The present invention relates to a tabbed file with retention elements that loop around corners of the file.
File folders commonly have been used to organize papers and groups of papers. Simple forms of file folders typically have a front and back covers, often made of a single piece of semi-rigid paper or plastic that is bent so that the front cover folds up against the back cover. Tabs are provided in varying locations on folders within a same filing system so that the positions of the tabs alternate to permit various tabs to be viewed at once when the folders are placed one in front of the other.
Some known mechanism to keep papers from falling out of the closed file include, e.g. pockets and flaps. Pockets are generally made from additional material that is commonly attached to the interior of the file. One or more flaps are sometimes provided extending from edges of a cover and are capable of being folded over the cover so as to form a variant of a pocket or pouch. The front cover and back cover may then be folded towards one another and held together with, e.g., a string or elastic band. U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,589, for example “provides for an open file folder comprising a clear paneled portion front cover, with a hinged folding axis, a flap retaining tab and slot, and a retaining panel for locking the folding portion of the front panel.”.
Other mechanisms, such as clips, also have been used to secure papers in a file folder, as used, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,611. The file folder panel of this patent has a flap on the panel top border that provides pre-perforated holes and groove as a passage for the file clips to hold the paper documents.
There is a need for a file folder with a simple method of retaining a file closed and preferably also retaining papers therein.
According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a file is provided comprising a cover member with front and back cover panels that are hinged to each other at a hinge for movement between open and closed positions. The cover panels in the closed position can define an interior space therebetween configured and dimensioned for containing a plurality of stacked papers. The cover panels can have first and second corners disposed opposite from the hinge. At least one of the cover panels can comprise a tab portion extending away from the hinge and disposed between the corners.
First and second elastic retention elements can each be secured to one of the cover panels. The first and second retention elements can be disposed and configured for looping around the first and second corners of the other cover panel, respectively, in the closed position for retaining the closed position.
The tab can be disposed between one of the retention elements and its adjacent corner with the retention elements looped around the corners. Additionally, the tab can be disposed between the retention elements with the retention elements looped around the corners. The retention elements can be secured to the same one of the cover panels and/or can be parts of a single elastic bungee.
The retention elements can be secured to the cover panel for naturally extending across from one cover panel to the other at first and second locations, and the tab can be disposed spaced from said locations.
The retention elements can be secured to the cover panel to cross from one panel to the other within about a central third of a height of the front and back panels measured from the hinge to an edge of each panel opposite from the hinge. Accordingly, the retention elements can be positioned to retain contents of the folder laterally in the interior space when the retention elements are looped over the corners with the folder in the closed position. Additionally, the retention elements can be secured to the cover panel to cross from one panel to the other at an edge of the cover panels opposite from the hinge within about a central third of said edge to retain contents of the folder in the interior space when the retention elements are looped over the corners with the folder in the closed position.
The file can be a file folder dimensioned for holding letter-size paper or larger, including legal-size paper. Alternatively, the file can be a file folder dimensioned for holding paper of letter or A4 size or larger. The file can be a bi-fold file folder, for example.
The file may be configured for holding a stack of paper with a thickness of at least about ½ inch. The cover panels can be sized so as to completely cover the front and back of the plurality of paper in the closed position.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a filing system is provided that comprises a group of files as described above. The tab of a first of the files can be disposed between the first retention element and the first corner with the retention elements looped around the corners. The tab of a second of the files can be disposed between the second retention element and the second corner with the retention elements looped around the corners. The tab of a third of the files can be disposed between the retention elements with the retention elements looped around the corners. Accordingly, when the files are aligned one in front of the other, each of said tabs may be visible.
In another embodiment, one of the retention elements loops around the corner and the tab, which may be positioned on an edge opposite or adjacent to the hinge.
The present invention provides an improved mechanism for closure and/or retention of papers filed therein.
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures showing illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which:
Throughout the figures, the same reference numerals and characters, unless otherwise stated, are used to denote like features, elements, components or portions of the illustrated embodiments. Moreover, while the subject invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures, it is done so in connection with the illustrative embodiments. It is intended that changes and modifications can be made to the described exemplary embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the subject invention as defined by the appended claims.
According to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
As shown in
As illustrated in
Top edge 23 can also include tab area 29, which extends away from hinge 11 as shown in
Further, although tab area 29 is shown as occupying a little less than ⅓ of the length of top edge 23, one skilled in the art of files should ascertain that tab area 29 can be larger or smaller. For example, tab area 29 can be configured to occupy a little less than ½ of the total length of top edge 23 so that there can be two tab areas disposed along top edge 23. Tab area 29 can also be configured to occupy a little less than ⅕ of the length of top edge 23 and so five tab areas can be disposed along top edge 23. It is also possible for tab area 29 to be configured to occupy a little less than 1/7 the length of top edge 23 so as to provide for seven tab areas, or to be configured to occupy a little less than 1/10 the length of top edge 23 so as to provide for ten tabs, or a little less than 1/31 the length of top edge 23 so as to provide for thirty tab areas, for example. The tab areas are preferably defined to exclude the area of the top and side edges on which the retention elements 16,17 will lie when looped over the corners, and are adjacent thereto. Thus, in the embodiment shown, there is one tab area 29,33 on the top edge 23 between each retention element 16,17 and corner 27,28, respectively, and a third, central tab area 31 between the retention elements 16,17.
Additionally, according to some exemplary embodiments, the tab areas and tab(s) can be positioned on either or both cover panels 12,26. The tab(s) may also extend from lateral edges 14,15,24,25 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
The size and shape of each tab, such as tab 29, for example, may vary based on a number of factors including, e.g., the size of the file and respective covers, the respective position of each tab, the number of tab areas and/or the number of tabs. Tab 29 as illustrated in
As shown in
As one skilled in the art will ascertain, a configuration such as the one illustrated in
As mentioned above, terminals 16,17 can be of any shape or configuration so long as such shape or dimension prevents passage of terminals 16,17 through holes 20,21, respectively, when secured to the ends of the bungee or elastic band of the retention elements 16,17. Alternatively, the ends of the bungee or elastic band of the retention elements 16,7 are apart can also be secured or mounted directly to the inside of front cover panel 12 before extending through holes 20,21, respectively. Such ends can also be secured or mounted on the outside of front cover panel 12 as well, dispensing with the need for holes 20, 21 altogether, for example. In embodiments that use holes, such as the one illustrated in
Elastic element portion 26 is shown as being disposed near top edge 13 on the inside of front cover 12. This configuration is a result of a single bungee or elastic band being used, with elastic retention elements 16,17 being apart thereof. One skilled in the art will ascertain that two separate bungees or elastic bands can alternatively be used, corresponding to elastic retention elements 16,17, respectively. In such exemplary configuration, terminals can be disposed at each of the holes along top edge 13 in lieu of elastic band portion 26. Indeed, retention elements 16,17 could also be mounted on the outside of front cover panel 12 eliminating the need for the holes along top edge 13 altogether, in a similar to how holes 20,21 can be disposed with as described above.
The placement of holes 20,21 may preferably be roughly positioned at or near the middle of edges 14,15, respectively so as to fully retain the plurality of papers 30 retained therein. However, it may be possible to retain the plurality of papers 30 when holes 20,21 are positioned in the middle (i.e. central) third portion of edges 14,15, respectively, for example. Depending on how closely the dimensions of the cover panels 12,26 match the dimensions of the plurality of papers to be retained therein, the position of holes 20,21 may be even closer to edge 23, for example.
The position of holes 35 and 37 can be considered when configuring file 10 since the location of holes 35,37 will directly affect (along with the position of holes 20,21) where along edges 13,23 elastic retaining elements 16,17 will naturally extend (wrap) around, for example. Accordingly, on skilled in the art should ascertain that various combinations of positions of holes 20,21,35,37 may be employed to provide for varying locations along edges 13,23 of where elastic retaining elements 16,17 will extend around. According to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
As shown in
However, if the front cover panel 12 and/or back cover panel 26 are too much larger in their respective dimensions than the plurality of paper to be retained (e.g., if the covers extend over the plurality of papers by more than 1 inch), then there may be room for the plurality of paper to move within file 10 even when in a closed position, and thus not be as securely retained as when the front and back cover panels 12,26 were the roughly the same size or just a little larger than the plurality of papers 30 to be retained. Accordingly, the overall size and dimensions of the front and back cover panels 12,26 should be sized according to the size of the plurality of paper to be retained. However, one skilled in the art should appreciate that there are numerous sizes and shapes of paper for which there can be a need or desire to retain in a file according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; including a number of standard sizes and shapes, which number increases when considering international standards in addition to domestic standards. As such, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention are intended to cover such varying sizes and shapes.
Preferably, file 10 of a preferred embodiment may be configured to contain a plurality of sheets of office paper, such as letter, legal, A4 sized or greater, although most preferably the paper size is not substantially greater than legal size. Expandable file embodiments preferably are dimensioned to hold stacks of hundreds of preferably unfolded sheets. In addition, one skilled in the art should appreciate that although the preferred embodiment illustrated in
As can be seen in
As an alternate to positioning tab areas 29,31,33, and tabs 22,32,34 so as to create pass spaces 36,38 that coincide with retention elements 16,17 as shown in
All directional references (e.g. upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present invention, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the invention. Various modifications and alterations to the described exemplary embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein, and the features of the embodiments can be combined with each other. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous devices, arrangements and methods which, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the invention and are thus within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The detailed description, given by way of example, but not intended to limit the invention solely to the specific exemplary embodiments described, may best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/087,514 filed Aug. 8, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61087514 | Aug 2008 | US |