GB2174894A

GB2174894A - An adaptable protective cover, eg for a book

Info

Publication number: GB2174894A
Application number: GB08605265A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jacques Michel Andre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-03-05
Filing date: 1986-03-04
Publication date: 1986-11-19
Also published as: FR2578488B1; DE3606801A1; GB8605265D0; ES552667A0; IT8619627A0; BE904328A; FR2578488A1; IT1188414B; LU86342A1; IT8619627A1; ES8800866A1

Abstract

A cover, eg for a book comprises two outer sections 3' 3'' in the form of pockets having their open mouths facing each other, and means interconnecting the pockets and adapted for adjustment of the spacing between them. As described cover is prefabricated from an extruded sheath of a plastics, heat-shrinkable material, from one side (3) of which a median strip (2) is cut. The transverse edges (6,8,7,9) are then welded together ultrasonically. The end sheets or covers of a book are slipped into the cover, and the cover is adapted to fit the dimensions of the book to be protected by the application of heat. The cover may be used in the protection of books, exercise books, and other articles of stationery. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An adaptable protective cover, a method of pre- fabricating such a cover, and a method of adapting such cover to an object to be protected The present invention relates firstly to a protective cover for articles such as exercise books, books, magazines etc. It can be in form of an exercisebook cover, portfolio, wallet or other type of wrapper.

Known protective covers can either be made by the owner of the object to be protected or can be prefabricated and sold, for example, in stationery shops.

In the case of covers to be made by the user, the cover is made of a sheet of workable, and thus flimsy material, for example, paper or cardboard, which, after being folded and shaped, rapidly begins to show signs of wear during use, and eventually tears.

In the case of prefabricated covers, even if their resistance to wear is satisfactory, their dimensions are rarely well suited to the object to be protected, and they offer only partial protection. In this case, even if the covers do not wear out, the object covered is always subjected to local wear as a result of the degree of mobility of the object within the cover.

One object of the present invention is to provide a prefabricated protective cover which can be adapted to fit the dimensions of any object to be covered.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a prefabricated protective cover comprising at least two adjacent outer sections of sheet, each elongated by an inner section of sheet for the length of a connecting zone, and means disposed to bring together at least the connecting zones.

In this way, using a cover the total width of whose two outer sheet portions is larger than twice the width of, for example, a book to be covered, the means for bringing together the two zones allow the width of this double sheet section, between the two connecting zones, to be adapted to fit twice the width of the book plus its thickness, so that the connecting zones extend zccurately along the length of the external edges corresponding to the book.

The means for bringing together the two zones can be in the form of telescoping means combined with adhesive or retaining means, such as strips of VELCRO (Registered Trade Mark).

They can also, preferably, be a constituent material of the cover according to the invention, which is heat-shrinkable.

Thus, using this type of shrinkable material and subjecting it to the effect of heat, it is possible to not only bring together the two connecting zones of the original cover, but also to bring together the edges of the cover which are perpendicular to the connecting zones, so that the cover according to the invention can be adapted to fit all the dimensions of the object to be protected, and even to fit against all its sides.

The present invention also relates to a method of prefabricating the above-described protective cover wherein an extruded sheath is used, a longitudinal median strip being cut from one side of said sheath before the transverse edges of the sheath are welded together The present invention also relates to a method of adapting the protective cover to fit an object to be protected, wherein the object is slipped into the cover and heat is applied lightly, preferably at a glancing angle, to the inner and outer parts of the cover.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of one preferred embodiment of the adaptable cover, of a method of prefabricating said cover, and of a method of adapting said cover, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is a perspective view of an extruded sheath used to make a protective cover in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sheath of Figure 1 after a first cutting; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cover according to the invention ready to be adapted to fit an object to be protected.

A section of extruded sheath 1 is used which is made of polyvinyl chloride, PVC, (Figure 1), a plastic material which is heat-shrinkable under the effect of heat produced, for example, by an electric household appliance readily available to the user, such as a hair-dryer. It would also be possible to use a sheath made of a different heat-shrinkable plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene, but these materials only shrink at a temperature higher than that of PVC. Preferably, a bioriented material is used.

When laid flat, the width of the sheath 1 is at least slightly larger than the sum of the width of the object to be covered, for example, a book, plus half its thickness.

A separating plate is slid into the sheath 1 to isolate from each other the two sides thereof intended for covering the inside and outside of the book.

A longitudinal median strip which is at least slightly wider than the thickness of the book to be covered is cut out of the upper side 3 from one side of the plate in order to obtain the split section of sheath 1 shown in Figure 2, the separating plate preventing the lower side 4 from being cut.

Perpendicular to the cut 2, the sheath 1 is cut along two side parallel lines spaced apart at a distance at least slightly larger than the length of the book.

The transverse edges 6, 7 of the two portions of the upper side 3 are then joined to the transverse edges 8, 9 of the lower side to obtain the double wallet in Figure 3.

The join is preferably made ultrasonically to reduce deformation of the sides to a minimum. However, it would also be possible to use other methods such as, for example, high/ frequency current or hot knives.

The wallet shown in Figure 3, sold in this form in stationery shops, comprises two outer sections of sheet 4, 4' adjacent along the median line 10, each being extended for the length of a connecting zone 5' (5") by an inner section of sheet 3 (3").

It should be noted at this point that it would also be equally possible to prefabricate the cover according to the invention using a single side, which would subsequently be folded in an appropriate manner.

Under the effect of the heat, the connecting zones 5', 5" are welded together. The same applies to the transverse edges 6, 7 of the wallet, which are perpendicular to the connecting zones, that is the edges along which the welding zones extend.

Having purchased one of these wallets, the user slides one of the two binding or stitching parts of a book, or one of its end cover sheets, into one section of the wallet, and the other binding or stitching part or the other end cover sheets of the book into the other section of the wallet, taking care to match the outer and inner surfaces of the wallet.

Taking a hair-dryer, the power of which is suitable for this purpose, the user first heats the inner sections 3', 3" of the sheet. The heat-shrinkable material, which is also elastic, shrinks, initially forming creases and wrinkles, and, as heat is continued to be applied, the wrinkles disappear and the sheet sections become perfectly smooth. The same is repeated on the other side, that is the outer sections 4', 4" of the sheet.

The fact that the material of the wallet or protective cover shrinks causes it to assume the dimensions of the book and to fit the binding or stitching of the book, the connecting zones 5', 5" and the welded together transverse edges of the cover extending exactly along the external edges corresponding to the book.

It should be pointed out that the width of the median cut 2 in the cover according to the invention should only be very slightly larger than the thickness of the book, so that, when the interior sheet portions shrink, they do not expose the internal sides of the binding or stitching of the book.

A protective cover having two pockets or two half-pockets has been described. However, the invention can also be used to protect books or other similar articles having inner flaps, that is, having three or more sections.

Advantageously, heat is applied to the heatshrinkable material using a light touch, the light heat eliminating the wrinkles more efficiently.

The heat required to shrink the cover according to the invention can be quite simply supplied by an electric domestic appliance which can be used safely by anyone.

Furthermore, it should be emphasised that if the cover according to the invention, once it has been shrunk and adapted to the object to be protected, should be scratched, these scratches can be removed by reheating the cover.

The protective cover according to the invention has been described for use on a book. However, it can also be used to protect many other similar objects such as exercise books, files, magazines, albums, diaries, maps and record sleeves etc. In addition, the prefabricated, heat-shrinkable cover according to the invention can be adapted to fit objects of various dimensions by varying the length of time for which the heat is applied.

Claims

1. A prefabricated protective cover comprising at least two adjacent outer sections of sheet, each extended by an inner section of sheet for the length of a connecting zone, and means disposed to bring together the connecting zones.

2. A protective cover as claimed in Claim 1, which is made of a heat-shrinkable material.

3. A protective cover as claimed in Claim 2, which is made of polyvinyl chloride.

4. A method of prefabricating the protective cover as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein an extruded sheath is used, from one side of which a longitudinal median strip is cut before welding together the transverse edges of the sheath.

5. A method of adapting to an object to be covered the protective cover as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the object is slid into the cover and light heat is applied to the inner and outer sections of the cover.

6. A prefabricated protective cover comprising at least two adjacent outer sections of sheet, each of which is extended by an inner section of sheet for the length of a connecting zone, the cover being adapted to allow the distance between the connecting zones to be reduced.

7. A prefabricated protective cover, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of prefabricating a protective cover, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.