NZ516558A - Magnetic cartridge paper filing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A cartridge for a filing system having two elongate flaps each with longitudinal edges and two transverse edges and having an inside face and an outside face. The first longitudinal edge of the first flap is joined by a hinge to the first longitudinal edge of the second flap in a manner the flaps can be pivoted about the hinge between open and closed positions with the inside of the face of the first flap normally lying closed against the inside face of the second flap. Magnetized material is located on the inside face of each flap adjacent the longitudinal edge of the flap with the magnetized material being positioned so the magnetized material is on the inside face of the first flap will lie in juxtaposition with the magnetized material on the inside face of the second flap when the flaps are in a closed position to normally maintain the two flaps in a closed position. Each flap includes an extension which extends outwardly from the second longitudinal edge of the flap and which is located substantially midway between the transverse edges of the flaps, the cartridge includes means to enable the cartridge to be removably suspended on a frame.

Description

516558 Patents Form No 5 Patents Act 1953 Number 516558 Date 11 July 2002 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Filing system I, Simon Alistair Whitehead, of 36 Caversham Drive, Torbay, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand, a New Zealand citizen, hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement; 1 TITLE Filing system BACKGROUND The invention relates to a document filing system and more particularly to a system which can include a number of folders in which documents are placed in a manner that the folders can be suspended from a suspension system. Generally such systems are designed so that the folders can be readily attached to or removed from the suspension 10 system.

Architectural plans, maps, construction drawings, blueprints, tracings and charts herein collectively referred to as sheets, are often printed onto or form part of large sheets of paper, cardboard and the like, and consequently there is always a problem of 15 satisfactorily storing the sheets so they are both safe and readily accessible. It is known for instance to merely roll the sheets into tubes, but this means that the tubes have to be unrolled to view the contents. It is therefore desirable to store the sheets in a flat condition and one known method is to place the sheets into stacks within large comparatively shallow drawers which form part of a cabinet in a manner that the drawers 20 can be withdrawn or partly withdrawn to enable a stack or stacks of sheets to be removed or replaced. The disadvantage with such a system is that it is difficult to replace a stack of sheets without damaging the sheets and it is also difficult to removed a stack of sheets especially when more than one stack is stored in a drawer.

Another known method of storing sheets is to attach them to a suspension unit so that the unit can be suspended on a suitable mounting fixed to a wall or within an upright cabinet. Means are usually provided whereby individual suspension units can be removed from the mounting so the bundle of sheets held by a suspension unit can be retrieved. An advantage of filing the sheets in a vertical filing system is that the sheets 2 are suspended generally from one edge and are therefore protected from being creased or otherwise damaged.

While such suspension systems will hold the articles safely, the difficulty arises in that generally a number of sheets are held by each suspension unit and although the selection of an appropriate suspension unit in which the required sheet or sheets are held can be located, because of the weight and size of the sheets often physical effort is required to remove the suspension unit from the mounting.

PRIOR ART US patent specification 4,594,754 (Planhorse) describes a clamp for holding sheet articles with the clamp having a pair of jaws which can be opened to receive an edge of the sheets to be held. The jaws are clamped together by means of wing nuts on self locking bolts. A leaf spring is utilised to enable the jaws to be spread apart when the wing nuts are loosened.

US Patent specification (Rose) discloses a suspension unit which has a suspension bar with hanger units which enables a file folder to be suspended from both ends. Rose describes how a stack of sheets is arranged between flaps and are secured between the flaps by prongs which pass through the flaps into a compressor bar.. Each unit has a hanger hook element projecting from each end which are attached to the compressor bar. The hook elements are formed to enable the unit to be suspended the unit on rails.

US Patent 4079533 ((Biella-Neher) discloses a suspension file folder which has a number of index tabs which engage in a slot in a track element by which the files can be suspended.

Another form of file suspension unit is disclosed in US patent 5311685 (Mead) which discloses a file folder consisting of walls which extend upwardly from a fold line.

A mounting flap extends along the top edge of one wall and is formed to enable a suspension bar to be attached to the flap.

US Patent specification 5163768 (Avery) discloses a combined binder and suspended file assembly which has an elongated spine. The binder and file assembly include pins which pass through holes in the sheets whereupon the binder and file assembly can be suspended on retractable hooks.

US Patent specification 3977799 ((Krause) discloses a file which has a pin type document binding mechanism which are formed by two binding elements which can be closed to secure the sheets. The mechanism includes slidable brackets at either end which will enable the documents to be suspended spine uppermost between rails of a suspension system.

On many occasions, it is desirable to be able to store a small stack of sheets as opposed to known systems which are designed to store a bundle of sheets which can at times attain considerable weight. None of the above prior art addresses the problem of storing a small number of sheets in a manner that they can be easily and simply attached to a suspension system with a minimum or effort and which can be moved from one location to another for viewing without excessive physical effort.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved filing syhstem that will enable a small number of sheets, generally less than ten sheets to be easily and quickly placed into a suspension system and which will enable the stack to be easily removed from the suspension system.

It is also an object of the invention to enable a stack of sheets to be secured to a suspension system without the necessity of forming holes in the sheets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form^f the invention comprises a filing system including a cartridge having two elongated flaps hinged together along one longitudinal edge of the flaps, to enable the flaps to be hinged between an open and a closed position, wherein the flaps are magnetized in a manner that the two flaps will be magnetically urged together, the flaps being adapted to receive an edge of a sheet as herein defined when open and to be hinged closed to maintain the sheet within the confines of the cartridge, the cartridge being provided with means to enable the cartridge to be removably attached to a frame to enable the cartridge with the sheets held in the cartridge to be suspended.

Preferably each flap includes a tab which extends outwardly from the flap substantially the fUll length of the flap 15 Preferably each tab includes a convex shaped extension which is located substantially midway of the length of the tab.

Preferably the flaps are magnetically urged together by means of a magnetized 20 material attached to the flaps.

Preferably the magnetized material is a magnetized strip.

Preferably the magnetized strip runs substantially the full length of the inside face 25 ofea®$ij|i».

Preferably each cartridge includes fixing lugs which are adapted to be removably engaged on an anchor fixed to a frame.

Preferably the anchor comprises two loops, each being fixed at one end to a frame with the free end of one loop facing the free end of the second loop.

Preferably wherein the free ends of the loops are each covered with an 5 elastomeric tip.

Preferably auxiliary means are provided to releasably retain the flaps of the cartridge in a closed condition.

Preferably the junction of the tab with the flap is formed into a hinge.

Preferably the tab is formed of a material that is more resilient than the flap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred forms of the invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a view of a cartridge according to the present invention illustrating the cartridge in an open condition ready to receive a stack of sheets.

Figure 2 is a view of a stack of sheets secured to a cartridge.

Figure 3 illustrates a cartridge and a stack of sheets prior to being attached to a suspension frame.

Figure 4 view of a cartridge in an open condition but loaded onto a suspension frame.

Figure 5 is a view of a stack of sheets loaded into a cartridge which is suspended 30 from a support. 6 Figure 6 is a view of a cartridge in which a stack of sheets has been inserted and illustrating the gripping action of the cartridge on the stack.

BEST MODE OF PERFORMING THE INVENTION As illustrated in the drawings the cartridge 1 is an elongated strip of preferably tough plastic material such as polypropylene which has a portion 2 which will form a hinge to allow the flaps 3 of the cartridge to pivot together or apart as illustrated. The inside faces of the flaps 3 are provided with magnetized portions 4 which are so orientated that they will mutually attract each other. The magnetic portions are preferably in the form of strips of a flexible plasticised material as it known in the art. While in a highly preferred form the inside face of each flap includes a magnetic strip, in a modification a magnetic strip may be located on the inside face of one flap only and the other face may be formed of a material that can be magnetically attracted. In a further modification the actual flap or flaps can be formed of a magnetisable material.

Although the drawings illustrates the magnetized portion 4 as extending from substantially one end of the flap to the other, it will be understood the magnetized portion can consists of a number of discrete strips or other forms of magnetized material as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The cartridge is so formed, that after hinging open the flaps to the position illustrated in Figure 1, a sheet or sheets 7 can be inserted into the open cartridge so an edge of each sheet will touch or lie close to the hinge 2. The flaps 3 can then be hinged to close to the position illustrated in Figure 2 to secure the sheets to the cartridge. The magnetic attraction between the magnetized portions will enable the flaps to remain firmly pressed against each other and thereby retain the edges of the sheets within the Each flap 3 is preferably extended outwardly as to form a tab 5 and in a highly preferred form each tab 5 also includes a convex extension 6 as illustrated in the drawings. The purpose of the tabs 5 and the convex extensions 6 is to further aid the support of the sheets after they have been engaged between the flaps 3 in a manner 5 indicated in Figure 6. As illustrated more particularly in Figure 4, the tab 5 and convex extension 6 to each flap are so shaped that if a cartridge should be withdrawn from its support frame, the length of the tab coupled with the inherent stiffness in the tab 5 will be such that manipulation of the sheets with the cartridge will not place undue strain on the cartridge so that the face of the cartridge can remain closed. This advantage is illustrated 10 in Figure 6.

Means can also be provided to secure the flaps together to prevent the inadvertent opening of the flaps. Various means as will be known in the art can be utilized for this purpose. As an example a clip or clips which may be sprung or may 15 otherwise include temporary locking means can be applied to the cartridge when the flaps are closed.

In a modification the junction of the tabs with the flaps may be formed into a type of hinge which can be spring biased to allow a degree of resilience to the flaps and 20 thereby facilitate the handling of a loaded cartridge. The hinge may be formed either by forming a band line in the flap or by including a mechanical hinge as is known in the art.

The cartridge also includes fixing lugs 8 and in a highly preferred form, the lugs can be extensions from the rear of the cartridge with each lug 7 having a mounting hole 25 9. The lugs are spaced apart in a manner that the mounting holes 9 will register with an anchor 10 which may consist of two loops 10a and 10b of a standard format as is known in the art. The loops 10a and 10b can be formed so they will spring apart to allow the engagement and disengagement of the lugs in a known manner. In a preferred form the loops 10a and 10b are fixed to a frame 11 in a manner that the free ends 12 of the loops 30 lie in close proximity to each other but do not touch. The free ends 12 of the loops 10a 8 and 10b are preferably tipped with an elastomeric substance such as rubber so the lugs 8 can be engaged on the loops by deforming the rubber tips to allow the lugs to pass between the ends of the loops. To remove a lug from an anchor, the lug is first positioned so it will align with the tips of the loops and the lug can then be pulled free of the loops.

Preferably the loops 10a and 10b are attached to a plate 12 which is supported on a frame 12 in a manner that the cartridges 1 can be turned like pages of a book while maintaining a grip on the sheets held within the cartridge. The frame 12 is preferably designed so it can be supported on a carousel (not shown in the drawings) or other support device so a number of the frames can be supported at the one time and yet allow easy access to the individual cartridges 1. Various suitable frames can be utilised as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Preferably but not necessarily, each cartridge is formed so it will accept up to ten and preferably no more than five A1 size sheets to thereby facilitate the handling of the cartridge when it is loaded. By this means the physical effort required in handling a loaded cartridge and in attaching and removing of a cartridge to a frame or to a support frame will be kept to a minimum.

Having described preferred methods of putting the invention into effect, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, that modifications and amendments to various features and items can be effected and yet still come within the general concept of the invention. It is to be understood that all such modifications and amendments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

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Claims (6)

1. A cartridge for a filing system, the said cartridge including: two elongated flaps each having two longitudinal edges and two transverse edges and having an inside face and an outside face, 5 a first longitudinal edge of the first flap being joined by a hinge to the first longitudinal edge of the second flap, in a manner the flaps can be pivot about the hinge between an open and a closed position with the inside face of the first flap normally lying closed against the inside face of the second flap, magnetized material located on the inside face of each flap adjacent the second 10 longitudinal edge of the flap with the magnetized material being positioned so the magnetized material on the inside face of the first flap will lie in juxtaposition with the magnetized material on the inside face of the second flap when the flaps are in a closed position to normally maintain the two flaps in a closed position, each flap including an extension which extends outwardly from the second 15 longitudinal edge of the flap and which is located substantially midway between the transverse edges of the flaps, the cartridge including means to enable the cartridge to be removably suspended on a frame. 20

2. The filing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetized material is a magnetized strip.

3. The filing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetized strip extends substantially the full length of the inside face of each flap. 25 30

4. The filing system as claimed in claim 1, including means to releasably retain the flaps of the cartridge in a closed condition.

5. The filing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein extension is convex in shape.

6. A cartridge for a filing system, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 10 intellectual property office of n 7. - 8 JUL 2004 RECEIVED