PRINTABLE INDEX SHEET WITH BINDABLE MEMBER

Abstract: An index sheet (10) or divider which may be accommodated by and directly printed upon by a conventional printer. The index sheet is provided with a combination of features selected from one or more perforations or foldable portions defining a guide (18), foldable bindable portions (14), hinged cutouts, removable index tab portions (16) and the like which allow the index sheet to pass, in a guided or controlled fashion, through a printer. After the index sheet is directly printed upon, such features also allow the index sheet to be transformed, either manually or by machine, so that an index tab portion of the index sheet stands out, identifies, separates, or otherwise distinguishes documents or items with which one or more index sheets are kept.

Description: PRINTABLE INDEX SHEET WITH BINDABLE MEMBER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to index sheets and, more particularly, to bindable index sheets which can be directly printable on by machines, such as computer-operated printers. BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION Index tabs for quick identification and selection of information from looseleaf or hardbound binders are a common feature of nearly every well-organized office or home. Typically, these index tabs are provided as markings on certain sheets or pages of binders, books, notebooks, or other multiple sheet material. In order to facilitate ease of scanning and selecting pages, the index tabs are typically staggered or spaced, along two orthogonal planes. For example, the index tabs connected to the edge of adjacent index sheets are positioned just far enough away from each other so that the identifying text or characters or symbols appearing on both index tabs can be seen simultaneously. Uses for such index tabs range from simple referencing to presentations . In general, index tabs are made in one of two ways. The tabs may be integrally formed as protrusions of the sheets themselves as shown, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,184,699 issued to Lowe on January 22, 1980. Alternatively, the tabs may be separate components which are connected to the index sheets as shown, for example in U.S. Patent No. 4,962,603 issued to Kao et al. on October 16, 1990; U.S. Patent No. 5,135,261 issued to Cusack et al. on August 4, 1992; U.S. Patent No. 5,340,427 issued to Cusack et al. on August 23, 1994; and U.S. Patent No. 5,389,414 issued to Popat on February 14, 1995. As the Kao et al. patent indicates, forming index tabs as integral protrusions of the index sheet has been disadvantageous, since it has been difficult to machine print identifying text on the index tabs. For example, it has b een impractical to insert the entire index sheet into a standard typewriter in order to type text sideways onto the protruding index tab. It has also been difficult or impossible to feed index sheets directly through common office printers, such as laser printers, inkjet printers or office copiers, without encountering jamming problems, limited feed size problems, or distorted printing problems. It is desirable to print index sheets on laser or inkjet printers due to the great flexibility of what can be printed as well as the high print quality provided by such printers or the like. However, such printers require the sheet stock to be uniformly dimensioned, at least widthwise, according to standard sizes in order to be accommodated by the standard sized feeding tray and pathway of such printers. Otherwise, the sheet stock will either tend to jam within such printers or not even fit into such printers. Index sheets, having protruding tabs on the top or leading edge first drawn into the printer, can also jam or stray from the correct feed path. Moreover, the sheet stock must be strong enough to withstand the stresses imposed on the sheets by the feeding mechanisms and pressure rollers, and must provide a uniformly smooth surface that will properly take up the toner. Because of these requirements, conventional index sheets having nonuniform widths due to protruding index tabs have been poorly suited for use in laser or inkjet printers. This drawback is all the more pronounced when the tabs are to be used to mark the pages of a hardbound or softbound book. As a result, the identifying text is usually either handwritten onto the tabs, or else the text is printed on separate adhesive labels which are then placed on the corresponding tabs. The present invention is directed to overcoming the problems as set forth above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention, a directly- machine-printable index sheet is disclosed. The index sheet comprises a main body having first and second edges, a bindable member extending outwardly from the first edge and defining at least one bindable hole spaced from the main body, and an index tab extending outwardly from the second edge. The bindable member has a relatively-thin section, positioned between the bindable hole and the first edge of the main body, which can be folded and unfolded generally along the first edge. The construction of the bindable member permits not only easy folding; but in the folded position, the bindable member will lay flat without requiring pressure or an adhesive. This facilitates movement of the index sheet through a printing machine. In another aspect of the present invention, a directly- machine-printable index sheet is disclosed. The index sheet comprises a main body having an edge, an index tab extending outwardly from the edge, and a self-sticking guide removably connected to at least one of the main body and the index tab. The guide has an outer (righthand) edge extending outwardly beyond the edge of the main body generally in the same direction as the index tab. The self-sticking guide functions on the tabbed edge of the main body to provide a straight edge for feeding of the index sheet through a printer. The self-sticking nature of the guide facilitates attachment and easy removal. The index sheet of the present invention ha^ a transformable configuration allowing it to pass, in a guided or controlled fashion, through a printing machine such as a computer-operated printer or copier. After the index sheet is directly printed upon by the machine, the index sheet can be transformed, either manually or by machine, so that its index tab stands out for identifying, separating, or otherwise distinguishing documents or other items with which one or more index sheets are kept. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of an index sheet of the present invention, including a bindable member and a guide. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but after the bindable member has been folded. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but after the bindable member has been unfolded and the guide has been removed . Fig. 4 is an isolated greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of the unfolded bindable member shown in Figs. 1-3. Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional partial view of the index sheet, including the bindable member, taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional partial view of the index sheet, including the bindable member, taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing an alternative embodiment for the location of the bindable member. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but after the bindable member has been folded. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing an alternative embodiment for the guide of the index sheet. Fig. 10 is an isolated view of the guide shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9 but after the bindable member has been unfolded and the guide has been removed. Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but showing an alternative embodiment of the guide. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a conventional printer supplied with a plurality of index sheets of the present invention. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a conventional looseleaf binder supplied with a plurality of index sheets of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figs. 1-14, wherein similar reference characters designate similar elements or features throughout the Figs., there is shown multiple embodiments of a generally-planar index sheet or divider 10,10' of the present invention. Referring to the embodiments shown in Figs. 1-8, the index sheet 10 comprises a generally rectangular main body 12, a bindable member 14, at least one index tab 16, and a guide 18. The main body 12 includes opposed spaced-apart first (lefthand binding) and second (righthand index) edges 20,22 and opposed spaced-apart third (top) and fourth (bottom) edges 24,26. Each of the third and fourth edges 24,26 intersect and are generally perpendicular to each of the first and second edges 20,22. The main body 12 of the index sheet 10 may be formed, for example, of a substantially-pure paper-based medium or a composite material such as a paper/plastic laminate. One example of a paper/plastic laminate is a product known as Duralon™ which is made by Arlon, Adhesives and Film Division, Santa Ana, CA. Duralon™ has a tear-resistant plastic film bonded between two layers of premier stock. It can be used with laser and dot matrix printers, as well as office copiers. The bindable member 14 extends outwardly from the first edge 20 of the main body 12 and defines at least one bindable hole 28, spaced from the main body 12, and a relatively-thin section 30. This section 30 will, as described below, function to define a fold line. The relatively-thin section 30 is positioned between the bindable hole 28 and the first edge 20 and extends between the third and fourth edges 24,26 of the main body of the index sheet. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 7, part of the bindable member 14 is connected to either planar side 32,34 of the main body 12 of the index sheet 10. Preferably, the free end of the bindable member 14 has a relatively-thicker thickness, compared to the part connected to the main body 12, which provides additional strength against tearing and allows the bindable member 14 to be easily folded so that it lays flat against the main body 12. The bindable member 14 can be applied to the main body stock as each is fed from a separate roll. This assembly can then be punched and die cut to a desired size. In the embodiments of Figs. 1-8, the bindable member 14 includes a laminated subassembly connected to the main body 12. As shown in Fig. 4, the bindable member 14 includes a base strip 36, having an inner portion 38 and an outer portion 40, an outboard cover strip 42, and an optional inboard cover strip 44- Each of the strips 36,42,44 may be formed substantially from a reinforced material such as mylar, a paper-based medium, Duralon™, or the like. The outboard cover strip 42 is overlappingly directly connected or laminated to an opposite planar side of the outer portion 40 of the base strip 36, by an adhesive or the like. As shown in Figs. 5-8, the inboard cover strip 44 is generally aligned with the first edge 20 of the main body 12 and is also overlappingly directly connected or laminated to the opposite planar side of the inner portion 38 of the base strip 36 by an adhesive or the like. The outboard cover strip 42 is laterally spaced outwardly from the inboard cover strip 44 as well as the first edge 20 of the main body 12. The bindable hole 28 extends completely through both the outboard cover strip 42 and the outer portion 40 of the base strip 36. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, one planar side of the inner portion 38 of the base strip 36 is directly connected or laminated to the main body 12, along the first edge 20, by an adhesive or the like. In the preferred embodiment, the base strip 36, outboard cover strip 42 and inboard cover strip 44 each have a respective width w 17 W 2 ,w 3 wherein the width w. of the base strip 36 is greater than the sum of the width w 2 of the outboard cover strip 42 plus the width w 3 of the inboard cover strip 44. For example, the base strip 36 has a first width W j of about 1.188 inches (about 30 millimeters), the outboard cover strip 42 has a second width w 2 of about 0.625 inches (about 16 millimeters) , and the inboard cover strip 44 may have a third width w 3 of about 0.500 inches (about 13 millimeters) . The relatively-thin section 30 of the bindable member 14 is defined by that part of the base strip 36 along the lateral spacing between the inboard cover strip 44 and the outboard cover strip 42. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the relatively-thin section has a width w„ of about 0.0625 inches (about 1.6 millimeters). The base strip 36 has a first uniform thickness t. ^ and the outboard cover strip 42 has a second uniform thickness t 2 greater in magnitude than the first thickness tj . The inboard cover strip 44 has a third uniform thickness t 3 greater in magnitude than the first thickness t. of the base strip 36 and less in magnitude than the second thickness t 2 of the outboard cover strip 42. In the preferred embodiment, with the main body 12, made of Duralon™ printing stock, having a nominal thickness of between about 4 and 9 mils, the base strip 36 has a first thickness t x of about 0.00057 inches (about 0.014 millimeters) , the outboard cover strip 42 has a second thickness t 2 of about 0.0038 inches (about 0.097 millimeters), and the inboard cover strip 44 has a third thickness t 3 of about 0.0015 inches (about 0.038 millimeters). In an alternative embodiment, the outboard cover strip 42 and the inboard cover strip 44, or even all three strips 36,42,44, may have about the same uniform thickness. In another alternative embodiment, the bindable member 14 may be a monolithic component having the varying thicknesses t.,t 2 ,t, and situated as described above. In still another alternative embodiment, the bindable member 14 may be integrally formed with the main body 12 of the index sheet 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the relatively-thin section 30 is operable to be folded and unfolded along a fold line 50. When the bindable member 14 is in its folded state shown in Fig. 6, the bindable member 14 extends generally across opposite sides of the first edge 20. Thus, the first edge 20 - 1 - of the main body 12 is interposed between the inner portion 38 and the outer portion 40 of the folded base strip 36. Alternatively, as shown in Figs. 7-8, the relatively- thin section 30 is operable to be folded and unfolded generally along only one side of the first edge 20. When the bindable member 14 is in its folded state shown in Fig. 8, the outboard cover strip 42 is interposed between the inner portion 38 and the outer portion 40 of the folded base strip 36. Depending on the thickness of the index sheet relative to the total thickness of the covor strips 42 and 44, the width of the thin section 30 may vary depending on which embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7 is employed. The relatively-thicker outboard cover strip 42 laminated to the base strip 36 is advantageous for controlling the folding of the relatively-thin section 30. The relatively- thicker outboard cover strip 42 laminated to the base strip 36 is also advantageous for easily forming, by punching or the like, the one or more bindable holes 28. The relatively- thin section 30 of the bindable member 14 enables the fold line 50 to be uniform between the third and forth edges 24,26 of the main body 12. The relatively-thin section 30 also allows the bindable member 14 to fold over and lie flat against the main body 12 (Fig. 6) or on itself (Fig. 8) without the need for an adhesive or the like to maintain it in that folded state. The inboard cover strip 44 helps to better define the location and edge at which the relatively- thin section 30 naturally folds. In both embodiments, Figs. 5 and 6, and Figs. 7 and 8, the construction of the thin section 30 between the inner and outer portions 38,40 with their cover strips, facilitates the flat positioning of the bindable member when in its folded position. No separate attaching means is required to hold the bindable member in its folded position. This, therefore, facilitates easy arrangement of the index sheet into a folded position which will feed properly through the printing equipment. Turning now to the index edge 22 of the index sheet, the index tab 16 is integrally formed with the main body 12 and extends outwardly from the second edge 22. In the embodiments of the index sheet shown in Figs. 1- 8, the guide 18 is removably connected to both the main body 12 and the index tab 16. The guide 18 has an outer (righthand) edge 54 spaced or extending beyond the second edge 22 of the main body 12. As shown in Fig. 2, the edge 54 of the guide 18 is positioned at a substantially uniform distance from the fold line 50 of the bindable member 14. Preferably, as shown in Figs. 1-2, a line of perforations form a tearable joint between the guide 18 and the main body 12 as well as between the guide 18 and the index tab 16. The perforations are preferably micro perforations formed by die cutting the sheet stock which is formed into an index sheet 10. The guide 18 enables the index sheet 10 to travel through a printing machine without becoming skewed. Alternatively, the guide 18 may be inwardly foldable and bonded, by an adhesive or the like, onto the main body 12 along a crease line separating the guide 18 from the main body 12 and the index tab 16. In this alternative embodiment, the folded guide 18 advantageously reinforces the second edge 22 of the main body 12 to provide more durability and rigidity to the index sheet 10 in that region. Referring to Figs. 1-3, the dimension x represents a distance or length of the index sheet 10 measured between the third (top) edge 24 and the fourth (bottom) edge 26. The dimension d 2 represents a distance or width of the index sheet 10 measured between the outer (lefthand) edge 56 of the unfolded bindable member 14 and the outer (righthand) edge 54 of the guide. The dimension d 3 represents a distance or width of the index sheet 10 measured between the fold line 50 of the folded bindable member 14 and the outer (righthand) edge 54 of the guide 18. For example, for indexing standard 8.5 inch width by 11 inch length items, d x may be about 11 inches (about 279 millimeters), d 2 may be about 9.25 inches (about 235 millimeters), and d 3 may be about 8.5 inches (about 216 millimeters) . Other appropriate values for the above dimensions of the index sheet 10 may be chosen for indexing items that are A4 , legal, or other sizes. Preferably as shown in Fig. 2, the outer (righthand) edge 54 of the guide 18 extends or is spaced beyond the outer (righthand) edge 58 of the index tab 16 according to a selected distance d 4 . That portion of the guide 18, encompassed by the distance d. , functions as a margin to ensure that the index tab 16 lies substantially within the printable zone, and conversely, lies substantially away from the unprintable zone typically associated with machine printers. Thus, substantially the entire planar surface of the index tab 16, in addition to the main body 12, is available to be printed upon by the machine printer. For example, the distance d 4 can be chosen to be about 0.25 inches (about 6.4 millimeters). Referring to Fig. 3, the dimension d 5 represents a distance or width of the index sheet 10 measured between the outer (lefthand) edge of the unfolded bindable member 14 and the outer edge 58 of the index tab 16. When indexing standard 8.5 inch wide by 11 inch length paper, d 5 will be greater than 8.5 inches by about the width of the index tab. The dimension d 6 represents a distance or width of the index sheet 10 measured between the outer (lefthand) edge 56 of the unfolded bindable member 14 and the second edge 22 of the main body 12. With 8.5 by 11 inch paper, it will be about 8.5 inches . In the alternative embodiment shown in Figs ' . 9-10, the guide 18' is a self-sticking separate component removably overlappingly connected to the main body 12. The guide 18' has an outer (righthand) edge 54' extending outwardly beyond the edge 22 of the main body 12 in the same direction as the index tab 16. In the embodiment shown, the guide 18' overlaps both the main body 12 and the index tab 16. Referring to Fig. 10, the guide 18' includes first and second portions 59,60. The first portion 59 of the guide 18' is coated with a low-tac self-sticking adhesive 62 and is removably overlappingly connected to the main body 12. The second portion 60 extends outwardly beyond the second edge 22 of the main body 12. The edge 54 of the guide 18' is positioned at a substantially uniform distance from the fold line 50 of the bindable member 14. The guide 18' extends along substantially the entire length of the second edge 22 of the main body 12. The edge 54 of the guide 18' extends outwardly at least as far as the edge 58 of the index tab 16. Preferably, the edge 54 of the guide 18' extends outwardly beyond the edge 58 of the index tab 16. In the alternative embodiment of the guide 18'' shown in Fig. 12, the second portion 60 is also partially coated with the low-tac self-sticking adhesive 62 in order to removably overlapping connect to the index tab 16 of the index sheet 10' shown in Figs. 9 and 11. The connection of the guide 18'' to the index tab 16 advantageously provides additional strength and stabilization for the edge 54 when the index sheet 10' passes through a printing machine. The index sheets of the present invention enables one to print directly on the tabs 16 using commonly available laser or inkjet printers. In directly printing upon the index sheet with a computer operated printer 64 having a maximum feed distance or width d 8 (Fig. 13), the index sheet 10 or 10' is first formed according to a first configuration. In this configuration, shown, for example, in Fig. 2, the third (top) edge 24 of the index sheet is uniformly straight to ensure that the index sheet 10 is fed into and through the printer 64 in a proper and controlled manner. The index sheet 10 also has a uniform width d 3 which is equal to or smaller than the maximum feed width d 8 of the printer 64. As shown in Fig. 13, the index sheet 10 is fed to the printer 64 and printed directly upon. The printer 64 preferably uses a software program which is capable of selectively formatting text areas on the index tab 16 and/or on the main body 12 of the index sheet 10. Next, the index sheet is transformed. according to a second configuration shown in Fig. 3 by completely removing the guide 18 along the borderline of perforations. The index sheet 10 is now ready for insertion in a looseleaf binder 66, as shown in Fig. 14, or other binding device so that the index tab 16 physically and visually extends beyond the second edge 22 according to a selected distance d 7 . For example, the selected distance d 7 may be about 0.50 inches (about 13 millimeters) . Preferably, the dimension d 7 extends beyond the items placed between the index sheets 10. In directly printing upon the index sheet 10' shown in Figs. 9-11, the sheet 10' is fed to the printing machine 64, which prints directly upon the index sheet 10' . The self- sticking guide 18' is then removed from the index sheet 10'. The guide 18' advantageously provides the index sheet 10' with a uniform edge in the vicinity of the index tab 16 in order to maintain correct alignment of the index sheet 10' as its is being processed through the printer 64. The present invention is not limited to index sheets or dividers but may also be applied to other bindable items which may have to be printed upon. The index sheets, dividers, or other bindable items may also be accommodated by and printed upon by other machines, such as xerographic copiers or photocopiers. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of this invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An index sheet, comprising: a main body having opposed spaced-apart first and second edges ; and a bindable member extending outwardly from the first edge of the main body and defining a section of predetermined thickness spaced from said main body, said bindable member having a second section, thinner than said first section, positioned between said first section and said first edge, said second section operable to be folded and unfolded generally along the first edge. 2. The index sheet according to claim 1, wherein said bindable member has a third section connected in overlapping relation to said main body and is foldable along its second section so that the folded bindable member is positioned on opposite sides of the main body. 3. The index sheet according to claim 1, wherein said bindable member has a third section connected in overlapping relation to said main body and is foldable along its second section so that the folded bindable member is positioned on only one side of the main body. 4. The index sheet according to claim 1, wherein said bindable member includes a base strip and said first section includes an outboard cover strip, each of said strips having a different width wherein the width of the base strip is greater than the width of the outboard cover strip, said base strip having an inner portion and an outer portion, said inner portion of the base strip connected to the main body along the first edge, said outboard cover strip overlappingly connected to the outer portion of the base strip and spaced outwardly from the first edge, and said second section being defined by part of the base strip disposed between the first edge of the main body and the outboard cover strip. 5. The index sheet according to claim 4, wherein said bindable member is a separate component from said main body and formed from mylar. 6. The index sheet according to claim 4, wherein said third section of said bindable member further includes an inboard cover strip overlappingly connected to the inner portion of the base strip and spaced from the outboard cover strip, and said second section of the bindable member is defined by part of the base strip between the inboard cover strip and the outboard cover strip. 7. The index sheet according to claim 6, wherein said inboard cover strip is generally aligned with the first edge of the main body. 8. The index sheet according to claim 6, wherein the outboard cover strip has a first thickness and the base strip has a second thickness less than the first thickness. 9. The index sheet according to claim 8, wherein said inboard cover strip has a third thickness greater than the second thickness of the base strip and less than the first thickness of the outboard cover strip. 10. The index sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 4-9 wherein said first section of the bindable member includes at least one bindable hole extending therethrough, and an index tab extends outwardly from the second edge of the main body. 11. An index sheet, comprising: a main body having a first edge; an index tab extending outwardly from said first edge of the main body; and a self-sticking guide removably overlappingly connected to at least the main body, said guide having a second edge extending outwardly beyond said first edge of the main body in the same direction as said index tab. 12. The index sheet of claim 11, wherein said guide is removably connected to both the main body and the index tab. 13. The index sheet of claim 11, wherein said guide includes first and second portions, said first portion being coated with a low-tac self-sticking adhesive and removably overlappingly connected to the main body, said second portion extending outwardly beyond the edge of the main body. 14. The index sheet of claim 11, wherein said second edge of the guide is positioned at a substantially uniform distance from the first edge of the main body. 15. The index sheet of claim 11, wherein said guide extends along substantially the entire length of the first edge of the main body. 16. The index sheet of claim 11, wherein said second edge of the guide extends outwardly at least as far as said index tab. 17. The index sheet of claim 16, wherein said second edge of the guide extends outwardly beyond said index tab.

Inventors: GOLDMAN MICHAEL, GOLDMAN, MICHAEL
Applicants: ACCO USA INC, ACCO USA, INC.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B42F13
IPC codes: B42F21