|
(11) | EP 1 769 939 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Device for the realisation of book or note-book shaped file-holders capable of allowing the insertion and extraction of paper sheets or booklets and/or documents |
| (57) The device for the realization of book or note-book shaped file-holders, capable
of allowing the insertion and extraction of paper sheets of booklets and/or of documents,
comprises a rigid bar (1) attachable to the back of a cover, from whose extremities
two extensions (2,2') are laterally projecting in a same direction, having two faces
(3,3') opposed to each other. Threads or rods can be inserted from one extension to
the other and parallel to said bar, so as to retain the paper sheets or booklets along
their entire length and width.
|
[0001] The present invention refers to a device for the realization of book or note-book shaped file-holders capable of allowing the insertion and extraction of paper sheets or booklets and/or documents.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] The principal solution notoriously adopted for inserting and removing paper elements from a cover is a ring-type mechanism, better known as an "organizer", which has the following disadvantages:
- it is rather bulky, having a very high thickness;
- it fails to allow comfortable writing in the left page;
- the ratio between the size of the cover and the parts made of useful writing paper is very low;
- the insertion of the parts made of paper occurs by individual sheets, with the drawback that the operation is poorly comfortable;
- the sheets extracted from the rings are not easily storable and consultable, being untied from each other;
- the sheets often tear next to their inserting holes.
[0003] As an alternative, there is another solution consisting in a system that allows inserting booklets within metal rings of a rectangular shape with two very closely spaced opposite sides, of the same length as that of the sheets of each booklet. This system has the following disadvantages:
- it allows the insertion of booklets with a limited number of sheets;
- it is very expensive and therefore poorly accessible to the great majority of consumers;
- the attaching of the booklets occurs in a not very comfortable manner, through a metallic element that remains firmly fastened to the booklet itself, which renders it useless when detached from the cover.
SCOPE OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The scope of the present invention is the realization of a device for producing book or note-book shaped file-holders, capable of allowing the insertion and extraction of sheets or booklets, so as to be:
- of little encumbrance and capable of also being realized in pocket-sized form;
- lightweight;
- comfortable, without elements hampering the writing;
- practical, capable of inserting, storing and utilizing the booklets without any limitation;
- of an easy and intuitive use;
- economical and thus accessible to all consumers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The device according to the invention, for the realization of book or note-book shaped file-holders, capable of allowing the insertion and extraction of paper sheets of booklets and/or of documents, comprises a rigid bar attachable to the back of a cover, from whose extremities two extensions are laterally projecting in a same direction, having two faces opposed to each other, wherein threads or rods can be inserted from one extension to the other and parallel to said bar, so as to retain the paper sheets or booklets along their entire length and width.
DRAWINGS
[0006] The characteristics of the invention will become more evident from the following description of embodying examples of a non-limiting nature, made in reference to the attached drawings, wherein the various figures show:
- Fig.1:
- an exploded prospective view of a first example of embodiment;
- Fig.2:
- a view of the device in Figure 1, in an assembled form;
- Fig.3:
- an enlarged view of the part 2 of Figure 1;
- Fig.4:
- an exploded prospective view of a second example of embodiment;
- Fig.5:
- a view of the device in Figure 4, in an assembled form;
- Fig.6:
- an enlarged view of the part 2 of Figure 4;
- Fig.7:
- an exploded prospective view of a third example of embodiment;
- Fig.8:
- a view of the device in Figure 7, in an assembled form;
- Fig.9:
- an enlarged view of the part 2' of Figure 7;
- Fig. 10:
- a schematic representation of a file-holder realized with the device according to the example of Figures 1- 3.
PREFERRED EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENT
[0007] The Figures 1 - 3 are relating to a first example of embodiment of the device according to the invention. In particular, Figure 1 shows an exploded view of this example, in which the various designated parts represent:
1: a rigid bar capable of being fastened to the back of a cover, with the latter not being shown in the figure for simplicity;
2, 2': extensions laterally projecting from the extremities of the bar 1 in the same direction and having two faces 3, 3' opposed to each other (the extension 2 is also shown in Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale);
4: elastic threads fitted at their extremities with enlargements consisting of spherical bodies 5 and 5' attached to the same extremities;
6, 6': slots provided in the extensions 2, 2', capable of allowing the entry of the thread extremities in them;
7: hollows of a spherical form provided on the outer face of the projection 2 and destined to seat and retain the spherical bodies 5 (hollows 7', not visible in the figure and entirely similar to the hollows 7, are also present on the outer face of the extension 2', being also destined to seat and retain the spherical bodies 5');
8: a further bar destined to be fastened to the bar 1, after interposing the part of the cover destined to constitute the back (the fastening occurs by inserting and gluing the pin-shaped protrusions 9, 9' into the holes 10, 10' provided in the bar 1).
[0009] After attaching the bar 1 to the bar 8 following the interposing of the cover, every thread 4 is superimposed on the innermost sheet of a booklet, opposite its center line, and thus inserted (together with the booklet) with its extremities into a corresponding pair of slots 6, 6', after stretching the thread itself. Once the thread is released, the pair of spherical bodies 5 and 5' at the ends of the thread is retained within a pair of corresponding seats 7 and 7' due to the stretching of the thread.
[0010] In the Figure 2 relating to the assembled device, the view of both the cover and the inserted booklets is omitted for simplicity. A schematic view of the assembled device, complete with cover and booklets, is shown in Figure 10.
[0011] According to a preferred solution, the bars 8 and 1 with the relative extensions 2 and 2' are made of ABS, thus lending the device both the necessary strength and a particular lightness.
[0012] As regards the substitution of an inserted booklet, the procedure happens to be rather simple. It is in fact sufficient to grasp one or both of the spherical bodies 5, 5' placed at the extremities of the relative thread 4 holding them, and to extract them from their relative hollows 7 and 7', while overcoming the resistance opposed by the stretched thread. It is thus possible to slip the thread out of the pair of slots 6, 6' in which it is inserted, and to subsequently extract the booklet.
[0013] The Figures 4-6 are related to a second example of embodiment of the device according to the invention.
[0014] In these figures, the parts carrying the same symbols of the Figures 1 - 3 have the same meanings assumed in the latter figures. The remaining parts, on the other hand, have the following meanings:
11: rods of a rigid material, for instance of steel, of the same length as the bar 1, and fitted with extremities capable of being inserted into the slots 6, 6'.
12: elastic restrictions provided in the slots 6 and 6', capable of retaining the rods 11 in their seats, once these are inserted into the slots; in order to manually insert or extract the rods into or from the slots, it suffices to overcome the resistance opposed by the elastic restrictions.
[0015] The Figures 7 - 9 are relating to a third example of embodiment of the device according to the invention.
[0016] In these figures, the parts carrying the same symbols of the Figures 1 - 3 have the same meaning assumed in the latter figures. The remaining parts, on the other hand, have the following meanings:
14': blind holes provided on the face 3' of the extension 2' (holes 14, entirely similar but not visible in the figures, are also provided in the face 3 of the extension 2);
13: rods capable of elastic flexions, for instance of harmonic steel, having a length comprised within the reciprocal distance from the bottom of each pair of opposing holes 14, 14', and the reciprocal distance of their mouths;
15': chamfer provided on the mouth of the holes 14' (corresponding to an entirely similar chamfer on the holes 14) for the purpose of easing the insertion and extraction of the extremities of the rods 13 into the holes.
[0017] As concerns the insertion or extraction of a rod 13 into or from a pair of opposing holes 14, 14', the relative procedure is also rather simple in this case. It suffices in fact to bend the rod until the reciprocal distance of its extremities shortens to the reciprocal distance of the mouths of the opposing holes. The insertion or extraction into/from the holes then happens to be quite easy.
[0018] It is evident that the examples of embodiment previously described for illustrative and non-limiting purposes may be fitted with numerous modifications, adaptations, variants and substitutions of elements with other of a functionally equivalent type, without thereby abandoning the range of protection of the following claims.
- said threads are made of an elastic material, are capable of being inserted under tension in the mentioned extensions and present a thickening at their extremities;
- the aforementioned extensions present slots, each of which is capable of allowing the insertion of one extremity of a thread into them, and to retain the relative thickening in an appropriate seat.
- said rods are made of a rigid material;
- the aforesaid extensions present slots, each of which is capable of allowing the insertion of one extremity of a rod into them;
- each slot is provided with a spring-loaded clasp, so that the insertion and the extraction of the extremity of a rod into the respective slot can be carried out by overcoming the resistance exerted by the clasp.
- said rods are susceptible to elastic flexions;
- the opposing faces of the aforesaid extensions present holes, each of which is capable of allowing the insertion into them of one extremity of a rod, where each rod has a length comprised within the reciprocal distance of the bottom of two opposing holes and the reciprocal distance of their mounts;
- the mouth of each hole presents a chamfered rim, in order to ease the insertion and extraction of the aforesaid extremity of the rod.