EP1084040A1

EP1084040A1 - Pocket modular structure

Info

Publication number: EP1084040A1
Application number: EP99925276A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro Giulietti; Riccardo Bello
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-06-04
Filing date: 1999-06-01
Publication date: 2001-03-21
Also published as: AU4164199A; IT245368Y1; WO1999062724A1; ITVR980034U1

Abstract

A modular structure (10) comprises at least four planar, square or rectangularly shaped modules (11, 12, 13, 14) arranged one adjacent to the other and joined to each other by respective common portions (15, 16, 17). Said modules are suitable for supporting a first element (18) consisting of a publication and/or a booklet and a second foldable (F, G, H, I) element (20) provided with suitable folding lines, for example a map. This modular structure (10) is easily foldable over itself (A, B, C, D, E, L, M) so as to have minimum encumbrance and be comfortably transportable, e.g. in a pocket.

Description

"POCKET MODULAR STRUCTURE"

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TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a pocket modular structure comprising a first element consisting of several pages and forming whatever publication and/or information booklet, and a second foldable element matched with the first element, said first and second elements being integrally constrained to said modular structure in such a way that said modular structure can be folded over to acquire a pocket type size.

The present invention is found to be particularly applicable in the publishing industry in general.

BACKGROUND ART

Within the publishing industry the production of several types of small size publications and/or information booklets is well known, thus fulfilling needs that are particularly felt by the readers, such as for instance ease of transport and a minimised encumbrance.

For this purpose, customers seem to particularly welcome any publication whose size is so reduced that it can be looked up in at the very moment of need and it can be easily put back into a pocket without encumbering it more than normal .

Moreover there are known to exist in the art mainly technical publications that can be folded over according to predetermined folding lines so that though bearing a remarkable amount of information, their dimensions can be

O^iHM lQN COPY markedly reduced to fill an extremely limited space.

It is the case for example of several maps and of most street maps which are widely popular worldwide.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to propose a modular structure having reduced size, advantageously of the pocket type, which is capable of fulfilling a support function for a first element that consists of a publication pertaining to whatever subject, as well as for a second element of a foldable type which is matched to and facing said first element, said second foldable element consisting for example of a map, a street map, a photograph of else and being advantageously related to what dealt with in said publication . The above aim has been accomplished by means of the features defined in claim 1.

Dependent claims outline particularly advantageous forms of embodiment of the present invention.

The modular structure according to the present invention has at least four planar, square or rectangularly shaped modules, said modules being arranged one adjacent to the next and joined to each other by a common portion.

According to a particular form of embodiment of the present invention, said structure results to consist of four rectangularly shaped plane modules which are joined to each other via their smaller sides of said rectangles so as to give way to an uninterrupted structure along a direction that is parallel to the larger sides of the rectangle themselves . The modular structure thus obtained is advantageously suitable for being folded along the areas corresponding with the abovementioned common joining portions of each module to the next so that, once it has been put back, said modular structure has a limited encumbrance. With particular reference to the form of embodiment of which above, the modular structure according to the present invention is suitable for being folded along its short sides that join the rectangular modules which said structure is made of . According to the present invention, at least a couple of modules forming the modular structure object of the present invention is advantageously used as a support for a plurality of pages that the publication matched with said structure is made of. In the particular form of embodiment detailed above, said pages are bound along the area joining the first two modules that are to receive said publication, said first two modules therefore often being used as covers for the publication itself, hence being provided with drawings or writings that represent the contents of the publication itself. Said drawings or writings are found on both the publication's front and back inside and outside covers.

However, it is possible to bound the booklet pages along the area joining the second and third modules; in this case the first module acts as a cover for the whole structure .

Moreover, said first module can in this case be provided with a pocket suitable for containing a suitable record carrier, such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, or a credit card. According to the present invention, at least a further couple of modules forming the modular structure object of the present invention is capable of hosting a second element of the foldable type which has such a size to be contained within the perimetral limits of said further couple of modules with which it is matched.

This means therefore that in case the user wants to browse through the publication, it will be possible to easily open and close said second foldable element whose size is bound to exceed the perimetral limits of the support modules .

By the same token, at the moment when such a modular structure is to be put back into its original location, said second element is quickly and simply folded over itself according to the lead folds suitably provided, therefore resulting to be enveloped inside its modular structure according to the present invention.

The main aim of the present invention is for the convenience of the user to propose a structure that is capable of fulfilling the requirements regarding clarity and exhaustiveness of the information therein contained imposed by the market, as well as ease of consultation and transport .

The modular structure according to the present invention, just because of its modularity, is therefore capable of satisfying the needs given above in so far as handlability and ease of transport are concerned - these features being certainly found given the limited size of the structure that advantageously confers it pocket size- but also and mostly for the clarity and exhaustiveness of the information that such a modular structure is capable of giving .

The present invention makes it possible therefore to match a written text with a graphic or device type element such as for example a map, a street map, a drawing, whether it be technical or not, or else a photograph.

The above aspect makes it possible therefore to employ the modular structure according to the present invention for a remarkable number of applications. According to a particular form of embodiment of the present invention, said second foldable element is a map of an area of interest, whereas said first element, that is the publication or booklet that goes together with it, is arranged so as to contain an amount of information specifically regarding the geographic area of interest.

According to a further form of embodiment of the present invention, said second foldable element bears a map particularly showing a specific portion of road, motorway or railway map, whereas the descriptive part which matches with it bears specific -e.g. tourist- information pertaining to what shown on the map .

Further, according to another form of embodiment of the present invention, said second foldable element can be for example a technical drawing facing which there are found to be included all the notions, information or modalities that relate to what shown in said second foldable element. A good example of the form of embodiment is an instruction booklet for a certain electronic equipment or for a boiler.

Furthermore, according to another form of embodiment of the present invention, said second foldable element consists of a photograph showing for example a well known pop band, a famous painting or other, whereas the publication matching with the image has for example information about the story of the band, or clues about the painter's life, the main features of his art or of the painting shown in said second element .

Still, according to another form of embodiment of the present invention, a pocket can be arranged in one of the foldable elements, said pocket being suitable for containing a record carrier, e.g. a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, or a credit card.

It is clear therefore that it is a first aim of the present invention that of proposing a descriptive and graphic support, said elements being placed one in front of the other and further being part of just one frame, therefore being easy to consult simultaneously because one is complementary to the other.

ILLUSTRATION OF DRAWINGS Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reading the following description, given by way of not limiting example, with reference to the drawing shown in the appended sheet in which a perspective schematic view of the modular structure according to the present invention when partially open is shown. DESCRIPTION OF A FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawing, reference numeral 10 indicates a particular form of embodiment of the modular structure according to the present invention.

According to the particular form of embodiment shown in the figure, modular structure 10 consists of Four plane modules 11, 12, 13, 14, which are advantageously rectangularly shaped, said modules being arranged one adjacent to the other to give way to an uninterrupted frame and being joined with one another by at least one common portion.

In particular, modules 11-14 of modular structure 10 are joined to each other by the short sides of the rectangles that the modules themselves consist of and therefore they are found to give way to an uninterrupted frame along a direction that is parallel to the long sides of said rectangles.

More particularly, module 11 is joined to module 12 via their common short side 15, module 12 is joined to module 13 via their common short side 16 and, finally, module 13 is joined to module 14 via their common short side 17.

Modular structure 10 according to the present invention is advantageously foldable over itself along lines corresponding with said common sides 15, 16, 17 according to modalities described below. With particular reference to the figure, according to the form of embodiment therein shown, the couple of modules 11, 12 belonging to modular structure 10 is used as a supporting structure for a first element 18 which consists of a plurality of pages 19 of a certain publication or booklet.

In the particular form of embodiment that was mentioned above, said pages 19 are bound along joining side 15 of modules 11, 12 which are suitable for hosting said publication, said modules 11, 12 in that case further having the function of cover to the publication itself. According to the present invention, the second couple of modules 13, 14 forming the modular frame or structure 10 object of the present invention, is suitable for hosting a second element 20 of the foldable type which is such that it can be advantageously contained within the perimetral lines of said modules 13, 14 to which it is matched, in its minimum encumbrance arrangement.

This means that in case of need, the user can easily open said second foldable element 20 according to the folding lines (shown as thinned lines in the figure) suitably arranged and once the consultation is over, there is nothing left to do other than carrying out the inverse operation and folding said element 20 according to the folding lines. As it is easily understandable form the figure, modules 11, 12 supporting said first element 18 fold over each other as shown by arrows A, B, C; likewise, said second couple of modules 13, 14 supporting said second element 20 fold over each other following arrows D, E. This results to be possible because, to reiterate what already mentioned above, second element 20 is arranged to be foldable over itself according to the predefined folding lines shown by arrows F, G, H, I.

Modular structure 10 according to the present invention finally further reduces its size whenever the couple of modules 11, 12 is folded over couple of modules 13, 14 thanks to small joining side 16, said folding operation being viable so as to let the back surface of module 12 coincide with the back surface of module 13 (Arrow L) , or so as to let the back surface of module 11 with back surface of module 14 (Arrow M) .

It is clear therefore that by dint of frame 10 according to the present invention, a certain user may have available a descriptive text simultaneously with a graphical expression annexed to said text, all the above matched with a common foldable support which can be easily employed and having a minimim encumbrance.

The present invention was previously described with reference to one particular form of embodiment. It is an understatement that the present invention is not limited to the form of embodiment detailed in the present specification, but it comprises all the modifications and variants that may ever be considered, without stepping out of the scope of the invention as it was claimed.

For example, the modular structure according to the present invention can consist of a different number of modules, as well as said modules may have specific shapes, possibly even deriving from the type of topics therein dealt with.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, one of the modules can be provided with a pocket suitable for containing a suitable record carrier, e.g. a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, or a credit card.

Claims

1. Modular structure (10) comprising at least four planar, square or rectangularly shaped modules (11, 12, 13, 14) arranged one adjacent to the other and joined to each other by respective common portions (15, 16, 17), characterised in that said structure is suitable for supporting a first element (18) consisting of an information bearing publication and/or booklet and a second foldable (F, G, H, I) element (20) provided with suitable folding lines, for example a map, said modular structure (10) being easily foldable over (A, B, C, D, E, L, M) so as to have minimum encumbrance and be easily transportable, e.g. in a pocket.

2. Modular structure (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said second foldable element (20) is a map or a street map or a photograph.

3. Modular structure (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first element (18) is connected to said structure along one of said common portions (15, 16, 17).

4. Modular structure (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that one of said modules (11, 12, 13, 14) is provided with a pocket suitable for containing a record carrier, such as a CD- ROM, or a DVD-ROM, or a credit card.