EP0138279B1

EP0138279B1 - File

Info

Publication number: EP0138279B1
Application number: EP84201475A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jacobus Antonius Goes
Original assignee: Acco World Corp
Current assignee: Acco World Corp
Priority date: 1983-10-14
Filing date: 1984-10-12
Publication date: 1987-04-01
Also published as: NL8303554A; ATE26231T1; DE3462860D1; EP0138279A1

Abstract

A file for storing forms 12 comprising a front cover 1 connected to a back cover 3 by means of a back 2. The top edges of the back cover 3 of the back 2 and the front cover 1 are folded inwards along fold edges 8, thereby forming folded over strips 6, 6 min and 7, 7 min serving as carrier sheet strips 4 and fastening sheet strips 5. Slits 9 for the passage of a flexible lacing strip 10 for threading forms 12, are present in the carrier sheet strips 4 and in the fastening sheet strips 5, the slits in the strips 5 being situated at the front side of the folded coverback 2. A foot 16 of a lacing strip 10 is not able to pass through slit 9 in carrier strips 4 formed by folded over strips 6, 6 min .

Description

The invention relates to a file comprising a front cover, a back cover, a spine and two flexible lacing strips each consisting of a narrow, elongated lacing part provided at one end with a short wide foot, the spine being provided with a carrier sheet for the lacing having two slits, which are narrow in relation to the foot, for inserting the lacing strip so that the foot engages behind the carrier sheet, and the front cover being provided with a fastening sheet for the lacing in which two slits are formed through which the lacing strip can be inserted by its tip in order to fasten the lacing strip with, threaded on it, the material which is to be stored in the file.
A file of this kind is known from German Auslegeschrift 1 242 184, in which the carrier sheet and fastening sheet are secured by special attachment means only to the bottom side of the back cover and front cover respectively. The disadvantage in this case is that the carrier sheet and the fastening sheet are secured only at the bottom side, so that the documents threaded on the lacing strip can easily be displaced or detached when the filled file is moved. This danger exists particularly when the file is lifted only by the front cover.
The lacing strips, or at least very certainly the upper lacing strips, cannot more-over for these reasons be disposed entirely at the top side of the file, so as to be able to use the file for storing the interfold forms, folded in zig-zag style and perforated along their longitudinal sides, which are customarily used in computers, since in these filing documents the perforations permitting the passage of the lacing strips are situated right at the top and right at the bottom.
Another disadvantage of this known file is the fact that it requires a considerable amount of material and that the file is consequently heavy and expensive.
The invention now seeks to make this file pre- eminently suitable for storing the interfold forms referred to, while avoiding the disadvantages mentioned.
In the file according to the invention the carrier sheet and the fastening sheet each consist of two strips of folded-over integral file material which will act carrier sheet and fastening sheet respectively and which are formed by folding over inwardly the top and bottom edges of the file, each of the lacing strips being passed, through a slit in the folded over carrier sheet strips, while the slit in the fastening sheet strips is situated at the front side of the also folded over spine.
Because the lacing strips are laid flat against the fold edges in the folded-over strips, they are secured practically immovably, so that accidental detachment or displacement of the filed documents will no longer occur.
Through the folded-over strips of file material the entire file is moreover stiffened, which is important particularly when plastics material is used for making the file.
Since the function of the carrier sheet and fastening sheet are here taken over solely by the folded over strips so that considerable material is saved and no attachment means are now required, the file according to the invention will in addition be able to be made considerably lighter and to be less expensive.
The previously mentioned disadvantages of detachment of filed documents, the use of fairly large amounts of material, and the inability to use this file for the abovementioned interfold forms are also solved by the file construction according to Dutch Patent Specification 171 683. However, in this construction, since it must also be suitable for quite different and varying distances between the lacing strips, a rather complicated construction of the carrier sheet and fastening sheet is necessary, and the saving of material is not very great; moreover, this known construction requires the use of attachment means and separate reinforcement boards in order to give the file a certain degree of stiffness.
The folded-over strips are with particular advantage partly joined respectively to the front and back covers, thus leading to a still stronger file.
The invention will now be explained more fully with reference to the drawing, in which one form of construction of the file according to the invention is shown.
The file illustrated consists of a folder comprising a front cover 1 and a back cover 3, which are joined together by a spine 2. The file is made of a piece of resilient cover cardboard or plastics material.
The entire top edge of the back cover 3, the front cover 1 and the spine 2 are folded inwards along the fold edge 8 to form the folded- over strips 6, 6' and 7, 7' which serve respectively as carrier sheet strips 4 and fastening sheet strips 5.
In the carrier sheet strips and fastening sheet strips 4 and 5 respectively are also provided slits 9 for the passage of flexible lacing strips 10 having a pointed end 11.
For the storage of interfold forms 12 or separate forms, the lacing strip 10 is pushed through perforations 13 in the forms 12. A foot 16 at one end of the lacing strip being unable to pass through slit 9.
Because of the folded-over strips 6 and 7 the file is given increased stiffness, so that the filled file containing forms can stand upright.
It is advisable for the folded over strips 6 and 7 to be joined by means of a strip of adhesive 14 or by other means to the material of the back cover 3 or front cover 1 lying opposite it. The connection must obviously be restricted to an area enabling the lacing strip 10 to be removed from the space between the front cover 1 and the folded-over strip 7.
In the file shown in the drawing, the strips 6' and 7', which are to be folded over inwards at the bottom edge, are shown before being folded over. In addition, these strips 6' and 7' serving as carrier sheet and fastening sheet are provided with a strip of adhesive 14 in order also to enable the folded-over strips 6' and 7' to be locally joined to the back cover and front cover lying opposite them.
As can be seen, when the upper edge and bottom edge of the file are folded over, the back part 15, which is integral with the strips 6 and 7 which are to be folded over, is also folded over inwards.
It is obvious that in the file according to the invention only two lacing strips 10 can be used, which are passed through a total of four slits 9 in the material of the file, but this does not mean that more than two lacing strips may be used.

Claims

1. File comprising a front cover (1), a back cover (3), a spine (2) and two flexible lacing strips (10) each consisting of a narrow, elongated lacing part provided at one end with a short wide foot (16), the spine (2) being provided with a carrier sheet (4) for the lacing having two slits (9), which are narrow in relation to the foot, for inserting the lacing strip so that the foot (16) engages behind the carrier sheet (4) and the front cover (1) being provided with a fastening sheet (5) for the lacing in which two slits (9) are formed through which the lacing strip (10) can be inserted by its tip in order to fasten the lacing strip (10) with, threaded on it, the material (12) which is to be stored in the file, characterised in that the carrier sheet (4) and the fastening sheet (5) each consist of two strips (6, 6' and 7, 7' respectively) of folded-over integral file material which act as carrier sheet strips (4) and fastening sheet strips (5) respectively and which are formed by folding over inwardly the top and bottom edges of the file, each of the lacing strips (10) being passed through a slit (9) in the carrier sheet strips (6, 6'), while the slit (9) in the fastening sheet strips (7, 7') is situated at the front side of the also folded over spine (2).

2. File according to claim 1, characterised in that the folded-over carrier sheet strips surface and fastening sheet strips surface (6, 6', and 7, 7' respectively) are fastened to the surfaces back cover (3) and front cover (1) respectively.

3. File according to claim 2, characterised in that the fastening between the surfaces strips (6, 6', 7, 7') and the front cover (1) and the back cover (3) is made with the aid of a strip (14) of adhesive.