likely be rectangular, and sized just large enough to hold the replacement tabbed notes. Further, in one embodiment, the compartment may have a spindle that fits through the opening or hole in the tabbed note. This spindle will typically be sized similarly to the opening or hole and serves to hold the tabbed note more securely in place in its compartment.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference designations represent like features throughout the figures.
In an embodiment, the invention is an integrated tabbed note and clip. Commercially, embodiments of the invention may be known as the Clip-rite™, ClipNote™, Clip'NWrite™, ClipWrite™, TabClip™, or Tabby™. To create a tab for a sheet of paper, a card that includes a tab portion may be attached to the sheet of paper using a fastener such as a gem paper clip or a perfect gem paper clip. The gem paper clip or perfect gem paper clip is merely one example of a fastener that may be used. Regarding the origins of the gem clip: In 1901, an American named William Middlebrook invented a paper-clip making machine for the Gem Manufacturing Company in England. The paper clip from this machine is the familiar double-oval-shaped clip we use today, and is known as the “gem clip.” More details of the gem paper clip and perfect gem paper clip and other fasteners are provided below.
The card includes an opening through which the fastener may be inserted. In general, the opening may be positioned such that when the fastener is inserted through the opening, and the card is fastened to one or more sheets of paper, the tab extends above the profile of one or more sheets of paper.
The position of the opening will determine the size of the tab portion. In various embodiments of the invention, the position of the opening will vary. The closer the opening is to the top edge of the card, the smaller the tab. If the opening is almost at the edge of the card, then there will be a relatively insignificant amount of tab, which may be suitable for certain applications of the invention. In other embodiment, there may be a relatively large tab area. This may allow a user write, type, print, or otherwise put more information on the tab area, which is viewable even if in a book or stack of paper. The invention may be used in indexing a collection of items.
Such a tab may be written on to enable the sheet of paper to be readily identified, while the remainder of the card, i.e., the portion of the card that does not extend above the profile of the sheet of paper when the card is fastened to the sheet of paper, may be used for writing notes. The fastener allows the card to be relatively securely fastened to a sheet of paper, and the insertion of the fastener through the opening reduces the likelihood that the fastener and the card may become separated.
A fastener and a card, i.e., a tabbed note, through which the fastener is inserted may be considered to be a tabbed note assembly.
The tabbed note may be formed from any suitable material, preferably a material which may be written or printed on. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, card stock, paper (natural or synthetic), plastic, rubber, polymer, polyester, animal skin, leather, natural fibers, cotton, linen, fabric, parchment, Mylar®, or vellum. Mylar is a trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Such materials may be reusable as writing or printing may readily be removed from the materials using erasers or correction fluid, for example, and new writing or printing may be placed on the materials. Permanent writing or printing may also be used.
Tabbed note assembly 100 also includes a fastener 116 that is arranged to enable tabbed note assembly 100 to be fastened to or otherwise attached to a sheet of paper 120 or a document. The tabbed note assembly may also be fastened to other items such as, for example, cardboard, wood, book or binder cover, folder, plastic, polymer, and others. In the described embodiment, fastener 116 is a gem paper clip. However, as will be described below, e.g., with respect to
Returning to
A tabbed note assembly which includes a tabbed note 150 and a fastener 166 is clipped to a sheet of paper 170. Fastener 166 passes through tabbed note 150, and is arranged such that a note or base portion 150b of tabbed note 150 and sheet 170 are disposed between a front side 166a and a back side 166b of fastener 166. When note 150b and sheet 170 are disposed between front side 166a and back side 166b of fastener 166, a tab or top portion 150a of tabbed note 150 is positioned such that tab 150a effectively extends above sheet 170. It should be appreciated that front side 166a of fastener 166 may generally be a front loop or a front leg of fastener 166, while back side 166b of fastener 166 may generally be a back loop or a back leg of fastener 166.
The tabbed note assembly of the invention is two-sided and either side may be the front or the back. Furthermore, a user may use one side. Then later decide to flip the tabbed note assembly around and use the second side. So, the tabbed note assembly may be thought of as being usable at least two times. After the tabbed note assembly is complete used and is no longer needed, the user may remove the fastener and use it as a stand-alone fastener. This reduces the amount of waste that ends up going to landfills.
With reference to
A typical paper clip has two loops, a larger loop and a smaller loop. A portion of fastener 216, e.g., a small loop of fastener 216, is positioned in contact with a back side or surface of tabbed note 204 while another portion of fastener 216, e.g., a large loop of fastener 216, is positioned in contact with a front side or surface of tabbed note 204. Still another portion of fastener 216 remains substantially within opening. Opening 218 may be substantially any size or shape which allows fastener 216 to pass through.
As mentioned above, fasteners used in tabbed note assemblies may vary widely. While a gem paper clip is one suitable fastener, another suitable fastener is a perfect gem paper clip. It should be appreciated that a perfect gem paper clip is also commonly known as a perfected gem paper clip, a perfect paper clip, a Gothic paper clip, or a spear paper clip. Other fasteners may include binder clips, presentation clips, clasps, banker's clasps, slide clips. These fasteners may be made of any material including metal, plastic, ceramic, polymer, stainless steel, steel, iron, copper, gold, silver, sterling silver, titanium, aluminum, brass, bronze, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, and platinum. Some versions of the fasteners may include precious, semiprecious, and simulated stones including diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, agate, crystal, turquoise, garnet, rose quartz, amethyst, onyx, aquamarine, bloodstone, tanzanite, alexandrite, peridot, lapis, opal, tourmaline, topaz, zircon, and others. Also, the size of the fastener may vary depending on the use anticipated. Bigger fasteners may generally be used when there is more to clasp together while smaller fasteners may generally be used when there is less to clasp together.
1.61803398874989484820458683436563811772030917980576.
In specific embodiments, a tabbed note may have dimensions such that the tabbed note is approximately three inches by approximately three inches.
Further, as discussed above, the tabbed note is not limited to being a four-sided polygon. Further, in some instances, a tabbed note may not be a polygon. For example, the shape of the tabbed note may be a triangle, such as a golden triangle which is an isosceles triangle with a hypotenuse to the base ratio being the golden ratio. The shape of a tabbed note may be an octagon, pentagon, circle, ellipse, oval, or a random or nonrandom geometrical or other shape. The shape may be representative of a character or person (fictional or nonfictional), cartoon character such as Winnie the Pooh, celebrity, badge, emblem, flag, flower, tree, bush, cat, dog, food, milk carton, cheese, animal, silhouette, shoe, automobile, motorcycle, car, truck, plane, rocket, missile, box, building, monument, spaceship, boat, ship, musical instrument, toy, baby, object, ball, sunglass frame, beer stein, bottle, baby bottle, star, comet, planet, heavenly object, religious symbol, rock, stone, glass, fishing reel, ring, alphabetic letter, Chinese character, Japanese character, Korean character, smile, frown, mask, company logo, computer component, human organs and human body parts including chest, breast, nipple, heart, lung, liver, kidney, intestine, brain, eye, nose, ear, leg, knee, ankle, head, foot, hand, big toe, big thumb, index finger, three fingers, lips, tongue, neck, or other shapes, or combinations of these.
A tabbed note assembly 300 includes a fastener 310 that is a perfect gem paper clip. A perfect gem paper clip will be described below with reference to
When the tabbed note assembly of
In the implementation of
Referring next to
While perfect gem paper clip 310 is suitable for use as a part of a tabbed note assembly such as tabbed note assembly 300 of
An extension 440, as shown by a solid line, extends from outer loop 428. As shown in
Another variation of a gem paper clip is show in
In this implementation, the inner loop is a rounded loop. The rounded portion or arc portion of the loop may be any degree of rounding and the width of the loop may vary as desired. In other words, this paper clip implementation has a longer square loop with a shorter rounded loop. When used in the tabbed note assembly of the invention, this paper clip will permit ease in inserting (and removing) the tabbed note assembly to (and from) a sheet or other item, which the tabbed note assembly is being clipped to.
In other implementations of the invention, the fastener may be another type of paper clip. For example, another paper clip may have a triangular, more pointed loop as the shorter loop (like the perfect gem clip) and the square loop as the longer loop. Another clip may have the square loop as the shorter loop and the triangular, more pointed loop as the longer loop (like the perfect gem clip). Another clip may have the square loop as the shorter loop and the rounded loop as the longer loop. There are many combinations and variations of a paper clip design and any of these variations or combinations may be used in a tabbed note assembly of the invention.
In an embodiment, an end 489 of outer loop 488 may be arranged to be at our about the same distance from the bottom of outer loop 488 as a top area 484 that couples inner loop 482 to outer loop 488, although the positioning of end 489 of outer loop 488 may vary. When paper clip 480 is inserted through an opening 494 in a tabbed note 490 that includes a tab 490a and a note 490b, as shown in
In one embodiment, a bottom of outer loop 488 may be arranged to be substantially flush with a bottom of tabbed note 490. In addition to being suitable for use with various types of fasteners, e.g., paper clips, tabbed notes may have varied configurations. By way of example, a tabbed note may be configured to be used in a variety of different orientations.
With reference to
When tabbed note 500 is in a first orientation, a fastener 516, which is shown as a gem paper clip in
Although a tab of a tabbed note has been shown as having a substantially rectangular shape, it should be appreciated that a tab may take on a variety of different shapes. By way of example, a tab may have a curved shape or a scalloped shape.
In general, the dimensions associated with a tabbed note assembly may vary widely. Referring next to
In one embodiment, a dimension 722 which is a distance between a bottom of a small or inner loop of paper clip 760 and a bottom of tabbed note 704 may be chosen to facilitate the insertion of tabbed note assembly 700 over a sheet of paper. Dimension 722 is generally defined as being greater than zero. By way of example, in one embodiment, dimension 722 is selected as being at least approximately 0.03125 inches. In further embodiments of the invention, the shorter loop of the paper clip may extend beyond the bottom edge of the note. It should be appreciated that the orientation of a fastener such as paper clip 760 may vary. For instance, though paper clip 760 is shown as having at least one substantially straight edge in an approximately parallel orientation with respect to a side of tabbed node 704, paper clip 760 is not limited to being arranged in such an orientation, e.g., a vertical orientation.
With reference to
After an opening is cut into the tabbed note, a fastener is inserted through the opening in step 812. The fastener, which may be a paper clip or a binder clip, is inserted through the opening either manually or automatically such that part of the fastener is in contact with a front surface of the tabbed note and another part of the fastener is in contact with a back surface of the tabbed note. When the fastener is a paper clip, an inner or small loop of the paper clip may be in contact with the front surface of the tabbed note while an outer or large loop of the paper clip may be in contact with the back surface. Once the fastener is inserted through an opening in a tabbed note, the process of assembling a tabbed note assembly is completed.
After the tabbed note is initially positioned, the position of the tabbed note assembly may be adjusted as necessary in step 908. Adjusting the position of the tabbed note assembly may involve sliding or otherwise moving the tabbed note assembly to a desired position. Once the tabbed note assembly is in a desired position, the process of using a tabbed note assembly is completed. It should be appreciated that a user of the tabbed note assembly may make notations on the tabbed note assembly at substantially any time.
A tabbed note assembly may be used to secure more than one sheet of paper. That is, a tabbed note assembly may be used to secure a stack of sheets. Although a fastener such as a paper clip may be suitable for securing more than one sheet of paper, alternative fasteners may also be used in a tabbed note assembly for purposes of securing and tabbing a stack of sheets. One alternative fastener that is particularly suitable for securing and tabbing a stack of sheets is a binder clip. A binder clip may be substantially any size, and a tabbed note may be sized accordingly to accommodate the binder clip.
Referring next to
A binder clip 1016 is arranged to be positioned partially within opening 1018 such that sides of binder clip 1016 contact a front and a back of tabbed note 1004 when binder clip 1016 is in a closed, or clamped, position, as shown in
With reference to
After sheet of paper 1120 is positioned within body 1108a, forces F may be removed from legs 1108b. The removal of forces F generally causes body 1108a to close. The closure of body 1108a causes body 1108a to apply a clamping force on tabbed note 1104 and sheet of paper 1120 such that sheet of paper 1120 is held against tabbed note 1104, as shown in
In one embodiment, a tabbed note assembly that includes a binder clip may include multiple tabbed notes. When a stack of tabbed notes is included in a tabbed note assembly, once a “top” tabbed note in the stack is used, that tabbed note may be removed from the stack, and the next tabbed note becomes the top tabbed note.
When a top one of tabbed notes 1204 is to be discarded, e.g., has been used for tabbing purposes and is no longer needed, the top one of tabbed notes 1204 may be removed and the next one of tabbed notes 1204 in the stack of tabbed notes 1204 may then be written on and effectively used as a tab. As previously mentioned, the configuration, e.g., shape and size, of a tabbed note assembly may vary widely. For example, the location of a fastener within a tabbed note assembly may vary.
To provide additional space for notes to be written on a tabbed note, the overall size of a tabbed note may be increased.
In one embodiment, a tabbed note may be arranged to include substantially only a tab. A tabbed note that effectively only includes a tab may be useful when a user of the tabbed note intends for the tabbed not to be used strictly to provide a tab. With reference to
A tabbed note may have a variety of different shapes. For example, as shown in
In lieu of having polygonal shapes, a tabbed note may also have curved or rounded shapes. By way of example,
A tab of a tabbed note may be printed such that it is not necessary for a user to write on the tab. However, the user may additionally write on a preprinted tab if the user desires. For instance, a tab may be printed with text which indicates a priority for a document that the tab is intended to label. A tabbed note which has a printed tab may have a variety of different configurations. As shown in
A tabbed note may be preprinted with ruled lines, either in a tab portion or in a note portion, or both. Specifically, there may be a number of printed parallel lines which the user may use to write information. The preprinting may include any type of printing or background, and may be in any color. For example, the printing may include polka dots, circles, flowers, shapes, mosaic, zigzag, xylophone, zebra, company names or logos, or messages as “From Victor to Elaine” or “From Janet to Mike with Love.”
Further, a tabbed note may include barcoding or radio frequency identification (RFID) to enable the tabbed note to be scanned. The tabbed note may also include embossing, Braille, and other forms of information recording (including stored visual, sound, odor, taste, or feel information, or any combination of these).
In one embodiment, a pad of pages may be arranged to be replaced. For example, a note portion of a tabbed note may include an opening through which a sheet or back page of a pad of pages may be inserted. When the pad of pages needs to be replenished, the remnants of the old pad of pages (e.g., a cardboard backing of the pad of pages) may be removed from such an opening and a new pad of pages may be inserted. A pad of pages may also be removably adhered to the note portion such that a spiral binding of the pad of pages also binds the tabbed note to the pad of pages, or such that a removable adhesive binds the pad of pages to the tabbed note. Alternatively, the pad of pages may be substantially bound using an adhesive or other fastening mechanism, such that the pad of pages may not be replaced.
The location of a pad of pages relative to a fastener in a tabbed note assembly may vary widely. A pad of pages may placed to a left, right, above, or below the fastener. The pad may also be placed over the fastener. For example, the fastener may be in a center of the note assembly, and the pad may be placed on top of the fastener. When a pad is placed on top of a fastener, the pad may effectively be attached to the tabbed note using the fastener, i.e., removable notes may be attached using the fastener.
A user may write notes on the pad of a tabbed note assembly. When the user wants discard or remove the previously written notes, the user may tear off or remove the note. The user will then be presented with a new note on which to write information. Furthermore, the user may write information on two or more pages at a time, in case one note does not have enough space for the user's writing.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the invention may include paper, card stock, Mylar, polyester film, or other material that is specially precut or perforated so it may be detached or removed from a bigger piece of such material. This material may be designed to be fed through a printer, such as a tractor-feed printer, laser printer, or inkjet printer. Software may be used to print to the attached tabbed note. The tabbed note may then be detached, and the fastener may be pushed through the opening to fully assembly the tabbed note assembly of the invention. The printer may print any information desired on the tabbed note including letters, barcoding, and symbols.
The invention may include, in one embodiment, paper with precut, perforated, or scored tab notes (having openings for a fastener). In a further embodiment, the invention may include paper and software to instruct a computer connected to the printer to print to the paper. In still another embodiment, the invention may include the paper, software, and fasteners.
When a sheet of paper with an attached tabbed note assembly no longer needs to be tabbed, the tabbed note assembly may simply be removed from the sheet. However, in some instances, it may be desirable to keep at least part of the tabbed note assembly attached to the sheet even when a tab is no longer needed. For example, it may be desirable to keep the notes written on a note of a tabbed note assembly even when a tab is no longer needed. Alternatively, it may be desirable to keep the fastener of the tabbed note assembly fastened to a sheet or sheets. As such, a user of a tabbed note assembly may remove the tab when the tab is no longer needed by either tearing the tab off of a tabbed note or cutting the tab off of the tabbed note. To facilitate the removal of a tab, perforations may be provided on a tabbed note.
Tab 1404a may be separated from note 1404b of tabbed note 1404, as shown in
A tabbed note, in lieu of having an opening defined therein through which a fastener may be inserted, may instead have a pocket or a compartment through which a fastener may be inserted. A pocket may be formed as an integral part of a tabbed note. For example, a pocket may effectively be formed from a part of a tabbed note, or a pocket may be formed by substantially attaching a separate piece to a tabbed note. With reference to
Seam portion 1514b is arranged to be coupled to the back side of note 1504 using a coupling substance. Typically, seam portion 1514b is effectively bonded to the back side of note 1504 using a coupling substance or mechanism. The coupling substance or mechanism may be any suitable adhesive, or adhesive tape, for example. Alternatively, seam portion 1514b may be coupled to the back side of note 1504 using a mechanism such as a staple. In one embodiment, a laminating material may be applied over fold-over portion 1514, once folded, may be coupled to the remainder of note 1504 through the application of a laminating material over fold-over portion 1514 and the portion of note 1504 that is not covered by fold-over portion 1514.
When seam portion 1514b is coupled to the back side of note 1504b, a pocket 1512 is effectively formed in note 1504b. Pocket 1512 is typically sized to accommodate a fastener that is to be used with tabbed note 1504 to create a tabbed note assembly. As shown in
One loop or clamping leg of fastener 1510 is arranged to be positioned substantially within pocket 1512 while another loop or clamping leg of fastener 1510 is arranged to be positioned substantially outside of pocket 1512.
Pocket 1512 is arranged such that pocket 1512 is essentially positioned to a side of tab 1504a, relative to an x-axis. In one embodiment, a pocket may be positioned such that the pocket is positioned substantially under a tab.
Referring next to
When fold-over portion 1614 is folded over onto the remainder of note 1604b and seam portion 6514b is sealed or otherwise secured against note 1604b, a pocket 1612 is effectively formed, as shown in
An opening may be defined in a fold-over portion of a tabbed note such that when a pocket is formed using the fold-over portion, a fastener may effectively be inserted into the pocket using the opening. When the fastener is inserted into the pocket, at least a portion of the fastener, as for example an inner loop or leg of the fastener, is in contact with an inner surface of the pocket.
With reference to
As indicated in
A tabbed note may be such that the tabbed note includes neither an opening through which a fastener may be at least partially inserted nor a pocket through which a fastener may be at least partially inserted.
By moving fastener 1910 to a different position, a different tab may be substantially created within tabbed note assembly 1900.
Furthermore,
Tabbed note assemblies may be packaged as kits. A kit may be contained in a receptacle such as a box or other container that includes at least one compartment. For a kit which contains both assembled tabbed note assemblies and extra tabbed notes, one compartment of a kit may hold the tabbed note assemblies, while another compartment may hold replacement or extra tabbed notes that may be used to replace tabbed notes which have already been used. A kit may also be arranged to hold fasteners and tabbed notes in separate compartments such that a user may obtain the kit and then assemble tabbed note assemblies using the fasteners and tabbed notes. It should be appreciated that a kit is not limited to holding one size of tabbed notes and one size of fasteners, as a kit may hold different sizes of both tabbed notes and fasteners.
One compartment may be sized to hold a stack of tabbed note assemblies 2010, while a second compartment may be sized to hold a stack of tabbed notes 2014, i.e., refills which may be used to replace the tabbed notes of tabbed note assemblies 2010. Tabbed notes 2014 may include openings or holes through which fasteners may be inserted. The compartment of kit 2008 that holds tabbed notes 2014 may be shaped and sized to be just large enough to hold the replacement tabbed notes 2014 and, further, may have a spindle or a post that fits through the openings or holes in the tabbed notes 2014. Such a spindle may be sized similarly to the openings or holes, and may serve to hold tabbed notes 2014 more securely in place. In one embodiment, in lieu of a spindle, tabbed notes 2014 may instead to held securely together using shrink wrap or any suitable plastic wrap.
Kit container 2008 may also optionally include a compartment that holds at least one dispenser 2018 that is arranged to dispense tabbed note assemblies 2010. Such a dispenser 2018 may be prefilled with tabbed note assemblies, or may be arranged to be filled by a user. In one embodiment, dispenser 2018 may be prefilled with tabbed note assemblies and placed in a compartment that accommodates tabbed note assemblies 2010. That is, in some instances, tabbed note assemblies 2010 may substantially only be provided with kit 2002 within a dispenser.
Dispenser 2018 may generally include an opening that facilitates the dispensation of a single tabbed note assembly at a time. Kit container 2008 may also optionally include adhesive elements 2020 intended for use in mounting dispenser 2018 on a surface. Adhesive elements 2020 may be elements such as at least one double-sided piece of tape, or at least one piece of adhesive foam with adhesive on two sides. Adhesive elements 2020 may be provided in a separate compartment of kit container 2008, or may be provided in the same compartment as dispenser 2018. The adhesive may be optional.
To facilitate the use of dispenser 2018, as well as to facilitate the use of additional tabbed notes 2014 once the tabbed notes of tabbed note assemblies 2010 have been used and potentially discarded, kit 2002 may include instructions (not shown) for use. Such instructions may be provided on a piece of paper inserted into kit container 2008, or may be printed on kit container 2008. By way of example, if kit container 2008 includes a plastic component and a cardboard component, instructions may be printed on the cardboard component.
Alternatively, tabbed notes 2114 may be covered with shrink wrap to hold them in a stack. Fasteners 2116 may be paper clips or binder clips. It should be appreciated that fasteners 2116 may generally include paper clips of a single size, binder clips of a single size, an assortment of paper clips of different sizes, an assortment of binder clips of different sizes, or a combination of both paper clips and binder clips. Similarly, tabbed notes 2114 may all be of the same shape and color, although differently sized, shaped, and colored tabbed notes 2114 may all be provided as a part of kit 2102.
Kit 2102 optionally includes at least one dispenser 2118. Dispenser 2118 may be arranged to dispense tabbed notes 2114 and, in one embodiment, fasteners 2116. Dispenser 2118 may be prefilled with tabbed notes and placed in a compartment that accommodates tabbed notes 2014. When dispenser 2118 is arranged to dispense fasteners 2116, dispenser 2118 may include a small cup or box portion in which fasteners 2116 may be placed. When dispenser 2118 is included in kit 2102, adhesive elements 2120 which may be utilized to allow dispenser 2118 to be mounted on a surface may also be included in kit 2102. The adhesive may be optional. Like kit 2002 of
In one embodiment, a kit may include labels which may be printed, e.g., using a computing system, and then affixed to a tabbed note. When a kit includes labels, the kit may also include software that is used to print the labels. With reference to
There are further kit implementations of the invention. For example, a kit includes tabbed notes assemblies of the invention: (1) having multiple different widths of paper (i.e., varying widths of paper); (2) having multiple different lengths of paper (varying lengths of paper); (3) having multiple different colors of paper; (4) having different printing on paper; (5) where position of hole varies; (6) with different paper shapes; (7) where clip width is less than hole of paper; (8) where clip width is less than hole of paper up to a stop member; (9) with different colors of clips; (10) with different shapes of clips; (11) with more sheets of paper than clips; (12) where there are more clips than sheets of paper; (13) where hole is perforated, and will be punched out by customer; (14) where hole is perforated at various positions, and hole is selected by customer and punched out by customer; (15) with clips and colored marking tool (e.g., marker, pen, pencil, crayon, pen writing using metallic colors, pen have different gel colors); (16) including clips and adhesive stickers, including self-adhesive type, gummed type (stickers may have various shapes, colors, printing); (17) including clips being magnetic or having a magnet attached (e.g., useful for using as a refrigerator magnet as well as with paper); (18) including paper, hole punch, and clip; (19) where paper has perforated tear-off portions; (20) where paper has removable pull-off portions (different portions have clean writing surface, different color, different printing); (21) with various printed positions where hole may be punched, hole punch, and clip; (22) with paper with embedded computer chip (e.g., RFID) and software used to program computer (RFID) chip; (23) with paper or tab having embedded voice recording chip, so personal voice or other audio messages may be recorded (e.g., tabs may be programmed with a particular ringtone alarm—if copyrighted ringtone is used, then payment may be made to copyright owner); (24) with paper or tab having LED which is programmable to flash at certain rate on a certain time or day or after a certain elapsed time (e.g., useful as a reminder tab so the LED will flash when something becomes due, programmable by the user using software part of kit); or (25) with paper with built-in loop or reinforced hole, or combinations of these. There are many other implementations of kit off
The invention further includes methods of using a kit. For example, a method may include accessing a kit such as discussed in this application. The method may further include: selecting a paper from a paper portion of the kit; selecting a clip from a clip portion of the kit; and inserting the clip through the hole of the invention paper. A method may include: accessing a kit such as listed above; selecting a paper from a paper portion of the kit; selecting a clip from a clip portion of the kit; punching a hole in the paper; and inserting the clip through the hole of the invention paper.
The edges of the invention may be rounded because this (a) increases service life of die used to cut the paper (discussed further below) and (b) eases insertion of invention into paperwork, without bending edges. The invention includes sheets of the invention for automated printing using sheet-feed printer or laser printer. A kit may include have software to print on this paper. Microperforations may be used in the sheets, so that when tabbed noted is removed for the sheet, the edges of the tabbed note resume is as if they were cut instead of being torn off. Tabbed notes of the invention may also include clear sleeve where the paper tab (or other material) is inserted into sleeve.
As described above, the size and the shape of tabbed notes, as well as the size and the shape of openings through which fasteners may be inserted, may vary widely. Further, the size of a tab portion of a tabbed note relative to a note portion of the tabbed note may also vary. As shown in
In the embodiment shown, a height of tabbed note 2304 may be in the range of approximately 1.5 inches to approximately 2.5 inches, while a width may be substantially any width that is wider than a width of fastener 2310. In some embodiment, the height may be less than 1.5 inches, such as 1.25 to 1.625 inches, or the height may be greater than 2.5 inches. In a specific implementation, the width is about 2.25 inches. By way of example, width of fastener may be approximately 12.3 millimeters, and the width of tabbed note 2304 may be greater than approximately 0.5 inches. In a specific implementation, the width of the fastener is about 11.5 millimeters to 12.5 millimeters. In specific implementations, the width of the tabbed notes are about 1.25 inches, about 1.625 inches, and about 2.325 inches. In specific implementations, the height of the tabbed notes are about 2.25 inches and 2.75 inches. Opening 2308 is sized to accommodate fastener 2310.
In specific implementations, the height and width dimensions of the tabbed notes are about 2.25 by 1.25 inches (58 millimeters by 32 millimeters), 2.25 by 1.625 (58 millimeters by 41 millimeters), and 2.25 by 2.325 (58 millimeters by 60 millimeters). In specific embodiments where a larger fastener is used, the height and width dimensions of the tabbed notes are about 2.75 by 1.25 inches (71 millimeters by 32 millimeters), 2.75 by 1.625 (71 millimeters by 41 millimeters), and 2.75 by 2.325 (71 millimeters by 60 millimeters). A kit of the invention may include tabbed notes of different colors of a single dimension. A kit of the invention may include tabbed notes of different dimensions. For example, there may be tabbed notes having dimension of 2.25 by 1.25 inches and 2.75 by 1.25 inches in a single package with a container or dispenser to hold these tabbed notes. In other kits, there may tabbed notes of two or more different widths.
The shape of an opening in a tabbed note assembly through which a fastener may be inserted may vary widely, as previously discussed. As shown in
As shown in
Kits that contain tabbed notes or tabbed note assemblies have been described as including a kit container.
Dividers 2408a and 2408b that extend above the top of box 2404 define rows in box 2404 that may contain tabbed notes or tabbed note assemblies (not shown). The orientation of tabbed note assemblies (not shown) in box 2404 will be described below with reference to
The number of dividers 2408a and 2408b in box 2404 may vary widely. By way of example, more dividers may be used to create more rows or compartments within box 2404. Alternatively, one divider may be used in a box to create two rows. As shown in
Each row in kit container 2420 may contain different colors of tabbed note assemblies. By way of example, one row may contain tabbed note assemblies of one color scheme and another row may contain tabbed note assemblies of another color scheme. For an embodiment in which tabbed note assemblies are such that a tab portion of a tab is one shade of a color while a note portion is another shade of substantially the same color, one row may contain tabbed note assemblies which each have two shades of the same color while another row may contain tabbed note assemblies which each have two shads of a different color.
Kit assembly 2400′ may be packaged such that an overall kit that may be sold to consumers. As shown in
When tabbed note assemblies 2502a-c are positioned in compartments defined by dividers 2408a, 2408b, fasteners inserted through openings in the tabbed note assemblies are contained within the compartments in box 2404. That is, the fasteners associated with tabbed note assemblies 2502a-c are positioned such that the fasteners remain substantially below a top edge of box 2404. In one embodiment, while most of the tab portions of tabbed note assemblies 2502a-c are positioned substantially above the top edge of box 2404, the lower edges of the tab portions are positioned below the top edge of box 2404.
To form tabbed notes, outlines of tabbed notes may be defined on a sheet of material to effectively maximize the number of tabbed notes that may be formed on the sheet. In one embodiment, the sheet is a sheet of cardstock paper that has a similar thickness as a standard manila folder.
A sheet of material from which multiple tabbed notes are formed may be colored on one or both sides. The number of colors used to color the sheet of material may vary widely. By way of example, at least two colors may be used on each side of the sheet of material such that a tab portion of a tabbed note may have one shade of color and a note portion of the tabbed note may have a different shade of color. The methods used to provide at least one shade of color to a sheet of material may vary widely. In one embodiment, color may be printed onto the sheet of material in bands. Alternatively, color may be dyed onto the sheet of material. It should be appreciated that a base color, e.g., a color corresponding to a note portion, may be dyed onto a sheet of material, and then the sheet of material may be printed on in bands such that the shade of the color that corresponds to a tab portion may be slightly different from the base color.
With reference to
Referring next to
In a further specific embodiment, the material is dyed first. Then the material is printed on. There dyed material may be printed on multiple times. Using such an approach, the tabbed note assemblies may have multiple colors in any desired scheme. For example, the material may be dyed blue (such as baby blue) and then a different shade of blue (such as Brazilian blue—see national flag of Brazil for an example) is printed at the writing portion of the tabbed note assembly. Alternatively, the material may be dyed a shade of yellow and then a different shade of yellow is printed on a portion of the tabbed note assembly above the opening.
In step 2712, tabbed notes are stamped out of or cut out of the sheet of material. A custom die may be used to cut the sheet of material. It should be appreciated that in some instances, multiple sheets of material, e.g., approximately 40 sheets of cardstock, may be cut substantially simultaneously. After the tabbed notes are stamped out of or cut of the sheet of material, fasteners may be inserted through openings in the tabbed notes to form tabbed note assemblies in step 2716, and the process of forming tabbed note assemblies is completed.
Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention. By way of example, the shape of a tabbed note may widely. Suitable shapes may include, but are not limited to, heart shapes, circular shapes, polygonal shapes, shapes with straight sides and rounded corners, and irregular shapes such as crescent shapes. In one embodiment, when a tabbed note is substantially only a tab, the tabbed note may be shaped as an arrow such that the tab has a triangular shape while the remainder of the tabbed note, which effectively serves to support a fastener, may have a substantially rectangular shape.
A tabbed note assembly may generally be securely affixed or coupled to a sheet that is to be tabbed. However, in some instances, at least one area of the tabbed note assembly, e.g., an area that comes into contact with the sheet that is to be tabbed, may have adhesive applied thereon. Such adhesive may be a relatively weak adhesive that allows a user to readily remove and reattach a tabbed note assembly.
The material from which a tabbed note is formed may also vary. A tabbed note may be formed from substantially any material which may be printed or written on, or any material which may be treated to allow printing or writing thereon. Suitable materials include paper products such as sheets of paper of varied thicknesses, cards, Mylar products, and vellum products. Such paper products may also be laminated, in some instances. In one embodiment, a tabbed note may be formed from a smear-proof paper product, so grease-based or other ink will not smear when rubbed by a finger or another item.
The sheets to which a tabbed note assembly may be fastened have generally been described as being sheets of paper. The sheets, however, are not limited to being sheets of paper and may be sheets formed from substantially any suitable type of material. For instance, sheets may be formed from Mylar, vellum, plastic, cloth, aluminum, cardboard, or card stock.
Further, tabbed note assemblies are not limited to being fastened to sheets of any type. In one embodiment, tabbed note assemblies may be fastened to substantially any object on which a tab may be desired. Objects may generally be any items to which a fastener may be attached, e.g., mirrors or glass plates. That is, objects may be substantially any object with a profile that is thin enough to be encompassed by a fastener. It should be appreciated that the design of the fastener used in a tabbed note assembly may vary to accommodate different objects and, hence, different widths, about which the tabbed note assembly is to be fastened.
The number of sheets to which a tabbed note assembly may be fastened may vary widely. By way of example, larger fasteners such as binder clips may generally be fastened to a thicker stack of sheets than smaller fasteners such as paper clips. However, smaller fasteners such as paper clips may be used to tab relatively thick stacks of sheets when the smaller fastener is fastened to one sheet of a stack of sheets, while a separate fastener is used to hold the stack of sheets together. In other words, while tabbed note assemblies with larger fasteners may hold and tab relatively thick stacks of sheets, tabbed note assemblies with smaller fasteners may be used to tab relatively thick stacks of sheets when separate fasteners are used to actually hold the relatively thick stacks of sheets.
Fasteners used in tabbed note assemblies that are paper clips have generally been shown as being disposed such that a small loop of a paper clip is positioned in contact with a front side of a tabbed note, while a large loop of a paper clip is positioned in contact with a back side of a tabbed note. It should be appreciated that the large loop of a paper clip, or a large clamping leg arrangement, may instead be positioned in contact with a front side of a tabbed note while a small loop, or a small clamping leg arrangement, is positioned in contact with the back side of the tabbed note. Additionally, the side of the tabbed note which comes into contact with a sheet to which it is fastened may vary. In other words, both sides of a tabbed note may be used as a front side of the tabbed note without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention.
While fasteners used in a tabbed note assembly have been described as being gem paper clips, perfected gem or perfect paper clips, and binder clips, any suitable fasteners may generally be included in a tabbed note assembly. Other suitable fasteners include, but are not limited to, spiral paper clips, owl paper clips, ideal paper clips, universal paper clips, and bobby-pin-type clip. It should be appreciated that fasteners may be formed from a variety of different methods. The methods include, but are not limited to, injection molding, metal stamping, and metal or wire bending.
A fastener that is used as a part of a tabbed note assembly may be reusable. For example, tabbed notes may be provided either without fasteners or separately from fasteners such that a user may simply obtain more tabbed notes for use as needed. A user may simply insert a fastener into a tabbed note when a new or clean tabbed note is needed. When the user no longer needs a used tabbed note, the user may extricate the fastener from the used tabbed node, and discard the tabbed note. Providing tabbed notes without fasteners allows a user to effectively recycle fasteners.
Openings within a tabbed note may be reinforced to prevent tearing of the tabbed note. By way of example, reinforcement tape or laminate may be applied around openings to strengthen the areas around openings. The shape of openings through which fasteners are inserted may also be varied to provide strength, or simply for variety. For instance, an opening may be shaped as an oval to substantially eliminate corners, thereby reducing the likelihood of tearing. Similarly, any edges of a tabbed note may be reinforced to provide strength. A seam or a border between a tab and a note of a tabbed note may also be reinforced. In addition, a tab may be reinforced to provide strength to the tab, as the tab is generally exposed and may be subject to bending.
Further, the position of an opening within a tabbed note may vary widely. In one embodiment, an opening may be oriented such that substantially all of the opening is below a tab portion of a tabbed note. However, the opening may also be positioned such that the opening is only partially in a note portion of a tabbed note, or not in the note portion at all without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention.
An opening in a tabbed note is typically created before a fastener is inserted through the opening using a process such as a cutting process, a punching process, or a stamping process. In other words, a fastener typically does not create an opening in a tabbed note. However, in some instances, a fastener may be used to at least partially create the opening. By way of example, perforations that define an opening may be present in a tabbed note, but the opening may not actually be created until a fastener is used to effectively punch out the area defined by the perforations.
Tabbed notes which include pockets have generally been described as being formed using an adhesive, tape, or a mechanical coupler. While pockets have generally been described as having two open ends, it should be appreciated that pockets may have fewer open ends. For instance, although a pocket such as pocket 1512 of
Tabbed notes, e.g., paper or plastic from which tabbed notes are formed, may come in a wide array of colors. By way of example, a user may select to use a red tabbed note for urgent matters and a green tabbed note for less urgent matters. A kit which contains tabbed notes may supply tabbed notes in colors including, but not limited to, blue, yellow, pink, purple, brown, cream, gold, silver, green, red, black, white, orange, and gray. The tabbed note may include a combination of two or more different colors, or same color but different shade or tonality. In one embodiment, a tabbed note that is formed from plastic may be substantially clear. Tabbed notes may also have a wide variety of thicknesses. Thicker sheets will typically be stiffer than thinner sheets. Stiffer sheets will generally be more durable and may be easier to see in a stack. For example, the sheets may be 18-pound paper, 20-pound paper, 24-pound paper, 40-pound paper, 85-pound paper, 90-pound paper, 120-pound paper, or heavier weight paper. Thicker sheets are generally associated with relatively higher cost than thinner sheets.
As described above, tabbed notes may be arranged to have one color for a tab portion and another color, or a different shade of the same color, for a note portion. It should be appreciated that a tabbed note may include any number of colors. Further, while different colors have generally been described as being printed onto a sheet, the different colors may instead be dyed or painted onto a sheet without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, a front side of a tabbed note may have a different color or different colors than a back side of the tabbed note.
A kit may come in any combination of components and variations of what is described in this application. For example, a kit may contain fasteners and tabbed notes of various sizes and shapes, which a user may assemble to form a tabbed note assembly. That is, a kit may include tabbed notes of different types, sizes, colors, but all being capable of being used in conjunction with a fastener that is also provided in the kit.
Using a tabbed note assembly, in addition to allowing at least one sheet of paper or the like to be tabbed, substantially prevents a fastener from leaving marks on the front of the sheet it is being attached to. Typical fasteners, e.g., paper clips, are made from iron which oxidizes readily. Hence, these fasteners sometimes leave unsightly marks such as rust residue or other discoloring, on sheets they come in contact with. A tabbed note assembly prevents a fastener from coming into contact with a front of a sheet to which the tabbed note assembly is coupled, thereby preventing the fastener from leaving marks on the front of the sheet.
Tabbed note assemblies, or tabbed notes alone, may be dispensed through a dispenser that is arranged to hold the tabbed note assemblies or tabbed notes alone. A dispenser may effectively be a box that allows a top tabbed note assembly in a pile of tabbed note assemblies to be removed for use. Alternatively, a dispenser may include mechanisms which facilitate the dispensing of tabbed note assemblies. By way of example, may include a mechanism that holds a first tabbed note assembly above a stack of assemblies such that the first tabbed note assembly may be readily removed for use. Once the first tabbed note assembly is removed, the mechanism may substantially “grab” another tabbed note assembly from the stack of tabbed note assemblies and hold that tabbed note assembly above the stack of tabbed note assemblies. In one embodiment, when tabbed notes are dispensed alone in the dispenser, the dispenser may include a separate compartment or holder for holding fasteners.
An overall tabbed note assembly is generally reusable because the construction of the tabbed note assembly is durable. The tabbed note assembly is durable enough so that it may be used many times before it is too worn to be used again. Also, the tabbed note assembly is double-sided, so that the tabbed note assembly may be used again after the first side has been used. A user simply needs to turn the tabbed note assembly around to use it again.
Further, a user may simply erase writing from any tabbed note assembly to render the tabbed note assembly reusable. Moreover, additional or replacement tabbed notes may be provided by way of multiple pages. These multiple pages may be a stack of paper pages in the writing portion of the tabbed note assembly. Such a tabbed note assembly may be considered to be reusable because the writing portion of the tabbed note assembly may effectively be replenished.
In one embodiment, a pad of Post-it™-like notes may be attached to a writing or note portion of a tabbed note assembly to enable notes to be repeatedly written and discarded. Therefore, the present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.
The tables below provide dimensions, areas, and ratios for various embodiments of the invention. The top part refers to the tab portion or portion above the opening of a note. This portion may be defined by a straight line drawn across the note, where the straight line touches a top edge of the opening. The bottom part is the portion below the opening or below the straight line. The values provided below are in centimeters. The areas are provided in square centimeters. There is table A and table B. Table A is for the V-shape design (see for example,
The containers have notes having multiple color schemes. In a three compartment version, there are three different color schemes. As has been discussed, the color schemes may be different colors or different shades of the same color.
This description of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications. This description will enable others skilled in the art to best utilize and practice the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to a particular use. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/534,625 filed Sep. 22, 2006, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,857,127 on Dec. 28, 2010, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 60/596,458, filed Sep. 23, 2005; and is a continuation in part of U.S. design patent applications 29/243,774 and 29/243,730, filed on Nov. 29, 2005 now abandoned; 29/246,502, 29/246,503, and 29/246,504, filed Apr. 19, 2006 now abandoned; 29/247,938, filed Jul. 20, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. D. 541,346; 29/247,962, filed Jul. 21, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. D. 540,869; and 29/248,033, filed Jul. 26, 2006 now abandoned. These applications are incorporated by reference along with all other references cited in this application.
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