Folder

Abstract: The folder comprises: (a) a jacket member (2) comprising a front cover sheet (3a) and a back cover sheet (3b) and having at least one substantially median spinal fold (4) intermediate between the front cover sheet (3a) and the back cover sheet (3b) ; (b) at least one flap member (6) affixed to the jacket member (2), the flap member being movable from a retracted position in which access is permitted to at least a margin of the back cover sheet (3b) adjacent the spinal fold and to at least a margin of the front cover sheet (3a) adjacent the spinal fold (4), to a covering position in which the flap member (6) covers at least the margins; and (c) adhesive means for bonding the flap member (6) in the covering position.

Description: The present invention relates to a folder for stationery or the like. There are many different types of folders (sometimes referred to as file covers or the like) available for containing and presenting sheets of paper or the like. Such folders generally have jackets (typically with front and back cover sheets) within which paper or the like may be held, typically by securing means such as clips, rings, slides, plastics combs or adhesive bonding agents. Such securing means are generally highly visible and tend to look unsightly and unprofessional for presentation folders or the like. Furthermore, the securing means in some such folders of the prior art have the disadvantage that they do not always reliably secure all the contents of the folder. Dutch patent application no. 8903135 discloses a notepad comprising a stack of paper bound together at one edge thereof by staples. The staples are covered by an adhesive strip which runs along the length of the bound edge. The stack is covered by a jacket which is glued along the inside of a median spinal fold to the adhesive strip. US patent no. US-A-5601312 discloses a two-piece cover for binding a plurality of sheets. The front cover panel and the rear cover panel are formed of separate panels which are assembleable by securing the front cover panel to a stack of sheets by securing means. The rear cover panel includes an adhesive strip which adheres to the stack of sheets. A flap portion of the rear cover panel is then folded such that an adhesive strip thereon may secure the flap portion to the front cover panel so as to cover the securing means. It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved folder for stationery or the like. It is also a purpose of the invention to provide an improved folder having a flap member which may provide access to a front margin and to a back margin of the folder. It is also a purpose of the invention to provide a folder having a flap member which is movable to a position in which fastening means present in the margin region of the folder may be covered. According to the present invention, there is provided a folder for binding a pile of sheet material or the like, said pile of sheet material being securable by means of fastening means applied to a margin thereof, the folder comprising: (a) a jacket member comprising a front cover sheet and a back cover sheet, said cover sheets being joined by at least one substantially median spinal fold intermediate between said front cover sheet and said back cover sheet; (b) at least one flap member affixed to said jacket member; and (c) adhesive means for bonding said at least one flap member in a covering position in which it covers said fastening means; characterised in that: said at least one flap member is movable from a retracted position in which access is permitted to at least a margin of said back cover sheet adjacent said spinal fold and to at least a margin of said front cover sheet adjacent said spinal fold to permit the application of fastening means to the margin of the back cover sheet and the margin of the front cover sheet, to a covering position in which said at least one flap member covers at least said margins so as to cover the fastening means applied to said margins. It is preferred that the margins adjacent the spinal fold comprises a durable but penetrable material (penetrable by staples or the like). Flexible sheet material (such as paper or the like) may be inserted into the folder such that an edge region of the sheet material is positioned alongside the interior of the spinal fold. The flexible sheet material may be secured in the folder by fastening means (such as staples or the like) applied substantially along the margins of the cover sheets and through the edge region of the sheet material, for example, using a stapling machine. The one or more flap members may then be moved from the retracted position to the covering position so as to cover at least the front and back margins of the cover sheets and any staple or staples (or other fastening means) which might otherwise be visible. The jacket member forming part of the folder according to the present invention preferably comprises a unitary sheet of durable material (such as a suitable plastics material). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the jacket member may have two or more substantially median spinal folds, so as to form a spinal gusset between the front cover sheet and the back cover sheet. Such a gusset defines a space therebetween for receiving an edge region of a stack of sheet material. This arrangement permits more sheet material and/or thicker sheets to be secured in the folder than in the arrangement in which one spinal fold is present. A range of folders according to the present invention may be produced with a corresponding range of spacings between such spinal folds. The size of the staples or other fastening means used may also be selected according to the number of, or thickness of, sheets to be secured in the folder. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the folder includes at least one crease line spaced from, and substantially parallel to, the spinal fold. Preferably, the crease line is formed on the front cover sheet so that the contents of the folder may be viewed by folding the front cover sheet along the crease line. Typically, the crease line defines the border of the margin of the front cover sheet adjacent the spinal fold. Alternatively, there may be two crease lines, one at either side of the spinal fold (in other words, there may be a crease line on both the front and back cover sheets). The flap member of the folder according to the present invention preferably comprises an elongate length of material, and is preferably of similar or same material as that of the jacket member. At least part of the flap member is affixed to the jacket member. The flap member is preferably opaque such that when the flap member is in the covering position, the margins, the spinal fold and any fastening means present along the margins are not visible through the flap member. In one embodiment of the present invention, the flap member may comprise a first long edge which is permanently affixed to the front or back cover sheet and spaced apart from the margin of the front or back cover sheet (leaving both margins readily accessible), and a second long edge which comprises adhesive means for use when bonding the flap member to the jacket member. The first long edge of the flap member is preferably permanently affixed to the jacket member by suitable (permanent) adhesive means, by welding or the like. The second long edge of the flap member comprises suitable adhesive means, such adhesive means being preferably of a permanent nature. Alternatively, the adhesive means may be such as to permit removable bonding of the flap member to the jacket member, thereby allowing the folder to be re-used. The second long edge of the flap member may additionally comprise a strip of paper or the like covering the adhesive means. This strip may be removed (for example, peeled of) prior to moving the flap member from the retracted position in which access is permitted to both margins of the front and back cover sheets, to a covering position in which the flap member is adhesively attached to the jacket member and covers both margins of the front and back cover sheets. In the covering position, the second long edge of the flap member may be adhesively bonded to the margin, or to a portion of the respective cover sheet spaced from the margin. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first and second long edges of the flap member may comprise suitable adhesive means, and a substantially median portion of the flap member may be permanently affixed to the spinal fold of the jacket member substantially parallel to the two long edges of the flap member. According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the folder may comprise two such flap members, with the first long edge of one flap member being permanently affixed to the front cover sheet and the first long edge of the other flap member being permanently affixed to the back cover sheet. The first long edge of each such flap member is bonded to the respective cover sheet, but not to the respective margin, thereby leaving both margins accessible. The second long edge of each flap member typically comprises suitable adhesive means. The folder according to the present invention may be used with paper binders, clips, slides or the like, as fastening means in place of staples (all of which are preferably such that they penetrate the margins). Such a paper binder, clip or slide may then be hidden, as previously described, by covering the margins of the front and back cover sheets with the flap member. The folder according to the present invention permits access to both margins of the front and back cover sheets at the same time, so that, advantageously, fastening means (such as staples applied by a stapling machine) may be effectively used to fasten sheet material to both margins in one operation. Additional staples may be used to further secure the sheet material to the jacket member. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the jacket member and the flap member are typically of suitable plastics material. It is further preferred that the front and/or back cover sheets may be transparent. Alternatively, a portion only of the front and/or back cover sheets may be transparent. The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 (not to scale) is a schematic representation of one embodiment of folder according to the present invention, with a flap member permanently affixed to the jacket member; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of folder according to the invention, with a substantially median portion of a flap member permanently affixed to the spinal fold of the jacket member; Figure 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of folder according to the invention, with two flap members permanently affixed to the jacket member; and Figure 4 is a schematic representation of the folder of Figure 1 with the flap member in a covering position. Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a folder generally designated by reference numeral 1. The folder 1 comprises a unitary jacket member 2 comprising a front and back cover sheet 3a,3b and having a substantially median spinal fold 4. The front cover sheet 3a has a margin 5 adjacent the spinal fold; the back cover sheet 3b also has a margin adjacent the spinal fold (not shown in the diagram). A first long edge 7 of elongate flap member 6 is permanently bonded to the back cover sheet 3b and spaced from the margin border. A second long edge 8 of flap member 6 has an adhesive coating to bond the flap member 6 in the covering position to the front cover sheet 3a. In the covering position the second long edge 8 is bonded within margin 5 or spaced from margin 5, so that the margins of the front and back cover sheets 3a,3b are covered. The second long edge 8 has an adhesive coating 9 concealed by a peelable strip 10; prior to bonding the flap member 6 to the front cover sheet 3a, the peelable strip is removed. The front cover sheet 3a has a crease line 11 defining the border of margin 5, which permits the cover sheet 3a to be folded along the crease line 11 to reveal the contents of the folder 1. When sheet material is to be secured in the folder, an edge region of the sheet material is aligned along the interior of the spinal fold. As illustrated in the diagram, the flap member 6 is in the retracted position, so as to permit access to both margins of the cover sheets 3a,3b, so that, a stapling machine (for instance) may be used to fasten the sheet material to both margins of the cover sheets 3a,3b. In the diagram, three staples 12a,12b,12c have been used to secure sheet material in folder 1. The flap member 6 may subsequently be bonded in the covering position. Referring to Figure 2, there is illustrated another embodiment of folder 1 in which a substantially median portion of flap member 6 is permanently bonded to spinal fold 4 of jacket member 2. The first and second long edges 7,8 of the flap member 6 are in a retracted position permitting access to both margins of cover sheets 3a,3b. The first and second long edges 7,8 comprise an adhesive coating 9 concealed by a peelable strip 10 (the strip is peeled away prior to use) to allow the first long edge 7 to be bonded to the front cover sheet 3a and the second long edge 8 to be bonded to the back cover sheet 3b. The long edges 7,8 are bonded within, or spaced from, the margins of the cover sheets 3a,3b. Referring to Figure 3, there is illustrated a further embodiment of folder 1. The folder 1 comprises two flap members 6a,6b. Flap member 6a is permanently bonded to front cover sheet 3a along a first long edge 7a, and flap member 6b is permanently bonded to back cover sheet 3b along a first long edge 7b. The long edges 7a,7b are spaced apart from the margins. The second long edges 8a,8b of flap members 6a,6b comprise adhesive means to bond the flap members 6a,6b in the region of the spinal fold 4 to form the covering position. Referring finally to Figure 4, there is illustrated folder 1 in which the flap member 6 is in the covering position covering the margins of the cover sheets 3a,3b; because of the opacity of the flap member, the latter obscures staples 12a, 12b, 12c.

Claims: A folder (1) for binding a pile of sheet material or the like, said pile of sheet material being securable by means of fastening means (12a, 12b, 12c) applied to a margin thereof, the folder (1) comprising: (a) a jacket member (2) comprising a front cover sheet (3a) and a back cover sheet (3b), said cover sheets (3a, 3b) being joined by at least one substantially median spinal fold (4) intermediate between said front cover sheet (3a) and said back cover sheet (3b); (b) at least one flap member (6) affixed to said jacket member (2); and (c) adhesive means (9) for bonding said at least one flap member (6) in a covering position in which it covers said fastening means (12a, 12b, 12c); characterised in that : said at least one flap member (6) is movable from a retracted position in which access is permitted to at least a margin of said back cover sheet (3b) adjacent said spinal fold (4) and to at least a margin of said front cover sheet (3a) adjacent said spinal fold (4) to permit the application of fastening means (12a, 12b, 12c) to the margin of the back cover sheet (3b) and the margin of the front cover sheet (3a), to a covering position in which said at least one flap member covers at least said margins so as to cover the fastening means (12a, 12b, 12c) applied to said margins. A folder (1) according to claim 1, in which at least one of the cover sheets (3a, 3b) has a crease line spaced from, and substantially parallel to, said spinal fold (4). A folder (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said jacket member (2) and said flap member (6) are each of plastics material. A folder (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a portion of at least one of said cover sheets (3a, 3b) is transparent. A folder (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said flap member (6) is opaque. A folder (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said flap member (6) comprises an elongate length of material with at least a part of said flap member (6) permanently affixed to said jacket member (2), and at least one long edge having said adhesive means (9) thereon. A folder (1) according to claim 6, wherein said adhesive means (9) is such as to permanently bond said flap member (6) to said jacket member (2). A folder (1) according to claim 7, wherein said adhesive means (9) is covered by a peelable strip of paper. A method of making a presentation folder, which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a folder (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8; (b) inserting sheet material into said folder (1) such that an edge region of said sheet material is substantially adjacent an interior of said spinal fold (4); (c) securing said front and back cover sheets (3a, 3b) and said sheet material about said margins by fastening means (12a, 12b, 12c) applied to the margin of the back cover sheet (3b) and the margin of the front cover sheet (3a); and (d) covering said margins and the fastening means (12a, 12b, 12c) applied to said margins with said flap member. A method according to claim 9, wherein said fastening means (12a, 12b, 12c) comprises at least one staple, paper binder, clip or slide which penetrates said margins.

Inventors: PURCOCKS DALE MCPHEE, PURCOCKS, DALE MCPHEE
Applicants: PURCOCKS DALE MCPHEE, PURCOCKS, DALE MCPHEE
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B42D5
IPC codes: B42C11, B42D3, B42D5, B42F7, B42D1