GB2217264A - Document wallet - Google Patents

Abstract

Document wallet formed from a folded blank has co-operable latch means (30) for connecting together front and side wall panels (12, 14, 16) in face to face contact. The latch means (30) comprises a tongue formation formed on said front wall panel (12) and a co-operating slot (34) formed in said side wall panels (14, 16). The tongue formation includes a flap portion (31) located on the exterior of the front wall panel and connected thereto by a fold line (32), a tongue portion (33) integrally attached with the flap portion (31) and located intermediate the ends of the fold line, the flap portion and tongue portion being located on opposite sides of the fold line such that angular deflection of the flap portion (31) causes angular deflection of the tongue portion (33). <IMAGE>

Description

DOCUMENT WALLET The present invention relates to a folder, in particular a folder for the loose storage of documents,.

Folders for retaining loose documents are known but are usually in a preassembled condition when supplied to the user. Accordingly such folders take up a large amount of storage space which is undesirable particularly in an office where space is limited.

In addition, for presentation purposes, it is desirable for folders to have a maximum of flat space on which printing may be performed. Accordingly the use of glue lines, rivet holes etc used in prize art constructions for assembling a folder are undesirable as such use restricts the available space for printing.

Use of additional fixing means such as glue, rivets etc for asembling a folder has in the past been thought to be necessary in order to provide the necessary strength to maintain the integrity of the folder when in use.

It is a general aim of the present invention to provide a folder which can be supplied to the user in a flat condition and which can be assembled in a convenient manner without the necessity of additional fixing means and provide an assembled folder which is durable in use.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a blank for a folder which can be folded into an erected folder without the need for separate fixing means.

The blank is preferably formed sp that the folder in its assembled condition includes a front wall hingedly connected to a rear wall, at least one side wall hingedly connected to the rear wall and connectable with the front wall by integral latch means to define a pocket, and preferably further includes a top wall hingedly connected to the rear wall for permitting or restricting access to the interior of said pocket. Preferably a botom wall is provided which is hingedly connected along one side to a bottom side of the rear wall and is hingedly connected along its opposite side to the front wall. It is envisaged that the side walls may alternatively be hingedly attached to the front wall and be attached to the rear wall by an integral latch formation.

Preferably the blank is provided with a pair of side walls hingedly connected at opposite sides of the rear wall, each side wall being connectable to the front wall by integral latch means.

The integral latch formation is preferably maintained in an engaged condition by outward bias of the sidewalls which is created by the inherent resilence of the sheet material when folding the blank and alsp created by the weight of documents contained within the erected folders.

The latch formation is preferably defined by a tongue which is integrally connected with a flap portion, the flap portion being hingedly connected.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a folder formed from a blank as defined above.

Various aspects of the present invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a folder according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank suitable for forming the folder illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a folder according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 4 is a plan view of a blank suitable for forming a folder illustrated in Figure 3.

The folder illustrated in Figure 1 includes a rear wall 11, a front wall 12, a pair of side walls 14, 16 respectively, and a top wall 20. The front wall 12, side walls 14, 16 and top wall 20 are each hingedly connected to the rear wall 11 and in the erected condition as illustrated in Figure 1 define a pocket 19 to which access is permitted or restricted by the top wall 20. The front wall 12 is connected to the rear wall 11 by a bottom wall 18 and the side walls 14, 16 are connected to the rear wall 11 by end walls 25, 26 respectively. The top wall 20 is connected to the rear wall 11 via an upper wall 21.

Walls 18, 21, 25 and 26 are of similar widths and are chosen to give the pocket 19 a desired width. If desired walls 18, 21, 25 and 26 can be dispensed with so that the front wall, side walls and top wall are each directly hingedly connected to the rear wall 11 by a single fold line.

In the erected condition as illustrated in Figure 1, each side wall is connected to the front wall 12 by an integral latch formation 30.

Each latch formation 30 includes a tongue formation 35 formed on the front wall and which engages with a slot 34 formed on the respective side wall. The tongue formation 35 includes a flap portion 31 integrally connected with a tongue portion 33. The flap portion 31 is hingedly connected to the front wall 12 by a fold line 32. Intermediate the ends of the fold line 32, the material of the front wall 12 is cut to define the tongue portion 33 which is located on the opposite side of the fold line to the flap portion 31. Thus flap portion 31 may be used as a handle by an operative to cause angular deflection of the tongue portion 33 about the fold line 31.

The upper sides of the rear, front and side walls define a mouth 24 which provides access into the pocket of the folder. The mouth 24 may be enlarged by forming a recess (not shown) in the upper portion of the front wall 12.

The top wall 20 is provided with one part of a tongue and latch formation 28 and the front wall 12 is provided with a co-operating part of the tongue and latch formation 28 sp that the top wall 20 may be moved to close the mouth 24 and be releasably retained in that position. In the illustrated embodiment the tongue 28a is formed on top wall 20 and a slot 28b is formed on the front wall 12. The formation 28 may be substituted by a catch of any conventional construction, but is preferably of a type that can be readily attached manually. If desired more than one catch may be provided.

The blank 150 for forming the folder of Figure 1 is shown in Figure 2 and is conveniently formed in a single operation from a suitable sheet material. Suitable sheet materials include plastics sheet such as polypropylene of say a thickness between 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm or card which may be laminated with a plastics film on one or both sides of the card.

In forming the blank, the blank is cut and is provided with various fold lines FL to define the following, a rear wall forming panel 40, a pair of side wall forming panels. 42, 43 respectively, a bottom wall forming panel 46, a front wall forming panel 48, an upper wall forming panel 49, a top wall forming panel 50, end wall forming panels 53, 54, and reinforcement tabs 58.

As indicated above, the front wall is provided with a pair of tongue formations 35 for co-operation with slots 34 formed in respective side walls 14, 16.

To erect a folder from the blank 50, the tabs 58 are folded toward the end wall forming panel 53, 54 respectively, the end wall forming panels 53, 54 are then folded toward the rear wall panel 40, and the side wall panels 42, 43 are folded toward the attached end wall panel 53, 54 respectively.

The bottom wall panel 46 and main front wall panel 48 are folded toward the rear wall panel 40 to thereby overlap the folded side wall panels 42, 43.

The tongue portions 33 are then in turn each introduced through the slot 34 in the respective underlying side wall panel 42, 43 respectively to achieve a folder as illustrated in Figure 1.

Formation of at least the fold lines defining the sidewalls and attachment panels 42, 43, 53 and 54 is performed so that after folding, those panels are biased to return toward their unfolded positions.

Accordingly, as seen in Figure 1, sidewalls 14, 16 are biased outwardly and sp urge the latch formations 30 into engagement to thereby maintain the folder in its erected condition.

If desired, the area around the slots 34 or tongue formations 35 may be reinforced to restrain tearing, particularly if the blank is formed from card which has not been laminated. If the blank is made from a plastics sheet or a card which is laminated on one or both sides with a plastics film it has been found that such additional reinforcement is not necessary.

It will be appreciated that the folders of the present invention may be stored in a flat condition, which minimises the amount of storage space required, and that a folder is simply and quickly erected when required. If separate catch means are to be used for securing the top wall to the front wall, then preferably the blank is provided with apertures to enable the catch means to be attached in the correct position. Such catch means can be conveniently stored separately and attached to the blank prior to erection.

It is envisaged that the side wall and asspciated end wall panel for each side wall may be attached to the front panel 48.

The material chosen for blank should have sufficient stiffness to maintain reaspnable rigidity in the side walls and bottom wall to restrain collapse of the folder.

The reinforcement tabs 58 serve to restrain collapse of the folder at the bottom corners thereof.

If necessary, the tabs 58 may be extended in length as illustrated in broken lines in Figure 2 sp that in the erected folder the terminal end portions 58a of the tabs 58 overlap one another. The overlapping end portions 58a are provided with co-operating latch means, in the form of slits 58b, to restrain longitudinal separation of the tabs 58. In this way the tabs not only serve to provide reinforcement for the bottom wall 46 but also act to restrain outward movement of the end wall panels 42, 43 at the bottom region thereof.

In view of the absence of fixing means for creating an erected folder large unimpeded surfaces are present on the folder which enable printing of promotional matter to be provided.

It will be appreciated that the above construction of blanks also conveniently enables a variety of sizes of folders to be produced simply by altering the dimensions of the blanks during manufacture. In addition, particularly for larger folders it is envisaged thatthe upper wall forming panel 49 may be adapted, for instance by the provision of suitable apertures,, for the attachment of a carrying handle.

It is also envisaged that a sim document folder may be formed by omitting the upper, bottom and end wall forming panels 49, 46, 53 and 54 respectively.

A further embodiment is illustrated in Figures. 3 and 4. In Figures 3 and 4 similar parts have been designated by similar reference numerals. The embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 comprises a folder 100 which primarily differs from the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 in that only one side wall 14 is provided and the front wall 12 is. of reduced height. In addition the latch formation 30 is.

reversed in that the tongue formation 33 is. located on the side wall 14 and the slot 34 is formed in the front wall 12.

Claims (13)

1. A blank for a folder, the blank being formed from a relatively stiff sheet material and being cut and formed to define a rear wall forming panel foldably connected to a front wall forming panel, at least one side wall panel located on one side of the blank, the side wall panel being foldably connected to one wall forming panel and arranged sp that in the erected folder it resides in face to face contact with the other one of said wall forming panels, co-operable latch means being provided on said side wall panel and said other one of said wall forming panels for maintaining said face to face contact, the latch means comprising a tongue formation formed on said side wall panel and a co-operating slot formed in said other one of said wall forming panels, the tongue formation including a flap portion located on the exterior of the side wall panel and connected thereto by a fold line, a tongue portion integrally attached with the flap portion and located intermediate the ends of the fold line, the flap portion and tongue portion being located on opposite sides of the fold line such that angular deflection of the flap portion causes angular deflection of the tongue portion.

2. A Dlank for a folder, the blank being formed from a relatively stiff sheet material and being cut and formed to define a rear wall forming panel foldably connected to a front wall forming panel, a pair of side wall panels located on opposed sides of the blank, each side wall panel being foldably connected to one wall forming panel and arranged sp that in the erected folder it resides in face to face contact with the other one of said wall panels, cooperable latch means being provided on said wall panel and said other one of said wall forming panels for maintaining said face to face contact, each latch means comprising a tongue formation formed on said side wall panel and a cooperating slot formed in said other one of said wall forming panels, the tongue formation including a flap portion located on the exterior of the side wall panel and connected thereto by a fold line, a tongue portion integrally attached with the flap portion and located intermediate the ends of the fold line, the flap portion and tongue portion being located on opposite sides of the fold line such that angular deflection of the flap portion causes angular deflection of the tongue portion.

3. A blank for a folder, the blank being formed from a relatively stiff sheet material and being cut and formed to define a rear wall forming panel foldably connected to a front wall forming panel, at least one side wall panel located on one side of the blank, the side wall panel being foldably connected to one wall forming panel and arranged so that in the erected folder it resides in face to face contact with the other one of said wall panels, cooperable latch means being provided on said side wall panel and said other one of said wall forming panels for maintaining said face to face contact, the latch means comprising a tongue formation formed on said other one of said wall forming panels and a cooperating slot formed in said side wall panel, the tongue formation including a flap portion located on the exterior of said other one of said wall forming panels and connected thereto by a fold line, a tongue portion integrally attached to the flap portion and located intermediate the ends of the fold line, the flap portion and tongue portion being located on opposite sides of the fold line such that angular deflection of the flap portion causes angular deflection of the tongue portion.

4. A blank for a folder, the blank being formed from a relatively stiff sheet material and being cut and formed to define a rear wall forming panel foldably connected to a front wall forming panel, a pair of side wall panels located on opposite sides of the blank, each side wall panel being foldably connected to one wall forming panel and arranged so that in the erected folder is resides in face to face contact with the other one of said wall panels, cooperable latch means being provided on said side wall panel and said other one of said wall forming panels for maintaining said face to face contact, each latch means comprising a tongue formation formed on said other one of said wall forming panels. and a cooperating slot formed on said side wall panel, the tongue formation including a flap portion located on the exterior of saia other one of said wall forming panels and connected thereto by a fold line, a tongue portion integrally attached with the flap portion and located intermediate the ends of the fold line, the flap portion and tongue portion being located on opposite sides, of the fold line such that angular deflection of the flap portion causes angular deflection of the tongue portion.

5. A blank according to Claim 1 wherein a bottom wall forming panel is located between the front and rear wall rorming panels and an end wall forming panel is located between each side wall panel and said one wall forming panel to which it is foldably attached.

6. A blank according to Claim 1 wherein a reinforcement tab is foldably attached to each end wall forming panel at a bottom edge thereof.

7. A blank according to Claim 6 wherein the reinforcement tabs are extended in length sp as to have overlapping terminal end portions in the erected folder.

8. A blank according to Claim 7 wherein the overlapping terminal end portions have cooperable latch means which when engaged restrain longitudinal separation of the tabs.

9. A blank according to Claim 8 wherein a top wall forming panel is foldably connected to the rear wall forming panel to define a closure flap.

10. A blank according to Claim 9 wherein an upper wall forming panel is located between the rear wall forming panel and the top wall forming panel.

11. A blank according to Claim 10 wherein the top wall forming panel and the front wall forming panel are adapted to receive cooperable latch means for detachably connecting the free end of the top wall panel to the front wall of the erected folder.

12. A document folder constructed from a blank according to Claim 1.

13. A folder constructed from a blank according to Claim 1.