AU648917B2 - Folder improvement - Google Patents

Description

i 648917 41033 HKS:SJC:PFB P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

rk" Name of Applicant: NU TEGI PROD)G:TC PTY--.- MON DAV* Mq 4QAP,- PTA LT 9IP.A(L{4C\ fIT-AlTIO Actual Inventors: JOHN BENNETT and HOWARD KENNETH SCHULZE Address for Service: -GGL+USON-& -CO.;1 rl-7-King-Wi [liamr-Street- Adelaide;-S:A. -5000 I Km\ 0 r k M'\4or C'S-L 3~ -G Invention TititRAPB FOLDER IMPROVEMENT

REG

Details of Associated Provisional Applications: 22.10 (P AUSTRALIAN Patent Application No. PK7703 dated 12th August 1991 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 This invention relates to document folders.

It is well known to use folders of various types to store, as convenient units, papers in an organised fashion, Conventionally there are two main types of folders one of these being a very light cardboard perhaps in the order of 120 gsm often referred to as a manilla folder in which papers are simply loosely kept. It is well known to use metal clips in which to capture papers with respect to the edges of the manilla type folder. Unfortunately, such folders are intended for relatively light work and for holding relatively small numbers of papers. Furthermore, they deteriorate and become unsightly when accessed extensively, For more extensive use and for holding large quantities of paper, hard covers are used which leads to other difficulties. The first of tlhese is that the costs associated with thicker solid cardboard becomes substantially higher than that of the manilla type. Alternative materials such as those formed from plastics have also a problem of costs and further difficulties may occur in their disposal.

Corrugated cardboard has not been widely accepted as an appropriate material for this application. The problem lies in the fact that corrugated cardboard has a corrugated sheet of cardboard lined between two thin outer sheets in which the corrugations all are aligned in a common direction. This is of course relatively self apparent but when one cuts a rectangular sheet from a section of corrugated cardboard there is invariably left either fully along one or two edges, or along parts of edges, a thin surface sheet which is not directly supported by a corrugation because, where the cut occurs, the trough of the corrugated shape is on the other edge.

Even in the cutting of such cardboard, a cutter will have the effect p f 3 leaving what appears to be quite a rough edge and even regardless of this, one can accept that such a folder will rapidly take on the appearance of a folder having very frayed edges. While the basic strength of the cardboard is not a risk, the appearance can be considered generally intolerable for commercial production of files.

A further disadvantage of conventional hard sided folders is that they have fittings which are of metal and are, in conventional arrangements, essentially rigid and have a shape which defines the thickness of the folder as opposed to the quantity of papers defining the folder's thickness.

Use of composite metal and cardboard parts means that for eventual Io disposal, considering that it is better to separate metal from cardboard 15 so that the paper and cardboard can be recycled, someone has to effectively work through all of the files separating and removing the eeoc "metal parts from the cardboard or plastics sheets. Hence, it may be highly questionable as to whether the time required for such an operation is economically worthwhile.

It is an aim of the invention to provide a relatively low cost folder or at least provide the public with a useful alternative, e• According to one form of the invention there is provided a document folder formed from a substantially rectangular sheet of corrugated cardboard comprising a corrugated core having parallel undulations sandwiched between planar cardboard skins, said sheet comprising a spaced pair of transverse fold creases defining a medially disposed region of said sheet, wherein at least one pair of opposed edges of said sheet comprise a plurality of regular undulations, said edges being substantially parallel to said parallel undulations in said core.

Suitably all of the edges of said folder are formed with said regular undulating outline.

Preferably, said regular undulating outline is a continuous sinusoidal shape or it may be a scalloped shape.

Suitably, there is at least one further spaced pair of transverse fold creases on said sheet, said further pair of fold creases defining a further substantially medially disposed region.

There may be at least one pair of spaced apart apertures extending "i through said sheet, the at least one pair of apertures being aligned parallel to one of the edges thereof.

i Suitably, there are a plurality of pairs of spaced apart apertures extending through said sheet, said pairs being aligned parallel to one of the edges thereof.

20 There is suitably at least one of said pairs adjacent one of the edges S. St of said folder.

o* Preferably, there may be at least one of said pairs away from the edges of said folder.

There may be an access hole extending through said sheet, said access hole being positioned medially between said pair of transverse fold creases, In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view of the folder according to a first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the folder according to a second embodiment, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a third embodiment incorporating the invention, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a folder according to a fourth embodiment, FIG. 5 is a plan view of a folder according to a fifth embodiment, FIG. 6 is a plan view of a folder according to a sixth embodiment, 15 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a folder according to a seventh S• embodiment, FIG. 8 is a perspective view from an opposite side of the •seventh embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, and FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of a paper holder 20 appropriate for use with the respective embodiments, FIGS. 9 and showing the separate parts, and FIG. 11 showing these in a combined S*5 fashion.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in relation to the first embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the folder 1 comprises two sides 2 and 3 and a back 4.

Each of the sides includes sets of holes shown at 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the one instance in respect to side 2 and 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the case of side 3.

The folder 1 is comprised of, at least in the main, a corrugated 6 cardboard sheet which comprises two facing sheets (or skins) sandwiching a corrugated core. The thickness and grade of such corrugated cardboard is such that the folder is made to be relatively stiff. The sides 2 and 3 are foldable to 900 from the planar sheet position about the medially disposed region or integral back 4 by reason of foldlines 13 and 14, which extend from an uppermost end to a lowermost end 16.

A foldline simply comprises a place at which the corrugated cardboard, either by reason of compression or having being previously caused to be folded, is adapted to be easily foldable about this alignment.

Further to this however, there are three further foldlines 17, 18 and °15 19 which may equally divide the back 4 between the side foldlines 13 g: and 14.

0* In use, such foldlines do not rigidly define the full width it is necessarily to be taken by the folder, if only a few papers are held 20 within the folder, then the back can be collapsed for allowing for expansion as necessary but at all times only requiring a minimal storage space if less than full.

There is finally a finger access aperture 20 which is useful when files are in a closely packed alignment so that a person can grip an individual file from its outer rear side.

With the arrangement described it is appropriate to be able to locate a fastening clip arrangement, as is shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, to any of the respective sets of holes 5 to 12. This may be achieved by passing the respective legs 21 from behind through the respective apertures and through any appropriately located apertures and papers Sto be held. The clipping member 22 can then be located so that the 7 fingers 21 can pass through apertures 23 and 24 and can then be caught under clip parts 25 and 26.

By having such clip fastening techniques it can now be economically made from plastics materials which are significantly easier to dispose of than metal clips. In addition, this feature can assist in the environmental friendly disposal of the file.

In order to protect the external edge of the folder made in the manner described, there is an external edge protector 28 also comprised of a plastics material being of U-shape and adapted to be clipped around the edge such that it protects the otherwise rough edge of the S: corrugated cardboard.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment which is substantially the same as the first. The folder comprises integral cardboard defining sides oto and an integral back, however the outer-sides 31 are unprotected.

In FIG. 3 this shows a third embodiment which once again shows the 20 same view and is comprised of the same corrugated cardboard (two

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sheets or skins sandwiching a corrugated core) as in FIGS. 1 and 2 the folder being in this case 32. However, the folder 32 has cut into 0• the respective edges a regular undulation as shown at 33a which has the result of reducing the potential damage of the external edges which can then only be caught at the apexes of the undulations, The regulai undulation 33a is primarily for reducing potential damage to opposed edges 65 parallel to parallel undulations in the core. An number of these parallel undulations are indicated by outline 67, The regular undulation may also be cut into opposed edges 66.

Accordingly, the edge with the regular undulation 33a has only a small part vulnerable to fraying. This will normally only occur back to 7a the position where the vulnerable bkins are adhered to corrugated core.

In FIG. 4, this embodiment replicates the embodiment of FIG. 1 except that the folder 34 has two foldlines 35 and 36 dividing the back 37 into three equal parts 38 which are defined between the foldlines 39 and FIG. 5 which shows the fifth embodiment substantially duplicates the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2 except in this case there is one foldline 41 which equally divides the back 42 into two equal areas 43 and 44 defined by foldlines 45 and 46.

FIG. 6 defining a sixth embodiment shows a folder comprised of 15 corrugated cardboard and shown at 47 has a regular undulation 48 and has strengthening plastic edge protectors at 49, 50, 51 and 52 and as an illustration of the alternate back arrangement at 53, this includes four foldlines shown at 54 *lo2 *o go o 8 dividing the back 53 into five equal parts defined by the foldlines 55 and 56.

FIGS. 7 and 8 which are perspective views of a folder actually folded illustrate the embodiment very similar to that shown in FIG. 5 except that in the case of the seventh embodiment shown there are less apertures.

The folder accordingly 57 has an unprotected edge at 58 and one set of apertures 59 on one side and three sets of apertures at 60, 61 and 62 on the other side.

This shows however how the back 63 having a central foldline at 64 can fold so that the total space taken is reduced.

This completes the description of the preferred embodiments from which it will be seen however that by using a stiff corrugated cardboard, it now becomes commercially practical to use such corrugated cardboard in the application with the significant added advantages that the material is preferred environmentally and provides for a much better eventual disposal.

Throughout this specification the purpose has been to illustrate the invention and not to limit it.

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Claims (11)

1. A document folder formed from a substantially rectangular sheet of corrugated cardboard comprising a corrugated core having parallel undulations sandwiched between planar cardboard skins, said sheet comprising a spaced pair of transverse fold creases defining a medially disposed region of said sheet, wherein at least one pair of opposed edges of said sheet have a regular undulating outline, said edges being substantially parallel to said parallel undulations in said core.

2. A document folder, as in claim 1, in which all of the edges of said folder have said regular undulating outline.

3. A document folder, as in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said regular undulating outline is a continuous sinusoidal shape.

4. A document folder, as in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said 15 regular undulating is of a scalloped shape. ll

5. A document folder, as in any one of the above claims, in which t o: there is at least one further spaced pair of transverse fold creases in said sheet, said further pair of fold creases defining a further substantially medially disposed region. o 20

6. A document folder, as in any one of the above claims, in which S: there is at least one pair of spaced apart apertures extending through said sheet, the at least one pai- 3f apertures being aligned parallel to one of the edges thereof.

7. A docunrent folder, as in any one of the above claims, in which there are a plurality of pairs of spaced apart apertures extending through said sheet, said pairs being aligned parallel to one of the edges thereof.

8. A document folder, as in claim 7, wherein there is at least one of said pairs adjacent one of the edges of said folder.

9. A document folder, as in claim 7, wherein there is at least one of said pairs away from the edges of said folder.

A document folder, as in any one of the above claims, in which there is an access hole extending through said sheet, said access hole being positioned medially between said pair of transverse fold creases.

11. A document folder substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. DATED this Second day of March 1994 MONDAMI PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys FISHER KELLY go* Se.. ABSTRACT Disclosed is a folder manufactured from corrugated cardboard. The folder has a back, two sides and apertures passing fully through the corrugated cardboard and aligned with either the top or the side of a respective side. Furthermore the apertures are adapted to allow for flexible paper securing fitments therethrough. In another form the folder's br k is divided by one or more folds each fold extending fully from a bottom to a top of the back such that the segments defined by the foldlines can fold respectively around the foldlines. ee* *e e e e