(19)
(11) EP 1 348 637 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
01.10.2003 Bulletin 2003/40

(21) Application number: 02425195.1

(22) Date of filing: 29.03.2002
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7B65D 27/00, B65D 27/02, B65D 75/14
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(71) Applicant: Cartiere Miliani Fabriano S.p.A.
00196 Roma (IT)

(72) Inventor:
  • Alfonsi, Gabriele
    60044 Fabriano (IT)

(74) Representative: Modiano, Guido, Dr.-Ing. et al
Modiano & Associati SpA Via Meravigli, 16
20123 Milano
20123 Milano (IT)

   


(54) Container particularly for sheets and the like


(57) A container particularly for sheets and the like, comprising an envelope-like containment body (2) for detachably accommodating a plurality of stacked sheets. The container comprises, on the outer surface of the front face (3) of the envelope-like containment body (2), means for detachably retaining a sheet.







Description


[0001] The present invention relates to a container particularly for sheets and the like.

[0002] As is known, drawing sheets and the like are currently contained by using envelopes inside which there is a stack of sheets which, in order to be used, have to be removed from the envelope and placed on a suitable supporting surface.

[0003] In this embodiment, therefore, the envelope cannot be used for example when one is drawing on the sheet.

[0004] Other known solutions provide a container, such as an album, which is provided with a back element that has corner portions that detachably retain a stack of sheets; there is also a cover element that is associated with the back and can be placed on top of the stack of sheets when said sheets do not need to be used.

[0005] This kind of solution allows to have a sheet retention element, but during the use of a sheet it is necessary to place the sheet on top of the stack of the remaining sheets, with obvious mutual damage problems.

[0006] Another problem is that usually these kinds of album do not allow to provide a good closure.

[0007] The aim of the present invention is to solve the above cited problems, by providing a container particularly for sheets and the like that allows to accommodate the stack of sheets correctly inside it and can also be used as an accessory when drawing on a sheet, without however producing mutual damage of the various sheets.

[0008] Within this aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide a container that allows to provide tidy containment of the various sheets, with the possibility for example to separate the drawn sheets from the unused ones.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a container particularly for sheets and the like that by way of its particular constructive characteristics is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a container that can be easily obtained starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials and is further competitive from a merely economical standpoint.

[0011] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a container particularly for sheets and the like, according to the invention, comprising an envelope-like containment body for detachably accommodating a plurality of stacked sheets, characterized in that it comprises, on the outer surface of the front face of said envelope-like containment body, means for detachably retaining a sheet.

[0012] Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a container particularly for sheets and the like, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the container according to the invention, taken from the opening side;

Figure 2 is a partially cutout view of the container, taken from the opposite side;

Figure 3 is a schematic exploded view of the container according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a view of the container in the open position with the separator inserted therein.



[0013] With reference to the figures, the container particularly for sheets and the like, according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises an envelope-like containment body 2, which in a per se conventional manner has a front face 3 and has, on the opposite face, folded flaps with a closure flap 4 that can be inserted, in the closure position, under the fixed flap 5.

[0014] Inside the containment body 2 it is possible to insert a stack of sheets 6, whose dimensions preferably match the dimensions of the containment body.

[0015] A first particularity of the invention is that on the outer surface of the front face 3 there are means for detachably retaining a sheet 6; in a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, such means are provided by way of slits 10, which are arranged at the corners and allow to insert the corners of the sheet 6, which is retained detachably.

[0016] Another particularity of the invention is that inside the containment body 2 it is possible to detachably insert a substantially rigid plate-like element 20, which is advantageously provided by means of a cardboard with a grammage of substantially 600 g/m2 and performs a dual function.

[0017] The plate-like element 20, which has substantially the same dimensions as the sheets 6, constitutes a stiffening element, which allows optimum support for the sheet 6 that is placed on the outer surface of the front face 3, so as to provide in practice an efficient supporting surface that allows easy use of the sheet, which can be constituted by a drawing sheet, a sheet of graph paper, or any other kind of sheet.

[0018] It should be noted that with this embodiment the sheet on which one works is separated from the remaining stack of sheets, which is arranged inside the envelope-like containment body which, by way of the presence of the plate-like element 20 inside it, constitutes a substantially rigid support.

[0019] Moreover, the plate-like element 20 can constitute a separator which forms, inside the envelope-like containment body, two separate regions that can be used for example to accommodate the sheets that have already been used and to accommodate the unused sheets 6.

[0020] With the above described arrangement, one thus obtains a container element which, while using particularly simple structural means, provides considerable functionality, because it allows to offer both an optimum element for accommodating sheets that are adequately protected, since they can be inserted in an envelope-like containment body, and because said envelope-like containment body allows to constitute a supporting tablet for the sheet on which one works, without said sheet being directly superimposed on the other sheets.

[0021] Another important aspect is that the substantially rigid plate-like element, in addition to acting as a supporting element, provides an efficient and low-cost separator inside the envelope-like containment body.

[0022] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

[0023] All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0024] In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.

[0025] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.


Claims

1. A container particularly for sheets and the like, comprising an envelope-like containment body for detachably accommodating a plurality of stacked sheets, characterized in that it comprises, on the outer surface of the front face of said envelope-like containment body, means for detachably retaining a sheet.
 
2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a substantially rigid plate-like element inside said envelope-like containment body.
 
3. The container according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said means for detachably retaining a sheet comprise slits formed at the corners of said front face.
 
4. The container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said stack of sheets has dimensions that substantially match those of said envelope-like containment body.
 
5. The container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said substantially rigid plate-like element has dimensions that are substantially identical to those of said plurality of stacked sheets.
 
6. The container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plate-like element is suitable to act as a supporting element for the sheet arranged in said means for detachably retaining a sheet.
 
7. The container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plate-like element is suitable to act as a separator between the sheets of said plurality of sheets arranged inside said envelope-like containment body.
 
8. The container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plate-like element is provided by means of cardboard with a grammage of substantially 600 g/m2.
 




Drawing













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