Patent Publication Number: US-2011049223-A1

Title: Single material hanging file folder

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/239,257, filed on Sep. 2, 2009, and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a single material hanging file folder, and more specifically to a single material hanging file folder that utilizes a combination of cut and folded, durable paper sheet and very dense paperboard strips to avoid the need for any other conventional hanging file folder reinforcing materials such as cut and coated metal or shaped plastic. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional hanging file folders are folders of flexible sheets such as durable paper that incorporate separate hooked spines, typically made of strips of cut and coated metal or shaped plastic, that are glued into folds along the file folder&#39;s open edges in such a way that the folder can be suspended like a pocket from rails mounted in specially designed file drawers or boxes. 
     As will be readily appreciated, conventional hanging file folder construction requires more than one material, typically durable paper and either metal or plastic, which results in relatively high materials and manufacturing costs. Significantly, conventional hanging file folder construction that is made with either metal or plastic spines produces a product that is not easily recyclable, as the various materials such as paper and either metal or plastic first be separated and then individually recycled. 
     In view of the above, a need exists for a single material construction for a hanging file folder in which the folder and reinforcing spines are made from a single material. An additional need exists for a single material construction for a hanging file folder that may be easily recycled. 
     With the forgoing concerns and needs in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a single material hanging file folder to reduce manufacturing and recycling costs associated therewith, as compared to existing file folders, and to provide an ease of manufacture not presently known in the industry. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a single material hanging file folder. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a single material hanging file folder that reduces costs associated with the manufacture of conventional hanging file folders. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a single material hanging file folder that provides an ease of manufacture presently unknown in the industry. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a single material hanging file folder that reduces costs associated with recycling conventional, mixed material hanging file folders. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a single material hanging file folder that provides a reduced cost, an ease of manufacture and reduced recycling costs through the use of a durable sheet and reinforcing spine that are manufactured from a single material. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention shall become clear by consideration of the specification taken as a whole. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a single material hanging file folder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an orthogonal view of the single material hanging file folder of  FIG. 1  illustrating a pattern of cuts and folds of a durable paper sheet used to form the inventive file folder. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged detail orthogonal view of the single material hanging file folder of  FIG. 1  illustrating a cut and fold pattern of a hook section at four top corners of the folder including wrapping tabs. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the single material hanging file folder of  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of two thin strips of dense paperboard that act as a reinforcing spine for use with the single material hanging file folder of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of strips of the paperboard of  FIG. 5  illustrating a glue position of the strips immediately inside fold lines of two open edges of the inventive single material file folder. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged detail perspective view of the glue position of one reinforcing paperboard strip of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is perspective view of the single material hanging file folder of  FIG. 1  illustrating the folding of outer edges of the file folder to the inside of the folder encasing the reinforcing paperboard strips. 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged detail perspective view of the folded and glued edge of  FIG. 8  illustrating a tip of the encased paperboard spine, a double thickness hook and a loose wrapping tab. 
         FIG. 10  is another enlarged detail perspective view of the folded and glued edge of  FIG. 9  illustrating the wrapping tab glued to the inside face of the folder thereby enclosing and sealing the reinforcing spine. 
         FIG. 11  is detail perspective view of the folded and glued edge of  FIG. 10  illustrating the formation of a hook. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of the inventive single material hanging file folder  2  is depicted in  FIGS. 1-11 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the folder  2  includes a single, coated paper sheet  10  that is generally rectangular in shape and has a generally T-shaped protrusion  12  integrally formed adjacent each corner thereof. The paper sheet  10  is folded in half about a medial, lower fold line  20  to form a folder body having a front leaf  14  and a rear leaf  16  joined at the lower fold line  20 . A pair of flaps on paper sheet  10  are then folded downwardly towards the inside thereof about upper fold lines  30  to reinforce the upper edges. By folding each leaf  14 ,  16  about upper fold line  30 , pockets or channels  18  extending the length of the folder body below the upper fold line  30  are formed. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 7 ,  9  and  10 , these channels  18  are sized to accommodate reinforcing paperboard strips or spines  60 , which serve to strengthen the upper edge of each leaf  14 ,  16 . The reinforcing strips  60  are best shown in  FIG. 6  and have a generally square or rectangular cross-section, although other configurations are also possible provided they impart a rigidity to the strips  60 . The reinforcing strips  60  are formed of the same or a substantially similar material as the folder body and are preferably formed of high-density paperboard. As further shown therein, upper fold line  30  generally splits the protrusions  12  in half such that folding each leaf  14 ,  16  about upper fold line  30  provides a double thickness (i.e., two ply) integral hook  40  for hanging the inventive file folder  2  from rails of a hanging file folder cabinet, or the like. Integral wrapping tabs  50  are also provided in the hook section and serve to secure the reinforcing spines  60 , to cover and protect the exposed plies of the paper sheet  10  and to provide a smooth and strong running surface at point of contact with the cabinet rails. The integral wrapping tabs  50  are adhered to an inner face of each leaf  14 ,  16  to secure the assembly, such as by using a glue, as discussed in detail below. 
     While in the preferred embodiment the reinforcing strips  60  are formed of the same material as the folder body, it is also possible that the strips  60  and folder body are formed of a slightly different material provided that both materials are recyclable using the same or a substantially similar process. The important point is that to effect recycling of the entire folder assembly  2 , the strips  60  do not have to be removed from the folder body. As such, the reinforcing strips  60  and the folder body can be made from slightly different materials so long as they can both be recycled together using the same recycling process. In this respect, slightly different types of paper, plastic or other materials known in the art can be used for the folder body and the reinforcing strips, respectively. 
       FIGS. 1-11  illustrate the steps for manufacturing or assembling a single-material hanging file folder  2  in accordance with the present invention. As shown therein, the inventive single material hanging file folder  2  is assembled by folding a die-cut sheet of durable paper  10  in half along fold line  20  to form a folder body ( FIG. 3 ). On the inside of the folder body, pre-cut strips  60  of high density paperboard are glued to sheet  10  just inside of the fold lines  30  to serve as reinforcing spines ( FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ). The open edges or flaps of the folder are then folded again towards the inside along fold lines  30  to enclose the paperboard spines  60  and produce a double thickness hook  40 . ( FIG. 7 ). Optionally, the open edges may be adhered, by means known in the art, to the inside faces of the front leaf  14  and rear leaf  16 , respectively, to further secure the reinforcing strips  60 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , during subsequent assembly, the wrapping tabs  50  of the folded sheets  10  are folded over all thicknesses/plies and glued to the inside face of folded sheet  10  ( FIG. 9 ), i.e., to the inside faces of the front leaf  14  and the rear leaf  16 . The resulting hanging file folder  2  has a blank front and back cover with protruding, reinforced hooks  40  at each of the  4  open corners to fit over the rails of conventional hanging folder cabinets, or the like. 
     As will be readily appreciated, the fact that the inventive single material construction for hanging file folder is manufactured from a single material, i.e., from paper, is an important aspect of the present invention. The use of a single material allows for an ease of manufacture presently unknown in the art. Accordingly, no special equipment is required to, for example, cut, coat and insert a hooked metal spine, or likewise, to form and attach the plastic alternative. Moreover, the use of a single material facilitates the recycling of hanging file folders made with the inventive single material construction, as a separate metal or plastic reinforcing hook and spine, for example, does not have to be removed prior to recycling. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various obvious changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof, without departing from the essential scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.