1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a specially designed storage container and, more particularly, to such a container which is specifically adapted to facilitate the practice of the hobby of “scrapbooking”.
2. Description of the Related Art
The hobby of customizing scrapbooks, or “scrapbooking”, can require a variety of supplies. Organization of such supplies has often required different storage devices or methods, some of which are inconvenient or at least not ideal for such users, or “scrapbookers”. For example, a scrapbooker typically needs to store, and have easy access to, many items including specialty paper of odd size, small stickers, floppy disks and/or compact disks containing clip art, die cuts, gloves, tapes, acid free plastic cover sheets and photo corners, photographs, etc. Oftentimes the scrapbooker has turned to file folders and organizers which are made for entirely different purposes.
File folders and organizers specifically adapted to organizing materials for scrapbooking need features not typically found in prior file folders and organizers. Prior devices of this kind were developed with different purposes in mind. Scrapbooks have been developed over the years which allow persons to arrange and store collectible items for convenient viewing. For example, some scrapbooks have included pages upon which photographs could be attached. Other scrapbooks have provided other features, such as pockets for storing items that a person may wish to later take out and examine. In more recent years, great interest has developed in customizing scrapbooks using art paper, stickers, die cut shapes and the like. Thus, customized scrapbook pages can be created that are specific to certain events or circumstances; and artistic and ornamental elements can be incorporated which enhance the presentations of the subject matter which a scrapbook page is intended to communicate or commemorate.
In many instances, ordinary expanding legal or letter size file folders can be used for the storing of scrapbooking items. However, these do not usually conveniently accommodate 12×12 inch paper, which is a standard size used in scrapbooking, so as to protect it from damage and make it readily available.
It is recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a scrapbooking organizer that is convenient to use, has a plurality of pockets for storing scrapbook elements, is sized to accommodate standard scrapbooking materials, including 12×12 inch sheets, and is so configured that a plurality of the organizers can be stacked one on top of another or mounted in a scrapbook while occupying a minimum of space.
One particular arrangement in accordance with the invention is constructed to satisfy these needs. It comprises a pair of mounting sheets, each bearing an expandable pocket mounted along approximately one-half of the sheet. Together they form a sleeve with three sections for storing items for scrapbooking. These sheets are joined in a back-to-back orientation with the half-size pockets situated in a staggered configuration on the outer surfaces of the sheets, displaced from each other vertically. The sheet with its pocket in the lower half is defined as the front sheet, and the sheet with its pocket occupying the upper half of its sheet is the back sheet. Between the front and back sheets is a third pocket large enough to receive and store large scrapbook items such as photographs or the 12×12 inch pads of paper on which the scrapbook layouts are assembled. Preferably, the two mounting sheets are fabricated from a single sheet having a left-to-right dimension which is twice the width of a single sheet. The wider sheet is folded vertically in the middle to establish two mounting sheets with the fold edge forming the right-hand edges of the front sheet and of the central pocket. The central pocket is sealed along its bottom edge and the left-hand edges of the sheets are sealed along a vertically oriented margin strip approximately 1½ inches in width. This strip is punched with three holes which are spaced to match the dimensions of an ordinary three-ring, 12-inch binder which constitutes the scrapbook.
A better understanding of the present invention may be realized from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
As shown in the drawings, one particular arrangement in accordance with the invention comprises a sleeve 10 fabricated by folding a master sheet vertically along an edge 14 to form a front portion or sheet 16 and a rear portion or sheet 18 (
A flap 32 is hingedly connected to the top edge of the first pocket 28. It is provided with at least one hook-and-loop fastener 34 on the inner side of the flap 32 and the outer surface of the pocket 28 for releasably fastening the flap 32 in the closed position. Similarly, the pocket 30 is provided with a flap 40 having the same type of hook-and-loop fastener 42 mounted on the inner surface of the flap 40 and the outer surface of the pocket 30. The first pocket 28 is mounted to the front sheet 16 in the lower half thereof. The second pocket 30 is mounted to the rear sheet 18 in the upper half thereof. Thus, when adjacent sleeves 12 are stacked together in sets or within a scrapbook, the first and second pockets avoid interference with each other (see
The device 10 may be fabricated of any suitable tough, plastic film, such as polyethylene, polyester, triacetate or, preferably, polypropylene. The material is acid free and PVC free so that photographs and other items placed in the pockets will not be harmed by reacting with the plastic.
Each of the first and second pockets 28, 30, is formed with side gussets 50 which allow the pockets to expand as items are stuffed into the pockets.
A third pocket is formed between the front and back sheets 16, 18 as a center pocket 33. The dimensions of the pocket 33 are approximately 12¼×12¼, designed for storing 12″×12″, paper which is the size commonly used in scrapbooking.
Although there have been described hereinabove various specific arrangements of a POCKETED STORAGE CONTAINER in accordance with the invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art should be considered to be within the scope of the invention as disclosed herein.
This Complete Application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/603,869, filed Aug. 23, 2004.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60603869 | Aug 2004 | US |