Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/839,090 filed on 21 Aug. 2006, the complete subject matter of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to a system for providing integral tab marking for the edges of a wallet or expanding file-like products and a method of making same. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Folders, known as wallets, expanding files and the like, suffer from the fact that they do not provide a convenient way to mark their contents on the outside of the wallet. Traditionally, labeling the outside of the wallet with adhesive labels or merely writing on the surface was the only solution, but markings are invisible if the wallets are on a shelf or in a carrier such as a brief case, where the markings are occluded by adjacent folder, books, etc, which block visual access to the markings. 
         [0004]    A solution is needed so that marking can be seen despite the occlusions mentioned above. Furthermore, structure used for marking must be inexpensive to manufacture and durable. 
         [0005]    There are other issues relevant to the solution of the present invention and they are detailed below. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present invention relates to a product and process of making a tab integral to the folder or wallet which makes it possible to mark indicia thereon which will be viewable even if the wallet/folder is located between other products, which would make viewing of markings on the major faces impossible. It also allows the manufacture of folders without additional material to be provided for the tabs. By using user selectable tabs, the manufacturer can provide one folder for all tab positions (such as center, left, right) and have the user decide which ones to liberate from the leaves from which they are formed. Two or three dimensional tabs are also possible. 
         [0007]    There is also disclosed a file folder having front rear and bottom walls having a front panel having a top and bottom edge, a rear panel having a top and bottom edge, a bottom panel joining said front and rear panels, a fold over cover portion extending from said top edge of the rear panel and capable overlying a portion of the front panel and forming at least a partial top to the folder, and a tab shaped user separable portion in said cover portion configured to allow a user to release the tab shaped portion from the cover portion thereby creating a tab extending from said top edge of said rear panel and creating an opening in said cover portion for said tab to protrude therethrough. 
         [0008]    Also disclosed is a file folder having first and second leaves with top and bottom edges on each leaf, said leaves being connected at one of each of said edges to form a fold line; and a tab is a separable portion of one of said leaves formed from a portion of one of said leaves, said tab having its base generally along said fold line, and extending away from the leaf from which it was formed, leaving an aperture in that leaf corresponding to that the material freed from said leaf to create said tab. 
         [0009]    Also disclosed is a method of making a folder having at least two leaves joined at a common edge, and having user selectable integral indicia tab having a front and back leaf of material being joined at a common edge to form a folder; perforating an outline of a tab into one of said leaves, leaving the base of the tab unperforated at the common edge; whereby, the user may elect to free the perforated tab from its leaf at said perforations. 
         [0010]    The perforations may have a plurality of tab outlines along said common edge and may include a method wherein the step of perforating further includes the method of making the tab three dimensional by providing a plurality of scores into the tab portion to provide the ability for the user to configure the tab into a triangular extension; providing an affixation material at the distal end of the tab so that it may be affixed to the other leaf thereby forming a three dimensional tab. 
         [0011]    The present invention has many facets and only a few are set forth in this summary. Reference should be had to the detailed description and the claims for a full definition of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wallet folder with a unitary/integral top tab attached; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a wallet with integral tab attached, in an open inside layout; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a view like  FIG. 2  showing an additional insert member, 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a view like  FIG. 1  except shown at a different perspective; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5 . is a perspective view of a protective shield for the tab; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a view like  FIG. 1  except with a three dimensional tab; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6   a  is a schematic view of tab  300  in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is an alternative embodiment in the form of a file folder in perspective; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7   a  is an alternative embodiment to the folder in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a side plan view of the subject matter in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a front plan view of the subject matter in  FIG. 7 ; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is an alternate embodiment from that in  FIG. 7 , except as a pocket folder, in perspective. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    The present invention is directed to an integrated tab system for a folder. The tabs may be 2 or 3 dimensional. The term folder, wallet or wallet type folder, is intended to encompass a range of office requisites, such as binders, folios, classification folders, expanding files and similar items, which could benefit from an integral tab for receiving marking/indicia and which hereto for, have not had such an integral feature. Integral or unitary is meant to mean that the tab is part of the wallet or folder and that the tab does not have to be user-attached. It can also mean that the tab is formed directly in the existing material, and does not require an attachment, but that is only the preferred embodiment. 
         [0025]    A typical wallet like folder, such as the expanding file  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, it has front and rear faces  12 ,  14  with top and bottom ends. The expanding folder  10  shown, has a cover flap  14  which extends from the edge of the rear flap (in fact it is a continuous web in the preferred embodiment, so the term “extending from” includes a continuous or discontinuous web of material) which overlies the front face at least in part and a optional rope or elastic fastener  16 . The front and rear faces are joined by sidewalls  18  and bottom  20  (shown best in  FIG. 3   a ). In the preferred embodiment, the side and bottom walls are a unitary piece folder twice and have an accordion fold/pleat for expansion. Elastic materials, such as latex could also be used for the expansion section, and of course, it does not have to provide expansion at all. 
         [0026]    In the preferred embodiment, a tab  30  is formed by making a separable portion such as by cutting into the flap  14  at its crown portion. The separable portion is may be the die cut as shown, perforations, scoring or any other releasable mechanism which guides the user as to where the break away will occur. In this embodiment, the crown is curved to allow for expansion, but it could be a mere fold at the apex. In such embodiment, a cut  40  is made in the flap  14  in the shape of a tab. The cut shown of  FIGS. 1-4  is a right side tab, but the cut can be made anywhere (center, right, or left). In the case of a wallet with an over-flap  14 , the cut should be distant from the edge  42  so that a region  44  of structural material remains to support that end of the flap. With stronger material, the tab can be closer to the edge. Alternatively, a reinforcement (such as a wire or plastic strip) can be embedded into region  44  so that it can be made narrow, i.e. the tab being nearly adjacent to the edge  42 , with the imposition of the reinforcement providing edge protection. 
         [0027]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4  tab  30  is effectively a cut out from the over-flap material  14 . 
         [0028]    The flat  30  can also be reinforced by providing a double ply of material in region  32  preferably on the inside surface thereof (see  FIG. 3 ) or by applying a reinforcement, such as a tape, on the inner and/or outer surface. The reinforcement should preferably have a writable surface. 
         [0029]    It is also possible to make such a wallet with an open top and still use the present integral tab feature. Flap  14  would be trimmed or non-existent. 
         [0030]    Further reinforcement of the tab  30  can be achieve by a slip over translucent shield  50 , which has a front and back surface  52 ,  54  and a gap  60  therebetween. The front and back surfaces would be resiliently biased toward each other by the top edge portion  66  and thus the tab  30  would be captured between the surfaces by the gap. 
         [0031]    A pair of extensions  56 ,  58  on either or both surfaces  52 ,  54  would provide engagement elements to further maintain the shield in place. The extensions and/or the surfaces  52 ,  54  would be sufficiently bendable and resilient to allow the extensions to engage the portion  70  of the apex region (see  FIGS. 1 and 4 ), thus maintaining a mechanical engagement with the cut out region. The preferred location to cut is at or near the apex 
         [0032]    Manufacturing of this invention can be made according to means already known for making wallet like folders, usually on a continuous web machine which later attachment of the gusset material  18 - 20  ( FIG. 3   a ). A die cut (see element  40 ) is made in the web process to cut the pattern for the tab  30  and the tab may then also be reinforced as indicated above. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 6-6   a  illustrate a modification of the prior structure and method of manufacture. A three dimensional tab  300  is shown. The three dimensions allow the tab to be viewed from the top or sides. The top view may be highly advantageous for use in a brief case where only the top is viewable. 
         [0034]    Tab  300  has a top wall  310 , side walls  320  and  322  and preferably attachment portion  330  and  340 . A preferred way to create the 3-d tab  300  is to use the portion of the flap (or leaf, as in the embodiment below) and score it into three sections with preferably, parallel scores. The three sections  322 ,  210  and  320  are folded into a triangle and portion  320  is affixed by  322  by adhesive or similar means. An adhesive strip can be supplied integrally or separately. Section  310  may be rigidified by attachment of additional material such as a plastic strip or chemically by applying a solution to that portion or all portions. It is also possible to attach a separate multi-folded strip  301  tab  300  (or  30  as in  FIG. 1 ). The multi-fold strip is preferably as wide as the tab  30  and has portions  340  (affixation point), top  310 , front side  320 , and a lower affixation portion  330 , together forming a triangle with the base tab  300 . 
         [0035]    When folded as shown in  FIG. 6 , a three dimensional tab is constructed. Notice that side portion  320  capable of being positioned for side viewing at various angles determined by the point at which portion  330  is attached to tab  300 . It may create a top portion  310  which is generally L shaped with respect to tab  300 . The exact angle depends on user preference, the length of the various panels or the affixation point of portion  330 . The further down the length of tab  300 , the more acute the angle of the portion  310  and  320  will be. An obtuse angle for portion  310  panel is likewise achievable by opposite placement. Further, by selective affixation of the various portions the angle of the label can be adjusted to any angle desired from 0-180 degrees. Perpendicular is most common, but a 45 degree angle could be useful for top viewing from a file drawer. Portion  320  will often be shorter than what is shown in  FIG. 6   a  because it is preferably taken from the cut out and since a portion of the tab is used to form the surface  310 , the remainder  320  which is affixed to  322  is a truncated hypotenuse. The affixation of portion  322  on  300  also provides significant reinforcement to the entire tab as does the triangular shape. 
         [0036]    The preferred method of construction involves an additional step to affixing strip  310  by adhesive as indicated. 
         [0037]    This strip can be further reinforced by a rigidifying strip (not shown but described in co-pending application 60/835,373 filed Aug. 3, 2006 and of common ownership, which is hereby incorporated by reference). Such strip is formed by scoring the strip with two parallel scores, the space between the scores constituting one face of the tab and rigidifying the space between said scores with a reinforcement, like plastic. 
         [0038]    It is also to be understood, that in all embodiments, reinforcement materials such as tape, films, Tyvek® products, etc can be applied to stiffen the tab and against use and abuse. The file would be applied preferably by a discontinuous application in the areas needed. The preferred embodiment would use a film which can be written on so that indicia may be handwritten or printed directly on the film. 
         [0039]      FIGS. 7-9  illustrate an alternate embodiment, but built according to the present invention, where there is shown a folder  500  having two leaves/panels  510 ,  520 , which are connected or joined at  530 , where there may be a joint or just a score in a continuous material. In this embodiment there is further, a reinforcement material  540  applied preferably to a narrow strip on either side of the score/joint. Like in the first embodiment above, the tab  560  is created by cutting into one (or both for multi tab units) of the two leaves to free a portion of the leaf panel which is then flattened to form an edge tab. The tab formed from a portion of one of the leaves, and has its base  555  generally along said fold line, with the free portion of the tab extending away from the leaf from which it was formed, leaving an aperture  565  in that leaf from where the tab was removed. 
         [0040]    The cut is preferably with sloping sides as shown. It is possible to perforate at tab outline where the cut line  580  would be to allow the user to elect to “liberate” a tab as needed. Thus the folder could have multiple tab perforations along the joint/score line  590  allowing the user to elect which tab position to use. In  FIG. 7   a , there is shown a configuration where a single folder can be used to achieve multiple efficiencies: 1) no extra material is required in the formation of the tab, either flat or 3d, and 2) the manufacturer can stock only one type of file no matter how many “tab cuts” are desired. The user can select to open any or all of the tab cuts (perforation)  560   a, b , or  c . Note that the term “perforation” is meant to be a broad term to include other forms of user selectable breakaway tabs, including but not limited to scoring, slashing, precut lines with only the stiffness of the tab keeping it folded (out of use) or a temporary tacking adhesive, such as rubber cement, or any similar system to accomplish the above stated objective. It will be understood that this user selectable tab system described for  FIGS. 7 and 7   a  is applicable to all embodiments herein. 
         [0041]    The embodiment shown in  FIG. 10  is similar to that in  FIGS. 7-9  except that this folder  600  is a pocket folder having pockets  610 ,  620 . The tab cut out is the same as that for the previous embodiment and may likewise use optional perforations and multiple tabs in a single unit as explained above. In this embodiment a pair of semi-circular concentric arcs  640  and  650  are cut into the pocket  620 . These accommodate disks and similar objects with the larger width/circumferential extend of the disk residing under cut  650  and the small arc  640  overlies the disk, thereby holding it in place. 
         [0042]    The description of the invention including its applications and advantages as set forth herein is illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the claims. Variations and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein are possible and practical alternatives to and equivalents of the various elements of the embodiments would be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this patent document. These and other variations and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Technology Category: 7