GB2155326A - Document strap - Google Patents

Abstract

A document strap of a size to wrap around a file or a bundle of documents, the ends of which are connectable by a quick-release connecting means, the connecting means being adjustable to enable the document strap to be fastened around materials of varying thicknesses. The document strap has a slight stretch characteristic to enable materials to be held together under tension and is adapted to receive writing 16 which may subsequently be erased. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Document strap This invention relates to a means for identifying files, piles of documents or the like, and is in the form of a strap which wraps round the file. Being in this form, the strap also serves the purpose of keeping the file closed while holding documents therein.

In offices, in particular in professional offices, it is frequently the case that document files become overloaded with documents in the form of drawings, copy documents, copy letters and the like and these can fall from the file if the file is in constant use. Also, it is frequently the case in connection with a document file that certain action must be taken by a certain date, and it is important for the person responsible for the file to keep a watch on that date in order to make sure that the work is done. This is normally achieved by keeping a record of the file in a diary or in a computer.

Even so, the person responsible for the file either has to check his diary, or make diary entries, or be reminded or there must be another person to perform this work and/or to operate the computer.

It would clearly be useful if a means could be provided which by its presence indicates the need for work to be done on any particular document file. This would be especially useful in the case where a person responsible for doing work on files by certain dates happens to be indisposed or ill and cannot attend to his normal duties, because the people remaining in the office and required to do the work of the indiposed persons' files would be able to recognise at a glance those files requiring attention.

The present invention provides a document strap which achieves these objectives in a simple manner.

The present invention provides a document strap which is of a size to wrap once round a file or bundle of documents, and the ends are adapted to be quick-release connected, for example by means of a touch-and-close fastener, and the strap may furthermore be of a nature or may be provided with a means whereby information can be erasably written on the strap.

The quick-release fastening arrangement would preferably be operable over a range of overlap of the strap ends, in order that the strap can be used with document files of different thickness, although in practice there are finite limits on the thickness which any document file can take.

A touch-and-close fastener arrangement can meet this requirement ideally.

As the strap or a means mounted on a strap is adapted to receive writing in an erasable manner, then temporary information such as a due date can be placed on the strap or the means carried thereby so that on the one hand the presence of the strap around the file will indicate that certain work must be done on the file by a particular date, and the writing on the strap can indicate the date by which the work must be done. When the work has been completed, the date can be removed from the strap, the strap removed and re-used on another file.

The strap will also serve the purpose of preventing documents falling from the file.

It is preferred that the strap be provided in a colour which distinguishes sharply from the file so that a person looking at a large number of files will be able to tell at a glance by the presence of straps which ones require attention.

The strap may be made of plastics material with a touch-and-close fastener device applied thereto, the plastic material being of a nature which has a slight stretch characteristic so that the straps can be tensioned around the documents or files if required, in order to keep them securely together, and preferably the plastics will be of a type which can receive writing by a suitable implement, such as a Chinagraph pencil or felt-tip pen, or alternatively the strap may be adapted to have removable panels attached thereto, on which panels erasable writing can be impressed.

As the strap is provided with quick release fastening means, then the strap can be readily removed when it is required to perform work on the file.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a strap according to the invention; Figure 2 shows how the strap of Figure 1 is applied to a document file; and Figure 3 shows how a document file with the strap applied thereto is easily distinguished in a pile of similar files.

Referring to the drawings, a strap 10 of plastics or the like material is of a suitable length to wrap once round a document file (document files tend to be essentially of standard sizes) with sufficient overlap to accommodate document files which are of different thickness. The strap is of plastics material of a nature which can receive writing thereon by a suitable implement such as a Chinagraph pencil or felt-tip pen, which can subsequently be erased, and on one side of the strap at one end thereof is one part 12 of touch-and-close fastener, and on the other side at the other end is the other part 14 of the touch-and-close fastener, these touch-and-close fastener parts being of such an extent to give the overlap referred to herein.

To apply the strap 10 to a document file, as shown in Figure 2, is simply a matter of wrapping the strap around the file so that the touch-andclose fasteners come together as shown in Figure 2. Information 16 concerning the work to be done on the file can then be written on the outside of the strap as indicated in Figure 2. The purpose of the strap is mainly to indicate that work must be done on the file, and the effectiveness of the strap can be ascertained on consideration of Figure 3 which shows a pile of files with one 18 having a strap 10 thereon. A person glancing at that pile of files would recognise immediately that the strapped file needs attention. This would prevent the file from being stored and forgotten about. The strap will be even more distinctive if it is selected to be of a colour which distinguishes sharply from the colour of the files.

Access to the files is simple in that the strap can be opened easily and it can be easily re-applied after examination of or working on the file.

By appropriate selection of material, it may be possible to use a felt-tip pen for the erasable marking of the strap.

Claims (5)

1. A document strap which is of a size to wrap once round a file or bundle of documents and the ends of which are adapted to be quick-release connected, for example, by means of a touch-andclose fastener.

2. A document strap as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the connecting means is adjustable enabling the document strap to be fastened around materials of varying thickness.

3. A document strap as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 having a slight stretch characteristic so as to hold materials securely together under tension.

4. A document strap as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, adapted to receive writing in an erasable manner.

5. A document strap substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.