GB2308572A - Document file with filing prongs attached to cover by snap-fit engagement - Google Patents

Description

Stationery Article The present invention relates to stationery articles and in particular to stationery articles for document storage.

Many types of documents, such as business correspondence, reports, medical records etc., have conventionally been stored by punching one or more holes in the document and threading the document onto a retaining device, usually attached to protective covers. This holds the documents to the covers for protection and ease of identification.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved stationery article.

The invention provides a stationery article comprising a first member having an elongate portion which may be located through holes in stationery items to retain those items, a cover member, and fixing means operable to fix the first member to the cover member during assembly of the article to leave an end of the elongate portion free to receive stationery items1 the fixing means being arranged to be deformed by movement of the first member relative to the cover member as the article is assembled, the fixing means deforming to a position which thereafter substantially prevents the first member and the cover means from separating.

The first member may comprise a plurality of elongate portions as aforesaid. Preferably there are fixing means as aforesaid associated with each elongate portion. The fixing means may be arranged to fix together the first member and the cover when the or each elongate portion is located through a hole or a respective hole in the cover member. The elongate portions may be connected together by a web member. The web member, fixing means and first member are preferably a unitary structure.

The fixing means may comprise a detent portion which is deformable as the elongate portion passes through the hole in the cover, and thereafter relaxes to a position which substantially prevents withdrawal of the elongate portion. The or a detent portion may be carried by the elongate portion or from part of the cover, and may comprise a flange carried by the elongate portion, or alternatively or in addition, a region of the cover around the said hole. The or each detent portion may be resilient or resiliently mounted.

The fixing means may comprise surfaces between which the material of the cover will be entrapped after assembly.

The first member may comprise hinge means between the or at least one elongate member and the associated fixing means. The hinge means may comprise a live hinge.

The invention further provides a first member for a stationery article as set out above.

The invention also provides a stationery storage system comprising an article as set out above, compressor bar means engageable with the or each elongate member and movable therealong to grip stationery items located over the elongate portions, and second web means operable to connect together the free ends of the elongate members.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a stationery article incorporating the present invention; Fig. 2 is a part-schematic, part-sectional view at the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged, partial section at the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the region marked III in Fig. 2.

The drawings show a stationery article 10 in the form of a file for holding papers such as medical records or business papers. The article 10 comprises a first member 12 having elongate portions 14 which may be located through holes 16 (Fig. 2) in stationery items 18, here shown as documents, to retain those items. The article 10 further comprises a cover member 20 and fixing means 22 (described more fully below) operable to fix the first member 12 to the cover member 20 during assembly of the device 10 to leave an end 24 of the elongate portion 14 free to receive documents 18. The fixing means 22 are arranged to allow the first member 12 and the cover member 20 to be pushed together as will be described, and thereafter substantially prevent them from separating.

In more detail, Fig. 1 shows a cover 20 which may be of conventional material and design, such as an A4 size cardboard cover for business documents or medical records. The spine 26 is formed, by folding or otherwise, to provide a small flap 28 in which two holes 30 are formed (Fig.

3). These holes receive respective elongate portions 14 of the first member 12, as can be best seen from Fig. 2.

The first member 12 has two elongate portions 14 which extend generally parallel in use. The portions 14 have free ends 24 and are connected together at their other ends by a web member 32.

When the article 10 is assembled, the free ends 24 are pushed through the holes 30 until the web member 32 reaches the flap 28. The fixing means 22, to be described below, then engage to hold the first member 12 to the flap 28. The free ends 24 are then available to receive documents 18 by threading the free ends 24 through holes 16 in the documents 18. It may be desirable to allow the free ends 24 to be connected together, such as by a U-shaped member 34. To achieve this in this example, sockets 36 are formed in the free ends 24 of the elongate portions 14, to receive the ends of the member 34 as indicated by broken lines 38 in Fig. 2. The member 34 allows a document to be safely inserted in the middle of a large bundle, by moving documents off the portions 14, onto the member 34, to part the bundle at the required position.The member 34 is then removed from the sockets 36, to allow the new document to be inserted, while the existing documents are kept tidy by the portions 14 and member 34. It may also be desirable to provide a compressor bar 40 of relatively rigid material, which may be pushed down the portions 14 to compress the documents 18 against the flap 28, and then secured.

The fixing means 22 is shown in more detail in Fig. 3. The same arrangement is provided at each end of the web member 32 for connecting the corresponding elongate portion 14 to the web member 32.

The web member 32 carries a boss 42 having a domed face 44 circumscribed by a flange 46. The boss 42, flange 46 and web 32 define between them a circumferential recess 48. The elongate portion 14 extends away from the centre of the domed face 44 and is relatively thinned close to the face 44 to create a live hinge 50. The purpose of the live hinge 50 is to facilitate threading the portions 14 through documents 18, and allows them to fold when the cover 20 is closed. The portions 14 may be otherwise relatively rigid.

The holes 30 are formed to be adequate to receive the boss 42, but undersize in relation to the flanges 46. Consequently, as the boss 44 reaches the flap 28, the flange 46 will engage the flap 28 and one or both will be deformed until the flange 46 passes through the hole 30, and then relax. The cover 20 and the first member 12 are then in their assembled condition. The flap 28 will be trapped between the flange 46 and a second surface 52 which is on the web 32. This secures the elongate portion 14 to the flap 28. The interconnection of the portions 14 through the web 32 further aids the security of the arrangement by resisting the elongate portions 14 being pulled right through the holes 30. The domed face 44 assists assembly by acting as a lead-in surface, whereas the flat underside of the flange 46 substantially prevents the boss 42 being easily removed from the hole 30. Consequently, after the boss has been snap-fitted into position when the article is first assembled, the elongate portions 14 are substantially prevented from withdrawal from the holes 30 in either direction. It is envisaged that the simple linear movement required to assemble the article, and the positive location provided by the flange 46 and boss 42 may allow the assembly operation to be automated.

It might be thought that this fixing arrangement would cause tearing of the flap 28. However, it is envisaged that appropriate choices of materials and dimensions will substantially avoid this problem. It is envisaged that the first member 12, and the U-shaped member 34 and compressor bar 40 if used, may be made of a suitable plastics material having the required qualities of strength and flexibility, such as LDPE (low density polythene or polyethylene). It is also envisaged that the cover 20 would be of card or similar material, such as card with a weight of about 200 to 500gsm, preferably 315gsm or 485gsm.With these materials, it is envisaged that adequate ease of assembly without tearing, and adequate strength after assembly, could be obtained by having the flange diameter between about 0.5mm and lmm greater than the hole diameter. For instance, a hole diameter of about 6mm could be used with a flange diameter of about 6.75mm, and the body of the boss could have a diameter of about 5mm.

However, it is to be appreciated that other suitable materials could be selected, and the shape, form and dimensions of the boss 42 can be varied according to the required securing strength, and choice of materials.

Many variations and modifications to the examples described above can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, it is not essential to provide a flap in the spine of the cover. The first member could be attached directly to the front or rear leaf of the cover, as convenient, and at any convenient position. The web 32 is not essential.

One, two or more elongate members could be individually snap-fitted in the manner described, each having respective fixing means associated therewith. However, the use of a web is considered advantageous in enhancing the security of the attachment, as described, and allowing both elongate members to be installed in a single operation. (Filed documents are most commonly punched at two positions, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus require two elongate members, as shown). The stationery items 18 have been described as documents, but could also be other types of item commonly filed with documents, such as clear plastic wallets etc.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims (18)

1. A stationery article comprising a first member having an elongate portion which may be located through holes in stationery items to retain those items, a cover member, and fixing means operable to fix the first member to the cover member during assembly of the article to leave an end of the elongate portion free to receive stationery items, the fixing means being arranged to be deformed by movement of the first member relative to the cover member as the article is assembled, the fixing means deforming to a position which thereafter substantially prevents the first member and the cover means from separating.

2. An article according to daim 1, wherein the fixing means are arranged to fix together the first member and the cover when the elongate portion is located through a hole or a respective hole in the cover member.

3. An article according to claim 1, or 2 wherein the first member comprises a plurality of elongate portions as aforesaid.

4. An article according to claim 3, wherein there are fixing means as aforesaid associated with each elongate portion.

5. An article according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the elongate portions are connected together by a web member.

6. An article according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the web member, fixing means and first member are a unitary structure.

7. An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each fixing means comprise a detent portion which is deformable as the elongate portion passes through a hole in the cover, and thereafter relaxes to a position which substantially prevents withdrawal of the elongate portion.

8. An article according to claim 7, wherein the or a detent portion is carried by the elongate portion or forms part of the cover.

9. An article according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the detent portion comprises a flange carried by the elongate portion.

10. An article according to claims 7, 8 or 9, wherein the detent portion comprises a region of the cover around the said hole.

11. An article according to any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the or each detent portion is resilient or resiliently mounted.

12. An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the fixing means comprise surfaces between which the material of the cover will be entrapped after assembly.

13. An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the first member comprises hinge means between the or at least one elongate member and the associated fixing means.

14. An article according to claim 13, wherein the hinge means comprise a live hinge.

15. A first member for a stationery article as set out above.

16. A stationery storage system comprising an article as set out above, compressor bar means engageable with the or each elongate member and movable therealong to grip stationery items located over the elongate portions, and second web means operable to connect together the free ends of the elongate members.

17. A stationery article substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.