GB2493086A

GB2493086A - Page separator having foldable tab

Info

Publication number: GB2493086A
Application number: GB1212687.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Taheer Afzal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-07-19
Filing date: 2012-07-17
Publication date: 2013-01-23
Also published as: GB201112372D0; GB201212687D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a page separator 4 suitable for use in a binder to separate a number of loose-leaf pages 2, the page separator 4 comprising a sheet having first and second longitudinally extending sides 10, 12 and first and second transversely extending sides 14, 16. The first longitudinally side 10 is provided with a number of holes 18 adapted to locate the page separator 4 on a corresponding number of rings 6 on the binder. The second longitudinally extending side 12 is provided with at least one integral tab 22 that is foldable from a first position to a second extended position wherein the or each tab 22 extends through and is retained in a respective aperture 50 in the separator 4 in the first position. It is preferred that the aperture 50 in the separator 4 comprises a slit in a body of the page separator 4. The first and second transversely extending sides 14, 16 may be longer than a width of a loose leaf page 2.

Description

A PAGE SEPARATOR AND A METHOD OF SEPARATING PAGES

This invention relates to a page separator and a method of separating pages.

It is known to provide page separators to divide loose leaf pages placed in a binder such as a ring or lever arch binder. Typically a ring binder is sized to receive and retain loose-leaf pages each having a pair of opposed long sides and a pair of opposed short sides. Generally known page separators arc substantially the same sizc as the pages to be separated. It is usual to provide a set of page IC) separators each having a tab located along a first long side or the separator. Each of the tabs of a separator in the set is arranged to be located at a different position along the first long side of the separator. Commonly the tab may be provided with an indicia such as a number or letter related to the location of the tab along the side of the separator. The tabs may for example be numbered 1 to 20 or A toZ.

It is a known problem with such sets of page separators that the set may have a limited number of separators and that the cost of purchasing sets of separators is relatively high. Additionally it is a disadvantage of existing sets of separators that they may not be readily reused or combined with other sets.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a page separator suitable for use in a binder to separate a number of loose-leaf pages the page separator comprising a sheet having first and second longitudinally extending sides and first and second transversely extending sides wherein the first longitudinally side is provided with a number of holes adapted to locate the page separator on a corresponding number of rings on the binder; the second longitudinally extending side is provided with at least one tab that is foldable from a first position to a second extended position wherein the or each tab extends through and is retained in a respective aperture in the separator in the first position.

Preferably the or each tab is integral with the page separator.

Preferably the page separator comprises more than one tab located along the second longitudinally extending side and more preferably the number of tabs comprises one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten tabs. The page separator may comprise twelve or more tabs.

In one embodiment the page separator has first and second longitudinally extending sides that are substantially the same length as a sheet of A4 paper. In other embodiments the length may be substantially that of other standard sites or paper such as AS or A6 or other sizes as will be apparent to the skilled man. Tn alternative embodiments the length of the first and second longitudinally extending sides may be substantially less than the length of a sheet of A4 paper.

In some embodiments the first and second transversely extending sides are substantially the same width as a loose-leaf page to be placed in the binder. In alternative embodiments the first and second transversely extending sides have a width greater than a width of a loose-leaf page to be placed in the binder.

Preferably the or each aperture is a slit cut through a body of the page separator.

The aperture may in some embodiments be widened to form a slot in the page separator. The or each tab can be folded and inserted into the respective aperture and retained therein in the first position. In the first position a first side of the integral tab is retained adjacent to a first side of the page separator. The page separator may be creased or otherwise marked to assist in folding of the tab.

An advantage of the present invention is that the tab is integral with the body of the page separator so reducing problems with one or more of the tabs separating from the body of the page separator.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the tab is retained in a slot or slit in the body of the page separator. The slot or slit is narrow relative to the body of the page separator and does not reduce the structural integrity of the body of the page separator.

The tab has a second side that is preferably contiguous with a second side of the page separator in the second extended position. In some embodiments the second side is adapted to be written on. Alternatively or in addition the second side of the tab may be provided with pre-printed indicia. In another embodiment the tab is adapted to receive an adhesive label. The or each adhesive label may be provided with pre-printed indicia or may be adapted to be written on. Preferably the adhesive labels are of varying colours facilitating recognition of divisions of the loose-leaf pages in the binder.

The or each tab may be generally rectangular or may be curved. In some embodiments the tabs may be semicircular or elliptical or have a curved edge.

Correspondingly shaped adhesive labels may be provided with the page separator.

In a modification that is particularly suited to embodiments of thc page separator that are substantially the same size as the pages to be separated the page separator may be provided with at least one pocket on a first side of the body of the page separator. The pocket may be formed by a first leaf having first and second sides corresponding to the first and second longitudinally extending sides of the separator. The first side is provided with apertures adapted to cooperate with rings on a binder. The first side may be substantially the same length as the first longitudinally extending side of the separator or may be shorter. Preferably the first side is about 3/4 of the length of the first longitudinally extending side. The second side of the leaf is preferably shorter than the first side. The second side may be about 1/3 of the length of the second longitudinally extending side. The leaf has a transversely extending base and top side. Preferably the base is sealed to the second transversely extending side of the separator. The top side may be straight or may be curved. The top side may extend at an angle across the separator from the first side to the second side. The first side may be sealed or otherwise attached to the first longitudinally extending side or may be unattached.

In one embodiment the leaf is integral with the page separator and is folded along the first side. Preferably the second side is fixed or sealed to the second longitudinally extending side of the separator.

In another embodiment the page separator may be provided with a second pocket on a second side of the page separator. The second pocket may be the same or different from the first pocket. In one embodiment a second leaf forming the second pocket is integral with the first leaf forming the first pocket and the first and second pockets are formed by folding the first and second leaves over the second longitudinally extending side. In one embodiment the first leaf is integral with the second leaf and with the page separator.

Preferably the page separator and first and second leaves are formed of a plastic material such as polypropylene.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a page separator suitable for use in a binder to separate a number of loose-leaf pages, the page separator comprising a sheet having first and second longitudinally extending sides and first and second transversely extending sides wherein the first longitudinally extending side is provided with a number of apertures adapted to locate the page separator on a corresponding number of rings in the binder; the first and second transversely extending sides are longer than a width of a loose-leaf page to be placed in the binder, and the second longitudinally extending side is provided with at least one tab which is foldable from a first position to a second extended position.

Typically a binder has at least two openable rings formed by cooperating arches and a loose-leaf page having appropriately spaced apertures can be placed in the binder by opening the rings and passing the arches through respective apertures in the page. A binder may have two or four or more rings. Loose leaf pages may be provided with a number of appropriately spaced apertures. Spacing between the arches and apertures is a standardised distance. In a preferred embodiment the binder is adapted to store loose-leaf pages of A4 or Foolscap sizes Preferably the first and second longitudinally extending sides arc signilkantly shorter than a longitudinal length of the binder or an A4 sheet. More preferably the first and second longitudinally extending sides are a similar length to the distance between the rings of the binder. The sides extend further than the distance between the rings. The sides may be from 9cm to 20cm long and more / prelerably from 10cm to 15 cm. A preferred length is from 10cm to 12cm and a more preferred embodiment is form 10cm to 11cm. Most preferably the first and second longitudinally extending sides 10.5cm long which is a third of the length of an A4 sheet of paper.

In another embodiment the first and second longitudinally extending sides are substantially the same length as a longitudinal side of a page to be separated.

The first and second transversely extending sides of the separator are preferably at least as long as a width of the pages to be separated. More preferably the first and second transversely extending sides are at least the same length as the width of a sheet of A4 paper. Preferably a length of the first and second transversely extending sides is from 21cm to 30cm and more preferably from 22 cm to 26cm and most preferably from 23cm to 25cm.

A particular advantage of the page separator is that the separator can be formed from a smaller portion of material than traditional page separators so reducing wastage. The page separator may be formed of card or paper, preferably a heavyweight paper, or from a plastics material or laminate. Other materials such as plastics or plastieised fabrics may be suitable. A suitable plastics material is polypropylene.

In some embodiments it is envisaged that the page separator can be substantially A4 in size.

Preferably in the first position the tab is folded to a first side of the page separator. Desirably a first side of the tab is retained adjacent the first side of the page separator in the first position. In some embodiments a low tack adhesive retains the tab in the first position. In other embodiments the tab may simply be folded into the first position. The material of the page separator may be creased or otherwise marked to assist in folding of the tab.

The tab has a second side which is preferably contiguous with a second side of the page separator in the second extended position. In some embodiments the second side of the tab is adapted to be written on. Alternatively or in addition the second side of the tab may be provided with pre-printed indicia.

In a preferred embodiment each page separator is provided with two or more tabs along the second longitudinally extending side, in a particularly preferred embodiment the page separator may be provided with three or four or more tabs along the second longitudinally extending side.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of separating at least two loose-leaf pages in a binder having at least two rings, each page having at least two apertures, the method comprising opening the rings, placing the apertures in each of the pages over a corresponding ring in the binder, placing a page separator according to the first aspect of the invention onto the rings between the two pages and moving the tab from the first position to the second position.

Preferably additional pages may be placed in the binder and separated by at least a further page separator. A second tab longitudinally displaced from the first tab may be folded from the first to the second position. A third page separator may placed in the binder and a third tab longitudinally displaced from the first and second tabs may be folded from the first to the second extended position.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a set comprising a number of page separators in accordance with a first or second aspect of the invention.

An advantage of a set or page separators in accordance with the fourth aspect of the invention is that any number of separators can be used in a binder and the tabs folded back in a sequential order so that the tabs can be readily viewed in use. A set can be used in combination with a part of another set and as an appropriate tab is selected and folded out in use a part of a set that is not used in a first binder can be used in second or third binders so reducing wastage and increasing the liexibility of the set of page separators. A set of page separators may comprise substantially A4 sized separators.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a binder containing a loose leaf page and a page separator in accordance with a second aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a page separator of Figure 1 having a iirst tab in a first position and a second tab in a second position, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a reverse sidc of the page separator of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a binder containing a loose leaf page and a page separator in accordance with a first aspect of the invention; Figure 5 is perspective view of a page separator with a first pocket; Figure 6 is a detail of a portion of the page separator of Figure 4 with the tabs in a first position; Figure 7 is a detail of the portion of Figure 4 with a tab in the second position and, Figure 8 shows a form for the page separator with two pockets prior to folding.

H

Figure 1 is a perspective schematic view of a binder I containing a number of loose leaf pages 2. The loose leaf pages 2 are separated by a page separator 4.

Each loose-leaf page 2 has two apertures or holes 4 which are spaced so as to be able to fit over arches 6 cooperating to form rings S of the binder 1. Each page separator 4 has a body having first and second longitudinally extending sides 10, 12 and first and second transversely extending sides 14, 16. Apertures or holes 18 in the page separator are provided on the first longitudinally extending side 10 and are separated by a distance 20 which is slightly greater than the distance between the rings 6 of the binder. The first and second transversely extending sides 14, 16 are substantially the same width as a standardised A4 sheet. The page separator is provided with a number of foldable tabs 22 along the second longitudinally extending side 12. Thc foldable tabs 22 are integral with the body of the page separator.

The distance between rings of a binder are standardised and the distance 20 between the apertures 18 in the page separator is the same as the distance between rings in a binder. The distance is the same between two rings of a two ring binder and between any two rings of a four ring binder. The first and second longitudinally extending sides are longer than the distance 20 between the rings.

As can be seen in more detail in Figures 2 and 3 the page separator has a first side 24 and a second side 26 opposing the first side. In this embodiment the page separator is provided with three tabs 22 along the second longitudinally extending side 12. Each of the tabs is foldable between a first position generally indicated at 28 in Figure 3 and a second position generally indicated at 30 in Figure 3. In the first position a first side 32 of the tab is folded to the first side 24 of the page separator. In this embodiment the tab is creased to retain the tab in the first position.

Each tab has a second side 34 which is contiguous with the first side 24 of the page separator in the first position and as can be seen in Figure 2 is contiguous with the second side 26 of the page separator in the second position.

In this embodiment the second side of the tab is adapted to be written on and has a plain surface. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 the page separator is provided with three tabs. The skilled man will understand that more tabs may be provided and that the number of tabs is dependent on the length of the second longitudinal side and a desired size of the tabs.

In use a number of loose-leaf pages are placed in the binder. A page separator as described above is placed in the binder by locating the apertures] 8 of the page separator over the arches 6 of the ring 8. The page separator is placed in the binder with the first side downwards and the second side of the separator uppermost. More loose-leaf pages are placed in the binder and further page separators can be used to separate the pages. Once the page separators are in position a tab on each page separator may be unfolded. Sequential separators have sequential tabs unfolded so that as the separators are positioned in the binder the sequential tabs are longitudinally displaced from one another. Thus if the first page separator has a first tab unfolded a second separator has a second tab unfolded and a third separator has a third tab unfolded. References or numerals or other indieia can be written on the second side of the tabs. Once positioned and unfolded sequential separators have sequentially longitudinally displaced tabs allowing indieia on the second side of the tabs to be readily viewed.

An alternative embodiment in accordance with another aspect of the invention is show-n in Figure 4. The same reference numbers will be used for corresponding features. As before loose leaf pages 2 are separated by a page separator 4 comprising a body having first and second longitudinally extending sides 10, 12 and first and second transversely extending sides 14, 16. Holes 18 arc provided on the first longitudinally extending side 10 and are separated by a distance that is approximately the same as the distance between the rings 6 of the binder. The first and second transversely extending sides are slightly greater in width than the width of an A4 sheet of paper.

The page separator is provided with four tabs 22 along the second longitudinally extending side. The tabs 22 are integral with the body of the page separator. It is envisaged that more tabs may be provided in a typical page separator. Slots 50 are provided in the body ol the page separator adjacent to but spaced from the second longitudinally extending side 12. The slots 50 extend through the body of the page separator and each have a length 1.

As is shown in more detail in Figures 6 and 7 each tab 22 is formed of the same material as the body of the page separator 4 and in this embodiment each tab is integral with the page separator. The page separator is formed of a polypropylene plastic that is resistant to tearing. In manufacture of the page separator a crease is provided so that the tab 22 folds cleanly along the second longitudinally extending side 12 of the page separator. Each tab 22 comprises a linking portion 52 adjacent to the second longitudinally extending side 1 2 and a distal portion 54 remote therefrom. The distal portion 54 is curved and is arranged to be received in a respective slot 50 provided in the body. The length 1 is sufficient to receive the distal portion 54 of the tab and securely retain the distal portion in and through the slot 50 when the tab 22 is in the first position as can be seen in Figure 6. The tab 22 may be moved to the second position by removing the distal portion from the slot and unfolding the tab such that the tab extends from the second longitudinally extending side 12. As before the page separator has a first lace 24 and a second face opposing the first face. In the first position a first side 56 of the tab is adjacent the first face 24 of the page separator. In the second position the first side 56 of the tab is contiguous with the first face 24 of the page separator and the second side of the tab is contiguous with the second face of the page separator.

The tabs can have a surface on either the first or second side that is adapted to be written or printed on. An alternative is that sticky labels are provided that are arranged to be received on one of the first and second sides of the tabs.

The tabs 22 are located in slots 50 in the body of the page separator. Each slot is relatively small compared to the body of the page separator and does not reduce the structural integrity of the main body of the page separator. Formation of the page separator with tabs that extend from and are integral with the body of the page separator improve the strength of the page separator and reduce the risk of the tabs detaching from the body. The use of relatively narrow slots in the body of the page separator to retain the tabs in the first position also reduces the impact of the slots on the structural integrity of the body.

In this embodiment as best seen in Figure 5 the page separator is provided with a pocket 58 adjacent to a first face 24 of the page separator. The pocket 58 comprises a first leaf 60 having first and second sides 62, 64 corresponding to the first and second longitudinally extending sides 10, 12 of the page separator. The first side 62 of the leaf of the pocket is provided with holes 66 adapted to cooperate with rings 6 on a binder. The first side 62 is about 3⁄4 of the length of the first longitudinally extending side 10. The second side 64 of the leaf is shorter than the first side 62 and is about 1/3 of the length of the second longitudinally extending side 12. A base 68 of the leaf 60 is sealed to the second transversely extending side 16 of the page separator and a top side 70 is curved downwardly from the first side 62 of the leaf to the second side 64 of the leaf.

The first side 62 is sealed to the first longitudinally extending side 10 and the second side 64 is sealed to the second longitudinally extending side 1 2 of the separator.

The page separator further comprises a sccond pocket adjacent to thc second face of the page separator. The second pocket is the same as the first pocket and will not be further described in this rcspcct.

The second lcaf of the second pocket is integral with the first leaf of the first pocket along the second sides of the pocket and the first and second pockets are formed by folding the first and second leaves over thc second longitudinally extending side. In this embodiment the second leaf is also integral with the page separator along the lrst side of the second leaf and the first side of the page separator.

It will be appreciated that the page separator may be formed with or without pockets and that the page separator may be made in different sizes to support use in separating pages of different sizes in an binder.

Figure 8 show-s a blank for a page separator with two pockets prior to being folded. The blank 72 comprises the page separator 16 with the second face 26 uppermost. Apertures 1 8 for location of the page separator on rings of a ring binder are provided along the first side 10 of the page separator. Part of the first side 10 is a free edge and the remainder is formed by a crease 74 in the blank.

Further apertures 66 are provided along the first side 62 of the first leaf 60 of the first pocket. The whole of the first side of the first leaf is formed by the creased edge once it is folded. The second side 64 of the leaf 60 is integral with a second side of a second leaf 78 and the second side is formed by a second crease 80.

The second leaf has a first side 82 with further apertures 84 arranged to overlap the apertures 66 and 18 when the blank is folded to form the page separator. The second leaf 78 has a flap 86 along a base 88 of the second leaf which is arranged to fold over and the base of the first leaf. The flap can be sealed to the first leaf and a preferred method of doing so is by heat sealing.

Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. A page separator suitable for use in a binder to separate a number of loose-leaf pages the page separator comprising a sheet having first and second longitudinally extending sides and first and second transversely cxtending sides wherein the first longitudinally side is provided with a number of holes adapted to locate thc page scparator on a corresponding number of rings on the binder; the second longitudinally extending side is provided with at least one integral tab that is foldable from a first position to a second extended position wherein the or each tab extends through and is retained in a respective aperture in the separator in the first position.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A page separator according to claim 1 whercin thc or each aperture is a slit cut through a body of the page separator.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A page separator according to claim 2 wherein the aperture is widened to form a slot in the page separator.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A page separator according to any preceding claim wherein the or each tab can be folded and inserted into the respective aperture and is retained therein in the first position.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A page separator according to any preceding claim wherein more than one tab is located along the second longitudinally extending side.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A page separator according to claim 5 wherein the number of tabs comprises one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. nine, ten or more tabs.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A page separator according to any preceding claim wherein the or each tab has a second side that is contiguous with a second side of the page separator in the second extended position.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A page separator according to claim 7 wherein the second side of the tab is adapted to be written on.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A page separator according to any one preceding claim wherein the first and second transversely extending sides have a width greater than a width of a loose-leal page to be placed in the binder.</claim-text> <claim-text>I (I). A page separator according to any preceding claim wherein the page separator may be provided with at least one pocket on a first face of the page separator.</claim-text> <claim-text>II. A page separator according to claim 10 wherein the page separator is provided with a second pocket on a second face of the page separator.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. A page separator according to ally one of claims 10 and ii wherein the page separator is folded and formed from a unitary material.</claim-text> <claim-text>13. A page separator suitable for use in a binder to separate a number of loose-leaf pages, the page separator comprising a sheet having first and second longitudinally extcnding sides and first and sccond transversely extcnding sides whcrcin the first longitudinally extending side is provided with a number of apertures adapted to locate the page separator on a corresponding number of rings in the binder; the first and second transversely extending sides are longer than a width of a loose-leaf page to be placed in the binder, and the second longitudinally extending side is provided with at least one tab which is foldable from a first position to a second extended position.</claim-text> <claim-text>14. A page separator according to claim 1 3 in which in the first position the tab is folded to a first side of the page separator.</claim-text> <claim-text>15. A page separator according to claim 14 in which a first side of the tab is retained adjacent the first side of the page separator in the first position.</claim-text> <claim-text>16. A page separator according to claim 15 in which a low tack adhesive retains the tab in the first position.</claim-text> <claim-text>17. A page separator according to any one of claims 13 to 16 in which the tab has a second side which is contiguous with a second side of the page separator in the second extended position.</claim-text> <claim-text>18. A page separator according to claim 17 in which the second side of the tab is adapted to be written on.</claim-text> <claim-text>19. A page separator according to claim 17 or claim 18 in which the second side of the tab is provided with a pre-printed indicia.</claim-text> <claim-text>20. A page separator according to any one of claims 13 to 19 in which each page separator is provided with two or more tabs along the second longitudinally extending side.</claim-text> <claim-text>21. A page separator according to any one of claims 13 to 19 in which a length of the first and second transversely extending sides is from 21cm to 30cm and more preferably from 22 cm to 26cm and most preferably from 23cm to 25cm.</claim-text> <claim-text>22. A page separator according to any one of claims 1 3 to 21 in which the first and second longitudinally extending sides from 9cm to 20cm long and more preferably from 10cm to 15 cm and most preferably from 10cm to 11cm.</claim-text> <claim-text>23. A page separator according to any one of claims 13 to 21 in which the page separator is substantially A4 in size.</claim-text> <claim-text>24. A method of separating at least two loose-leaf pages in a binder having at least two rings each page having at least two apertures, the method comprising opening the rings, placing the apertures in each of the pages over a corresponding ring in the binder and placing a page separator according to any one of claims 1 to 11 between the two pages and moving the tab from the first position to the second position.</claim-text> <claim-text>25. A method according to claim 24 wherein additional pages are placed in the binder and are separated by at least a further page separator and wherein a second tab longitudinally displaced from the first tab is folded from the first to the second position.</claim-text> <claim-text>26. A method according to claim 24 wherein a third page separator is placed in the binder and a third tab longitudinally displaced from the first and second tabs is foldcd from the iirst to the second extended position.</claim-text> <claim-text>27. A set comprising a number of page separators according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or claims 13 to 23.</claim-text> <claim-text>28. A page separator substantially as described here in with reference to the accompanying drawings in Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 to 8.</claim-text> <claim-text>29. A method of separating pages substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>