Note pad holder

Abstract: The note pad holder (1) comprises a base (2) designed to support a pad of sheets (F), such as in particular repositionable adhesive sheets and stamping means (7) for applying a stamp on the top sheet of the pad. With this pad holder (1) it is the user who decides to customise or not the individual sheets, when using the sheet itself.

Description: The present invention relates to a desktop note pad holder, i.e. an object designed to hold a pad of small sheets for notes in such a manner that said sheets are easy to take and use. Sheets of note paper have always been an indispensable instrument in very numerous situations in office work, the store and the shop. Often the pads of small sheets have been the medium on which to inscribe advertising. The so-called repositionable adhesive sheets, which are very useful especially in office work, have had great success. Numerous note paper holders of different types are known. In particular, there are desktop note pad holders shaped basically like a vat in which the individual sheets are housed horizontally one on the other or vertically one beside the other. Then, for the repositionable adhesive sheets, there are desktop note pad holders consisting of a base on which is fixed the pad of adhesive sheets, preferable using the adhesive of the sheets themselves. In recent times there has been great success of customised sheets, i.e. small sheets (usually repositionable and adhesive) bearing the printed name of the user or any other message or trademark. The advantage of a customised sheet is obvious especially in large work environments where the sheet is used as a vehicle to leave messages for others. Thanks to the customisation, identification of the sender is immediate and sure. But it is not always necessary or opportune to use a customised sheet. Indeed, in some cases customisation is useless, e.g. for notes made for oneself. In other cases customisation may not be desired because it could give the person receiving the message an impression of arrogance or presumption on the part of the person who leaves it. Consequently those having customised sheets cannot do without normal sheets as well. This fact brings of course some bother, whether because of the greater space occupied or for the need to have to choose which sheet to use before writing the message. Since in general the most frequent use is of normal sheets it is not rare that the pad of customised sheets ends up abandoned in the bottom of a drawer and even forgotten. DE-C 1016721 discloses a desktop sheet holder comprising a base designed to support a pad of sheets and stamping means for appliyng a stamp on the top sheet of the pad. The stamping means comprise a crosspiece standing above the base. An inconvenient of this instrument is that the position of the crosspiece makes writing on the sheets difficult. The object of the present invention is to obviate the above drawbacks by making available an instrument which would allow the user to customise the sheets individually at the time of use and which would make writing easy. Accordingly the invention relates to a desktop note pad holder comprising a base designed to support a pad of sheets such as in particular repositionable adhesive sheets and stamping means for applying a stamp on the top sheet of the pad, the stamping means including a crosspiece which stands above the base, characterised in that the crosspiece is mobile between a first operating position in which it stands at least partially above the base and a second position of rest in which it is substantially an extension of the base. This makes writing on the sheets easier. Preferably, the crosspiece is pivoted to the base. With this desktop note pad holder it is the user who decides to customise or not the individual sheets. Customisation can be done before writing the message or afterward indifferently. This allows dedicating immediately all the user's attention to the content of the message, e.g. during a telephone conversation, leaving for later the choice of any customisation. In addition it is no longer necessary to have nearby different pads of sheets, normal and customised. The stamping means can be of various types, more or less conventional. In one particularly simple solution, the means comprise a self-inking stamp included in the crosspiece. By self-inking stamp is understood a stamp comprising a stamping element and an ink pad. In the rest position the stamping element rests against the pad. At the moment of use the user presses on a special grip to cause movement of the stamping element which, breaking contact with the pad, strikes the surface on which the stamp is resting. Stamps of this kind have been known for a long time and can normally be found in trade. The choice of this instrument for the desktop note pad holder of the invention makes the operation of stamping the sheets particularly simple, effective and clean. A technically more complicated but more effective solution makes use of hot stamping means by transfer of special films. With these means there is obtained a much higher stamping quality comparable to that of printing. In addition, stamping with multiple colours is also possible. To clarify the explanation of the innovative principles of the present invention and its advantages compared with the known art there is described below with the aid of the annexed drawings a possible embodiment by way of nonlimiting example applying said principles. In the drawings: FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a desktop note pad holder in accordance with the present invention with the crosspiece in rest position, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the desktop note pad holder of FIG. 1 with the crosspiece in working position, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-section views of the desktop note pad holder of FIG. 1 in two successive operating conditions. In the figures reference number 1 indicates the desktop note pad holder as a whole including a base 2 to which is pivoted a crosspiece 3. The base 2 is designed to support a block of sheets F such as in particular repositionable adhesive sheets. Advantageously, the base 2 is provided with a recess 4 for housing of a pen or pencil. The crosspiece 3 comprises two parallel arms 5 and 6 pivoted to the base 2 in accordance with the same horizontal axis and a self-inking stamp 7 mounted in a sliding manner between the arms 5 and 6. The base 2 comprises strikers 8 and 9 for the arms 5 and 6 in such a manner as to define two positions of the crosspiece 3 relative to the base 2, i.e. a rest position (FIG. 1) in which the arms 5 and 6 rest against the striker 8 and an operating position (FIG. 2) in which the arms 5 and 6 rest against the striker 9. In the rest position the crosspiece 3 is substantially an extension of the base 2. In the operating position the crosspiece 3 stands above the base 2. The self-inking stamp 7 is of known type and therefore its construction details are not fully described. It comprises a body 10 mounted in a sliding manner between the arms 5 and 6 by means of guides and counterguides (not shown). With the crosspiece in the operating position shown in FIG. 2 the body 10 of the stamp 7 can take raised position in relation to the base 2 (FIG. 2) or a lowered position (FIG. 3) in contact with the pad of sheets F. Spring means not illustrated tend to keep the body 10 of the stamp 7 in the raised position. The stamp 7 comprises a grip 11 mounted on the body 10 sliding in the same direction in which the body 10 is sliding in relation to the arms 5 and 6. An ink pad 12 is mounted in a fixed position in the body 10 while a stamping element 13 is mounted in moving manner in the body 10. The stamping element 13 is connected to the grip 11 by a kinematic mechanism (known in itself and not shown in the figures) such that when the grip 11 is in the raised position in relation to the body 10 (FIG. 3) the stamping element 13 is in contact with the pad 12 while when the grip 11 is in the lowered position in relation to the body 10 (FIG. 4) the stamping element 13 is in contact with the surface to be stamped, i.e. the top sheet of the pad of sheets F. Spring means (not shown) tend to hold the grip 11 in the raised position in relation to the body 10. The elastic action exerted by such elastic means is greater than that exerted by the elastic means which tend to hold the body 10 in the raised position. Therefore, pressure exerted on the grip causes first lowering of the body 10 in relation to the arms 5 and 6 and then moving of the stamping element 13 toward the sheet to be stamped. In use the desktop note pad holder 1 is normally held in the position shown in FIG. 1. In this manner writing on the sheets of the pad F is easy. When it is desired that the sheet upon which one wrote or is about to write be customised, it suffices to raise the crosspiece 3 and move it above the base 2 (FIG. 2), after which pressure exerted on the grip 11 causes lowering of the body 10 of the stamp 7 on the block of sheets F and hence stamping of the top sheet. The self-inking stamp 7 can be replaced by a hot stamping device in which a matrix bearing the characters to be reproduced on the sheet F is heated and pressed on a special transfer film. With a desktop note pad holder in accordance with the present invention therefore the choice between using a customised sheet or not creates no problem for the user. He can tranquilly concentrate on the message to be written (perhaps an idea arising in the course of a telephone conversation) and decide later to apply the customisation or not.

Claims: Desktop note pad holder comprising a base (2) designed to support a pad of sheets (F) such as in particular repositionable adhesive sheets and stamping means (3, 7) for applying a stamp on the top sheet of the pad, the stamping means including a crosspiece (3) which stands above the base (2), characterized in that the crosspiece (3) is mobile between a first operating position in which it stands at least partially above the base (2) and a second position of rest in which it is substantially an extension of the base (2). Desktop note pad holder in accordance with claim 1 characterised in that the stamping means comprise a self-inking stamp (7) included in the crosspiece (3). Desktop note pad holder in accordance with claim 1 characterised in that the stamping means comprise, included in the crosspiece (3), a hot stamping device operating by transfer with special films. Desktop note pad holder in accordance with claim 1 characterised in that the crosspiece (3) is pivoted to the base (2).

Inventors: PINNA BERCHET ANTONIO, PINNA BERCHET, ANTONIO
Applicants: MINNESOTA MINING MFG ITALIA, 3M ITALIA S.P.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B42D1
IPC codes: B42D5, B41K3