Patent Publication Number: US-7913434-B1

Title: Reusable calendar system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is entitled to the benefit of provisional application No. 61/027,881 filed on Feb. 12, 2008, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a unique calendar system wherein the calendar for the next twelve months is continuously reconfigured and updated. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Nearly everyone uses a calendar to memorialize important events such as birthdays, appointments and holidays. Calendars typically include bound pages each having month and day spaces appearing thereon on which a user transcribes the time and description of an important event. However, at the end of each calendar year, the existing calender must be replaced with a new calendar that corresponds to the new year. Repeatedly purchasing a new calendar is costly and burdensome. Furthermore, many important events recur each year thereby requiring the user to rewrite the event on a yearly or monthly basis, which is laborious and time consuming. Accordingly, there is currently a need for a calendar system that overcomes the above-enumerated disadvantages associated with conventional calendars. 
     A review of the prior art reveals a myriad of perpetual or reusable calendars. For example, U.S. published patent application no. 20080263917 filed on behalf of Kwon discloses a calendar configured to distinguish between a holiday and a regular day. The device includes a calendar board having day, week and month spaces thereon and a plurality of magnetic date blocks for securing to the day spaces. Each date block includes two discretely-colored numerals on each of two opposing sides, one color numeral for indicating a holiday and the other for indicating a regular day. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,351 issued to Sasson discloses a perpetual calendar including a base panel having horizontal grooves formed thereon. Overlaying the grooves is a transparent sheet having notches that are configured to identify a day, a month or a date. Colored tabs within the grooves may be slid beneath a month, day and date notch to conspicuously identify the current date. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,423 issued to Malino discloses a magnetic calendar including a panel having multiple spaces formed thereon for depicting a current month and the pertinent dates thereof. A plurality of magnetic pieces having numerals or indicia thereon are positioned within the spaces to correctly depict the current month&#39;s calendar. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,168 issued to Mori discloses a perpetual calendar having a sheet with transparent characters formed thereon that each correspond to days of the week, dates and the current month. Colored plates are each positioned behind any of the transparent characters to depict the current month, date and day of the week. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,478 issued to Brewer discloses a calendar having detachable components for perpetually arranging the calendar. The components are easily stored in a designated compartment. 
     As indicated above, numerous perpetual calendars exist in the prior art that allow a user to continuously reconfigure the calendar according to the current month or year. However, none of the above-described calendar systems include a means for conveniently monitoring upcoming events; additionally, each of the conventional devices requires substantial reconfiguration in order to update the calendar to reflect a current time frame. The present invention provides a calendar that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art calendars by providing a calendar formed of multiple magnetic sheets, magnetic week strips and writable magnetic event tabs; the week strips and event tabs are continuously moved between differently configured sheets such that the calendar for the next twelve months is continuously reconfigured and updated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a calendar system comprising multiple (i.e., twelve) magnetic “month” sheets for each calendar month of the year, a magnetic “To Do List” sheet and a magnetic “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet. Each sheet includes a header section which is selectively variable according to the current month, year and/or day using magnetic date tabs each having a particular month, date or year number imprinted thereon. The system further includes a plurality of magnetic “week” strips for securing to one of the sheets. Each “week” strip includes seven columns each having a day of the week imprinted adjacent thereto. Adjacent each day of the week indicia is a date space to which one of the numbered tabs is secured to appropriately label each day with the corresponding date for the particular week. A plurality of color-coded event tabs are also included for magnetically securing to one of the “week” strips positioned on a “Month” sheet or the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet, or directly to the “To Do List” sheet. Each time a week elapses, a “week” strip is moved from the current “Month” sheet to the “Six Weeks at a Glance Sheet.” The week strip associated with the elapsed week is moved to a final “Month” sheet and re-labeled accordingly whereby next year&#39;s calendar is continuously configured and updated. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a calendar system that eliminates the need to purchase a new calendar each year. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a calendar system that includes color-coded event tabs for grouping certain events according to a common theme. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of the “To Do List” sheet. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of an exemplary “Month”/“Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet. 
         FIG. 3  depicts an exemplary “week” strip and corresponding event tabs. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention relates to a calendar system comprising a plurality of magnetic sheets each for displaying important events for a particular time period. The sheets are supported within a frame  1  that is secured to an underlying support surface such as a wall. The frame includes a pair of slots  2  that receive one of two T-shaped hangers  3  at the upper edge of each sheet. A flap  4  pivots onto the slots to retain the sheets within the support frame. The frame further includes a cavity for storing tabs(described infra), pens and other related supplies. 
     The calendar includes twelve “Month” sheets  7  for each calendar month of the year, a “To Do List” or task sheet  6  and a “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet, which is configured identically to any of the month sheets. The “task” sheet includes a pair of columns, one  8  corresponding to Today and another  9  corresponding to Tomorrow. Each column is divided into two sections, one  11  pertaining to the time of day for a scheduled event, the other  12  for arranging events in order of priority. Along the side of the time of day column are time indicia  13  in predetermined intervals, i.e., every thirty minutes. Alternatively, a blank magnetic strip can be secured next to the columns on which a user can write desired time intervals. The task sheet includes a header section  14  which is selectively variable according to the current month and day. As such, the calendar system further includes magnetic date tabs  15  each having a particular month, date or year number imprinted thereon. Accordingly, a user can modify the header section to appropriately depict the identity of the current day, month and date, as well that of the succeeding day. 
     The “Month” sheets, as with the “To Do List” sheet, each include a variable header  30  for displaying a month and a year. Furthermore, the “Month” sheets also include a rectangular border that defines a blank space for receiving week strips  16  as described in more detail below. 
     Each “week” strip  16  includes seven columns  17  each having a day of the week indicia  18  imprinted adjacent thereto. Adjacent each day of the week indicia is a date space  19  to which one of the numbered tabs is secured to appropriately label each day with the corresponding date for the particular week. For example, if Wednesday falls on the 23 rd  of the month for a given week, the number  23  is placed adjacent the designation “Wednesday.” Each day column includes multiple blocks  20  to which event tabs are secured as described in more detail below. 
     A plurality of color-coded event tabs  21  are also included for magnetically securing to a designated time slot and/or date on one of the aforementioned sheets. A permanent marker is used to transcribe recurring events onto some of the tabs while an erasable marker is used to transcribe other rarer events. Alternatively, adhesive labels may be printed and applied to the tabs. A predetermined number of tabs  22  may be preprinted to designate certain annual events or holidays, i.e., Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. 
     The method of using the calendar system described above includes first preparing the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet to depict the current month by placing six weekly strips thereon. The magnetic month, date and year tabs are secured to the top of the sheet to properly identify the corresponding time period. Magnetic number tabs are placed adjacent each day designation beginning with the current day of the week. The month sheets are then configured starting with the month immediately succeeding the current month being depicted on the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet. Again, each sheet is properly identified using the numbered and labeled tabs. An appropriate number of “week” strips are secured to each month according to the number of weeks each calendar month actually contains. The first “month” sheet may only include a few or no “week” strips because some earlier strips will be on the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet. The user then labels each writable tab with an identifying transcription corresponding to a known, scheduled event. Any events which are in any way related or similar are preferably transcribed onto matching colored tabs for easier identification. Each of these tabs is magnetically secured to the appropriate month and day of the year on either the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet or a “Month” sheet. Any tabs identifying events scheduled for the current day or the immediately succeeding day, are placed on the “To Do List” page according to either its scheduled time or priority. At the end of the day, the user removes the event tabs from the “Today” column and either erases them or places them on another date on any of the other sheets. The event tabs in the Tomorrow column are then relocated to the Today column. All event tabs on the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet corresponding to the date immediately succeeding that of the original “Tomorrow” date, are then placed into the “Tomorrow” column on the “To Do List” sheet. 
     When a week on the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet has elapsed, the strip corresponding thereto is removed and placed on the last “Month” sheet. The date numbers are replaced with numbers corresponding to appropriate days of the week for the last month. For example, if the week strip on the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet represented the first week of December 2008, the strip may represent the final week of November 2009 once it is relocated to the last “month” sheet. Each remaining strip on the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet is moved up one position and the most current “week” strip remaining on the most current “Month” sheet is relocated to the lowermost position on the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet. Once all “week” strips have been removed from the most current “Month” sheet, the sheet is placed behind all other “Month” sheets and is configured to appropriately depict the twelfth month that succeeds the current month. “Week” strips from the “Six Weeks at a Glance” sheet are gradually added to the last month sheet whereby the following year&#39;s calendar is continuously updated. 
     The above-described device is not limited to the exact details of construction and enumeration of parts provided herein. Finally, the size, shape and materials of construction of the various components can be varied. 
     Although there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the invention is only to be limited by the following claims.