GB2477165A - Case folder - Google Patents

Abstract

A folder 11 which can be fabricated from a one piece blank material (25) is made with two sections (27,28) each provided with a top and bottom panel inside forming four pockets in all, the openings of top and bottom pockets are at the bottom and top respectively. The three expansion areas of each of the four pockets and single expansion area of the folder itself are made of three fold lines (22, 24, 26) to create a groove when the folder is collapsed. When closed and fully expanded the folder and each of its pockets assume the shape of a box like case.

Description

Title of the Invention

Case Folder Inventor Ebele Muorah, Citizenship UK Residence Great Britain

Background of the Invention

The invention relates to an expandable folder with four panels forming pockets, each pocket being expandable. When standard pocket less folders are used it does not have the ability to hold documents without the use of additional accessories sleeves and aluminium or string fasteners. When filled to capacity they loose their form, become unsightly and difficult to manage. Furthermore, documents held at the spine only permits pages to be turned from right to left which goes against the very nature of the way people read which is from the top of the page through to the bottom. Whiles some progress has been made through the invention of pocket folders those in existence are limited in functionality and not reasonably secure for the documents within.

Brief Summary of the Invention

To overcome these short comings, the present invention proposes a folder with an expandable double edged spine which has expandable pockets that form rectangular bases and headers that fit within the overall folder. The double edged spine enables a groove to be created when the folder is collapsed or expanded creating a location where the folder name may be denoted.

Detailed Description of the Invention

By forming an overall box like rectangular casing when filled to capacity or a groove when collapsed, traceability of a such a folder when either stacked on top of each other on a desk, filed upright on a shelf or filed downwards in a draw is possible without the need to use accessories like name tags which would further protrude from the file. This is because the folds create areas of identification for the folder which whether in collapsed or expanded mode remain visible or searchable without the need to remove the folder from its stored location. Once the correct folder has been located and thus removed from its stored location, browsing through loose documents does not require the contents to be removed from within the folder entirely. Such loose documents would have been filed without the need of fasteners or the like as those will be held securely yet optionally within the top pocket member of the folder.

To increase capacity in a folder, US Patent No 1,956,325 Mar 111932 employs 3 parts to form a single expandable pocket that can only hold documents in landscape mode. To go through any documents the entire contents must be retrieved from within the folder first as documents are filed in landscape mode To improve on expandability, US Patent No 6,116,651 Sep 12 2000 provides two expandable pockets both of which are open at one end giving rise to a possibility of the documents to fall out.

To improve retention, US Patent No 2007/0228118 Oct 4 2007 provides a folder with two pockets in one blank that is only capable of forming one secure pocket as there is insufficient material on the blank to complete the security of the second pocket that remains open.

The first object of the invention to provide an expandable folder which has a primary groove at the spine of the folder created for where the title or name may be denoted.

No prior inventions facilitate this capability when considering how the expansion is created.

The second object of the invention is to provide four pockets consisting of two bottom pockets and two top pockets in the folder, all three sides of each pocket which are fully enclosed yet expandable and whose two header pockets are present to accommodate loose documents which would otherwise be prone to falling out of all other invented folders. The header pocket also ensures that the documents are neatly preserved and presenting a tidy image.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a single blank for making the expandable folder as a whole.

Brief Description of the Several Views of the Drawing Figs 1 -10 demonstrates the method of making from a one piece blank Fig 11 is Fig 10, a front view of a completely labelled blank used for making the folder Fig 12 is a front view of the folder when open Fig 13 is a top front view of the folder when open Fig 14 is atop, side and bottom view of the base pockets when the folder is open Fig 15 is a bottom view of the base pockets when the folder is open Fig 16 is a side view of the top and bottom pockets when the case folder is closed Fig 17 is the rear view of the folder Fig 18 is the rear view of the case folder showing the base of the top pockets Fig 19 is the rear view showing one side of the case folder when closed

Detailed Description of Drawings

The invention is a case folder in FIG 11 with FIGs 1 to 10 depicting a step by step process for the method of making the blank as follows: A one piece landscape blank FIG 1, for holding a document with a height x and width y, is obtained measuring approximately 1.5x by 5y is obtained Three central equidistant vertical fold lines 1.5x high, approximately a.2y apart, are inserted in the centre of the article to represent the folds of the folder as in FIG 3 The width y is measured from the edges of the leftmost and rightmost centre fold lines to mark the beginning of three additional fold lines on each side of the blank are marked out measuring.ly apart as in FIG 5 Four additional fold lines situated approximately y away from either side from the last fold lines created are inserted also measuring approximately ly apart. These four fold lines are also marked at the top and bottom of the article ensuring that a height Y separates the top and bottom fold lines, and that the fourth fold line creates the edge round the blank as in FIG 7 Cut outs are carried out at the top and bottom sections of the article so that only the fold lines measuring x on the top and bottom of the two outermost shapes measuring xy remain as in FIG 8 and FIG 9.

Further rectangular cut outs are carried out from the left and right parts of the article to leave the desired height of the header pocket and desired height of the base pocket along with the full left and right article template measuring xy-FTG 10 The invention is a case folder 11 having a pair of attached side panels 27, 28 held contiguously by three fold lines 22, 24 and 26. The fold lines give rise to the groove where 24 is tucked into the folder when collapsed, with the sides 23, 25 that are particularly useful in creating the area where the folder may be named. Whether the folder is collapsed or expanded the grooves can be searched without retrieving the folder from its filed location. The grooves created by fold lines 16, 18, 20 enable the pockets 9, 21 of each panel 27, 28 to expand and increase holding capacity.

The flaps 10 and 13 of FIG 11 are formed by the fold lines 7 and 2 are attached on the panels 27 and 27 to complete the pockets. The pockets have three edges each of which are provided with vertical fold lines at 2, 3, 4 and 16, 18, 20 and horizontal fold lines at 6, 7, 8 that facilitate the expansion of each pocket when filled with documents or the like. The spine of the folder itself 24 is provided additional fold lines on either side 22, 26 which are denser than all other fold lines to accommodate folds 2, 4 when collapsed and also provide expansion to accommodate the pockets.

The top panel for the pocket 9 is for optional use when documents are inserted into the bottom panel of the pocket 21. The groves in the pockets created by the fold line 18 are so done that panels 17, 19 of a pocket on either side are no larger than the panel formed by the groove of the folder 23 or 25. The corners created by where fold lines 4 and 8 meet and where fold lines 8 and 16 meet may be so varied to facilitate reinforcement or expansion capabilities.