Patent Publication Number: US-6666608-B1

Title: Paper retaining structure of a loose-leaf file folder

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a loose-leaf file folder, and more particularly to a paper-retaining structure of the loose-leaf file folder. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional loose-leaf file folder comprises two covers, a spine located between the two covers, and a paper-retaining structure enabling papers to be easily removed or replaced. The paper-retaining structure comprises two paper-holding devices opposite to each other. The paper-holding devices may comprise an elastic means to hold the papers in place. The paper-holding devices are mounted in the folder by a locating means. 
     The conventional loose-leaf file folder is defective in design in that the paper-retaining structure is complicated in construction and is therefore not cost-effective. In addition, the paper-retaining structure is made of a material different in nature from the material of which the covers and the spine of the conventional loose-leaf file folder are made. As a result, the conventional loose-leaf file folder cannot be integrally made. In light of the covers, the spine, and the paper-retaining structure of the conventional loose-leaf file folder being made of different materials, the conventional loose-leaf file folder poses an environmental problem on the grounds that the discarded file folder of the prior art cannot be economically recycled. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a loose-leaf file folder which is free of the deficiencies of the prior art loose-leaf file folder described above. 
     In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by a loose-leaf file folder comprising two covers, a spine located between the two covers and made integrally with the two covers, and a paper-retaining structure enabling papers, cards, etc. to be easily removed, replaced or put back in place. The paper-retaining structure comprises a plurality of paper-holding sets, each being formed of a shaft, a paper-holding stem, and a crossbar. The shaft and the stem are integrally made with the covers and are uprightly projected from a margin of one of the two covers. The shaft and the stem are provided in the top end with a retaining hole. The crossbar is provided at the two longitudinal ends with a retaining arm. The crossbar is removably joined with the shaft and the stem such that one retaining arm of the crossbar is removably retained in the retaining hole of the shaft, and that the other retaining arm of the crossbar is removably retained in the retaining hole of the stem. 
    
    
     The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of three preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a paper-holding set of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the paper-holding set of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a front spread-out view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows a rear spread-out view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows another front spread-out view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 shows an exploded perspective view of a paper-holding set of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the paper-holding set of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 shows a sectional schematic view of the paper-holding set of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention at work. 
     FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a paper-holding set of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the paper-holding set of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention in combination. 
     FIG. 11 shows a schematic view of the paper-holding set of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention at work. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-5, a loose-leaf file folder embodied in the present invention comprises two covers  10  opposite to each other, a spine  11  situated between the two covers  10 , and a paper-retaining structure formed of a plurality of paper-holding sets  20  and located in proximity of a margin of one of the two covers  10 , with the margin being contiguous to the spine  11 . 
     The paper-holding sets  20  are identical in construction to one another and are formed of a shaft  21 , a paper-holding stem  22 , and a crossbar  31 . The shaft  21  and the stem  22  are integrally made with the one of the two covers  10  and are uprightly projected from the margin of the one of the two covers. The shaft  21  and the stem  22  are opposite and parallel to each other. The shaft  21  is provided in the top end with a first retaining hole  23  while the stem  22  is provided in the top end with a second retaining hole  24 . The crossbar  31  is provided at one longitudinal end with a first retaining arm  33 , at the other longitudinal end with a second retaining arm  34 . The crossbar  31  is detachably joined with the shaft  21  and the stem  22  in such a manner that the first retaining arm  33  of the crossbar  31  is removably retained in the first retaining hole  23  of the shaft  21 , and that the second retaining arm  34  of the crossbar  31  is removably retained in the second retaining hole  24  of the stem  22 . A filed paper can be easily removed by separating the crossbar  31  from the shaft  21  and the stem  22 . 
     The second retaining hole  24  of the stem  22  is optionally provided in the wall with one or more slits  25  to facilitate the inserting and the removing of the second retaining arm  34  of the crossbar  31 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the crossbar  31  of the present invention is optionally provided with a pliable portion  32  enabling the first retaining arm  33  of the crossbar  31  to be retained in the first retaining hole  23  of the shaft  21  while the second retaining arm  34  of the crossbar  31  is separated from the second retaining hole  24  of the stem  22 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the crossbar  31  of the present invention is provided with a retaining knob  35  in place of the second retaining arm  34 . The retaining knob  35  is dimensioned to fit removably into the top end of the second retaining hole  24  of the paper-holding stem  22 . When a filed paper is to be taken out of the folder, the crossbar  31  is turned on the first retaining arm  33 , so as to cause the retaining knob  35  to move out of the top end of the second retaining hole  24  of the stem  22 , as illustrated in FIG.  11 . 
     The shaft  21  and the paper-holding stem  22  of the paper-holding sets  20  of the present invention are integrally made with the covers  10  and the spine  11 . As a result, the loose-leaf file folder of the present invention is relatively cost-effective. In addition, the paper-holding sets  20  of the present invention are relatively more versatile. 
     The embodiments of the present invention described above are to be regarded in all respects as being illustrative and nonrestrictive. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from the spirit thereof. The present invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.