WO2004065226A2

WO2004065226A2 - Storage device for documents

Info

Publication number: WO2004065226A2
Application number: PCT/NL2004/000037
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacobus Antonius Goes
Original assignee: Nivo Office Products B.V.
Priority date: 2003-01-23
Filing date: 2004-01-15
Publication date: 2004-08-05
Also published as: NL1022470C2; WO2004065226A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage device, comprising a cover with a front sheet and a back sheet connected to said front sheet by way of a back part (11), a clamp with a clamp front sheet and a clamp back sheet (8) connected by way of a clamp back part (11), which clamp clamps the cover between the clamp front sheet and the clamp back sheet (8), and a locking means for locking the clamp on the cover, the clamp being slidable between a clamping position and a releasing position in which the clamp substantially releases the documents and the clamp interacts with the locking means, in which the locking means comprises at least one projection projecting from the cover, and in which the clamp comprises on an edge of either the clamp front sheet or the clamp back sheet (8) situated away from the clamp back part a bent-over edge which in the releasing position interacts with the locking means. The storage device according to the invention makes reliable locking of the clamp on the cover possible in a very simple manner, the two parts mentioned above being very simple to produce without loss of material.

Description

Short title: Storage device for documents

Storage device for documents, comprising a cover with a front sheet and a back sheet connected to said front sheet by way of a back part, a clamp with a clamp front sheet and a clamp back sheet connected by way of a clamp back part, which clamp clamps the cover between the clamp front sheet and the clamp back sheet, and a locking means for locking the clamp on the cover, the clamp being slidable between a clamping position and a releasing position in which the clamp substantially releases the documents and the clamp interacts with the locking means.

Such clamps are known in the prior art. For instance, US-A- 5285952 describes a document folder with a cover and a slidable clamp surrounding the cover. The clamp is fixed on the cover by two thickened projections being pushed into two incisions in the cover that are suitable for that purpose.

A disadvantage of the known device is that said device is not very easy to produce from flat material, and in particular it is necessary to provide a thickening on the clamp. This makes the production unnecessarily complicated. Furthermore, the lock is not reliably secure.

The object of the present invention is to provide a storage device of the type referred to in the preamble in the case of which the abovementioned disadvantage is overcome, or at any rate an alternative to the existing device is offered.

The object of the invention is achieved with a storage device according to claim 1. The storage device according to the invention is characterized by reliable locking of the clamp on the projection. Furthermore, the clamp can be produced in a simple manner by bending over edges of a piece of flat material.

An additional advantage is that the clamp and the cover of the storage device according to the invention can be produced in principle without any loss of material. The clamp can be produced by bending over edges of a rectangular piece of material. The clamp can have a bent-over edge on either one of the clamp front sheet or the clamp back sheet, or on both sheets. This may ensure an even more reliable locking of the clamp on the cover. The cover can likewise be produced from a rectangular piece of material only has to have incisions. This will be explained in greater detail later.

In a preferred embodiment of the storage device according to the invention, the locking means comprises at least two cutout projections that are formed into upright teeth and are situated on a part of the cover that is situated between the clamp front sheet and the clamp back sheet. By means of a suitable incision, for example V-shaped or slightly undulating, relatively small flaps can be formed, which flaps can be bent out of the surface of the cover. This is possible, for example, by means of a folding or pressing operation or the like. Upright teeth can be formed in this way, behind which teeth the locking means can engage in a reliable manner. Besides, it is also possible to use other types of locking means. For instance, it is possible to form one broad edge, behind which the locking means can engage. Of course, other numbers of teeth are also possible.

The cover advantageously comprises at least two incisions which form flaps on either side of the clamp, at least one of the clamp front sheet and the clamp back sheet being guided between the flaps and the cover. By forming flaps in this way on either side of the clamp, in other words viewed in a direction perpendicular to the envisaged sliding direction of the clamp, which flaps guide the clamp during the sliding, a reliable locking in a direction perpendicular to the envisaged sliding direction is ensured. By forming at least one incision on either side to form a flap, the clamp can be pushed between the flap and the corresponding part of the cover. The clamp is then enclasped by the flap and the corresponding part of the cover.

The shape of the incision forming the flap must be appropriate. In other words, it must be at least two- dimensional. The incision, and therefore also the shape of the flap formed by it, is advantageously slightly curved, trapezium- shaped or even undulating. A relatively robust flap is formed in this way. However, other shapes are not excluded, for example V- shaped incisions.

The cover advantageously comprises on either side of the clamp several flap-forming incisions situated on a line lying in a sliding direction of the clamp. In the case of this embodiment there are several separate flaps on either side of the clamp. In this way it is possible to make these flaps smaller, with the result that the sturdiness of the storage device increases. Furthermore, in the case of the storage device according to the invention it is possible, for example, to make one incision - in the front sheet on one side of the clamp and to make another incision on the other side of the clamp, but in this case in the back sheet of the cover. However, it is preferable to produce both incisions on one sheet, either the front sheet or the back sheet, preferably the back sheet. In this way it is in fact ensured that the front sheet, or at any rate the part of it that is visible, is free from visible incisions.

In a preferred embodiment of the storage device the front sheet comprises a fold line near the locking means, on the side of it facing away from the back part. The phrase "near the locking means" is meant to convey that the distance between the fold line and the locking means is less than 2 centimetres, in particular less than 5 millimetres. The fold line makes it possible to fold over the front sheet in an expedient manner, so that the documents released in the releasing position can be taken out or examined in a simple manner.

The storage device according to the invention advantageously comprises several clamps. For example, it comprises two or three clamps. This means that the documents can be clamped even more reliably. This has advantages in the case of smaller formats of documents in particular, since it now becomes possible to clamp, for example, two small documents one above the other. More reliable clamping of a small document in a greater number of different positions is also ensured.

In the present application the term "documents" covers not only printed sheets of paper, but also other flat materials, particularly plastic folders, sample material of varying types etc. It does, however, particularly relate to thin, flat material .

The invention will be explained below with reference to the appended drawing, which shows a number of non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and in which:

Fig. la shows a first embodiment in the clamping position; Fig. lb shows the first embodiment in the releasing position;

Fig. 2 shows a bottom view of the embodiment of Fig. la; Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic cross section of the first embodiment of Fig. la;

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the storage device; and

Fig. 5 shows in bottom view two alternatives of the clamp of a storage device according to the invention. Fig. la shows in top view a first embodiment of the storage device 1 according to the invention. The storage device

1 comprises a cover with a front sheet 2 and a clamp 3. The clamp comprises a clamp front sheet 4 with a bent-over edge 6, which can interact with teeth 5 in the front sheet 2. Fig. la shows the storage device in the clamping position, in which documents (not shown) are clamped reliably. The dimensions of the clamp 3 relative to the cover can be selected as a function of the strength of the material of the cover and also of the type and quantity of the documents to be accommodated. In general, the size ratio between clamp 3 and the cover as shown, or smaller, is sufficient for a reliable clamping.

Fig. lb shows a part of the embodiment according to Fig. la, in which the clamp has been slid in the direction of the arrows A to the releasing position. In the releasing position the edge 6 of the clamp 4 interacts with the teeth 5 of the f ont sheet 2. Owing to the fact that the clamp 4 has now been pushed far out in the direction of the back of the cover, the contents of the storage device are released. In other words, the documents are no longer clamped by the clamp.

Fig. 2 shows a bottom view of the first embodiment according to Fig. la. In this figure reference numeral 7 is a back sheet, 8 is a clamp back sheet, and 9 refers to two flaps on either side of clamp 4. The clamp 4, in particular the clamp back sheet 8, is in this case reliably guided between the flaps 9. The flaps 9 can have any appropriate shape by which a part of the clamp back sheet 8 is covered.

The flaps 9 can be formed in any desired way from the back sheet 7. They are, however, preferably formed by means of a punching or cutting operation, the latter for example by means of knives or laser cutters.

Fig. 3 shows in cross section a part of the first embodiment. In this figure reference numeral 2 indicates a front sheet, which is connected by means of a back part 11 to the back sheet 7. Clamp front sheet 4 is connected to clamp back sheet 8 by means of clamp back part 10.

Documents or other contents can be accommodated in the cover between front sheet 2 and back sheet 7. In this case at least a part of the documents must be situated between the clamp front sheet 4 and the clamp back sheet 8. In the clamping position shown the clamp back part 10 is resting against back part 11. This back part can be, e.g., a simple folded edge, but can also, as shown, be a separate part that can provide room for a relatively thick stack of documents without deformation of the cover. Of course, the clamp also still has clamping action if there is some distance between the clamp back part 10 and the back part 11, but that clamping action will be reduced as the clamp moves more towards the releasing position.

It is pointed out here that it is also possible to provide the flaps 9 on the same side as the teeth 5, in other words on the front sheet 2 in this case. It is also possible to provide flaps 9 and/or teeth (or other locking means) 5 both on the front sheet 2 and on the back sheet 7. E.g. some of the teeth may then co-operate with a bent-over edge of the clamp front sheet, while other teeth may co-operate with a bent-over edge of the clamp back sheet.

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the storage device according to the invention, with two clamps 3, and also with a fold line 12.

The embodiment shown with two clamps makes a reliable clamping of the contents of the storage device possible. It is also possible in this way to release only part of the contents. The fold line 12 makes an expedient folding back of the front sheet 2 possible, at any rate if the clamps 3 have been pushed back suf iciently, i.e. at least up to the fold line, in the direction of the releasing position. This makes efficient use of the storage device possible in a position on a flat base, such as a table. In particular, it is possible to release or clamp the contents in this position.

Fig. 5 shows in bottom view two alternative embodiments of the flaps for guiding the clamp. In this figure 9' and 9" are alternative flaps for guiding the clamp back sheet 8.

The criteria which the flaps 9' , 9" have to meet are as follows: at least one flap must be situated on either side of the clamp and must extend at least partially over either the clamp back sheet 8 or the clamp front sheet (not shown) . In this way a reliable locking of the clamp 4 in a direction perpendicular to the envisaged direction of movement (arrow A in Fig. lb) is ensured.

Claims

1. Storage device for documents, comprising a cover with a front sheet and a back sheet connected to said front sheet by way of a back part, a clamp with a clamp front sheet and a clamp back sheet connected by way of a clamp back part, which clamp clamps the cover between the clamp front sheet and the clamp back sheet, and a locking means for locking the clamp on the cover, in which the clamp is slidable between a clamping position and a releasing position in which the clamp substantially releases the documents and the clamp interacts with the locking means, in which the locking means comprises at least one projection projecting from the cover, in which the clamp comprises on an edge of at least one of the clamp front sheet or the clamp back sheet situated away from the clamp back part a bent-over edge which in the releasing position interacts with the locking means.

2. Storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking means comprises at least two cut-out projections that are formed into upright teeth and are situated on a part of the cover situated between the clamp front sheet and the clamp back sheet.

3. Storage device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover comprises at least two incisions forming flaps on either side of the clamp, at least one of the clamp front sheet and the clamp back sheet being guided between the flaps and the cover.

4. Storage device according to claim 3, characterized in that the cover comprises on either side of the clamp several flap-forming incisions situated on a line lying in a sliding direction of the clamp.

5. Storage device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front sheet comprises a fold line near the locking means, on the side of it facing away from the back part.

6. Storage device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said storage device comprises several clamps .