Abstract:
A two-sided hinged note comprises a generally planar sheet, an adhesive, and a hinge. The sheet has opposing front and back sides, both of which are suitable to be written upon at least in part. The adhesive, which may be pressure-sensitive and re-adherable, is on an adhesive area of the back side of the note and is capable of adhering to a surface of an item such that the sheet is flat against the surface thereby presenting the front side of the sheet facing outward from the surface. The hinge is proximate the adhesive area, wherein the hinge is operable to pivot approximately 180° to thereby present the back side of the sheet facing outward from the surface as a the sheet is approximately flat against the surface of the item.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/843,410, entitled “Two-Sided Hinged Repositionable Note,” filed Jul. 7, 2013. The entire disclosure of that provisional patent application is incorporated by reference herein. 
         [0002]    This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/______ (Attorney Docket No. 50011/0002), entitled “Hinged Repositionable Business Card,” filed Jul. 2, 2014, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. The teachings and disclosure set forth in that patent application regarding a business are applicable to the case wherein the business card is a note. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0003]    The field of this disclosure relates generally to paper stationary with an adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. Examples of such notes include STICKY NOTES® and POST-IT® notes. 
       BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
       [0004]    Many companies now produce repositionable notes all of which have the same basic characteristics but may vary in color, size, shape, and/or indicia pre-provided on the notes. The back side of such notes typically have a re-adherable strip of pressure-activated or pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) along one edge, designed for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces, then removing the note, and possibly re-attaching it to the same or a different surface. The back side of each paper note has typically been treated with a chemical to allow the adhesive to adhere properly to the paper, whereas the front side of the note is not chemically treated. 
         [0005]    One shortcoming with known repositionable notes is that users generally do not write on the back of repositionable notes. This can result in waste of resources. Often times a person needs to write or draw more than what can fit on the front side of one note. A second, third, and possibly additional notes are sometimes needed. To link or group those notes together for organizational purposes, it is typical to stick each note to the front side of another related note. However, known repositionable notes do not stick well to the front side of another such note. When grouping notes together in this manner, disorganization or loss of notes is more possible due to the low tack strength of such stacked notes. Moreover, sticking a note atop another note covers up at least a portion of the underneath note, requiring repeated removal and reapplication of stacked notes to access their content and then to reassemble the stack. 
       OVERVIEW OF DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    This patent document discloses various notes, such as repositionable notes, that feature a hinge, articulating joint, fold or the like and are generally referred to herein as Hinged Repositionable Notes (HRNs). One embodiment of an HRN employs an adherable strip of adhesive and a hinge. The adherable strip is preferably clear and re-adherable. The strip can be permanently or non-permanently attached to a piece of paper of various sizes. The hinge allows for writing on both sides of the paper note equally well by allowing the paper note to rotate 180°. Thanks to the clear adhesive strip on the HRN, the user can place the top of the HRN paper edge either between lines of text horizontally, between columns of text vertically or in any margin around a page of text, and the HRN will never need to be repositioned to access the text underneath. The HRN can simply be rotated out of the way to various degrees up to 180°, revealing the text it is covering. 
         [0007]    The re-adherable strip of adhesive can be manufactured in various widths. A smaller width with less tack strength can be safely used on delicate papers and surfaces. If the user desires to reposition the HRN on these delicate paper types they are free to do so without causing harm to the page as the smaller width of adhesive found on the HRN provides a low enough tack to prevent damage to the paper. A wider width with more tack strength can be safely used in office, home, and industrial settings. 
         [0008]    HRNs have the useful feature of being stackable. Multiple notes can be stuck to each other by sticking to the back of the HRN, which may be chemically treated thus providing full adherence strength of all grouped notes. The grouped HRN can then be stored and viewed in a cascading order or removed from the surface as one unit and transported without becoming unattached from each other. The hinge allows endless ways to attach HRNs to the back side of each other. An HRN can also be adhered to the front side of another HRN to create an easel out of the notes for better viewing. 
         [0009]    As one skilled in the art will appreciate in light of this disclosure, certain embodiments may be capable of achieving certain advantages, including, in some cases, some or all of the following: (1) conservation of paper resources, less paper waste, and more economical usage of repositionable notes for users and society; (2) more useful stacking of repositionable notes than possible with conventional non-articulated notes; (3) variable adhesive tack strength to permit use on more or less delicate objects upon application and removal; (4) facilitating the use of repositionable notes that do not obscure any underlying content, thereby avoiding the need to remove and re-apply the note to see what is underneath; (5) providing an easier way to tell the sticky end from the non-sticky end of the hinged note; and (6) facilitating simple conversion of a note into a non-sticky form. The following paragraphs elaborate on each of these advantages: 
         [0010]    First, the hinge feature of the HRN allows the user to write on both sides of the paper note equally well by allowing the paper note to rotate 180°. This can result in an approximate doubling of the efficiency of paper utilization for repositionable notes. That can benefit society as a whole, as less forest products are consumed for repositionable notes, and also individual end users-consumers, who can purchase half as many sticky notes to hold the same amount of writing. According to one example embodiment, the front side of the HRN can contained a pre-printed water mark arrow symbol or “over” indicia, and a user can circle that mark, symbol or indicia as a reminder that that there is additional writing on the back side of the note. Alternatively, a user can simply write his or her own mark, symbol or indicia to the same effect. 
         [0011]    Second, HRNs are more usefully stackable than known repositionable notes. Known repositionable notes do not stick as well to the front side of each other as to the back side. This is due to the fact that the back side is chemically treated with a chemical that enhances adhesion to the adhesive strip. This allows notes to be peeled apart from a stack, as they are sold, rather than ripping the adhesive strip off the back of a note. As a result, the tack strength of one note atop another note is less than ideal. When grouping notes together in this manner, disorganization or loss of notes is more possible due to low tack strength of sticking the note to the top of another note. Also, such stacking often covers print on the underneath note, causing users to remove the top note in order to view all of the note underneath and then reapply the top note. Repeated removal and reapplication exacerbates the problem by reducing the adhesive tack strength further. HRNs, on the other hand, can be stuck to each other by sticking to the backs, which if chemically treated like conventional non-articulating repositionable notes, provides full adherence strength of all grouped notes. The grouped HRN can then be stored and viewed in a cascading order or removed from the surface as one unit and transported without becoming unattached from each other. The hinge allows endless ways to attach HRNs to the back side of each other. HRNs can also be adhered to the front side of each other to create an easel out of the notes for better viewing. 
         [0012]    Third, the tack strength of HRNs can be better adjusted to be more suitable and less damaging to a wider variety of objects. The tack strength of the re-adherable strip of adhesive on known repositionable notes can deform and damage delicate papers upon both application and removal. In fact, packaging of known repositionable notes often states a warning notice to the effect that the adhesive may not be suitable for use on delicate papers or surfaces. Immediately upon sticking known repositionable notes to thin paper, the paper may become deformed and curved. This can change the shape of the page, causing it not to turn as effectively. Moreover, removal of a repositionable note that is too tacky may rip a fragile page or lift ink off the page. The re-adherable strip of adhesive on a HRN can be manufactured in various widths. A smaller width of adhesive with less tack strength can be safely stuck to delicate papers and surfaces without deforming or damaging the delicate paper. 
         [0013]    Fourth, an HRN may not obscure any underlying content on the page or other object to which it is attached, because the adhesive strip or anchor portion of the HRN may be transparent, and the remaining portion of the HRN can easily be turned over to reveal what is underneath it. Known repositionable notes, on the other hand, inherently cover what is underneath them, and the only way to reveal what is underneath a known repositionable note is to unstick it. This is undesirable and repositioning to preferred prior location can be problematic. HRNs do not suffer from that problem, especially if the adhesive anchor portion is clear or transparent. In fact, since the HRN can be positioned so that it is never permanently blocking, it can be permanently adhered to the page or other object. That is, the HRN need not be “repositionable” at all. Thus, certain embodiments may feature a stronger, even permanent or semi-permanent, adhesive. 
         [0014]    Fifth, a user can more easily visually ascertain the top of a note when the anchor portion is colored differently or constructed from a different material from the rest of the note. One disadvantage of current repositionable note is that a user must handle the note pad to feel or thumb through to determine the top of the note (as opposed to the bottom of the notes) before writing. The top of a HRN, however, may be visible due to its clear or otherwise distinctive adhesive strip. 
         [0015]    Sixth, an HRN can be easily converted into non-sticky form by simply folding over the sticky anchor portion and adhering it to the back of the note. The note in this form can be put in a pocket of clothing or otherwise used where adhesion is not desired. Such is not possible with current known repositionable notes. 
         [0016]    The foregoing and other advantages of various embodiments will be apparent upon reading this document. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is an isometric drawing of a hinged note according to one embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2A  is a top view of a hinged note in a first, unfolded configuration, according to one embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2B  is a top view of the hinged note of  FIG. 2A  in a second, folded configuration. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3A  is a top view of a hinged note in a first, unfolded configuration, according to another embodiment. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3B  is a top view of the hinged note of  FIG. 3A  in a second, folded configuration. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4A  is a side view of a hinged note, according to one embodiment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4B  is an exploded side view of the hinged note of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a folding operation to change a hinged note from a first, unfolded configuration to a second, folded configuration, according to one embodiment. 
           [0025]      FIG. 6A  is a first diagram illustrating a first stage of a folding operation to change a hinged note from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration, according to one embodiment. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6B  is a second diagram illustrating a second stage of a folding operation to change a hinged note from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration, according to one embodiment. 
           [0027]      FIG. 6C  is a third diagram illustrating a third stage of a folding operation to change a hinged note from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration, according to one embodiment. 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is a side view of an anchor and hinge portion of a hinged note, according to one embodiment. 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is a side view of an anchor and hinge portion of a hinged note, according to another embodiment. 
           [0030]      FIG. 9  is a side view of an anchor and hinge portion of a hinged note, according to yet another embodiment. 
           [0031]      FIG. 10  is a top view of three hinged notes stacked in a first arrangement. 
           [0032]      FIG. 11  is a top view of three hinged notes stacked in a second arrangement. 
           [0033]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of two hinged notes in an easel arrangement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0034]    With reference to the above-listed drawings, this section describes particular embodiments and their detailed construction and operation. The embodiments described herein are merely examples, set forth by way of illustration only and not limitation. Those skilled in the art will recognize in light of the teachings herein that there are alternatives, variations and equivalents to the example embodiments described herein. For example, other embodiments are readily possible, variations can be made to the embodiments described herein, and there may be equivalents to the components, parts, or steps that make up the described embodiments. 
         [0035]    For the sake of clarity and conciseness, certain aspects of components or steps of certain embodiments are presented without undue detail where such detail would be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings herein and/or where such detail would obfuscate an understanding of more pertinent aspects of the embodiments. 
         [0036]      FIG. 1  is an isometric drawing of a hinged note  100  according to one example embodiment. The hinged note  100  is generally a planar sheet having opposing front and back sides, each of which is suitable to be written upon to bear indicia printed or otherwise applied to the note. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the front side is facing upward and the bottom side faces downward on an object  200 , which may be, for example, a paper such as a page of a book. The hinged note  100  comprises three sections: A writing or message portion  120 , an adhesive area or anchor portion  140 , and a joint, folding, or hinge portion  160 . In a first, front-up or “face-up” configuration, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the message portion  120 , the anchor portion  140  and the hinge portion  160  are generally coplanar, thereby permitting the front side of the message portion  120  to be viewed and/or written upon. The message portion  120  may be paper or any other suitable material, such as a plastic. The message portion  120  may be a conventional repositionable note or formed from a conventional repositionable note. 
         [0037]    The anchor portion  140  includes an adhesive area on the back side. This anchor portion  140  attaches the note  100  to the object  200 . A suitable adhesive, such as, for example, a PSA, such as used with conventional repositionable notes, may be applied to the adhesive area. Any adhesive may be used, whereby the stickiness or tack of the adhesive is stronger or weaker, so as to suit the purpose of the note  100  and the surface characteristics of the object  200 . Preferably, the adhesive has a tackiness sufficiently weak to be readily overcome manually to remove the note  100  from the surface of the item, yet the adhesive is sufficiently persistent after removal to reapply the note  100  to the same object  200  or a different surface. The adhesive may be permanent or semi-permanent but is preferably non-permanent such that the note  100  is removable from the object  200  and reusable or repositionable. The anchor portion is preferably a plastic but may be any suitable material. 
         [0038]    The hinge portion  160  is disposed between the message portion  120  and the anchor portion  140  and is connected to both the message portion  120  and the anchor portion  140 . The hinge portion  160  is capable of folding or articulating at least approximately 180° to fold over the message portion  120  while the anchor portion  140  remains secured to the object  200 , thereby exposing the back side of the message portion  120  approximately flat against the object  200  so that a person can read from or write on the message portion  120 . When so folded, the hinged note  100  preferably rests stably in that second, back-up or face-down configuration. 
         [0039]    In some embodiments, the hinge portion  160  is a flexible material with a flexibility less than that of the message portion  120 . The force required to bend or otherwise articulate the hinge portion  160  is ideally less than the adhesion strength of the adhesive on the back side of the anchor portion  140 , so that folding of the hinge does not detach, and preferably does not even disturb, the grip of the anchor portion  140  to the object  200 . The hinge portion  160  is preferably sufficiently flexible or bendable such that the hinged note  100  pivots readily approximately 180° about the hinge portion  160  in response to light manual force from a finger of a person or even blowing by a person. The hinge portion  160  may be a plastic material, such as a polyvinylidene chloride (commonly used as SARAN WRAP®) preferably having a thickness less than either or both of the message portion  120  and the anchor portion  140 . 
         [0040]    In another embodiment, the hinge portion  160  is a line of perforations that weakens the note  100  to permit folding. The width of the hinge portion  160  may be more or less depending its construction. 
         [0041]    The anchor portion  140  may be substantially transparent or visually clear so that the object  200  underneath the anchor portion  140  is visible. In this way, any part of the object  200  can be revealed without removing the hinged note  100 ; instead, simply folding the note  100  over reveals a covered part of the object  200 . Additionally, the hinge portion  160  may also be substantially transparent. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are top views of the hinged note  100  in a first, unfolded configuration and a second, folded configuration, respectively. In  FIG. 2A , the note  100  is face up in a first configuration so that the front side  120 F of the message portion  120  is in view. In  FIG. 2B , the note  100  has been folded or rotated about its hinge or articulating joint in the hinge portion  160  to reveal the back side  120 B of the message portion  120 . In that second configuration of  FIG. 2B , the anchor portion  140  is covered by part of the message portion  120  proximate the hinge portion  160 . 
         [0043]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are like  FIGS. 2A and 2B  but illustrate the hinged note  100  having a smaller anchor portion  140  and thus a smaller adhesive area. The tackiness or stickiness of the note  100  depends on several factors, including the size of the adhesive area and the type of adhesive used. Notes with less tackiness, such as due to a smaller adhesive area as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  as compared to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , may be more appropriate for use on fragile objects such as thin sheets of paper (e.g., so-called “onion skin” paper), especially if removal and reapplication of the note  100  is contemplated. The size of the adhesive area is easily adjustable to permit manufacture of different hinged notes  100  with larger or smaller adhesive areas to suit various applications and different types of objects  200 . In some example embodiments, the adhesive area may be from about 30% to about 2% of the total area of the note  100 . 
         [0044]    The hinged notes  100  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  are rectangular, but such notes can be of any shape. The hinged notes  100  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  also have a rectangular adhesive area or anchor portion  140 , but the adhesive area can take any shape. The adhesive area is preferably generally proximate at least one periphery edge of the hinged note  100 , but that is not required. Alternatively, the adhesive area may be in an interior portion of the note  100 . For example, the adhesive area may be down the middle of the note  100  with two hinge portions—one on either side of the adhesive area—thus creating a double-flappable note. Moreover, the shape of the hinge portion  160  can also vary, but it works best if it is generally or substantially straight. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are a side view and exploded side view, respectively, of one example embodiment of the hinged note  100 . According to this example, the anchor portion  140  and the hinge portion  160  are formed from a common member  170 . That member  170  has a thicker section that forms the anchor portion  140  and a thinner section that forms the hinge portion  160  and also attaches to the message portion  120 . The member  170  may be formed integrally from the same material throughout or may be constructed from separate pieces. An adhesive  180  attaches the member  170  to the message portion  120 , and an adhesive  190  is used to attach the anchor portion  140  to an object, such as the object  200  ( FIG. 1 ). As shown in  FIG. 4A , the adhesive  180  attaches the top side of the member  170  to the back side of the message portion  120 , but that arrangement can be reversed (i.e., the bottom side of the member  170  attaches to the top side of the message portion  120  via the adhesive  180 ). The bond between the member  170  and the message portion  120  is preferably stronger than the bond resulting from the adhesive  190 , so that the adhesive  190  releases before the adhesive  180 . In that way, the entire hinged note  100  is removed from a foreign object, rather than the hinged note coming apart, under removal force. The adhesive  180  may be first applied to either one of the message portion  120  or the member  170 . 
         [0046]    In the example shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the hinge portion  160  is characterized by a distance separating the message portion  120  from the anchor portion  140 . That distance is preferably sufficient to prevent undue mechanical interference between the message portion  120  and the anchor portion  140  as the hinge portion  160  bends to folds over the hinged note  100 . If the distance is too small, the hinged note  100  may not completely fold over and lay flat in a folded configuration. In the example construction illustrated in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the distance defining the width of the hinge portion  160  (measured horizontally as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ) is preferably slightly in excess of the sum of the thickness of the message portion  120  plus the height difference of the anchor portion  140  relative to the height of the member  170  in the hinge portion  160 . When different arrangements are used to construct the hinged note  100 , a different distance may be necessary or desirable. For example, if the top of the message portion  120  attaches to the bottom of the left side of the member  170 , then the width of the hinge portion  160  may be only slightly in excess of the thickness of the member portion  120 . 
         [0047]    The width of the hinge portion  160  is preferably minimized to reduce movement of the message portion  120  while writing due to buckling of the weaker hinge portion  160 . Too great a distance between the message portion  120  and the anchor portion  140  may cause such undesirable movement. Thus, the optimal distance, in the absence of other factors, is just enough to avoid mechanical interference or pinching while folding but little or no more than that. 
         [0048]    The anchor portion  140  and the hinge portion  160  may be constructed integrally as a two-sided tape having two thicknesses and with offset, non-overlapping areas of tape on the top and bottom. Alternatively, the anchor portion  140  and the hinge portion  160  may be constructed integrally as a one-sided tape having two thicknesses and an adhesive only on one side, generally aligned with the thicker anchor portion  140 . In the latter, case, the adhesive  180  is preferably provided pre-applied to the message portion  120 , such as when the message portion  120  is a conventional repositionable note. 
         [0049]    The hinged note  100  may alternatively be constructed integrally from one material that is both suitable for bearing writing and suitable to hold the adhesive  190  under the anchor portion  140 . The hinged portion  160  may be a thinner section of the note&#39;s material, thus providing a more bendable/flexible portion that functions as an articulating joint. 
         [0050]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a folding operation to change the hinged note  100  from a first, unfolded configuration to a second, folded configuration, according to one embodiment. This folding operation transforms the hinged note  100  from having its front side up to having its back side up.  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B, and  6 C are diagrams illustrating three different stages of a folding operation to change a hinged note from the first, unfolded configuration to the second, folded configuration. 
         [0051]    The ways to turn the hinge note  100  over are many. When using an object to turn it over, an object may be placed underneath the message portion  120  opposite of the hinge portion  160 . The object used to turn the note  100  over can also be placed at the start of the note  100  edge opposite of the hinge without going under the paper and with light force pushing the note edge forward. This action forces the paper edge forward and the note to buckle in the center of the note and then flip the edge of the note being pushed up and the object can then finish pushing the note forward and over. Also, most objects including fingers and writing utensils can be placed at the paper note edge opposite of the hinge portion  160  and the actions of flicking, flipping, pushing can be used to force the note over 180°. Light force up away from the surface may move/rotate the note  100  up, forward/backward, and then downward 180° until the note lays flat on the surface of the object  200 , exposing the writeable back side of the note  100 . The force required may be comparable to a light breath needed to blow out a small birthday candle flame which is accomplished all over the world by very small children to aging adults. Anyone who can lift a finger or hand off a table 6 inches and forward 6 inches can turn over the note  100 . Anyone who can blow out a small birthday candle flame can turn over the note  100 . Thus, the hinged note  100  may be especially useful for those having disabilities. Yet another way to turn the note over 180° is to take in one&#39;s hand or hands the object  200  to which the note  100  is attached and move the object  200  in a brisk circle arch of approximately 10 inches. The force created by that motion may turn the note  100  over automatically. This can be reversed to return the note  100  to its alternate position. Also, user can turn the object  200  upside down or sideways and the note  100  may automatically rotate over. This same rotation may be accomplished when the note  100  is stuck to a text book page and the user turns the page. This action will often times cause the note  100  to automatically rotate over. 
         [0052]    Objects that may be used to turn the note  100  include, but are not limited to, any finger or thumb and any hand; writing utensil of all shapes and sizes including pencils, pens, and markers; other paper notes or various sized paper of all thickness; one&#39;s breath as described above; the taking of a text book in of one&#39;s hand or hands and moving the book in a brisk circle arch of approximately 10 inches; turning the text book or other object  200 ; and placing one&#39;s tip of the tongue on the paper note edge opposite of the hinge and lifting one&#39;s head. 
         [0053]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the member  170  according to another example embodiment. In this example, the member  170  is constructed of member components  142  and  143 . The component  142  is thicker and comprises part of the anchor portion  140 . The component  143  is thinner and forms the hinge portion  160 . A double-sided tape may be used to form the thicker component  142  and the adhesive  190  collectively. The top side of such tape adheres to the thinner component  143 , which may be a plastic film. Although  FIG. 7  illustrates the adhesive  180  on the thinner component  143 , the adhesive  180  may instead be pre-applied to the message portion  120 . In one example, the message portion  120  is a conventional repositionable note, and the adhesive  180  is the adhesive pre-applied to a portion of the back side of such a conventional repositionable note. It has been found that such an adhesive sticks well to plastic wrap, such as, for example, SARAN WRAP®. 
         [0054]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the member  170  according to another example embodiment. In this example, the member  170  is also constructed of member components, denoted as components  145  and  146  in this example. The member component  145  is a thicker piece that is the top of the anchor portion  140 , whereas the thinner component  146  comprises the hinge portion  160 . The thinner portion  146  is preferably flexible and bendable, whereas the thicker portion  145  provides more stability to the anchor portion  140 . The components  145  and  146  may be joined by any suitable manner. 
         [0055]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the member  170  according to another yet example embodiment. In this example, the member  170  is constructed of three member components  147 ,  148 , and  149 . The components  147  and  148  sandwich the component  149 , which comprises the hinge portion. The components  145  and  146  may be joined by any suitable manner. 
         [0056]    The parts illustrated in  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  7 - 9  may have any suitable thicknesses. For example, anchor portion  140  or components  142 ,  145 ,  147  and/or  148  may be, for example, from approximately 0.05 mm to approximately 0.08 mm thick. The hinge portion  160  or components  143 ,  146 , and  149  may be, for example, from approximately 0.02 mm to approximately 0.03 mm thick. The adhesive  190  may be a layer that is, for example, approximately 0.01 mm thick. 
         [0057]    The hinged note  100  may be manufactured in a variety of ways. One such method is, broadly speaking, a two-part procedure. Part one involves a paper note. The back side of a note is preferably chemically treated to allow a PSA to adhere to the back side. Part two involves a single piece of tape extruded or otherwise constructed to have two sections of different thickness. Approximately two-third (or any other suitable fraction) of the width of the tape is thicker, for example, approximately 0.05 mm thick, and has PSA on its underside, while the remaining one-third is thinner, for example, approximately 0.02 mm thick and optionally has permanent adhesive applied to a portion of the top side, allowing this one-third section to be permanently or non-permanently adhered to the paper note. Alternatively, the adhesive securing the paper note to the top of the tape may be first applied to the paper note. 
         [0058]    This method of manufacture involves: (1) Tape is laid flat on a flat surface with PSA side down. (2) Paper is laid on top of the one-third thinner section of tape (permanently or non-permanent adhesive has already been applied to either the paper or the one-third thinner section of tape before laying paper down on top of the one-third section). (3) The paper and one-third section of tape are pressed together briefly and optionally exposed to infrared or other drying environment to expedite adhesive curing/drying. (4) A pre-determined amount of these completed sheets are stacked on top of each other. (5) A backing sheet can optionally be positioned as the bottom sheet. (6) These grouped sheets are then cut to desired note size and/or shape. 
         [0059]    An alternative method of manufacture, suitable for a three-part version, involves the same method as above except the tape consists of two pieces. One piece of the tape is thicker and the second piece of the tape is thinner. The thinner piece is permanently or non-permanently adhered to the thicker tape. This method of manufacture involves: (1) The thicker tape is laid flat on a flat surface with its PSA side down. (2) A thinner plastic piece is permanently or non-permanently adhered to the thicker tape with overlap on one side. (3) A paper note is laid on top of the overlap (permanently or non-permanent adhesive has preferably already been applied to either the overlap or the paper note before laying paper down on top of the overlap). (4) The paper and overlap are pressed together briefly and optionally exposed to infrared or other drying environment to expedite adhesive curing/drying. (5) A pre-determined amount of these completed sheets are stacked on top of each other. (6) A backing sheet can optionally be positioned as the bottom sheet. (7) These grouped sheets are then cut to desired note size and/or shape. 
         [0060]    HRNs, such as the hinged note  100 , are useful in many ways. In general, a hinged note can be used just as a conventional repositionable note and offer the same uses. Moreover, the hinged nature of HRNs allows them to be used in other ways not readily possible with conventional repositionable notes. For example, a hinged note can be used in a flashcard mode, with questions written on the front and answers written on the back. Such flashcard hinged notes can be strategically placed in textbooks to reinforce concepts taught on the page to which the hinged note is attached. Such flashcard hinged notes can be made and placed by parents or teachers before giving a reading assignment to students, or made and placed by students as a self-study aid. 
         [0061]      FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate two ways of collecting related sticky notes  100  together in a group. This may be useful to collect a set of notes of related information, such as phone numbers, names, and time period of when tasks were completed or initiated. With currently known repositionable notes, there is no organized way of doing this because the notes do not stick well to each other and each note needs to be lifted and unstuck completely from a preceding note in order to access information underneath. For this reason, users sometimes discard old completed notes only to find they wished they had not done so. With hinged notes or HRNs, the clear sticky strip can be stuck on top of the preceding clear sticky strip in such a way as to create one unit (a mini-book of hinged notes) where each page freely rotates 180° for convenient and quick viewing when one needs to refer to completed notes. Both the front and the back side of the notes can be viewed easily by simply turning the stack of notes. Additionally, user can date each note for more detailed referencing, if desired. 
         [0062]      FIG. 10  is a top view of three hinged notes stacked in a first arrangement. In this arrangement, the top hinged note has its front side  120 F facing up, whereas the two underneath notes have their bottom sides facing up. In this way, the adhesive area of the second note sticks to the top note&#39;s back side, which may have better adhesion properties than its front side. In this arrangement, the stack of hinged notes are staggered, and each one can be flipped individually, or they can be flipped together. 
         [0063]      FIG. 11  is a top view of three hinged notes stacked in a second arrangement. In this arrangement, all three notes are face up. In this arrangement, each note is stuck to the front side  120 F on the note immediately underneath it. In this arrangement, the stack of hinged notes are staggered, and each one can be flipped individually, or they can be flipped together. 
         [0064]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of two hinged notes in an easel arrangement. In this easel arrangement, the back side of the bottom note is the display side of the easel, and the top note forms the back leg of the easel. When this easel is laid flat, the bottom note hinges at the bottom of the easel, and the top note folds over to partially cover part of the front side of the bottom note. In this way, two hinged notes or HRNs can lay flat on a page of a closed book but then be popped up when the book is opened to that page. Such an easel can be used as a study aid. 
       CONCLUSION 
       [0065]    The terms and descriptions used above are set forth by way of illustration and example only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations, enhancements and modifications of the concepts described herein are possible without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should therefore be determined only by the following claims, claims presented in a continuation patent application, and equivalents to the foregoing claims.