GB2345462A - Supporting sheet for holding open a ring binder as a presentation display - Google Patents

Abstract

Sheet 10 has flaps 18 which fold out of the plane of the sheet 10 to support the cover flaps 28,30 of a ring binder 32. The fold line 22 of the flaps 18 can have a reduced thickness compared to the rest of the sheet 10. The ring binder 32 sits inside-out between the flaps 18 with its binding rings 42 upper most so that its contents 40 can be displayed as in a flipchart. The sheet can also have auxiliary flaps 24 which are positioned on the other side of the cover flaps 28,30 to prevent movement of the cover flaps 28,30 toward one another. The sheet can be made of synthetic plastics material, such as polypropylene, and can have holes 16 along one edge to enable it to be stored in the binder 32.

Description

Binder mat The present invention relates to a binder mat for retaining a binder in a condition in which it sits on the mat with respective edges of front and rear flaps of the binder resting on the mat, with the spine of the binder uppermost, and with the binder being inside out. This enables the sheets of the binder to be displayed at a presentation and successive sheets held by the binder to be turned over as with a flip chart. At the end of the presentation, the binder may simply be folded-up and used as a conventional binder.

One previously proposed such binder mat is attached to and pivotable about an edge of one of the main flaps of the binder. When it is not in use, it is folded-up against the inside of that flap. When it is to be used, it is rotated outwardly and placed with what is normally its inner side on a table top or other surface and the binder is turned inside out so that the flap to which the mat is not connected is rested on what is now the uppermost side of the mat. The latter has a channel formed on that side to receive and retain the free edge of that flap of the folder. In this way, the mat and the two main flaps of the binder create a hollow triangular cylinder with the inside of the spine at the apex.

One disadvantage of having such a binder mat is that it is expensive and time-consuming to make. This can be a particular disadvantage where a specific order for such binder and binder mat combinations has to be met at short notice.

The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a binder mat for retaining a binder in the condition set out in the opening paragraph of the present specification, the mat comprising a sheet of material in which two spacedapart, mutually opposing, inwardly-directed binder-retainer flaps are cut so that when the sheet is rested on a generally flat horizontal surface, the binder-retainer flaps can be lifted upwardly from the main body of the sheet so that what were their under-surfaces now face generally towards one another. The said edges of the front and rear binder flaps thus rest immediately inwardly of the binder-retainer flaps respectively when the mat is in use.

Preferably, the material of the sheet comprises synthetic plastics material, for example polypropylene.

Advantageously, the sheet is generally rectangular in shape to enable it to fit readily within such a binder.

The sheet advantageously is formed with holes or slots along one edge thereof, preferably along one of the longer edges thereof if the sheet is rectangular, to enable the sheet to be retained by means of the binding of the binder.

Advantageously, the binder-retainer flaps are elongate, each with a fold line about which the flap is lifted, extending along the length thereof.

Preferably, these fold lines extend parallel to respective edges of the sheet, advantageously parallel and adjacent to the shorter edges of the sheet if the latter is a rectangle.

Preferably, the sheet is of reduced thickness along each fold line.

One or more auxiliary flaps may be provided adjacent to each binder-retainer flap in the sheet to resist movement of the binder flaps towards one another when the mat is in use.

An example of a binder mat made in accordance with the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a plan view of the example ; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the binder mat shown in Figure 1 with a binder standing thereon.

A binder mat 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises a generally rectangular sheet of plastics material, in this instance of polypropylene. It therefore has two mutually parallel longer edges 12 and two mutually parallel shorter edges 14 generally at right angles to the longer edges 12.

Generally keyhole slots 16 are cut inwardly from an intended inner edge 12 of the sheet 10, to enable the sheet 10 to be clipped into and retained by a four-ring, looseleaf binding. Two spaced-apart, mutually opposing, inwardly-directed elongate flaps 18 are created in the sheet 10 by making through-cuts 20 through the sheet, these cuts each following a line corresponding in shape to the lower edge of an envelope flap, with a fold line 22 extending from one end of each cut 20 to the other. Each fold line 22 comprises a line in which the thickness of the sheet 10 is reduced by scoring or pressing, to facilitate a lifting-up of each flap 18 when the mat 10 is placed on a table top or other working surface. The lines 22 extend parallel to and adjacent to the edges 14 of the mat 10 respectively. This enables the larger dimension of the mat to be exploited. Each flap 18 extends away from its associated fold line 22 towards the other flap 18. Each flap 18 may be provided with two auxiliary flaps 24 located a little beyond the ends of the associated fold line 22 respectively. The fold line of each auxiliary flap 24 is offset from the fold line 22 of its own associated flap 18, in the direction of the other flap 18, to accommodate the thickness of a binder flap.

When the mat 10 is in use as shown in Figure 2, it is placed face down on a table top or other flat horizontal surface 26. The flap 18 (only one of which is visible in Figure 2) can now be lifted upwardly from the rest of the sheet 10 to enable the front and rear flaps 28 and 30 of a binder 32 to have their respective free edges 34 and 36 inserted just inwardly of the flaps 18 respectively. The auxiliary flaps 24 (only one of which is visible in Figure 2) can rest against what have become the insides of the binder flaps 28 and 32.

In this way, the binder 32 is held inside out, with the inside of its spine 38 projecting upwardly. The flaps 18 resist the tendency of the binder 32 to flop flat on to the surface 26 by virtue of gravity and the resilience of the binder. With the binder held in this way, it may be used as a flip chart during a presentation and successive sheets 40 held by the binding 42 of the binder 30 can be turned from the side of the binder which they adopt in Figure 2 to the other side thereof in succession as the presentation proceeds.

Numerous variations and modifications of the sheet shown in Figure 1 can be made without taking the resulting invention outside the scope of the present invention. For example, its dimensions can be varied. Whilst it is shown as generally rectangular, it may be of A4 size for example, it may be of A3 size or of A5 size, or indeed any other size. Whereas it is shown with four keyhole slots 16, especially for a four-ring binder, it may alternatively have only two slots or indeed any other number suitable for retaining the sheet 10 in any particular binder. The shape of each flap 18 is not critical. It may be rectangular or semi-circular for example, although the shape illustrated is preferred. The thickness of the sheet 10 is not critical, although depending upon the material from which the sheet is made, the thickness should be such that it is relatively easy to bend the flaps 18, whilst at the same time affording sufficient rigidity to the flaps and the sheet to retain the binder as shown in Figure 2.

Thicknesses in the range of from 0. 35mm to 2mm would be useful depending on the size of the sheet 10 and the flaps 18.

Claims (12)

1. Claims : 1. A binder mat for retaining a binder in a condition in which it sits on the mat with respective edges of front and rear flaps of the binder resting on the mat, with the spine of the binder uppermost, and with the binder being inside out, the mat comprising a sheet of material in which two spaced-apart, mutually opposing, inwardly-directed binderretainer flaps are cut so that when the sheet is rested on a generally flat horizontal surface, the binder-reta-ner flaps car be lifted upwardly from the main body of the sheet so that what were their under-surfaces now face generally towards one another.
2. 2. A binder mat according to claim 1, in which the material of the sheet comprises synthetic plastics material.
3. 3. A binder mat according to claim 2, in which the material of the sheet comprises polypropylene.
4. 4. A binder mat according to any preceding claim, in which the sheet is generally rectangular in shape to enable it to fit readi-y within such a binder.
5. 5. A binder mat according to any preceding claim, in which the sheet is formed with holes or slots along an edge thereof, to enable the sheet to be retained by means of the binding of the binder.
6. 6. A binder mat according to claim 5, read as appended to claim 4, in which the holes or slots are formed along one of the longer edges of the sheet.
7. 7 binder mat according to any preceding claim, in which the binder-retainer flaps are elongate, each with a fold line about which the flap is lifted, extending along the length thereof.
8. 8. A binder mat according to claim 7, in which the fold lines extend parallel to respective edges of the sheet.
9. 9. A binder mat according to claim 8, read as appended to claim 4, in which the fold lines extend parallel and adjacent to the shorter edges of the sheet.
10. 10. A binder mat according to any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the sheet is of reduced thickness along each fold line.
11. 11. A binder mat according to any preceding claim, in which one or more auxiliary flaps are provided adjacent to each binder-retainer flap in the sheet to resist movement of the binder flaps towards one another when the mat is in use.
12. 12. A binder mat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.