Abstract:
An organizer to receive bank statements and bank checks is disclosed. A bottom is provided and includes a plurality of pockets adapted to receive bank checks. A top portion includes a pocket to receive bank statements. The top portion fits over the bottom portion in a closed position. The pockets have a removable cover to retain the checks and allow the user to view the checks.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/099,447 filed on Sep. 8, 1998 by the same inventor, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to organizers for paper materials. More specifically, this invention relates to a new and improved organizer for bank notes and statements for personal and commercial use. 
     2. Prior Art 
     It will be appreciated that most households and businesses in modern society receive numerous bank statements each month, not only detailing various banking transactions, but usually enclosing the cancelled bank checks. Quite frequently bank statements are several pages long and the checks are enclosed within the statements, making filing of such materials cumbersome and difficult to organize. Previous attempts at creating a filing system have been employed over the years, however, such filing systems do not take into account the unique way banking papers are presented to the customer, i.e. in statement form with cancelled checks. Thus, there is a need in the industry for an organizer which is adapted to receive bank statements and checks which can be easily accessed and easily filed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by the organizer of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention, an organizer having a top portion and a bottom portion to receive bank statements and bank checks is disclosed. The bottom portion includes a plurality of pockets adapted to receive bank checks. The top portion includes a pocket to receive bank statements. The top portion fits over the bottom portion in a closed position. In a preferred embodiment, each of the pockets has a retention portion partially disposed over the pocket to retain the bank notes and statements in place. In another embodiment, a cover is removably attached to cover the pocket and retain the checks therein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring now to the various drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several FIGURES. 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of the organizer in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a left side view of the organizer in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the organizer in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a back view of the organizer in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a right side view of the organizer in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of another embodiment of the organizer; 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of the organizer of FIG. 6 with a plurality of pocket covers; and 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of an alternate embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, an organizer in accordance with the present invention is generally shown at  10 . Organizer  10  includes a top portion  12 , a bottom portion  14  and a middle portion  16  (or spine) disposed there between. Bottom portion  14  includes a plurality of walls  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24 , extending upward therefrom. Bottom portion  14  has an inner surface  15  and an outer surface  17 . A plurality of pockets  26  (recessed portions) are formed by walls  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24 , and divider walls  28 . Each pocket  26  is sufficiently deep to hold several hundred checks. A resilient band  30 , preferably of a plastic or elastomer, is partially disposed over each pocket  26  to retain checks in respective pockets  26 . 
     Top portion  12  includes walls  32 ,  34 ,  36  and  38  which form pocket  40  to receive bank statements. Top portion  12  includes an inner surface  11  and an outer surface  13 . Walls  32 ,  34 ,  36 , and  38  extend upward from inner surface  11 . A second resilient band  42 , made of an elastomer, plastic or other suitable material, is partially disposed over pocket  40  to retain bank statements within pocket  40  of top portion  12 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , top portion  12  is pivotally attached to middle portion or spline  16  along crease  44 . Bottom portion  14  is pivotally connected to spline  16  along crease  46 . Thus, top portion  12  may be folded on to bottom portion  14  to form a rectangular box shape in a closed portion. Bottom portion  14  includes a recessed surface  48  so that top portion  12  may rest flush against bottom portion  14  when organizer  10  is in a closed position. Inner surface  11  of top portion  12  and inner surface  15  of bottom portion  14  face each other in the closed position. In a preferred embodiment, spline  16  includes a slot  50  made of a clear plastic to receive a label or indicia, indicating information concerning the checks retained in organizer  10 . 
     It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art based upon reading this disclosure that top portion  12 , spline  16  and bottom portion  14  may be made from conventional notebook materials, such as with a vinyl covered substrate. Walls  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24 , and divider walls  28  which form pockets  26  may be made of plastic and may be molded as a unit with a bottom wall  52 . The entire molded assembly may be affixed as a single unit to bottom portion  14 . Similarly, walls  32 ,  34 ,  36  and  38  may be made of plastic and may be molded as a unit with a bottom wall  54  with the entire assembly being affixed to top portion  12 . 
     Thus, in use, a user receiving bank statements places statements in pocket  40  and places checks in respective pockets  26 . Organizer  10  is then closed and may be filed and/or stacked for access. Pockets  26  may be dimensioned for standard personal bank checks and may also be dimensioned for commercial bank checks. 
     Now turning to FIGS. 6 and 7, another embodiment of an organizer is generally illustrated at  70 . Organizer  70  includes a plurality of check pockets  72  which receive checks to be stored. Check pockets  72  are separated by divider walls  74 , and walls  76  and side walls  78 . Divider walls  74  include a gap  80 . Side walls  78  include a recess portion  82 . Gap  80  and recess portion  82  allow the user&#39;s fingers to remove the checks. It will be appreciated that divider walls  74 , and walls  76 , and side walls  78  may be formed as a unit, i.e. molded, preferably of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Pocket covers  84  are removably attached to cover pockets  72 . Preferably, pocket covers  84  frictionally engage walls  74 ,  76  and  78 . 
     Pocket covers  84  may be made of a clear plastic or other suitable material and may include a pocket for receiving a label or indicia for the checks to be stored. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the device may have any number of pockets, such as two pockets. 
     While the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications may be thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not by limitation.