US20060060641A1

US20060060641A1 - Presentation folder

Info

Publication number: US20060060641A1
Application number: US10/944,662
Authority: US
Inventors: Susan Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-09-17
Filing date: 2004-09-17
Publication date: 2006-03-23

Abstract

A presentation folder suitable for business and similar presentation and networking uses is provided. The presentation folder displays a variety of materials in an attractive yet professional manner. The presentation folder may be compact in size, and it may also include multiple pockets and slits to hold numerous materials. Further, in one embodiment, the presentation folder is assembled from one die-cut blank which is easy to manufacture.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a presentation folder and, in particular, to a presentation folder suitable for business and similar presentation uses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A great variety of presentation folders have been developed and used for many years. The purpose of these folders is to provide a neat and attractive package for business information and the like. These packages vary considerably, but usually include multi-pockets, insert pages, and other devices for presenting multiple pages of information. For the most part, most of these packages are folders in the order of 8.5″ by 11″ in size and sometimes larger. Large presentation folders are generally necessary to contain conventional 8.5″ by 11″ letterhead or printed sheets in which business information is printed. One drawback with these large presentation folders is that they are not easy to carry, which often presents practical problems both for the person presenting the folder and the person receiving it. For example, it is very common to pass on business information at networking events. To pass on a large folder is frequently awkward to both the person giving it and the person receiving it. The person giving it must carry a number of these to the meeting. Since they are too large to be carried in a pocket, the presented must have an envelope or carrying bag. This is especially a problem at networking events in which it is preferable to be free of material that has to be carried in one's hands.
Additionally, conventional presentation folders are not always economically designed or attractive in appearance. Further, many presentation folders are comparatively expensive to make because of the multiple die-cutting and assembly processing that is frequently involved in the manufacture of these folders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved presentation folder which may be characterized as a complete package of presentation material, in which the presentation folder is designed to contain a wide variety of information on insert sheets. The information may include contact information, company data and other related information, calendar information, descriptive information regarding products and availability of services, as well as more comprehensive information available on a miniature or perhaps a full-size CD-ROM. Provisions are also made for inclusion of calling cards and business cards. A further object of the present invention is to provide a package design capable of receiving a significant volume of business information desired for presentation with the package, shaped and sized to be conveniently carried in a breast pocket or other pocket.
A further object of the present information is to provide a multi-compartment presentation package that is easy to manufacture and assemble and which has an attractive overall appearance and utility.
One further object of the present invention is to provide an improved presentation package capable of being assembled from substantially one piece of material.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved presentation package capable of displaying information on graduated insert sheets of different selected lengths printed for overall commercial impression. The package is further provided with means for containing DVD or small CD-ROMs, along with one or more calling cards or business cards.
In the present invention there is provided a folder having front and back rectangular panels that are joined together along a common side that forms a hinge between the panels. A pair of opposed pockets at one end of the folder are formed by a pair of short panels each joined to a different one of the rectangular panels along a common side and end. A pair of elongated pockets are formed by flaps connected at one end to an end of each rectangular panel with the flap facing the rectangular panel and secured to it by insertion of the flap in the closed pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a die-cut piece of cardboard from which the principal components of the present invention are formed;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a completely formed presentation folder partially opened;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a partially folded presentation folder;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of one embodiment of an opened presentation folder; and
FIG. 7 is a plan view of another embodiment of an opened presentation folder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a die-cut blank from which the folder is substantially formed. This blank may be made of any suitable cardboard like material, but preferably for business purposes should be made of a quality paperboard which may or may not be textured or colored. However, the folder, or at least a portion of the folder may also be formed from any type of foldable material, such as a plastic or paper. A front rectangular panel 2 and back rectangular panel 4 are each preferably in the order of 7.5″ by 4.25″ to 4.5″. Panels 2 and 4 are joined together by a web defined by parallel score lines 6 and 8 that define the inner or facing sides of the panels 2 and 4. Preferably panels 2 and 4 are substantially the same size, however, in one embodiment one panel may be larger than the other panel. The space between the score lines 6 and 8 is in the order of ¼″ to ½″ and forms a spine or hinge 10. At the bottom of one end of each of the panels 6 and 8 are a pair of short panels 14 and 16 respectively. The outer edges 20 and 22 respectively of panels 2 and 4 are in part defined by the score lines 24 and 26 that define the short panel. These short panels preferably have a height in the order of 4.75″ and a width of in the order of 4″ or slightly less than the width of the panels 2 and 4. The short panels 14 and 16 may be formed with a bias-cut 28 between the upper and outer edges 27 and 29 respectively that define each of these short panels. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, the short panels 14 and 16 may be formed to be rectangular, and may also have the corners folded over and/or removed to form a bias-cut 28. A pair of flaps 36 and 38 are formed at the bottom of each of the panels 2 and 4 and are defined therefrom by score lines 31 and 33 respectively. These flaps are in the order of ¾″ high and have approximately the same width as the short panels 14 and 16. These flaps 36 and 38 may also be formed with a bias-cut 28 or fold as shown in FIG. 5.
A pair of flaps 40 and 42 are connected to and are defined from panels 2 and 4, respectively, by score lines 44 and 46. The inner parallel edges 41 and 43 respectively of the flags 40 and 42 are spaced apart the distance of the hinge 10.
The die-cut blank of FIG. 1 is folded to an assembled position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this arrangement, the short panels 14 and 16 are folded inwardly along the score lines 24 and 26 respectively. The flaps 36 and 38 are folded upwardly and are cemented or otherwise suitably secured, respectively, to the short panels 14 and 16. Depending upon the material of the folder, fasteners, such as staples, may be used to secure portions of the folder together. Preferably the flap 36 first is folded upwardly against panel 2 and is cemented to panel 14 with the flap 36 between the short panel 14 and the front panel 2. Flap 38 is similarly secured between the panel 4 and short panel 16.
Preferably, after the pockets 51 and 53 (FIGS. 2, 4) are formed between flap 14 and panel 2 and between flap 16 and panel 4, the flaps 40 and 42 are folded downwardly on the score lines 44 and 46, respectively, with the ends 52 and 54 of the flaps 40 and 42 positioned within the pockets 51, 53 formed by the short panels 14 and 16. This arrangement provides a pocket 60 on each side of the folder with the opening of the pocket 60 open inwardly toward the hinge 10. However, the presentation folder may also be assembled with only one top flap, either 40 or 42, thereby forming only one of the pockets 60 and/or with only one side flap, either 14 or 16, thereby forming only one of the pockets 51 and 53. In one embodiment, the folder is assembled by first folding the pair of flaps 40 and 42 down onto rectangular panels 2 and 4 as shown in FIG. 5.
A pocket 70 may be positioned on one of the short panels 14 or 16 as illustrated in FIG. 2. This pocket may be formed of any suitable plastic material capable of being secured permanently to the surface of flap 14. Thus, a suitable, preferably transparent plastic may be cemented or otherwise adhered to the short panel 14 along three edges 72, 73 and 74 to form a pocket with an opening 76 into which a CD-ROM or DVD miniature disk may be inserted as illustrated at 78.
Additionally, the panel 16 may be formed with a pair of slits parallel to one another and at a 45° angle to the corner of panel 16 with the slits 80 positioned at a sufficient distance apart to engage the opposite corners of a conventional calling card or business card 100 shown in dotted outline 82. A third slit 81 may also be provided to permit either vertical or horizontal orientation of a card insert.
As shown in FIGS. 6-7, various arrangements of materials may be displayed within the presentation folder. For example, various sizes of pamphlets and paper materials 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98 may be selectively placed within the pockets, along with business cards 100, and a CD-ROM or DVD 78. The paper materials may be arranged as gradual insert sheets, such as shown in FIG. 6 for an artistic impression. The embodiment in FIG. 6, when folded over has a substantially square shape having panel height and widths ranging from 5″-6.5″. The embodiment of FIG. 7, when folded over has a substantially rectangular shape having panel height and widths ranging from 5″ to 9″.

Claims

1. A folder comprising:

a front and a back rectangular panel formed together along a common side forming a hinge between the panels;

a pair of opposed short pockets at one end of the folder formed by a pair of short panels, each formed at one end, to one end of a different one of the rectangular panels and at a side edge, to a side of the rectangular panel, other than the common side forming short pockets open along two edges,

a pair of elongated pockets extending the length and width of the folder, each formed by a flap connected at one end, to the other end of a rectangular panel with each flap in facing relation to the rectangular panel to which it is connected, with its other end inserted into and secured to one of the opposed pockets,

and a disc holder comprising a pocket formed of a transparent material having height and width dimensions smaller than the dimensions of either pocket and secured to the inner face of one of them.

2. The folder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the common sides forming the hinge between the panels comprises a member having parallel side edges co-extensive with the lengths of the rectangular panels and spaced apart a fraction of the width of the rectangular panels, the rectangular panels and member formed of a single piece of material with the edges formed by score lines.

3. The folder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the short pockets are open along an edge closest to the hinge and along an edge remote from the end of the folder.

4. A presentation folder formed of a single piece of material comprising:

a pair of rectangular elongated panels defined from one another by parallel spaced score lines; and

a pair of short panels wherein one side of each short panel is defined by a score line that also in part, defines an outer edge of the elongated panel;

a pair of rectangular flaps having a length or width smaller than the elongated panels and defined therefrom by a score line defining an end of each of a panel and a flap.

5. A folder comprising:

at least one short pocket at one end of the folder formed by at least one short panel formed along an edge of one of the rectangular panels other than on the common side, forming at least one short pocket;

at least one elongated pocket extending substantially the length and width of the rectangular panel, formed by a flap connected at one end of the rectangular panel, in facing relation to the rectangular panel to which it is secured to, thereby forming the elongated pocket; and

a disc holder, comprising a pocket formed at least partially of a transparent material secured to one of the pockets, having a height and width dimension smaller than the dimensions of the rectangular panel.

6. The folder as set forth in claim 5, further comprising at least one small flap connected at one end of the rectangular panel opposite the flap forming the at least one elongated pocket, the small flap forming a side edge of the elongated pocket.

7. The folder as set forth in claim 5, wherein the common sides forming the hinge between the panels comprises a member having parallel side edges co-extensive with the lengths of the rectangular panels and spaced apart a fraction of the width of the rectangular panels, the rectangular panels and member formed of a single piece of material with the edges formed by score lines.

8. The folder as set forth in claim 5, wherein the at least one short pocket is open along an edge closest to the hinge and along an edge remote from the end of the folder.

9. The folder as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of short pockets at one end of the folder formed by a plurality of short panels formed along an edge of one of the rectangular panels.

10. The folder as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of elongated pockets extending substantially the length and width of the rectangular panel, formed by a plurality of flaps connected at one end of the folder, in facing relation to the rectangular panel to which the flaps are secured to, thereby forming the plurality of elongated pockets.

11. The folder as set forth in claim 5, wherein the at least one short pocket further includes a plurality of slits arranged to hold cards or a disc.