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(11) | EP 0 523 947 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A flip chart pad |
| (57) A flip chart pad has a mounting member (7′) defining a channel region and having
facing surfaces (10a,10b) between which a pad of paper is secured, at least one of
the facing surfaces being foldable between a mounting position and a packing position. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a flip chart pad of the type providing a pad of paper of large surface area for use in lectures, presentations or the like.
[0002] Flip chart pads are of particular use during a lecture, for example, where the person giving the lecture can draw or write on a sheet of the flip chart pad to highlight or further explain points of the lecture. Once the diagram or explanation is no longer required the sheet is torn off to reveal a clean sheet below for use next time. The flip chart pad is mounted near the lectern and, since the surface area of the flip chart pad is large, diagrams or notes on the flip chart pad are thus clearly visible to the audience. However, a problem arises in that the weight of paper renders the flip chart pad heavy and so difficult to mount securely. A basic type of flip chart pad is illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. This comprises a bundle of sheets of paper which are secured together (for example by stapling or gluing) near an upper edge to form the pad. Holes are punched or drilled through the pad so that pegs or other mounting devices may be inserted through the holes to mount the pad. In one mounting system, a rear support provides screwthreaded bolts to extend through the holes while a front support fits over the bolts and is screwed down to hold the pad between the rear and front supports by nuts cooperating with the bolts.
[0003] Another flip chart pad is shown in Figure 2 and has a cardboard support stapled with the bundle of sheets of paper. The cardboard support extends beyond the edge of the pad and has holes cut in the extended portion which are used to mount the pad on a suitable easel or mount using pegs or similar means as described above.
[0004] Both of the above-mentioned flip chart pads have the disadvantage that when a sheet of the pad is removed it is torn against the staples or line of adhesive which hold the sheets together. As sheets are removed from the pad the remaining sheets are not held as tightly and become loose and tend to fall out. Furthermore, by providing a cardboard support which extends beyond the edge of the flip chart pad, the size of the pad when flat-packed is increased. Moreover, the width of the cardboard support represents the minimum width about which the pad can be rolled.
[0005] The present invention seeks to provide an improved flip chart pad which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages.
[0006] The present invention provides a flip chart pad having a plurality of sheets of paper which are secured at their upper edge region between facing surfaces of a mounting member, at least one of the facing surfaces having a fold line along which that surface can be folded from a packing position to a mounting position, the mounting member defining a channel shaped region for housing the upper edge regions of the sheets.
[0008] Preferably, said at least one facing surface is provided with a plurality of holes for mounting the pad in the mounting position.
[0009] In the preferred embodiment, the uppermost edge of the sheets of the flip chart pad are in contact with the base of the channel shaped region formed by the mounting member such that the mounting member does not increase the total size of the flip chart pad when flat.
[0010] The sheets can be secured by staples or any other suitable means along a line of securement which then defines the fold line for the facing surface.
[0011] In one embodiment a line of perforations is provided in each sheet of the flip chart pad in a position just below the fold line such that each sheet may be removed from the flip chart pad by tearing along the line of perforations. Thus, removal of sheets from the flip chart pad does not result in the sheets which remain in the flip chart pad becoming loose because at the point where the staples are provided to hold the pad together, the paper is not torn away but only the paper below the line of perforations.
[0012] For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figures 1 and 1a are diagrams in plan view from the front and from the side respectively of a known flip chart pad;
Figures 2 and 2a are diagrams in plan view from the front and from the side respectively of an alternative flip chart pad; and
Figures 3 and 3a are diagrams in plan view from the front and from the side respectively of a flip chart pad according to the present invention.
[0013] Figures 1 and 1a illustrate a known flip chart pad 1 having a bundle of sheets of paper 2 which are held together by means of staples 3. The staples 3 pass through the sheets 2 and thus divide the pad 1 between a small end portion 4 and a substantially larger display portion 5. Holes 6 are provided in the end portion 4 of the flip chart pad 1. The holes 6 are used to mount the flip chart pad 1 by means of bolts 20 or other suitable means which pass through the holes 6 to mount the pad to an easel or other appropriate support. An exemplary mounting system is shown in section in Figure 1a and comprises a rear support 22 with a plurality of screwthreaded bolts 20 and a front support 24 which can be screwed down to hold the pad by nuts 26 cooperating with the bolts 20. There are several such mounting systems available, the layout of bolts, pegs or the like of which differ between countries. To allow for this, with the pad of Figure 1 it is necessary either to punch several redundant holes in every single pad, or to manufacture pads for specific markets.
[0014] Another known flip chart pad is shown in Figures 2 and 2a. With this pad, the end portion 4 has a cardboard mounting member 7 attached by means of the staples 3. The mounting member 7 extends beyond the end of the flip chart pad 1. In addition, an extended folded portion 8 of the mounting member 7 is provided which is folded over the mounting member 7 and extends to cover the end region 4 of the flip chart pad 1. Instead of the holes 6 passing through the end portion 4 of the flip chart pad 1, as in figure 1, the folded portion 8 and the mounting member 7 have holes 6 which are aligned so that the flip chart pad 1 may be mounted on an appropriate mounting device by passing bolts, for example, through the aligned holes.
[0015] The provision of a cardboard support member improves the handling and packaging of the pad, and also provides a way of tailoring the pad to suit different mounting systems since all that is needed is to provide different cardboard mounting members specific to each market without any need to modify the paper sheets. It is much easier to form holes in a support member than to punch or drill holes through a pad of paper. It also provides a convenient component for a user to brand with his company name or logo and it generally improves the appearance of the pad. However, the manner of implementation of the pad of Figure 2 suffers from the disadvantages discussed earlier.
[0016] Figure 3 shows a flip chart pad 1′ in which the sheets 2′ of the pad 1′ are connected together by means of staples 3′ which also pass through a mounting member 7′ for example made of cardboard. Other means of securing the sheets could be adopted, for example adhesive or stitching. Also it will readily be appreciated that any suitable material could be used for the mounting member, e.g. a plastics material.
[0017] The mounting member 7′ has a channel shaped region with a base 9 and facing surfaces 10a, 10b. The line of the staples 3′ defines for each of the facing surfaces 10a, 10b a fold line defining in each surface a foldable portion 11a, 11b which is capable of being folded from a packing position in which the foldable portions 11a, 11b extend from the channel shaped region to overlie the sheets of paper, to a mounting position (shown with a broken line in Figure 3) where the foldable portions 11 are folded back against the channel shaped region to extend beyond its base 9. The arrows 12, in Figure 3, indicate the movement of the two foldable portions 11a, 11b of the mounting member 7′. The bundle of sheets 2′ of the flip chart pad 1′ are located within the channel defined by the mounting member 7′ with the edge of the bundle of sheets abutting against the base 9 of the mounting member 7′.
[0018] Holes 6′ are provided in the foldable portions 11 which are aligned when the foldable portions 11 are in the mounting position so that a bolt or other suitable means may be inserted into the holes 6′ and the flip chart pad 1′ mounted on an easel or other mounting device. The pad of the present invention can be used with any existing mounting system, such as that illustrated in Figure 1a.
[0019] Since there exist many different mounting systems having differing spacing of holes for mounting a flip chart pad, the foldable portions 11 of the mounting member 7′ may have a plurality of holes for accommodating all such different positions of holes. Where more than one hole is required in positions such that the holes are very close or partially overlap then an extended oval aperture may be provided to accommodate this.
[0020] In another embodiment, holes can be defined by perforatios for the user to push out as required. Partial perforations enable the strength of the cardboard to be retained so that holes can be positioned close together.
[0021] As shown in Figure 3, each sheet of paper 2′ in the flip chart pad 1′ is provided with a line of perforations indicated by reference numeral 13. The perforations are provided along a line spaced by a short distance from the line of staples 3′. When sheets are torn from the flip chart pad 1′, they are torn along the perforations. Thus, that portion of the sheets which is held by the staples 3′ is not removed. This ensures that as sheets are removed from the flip chart pad this does not alter the strength of the hold of the staples 3′ on the sheets of the pad and prevents the remaining sheets from becoming loose.
[0022] In the preferred embodiment, the dimensions a, b, c on Figure 3 are as follows: a = 1/₂ cm, b = 2 cm, c = 791/₂ cm.
[0023] The advantages of a flip chart as illustrated in Figure 3 will be appreciated more clearly from the following explanation. When the flip chart pad 1′ is not in use the foldable portions 11 of the mounting member 7′ are placed in the packing position so as to overlie the bundle of sheets 2′. Thus, the size of the flip chart pad is not materially increased by the provision of the mounting member 7′. This means that the flip chart pad can be flat packed according to the same specifications as the sheets of paper forming the pad. Alternatively, it is rolled about the mounting member 7′ and the resulting packaging is of smaller width than the equivalent packaging of the pad of figure 2.
[0024] When in use, the foldable portions 11 of the mounting member 7′ are folded back against the channel shaped region of the mounting member 7′. The holes 6′ are then aligned and enable the pad to be mounted as described above. In the preferred embodiment, as the mounting member is symmetrical, the pad can be mounted with either face uppermost. This opens up the possibility for sheets to be differently printed on opposite faces (e.g. plain on one face and squared on the other) so that a user can select the most appropriate type for his particular lecture.
[0025] In order to make a mounting member of the type with which the present invention is concerned a blank is formed having score lines defining the base 9. With thick cardboard, it can be difficult to fold the cardboard along these score lines. One solution is to provide the base 9 of the channel shaped region with cut out regions to provide in between "bridge regions" to enable thick cardboard to be bent to define the channel shaped region. Another alternative is to perforate the score lines.
The mounting member can be made from a single blank or from two separate pieces, one defining a rear one of the facing surfaces and the other defining a front one of the facing surfaces.
1. A flip chart pad having a plurality of sheets of paper which are secured at their
upper edge region between facing surfaces of a mounting member, at least one of said
facing surfaces having a fold line along which that surface can be folded from a packing
position to a mounting position, the mounting member defining a channel shaped region
for housing the upper edge regions of the sheets.
2. A flip chart pad as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of holes are provided
in said at least one facing surface for mounting the flip chart pad in the mounting
position.
3. A flip chart pad as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the uppermost edge
of the sheets of the flip chart pad are in contact with the base of the channel shaped
region formed by the mounting member such that the mounting member does not increase
the total size of the flip chart pad when flat.
4. A flip chart pad as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheets
of the flip chart pad are secured by staples along a line of securement, which then
defines the fold line for the mounting member.
5. A flip chart pad as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a line of perforations
is provided in each sheet of the flip chart pad in a position just below the fold
line such that each sheet may be removed from the flip chart pad by tearing along
the line of perforations.