Index tab system

Description of the invention

The invention relates to a cue mark system and a cue mark production method, and in particular to a cue mark system for identification or information purposes, for document folders, shelf folders, fold-out folders, index cards, index dividers, notebooks, binders, and the like.

It is known to provide marking members which protrude from the edges of document folders, index dividers, hanging files, binders, etc., in selected positions, so that a hanging file, folder, or binder can be easily identified or information on the contents of such a file can be provided. binder. For example, separate labeling members for hanging files are well known. Such marking members have protruding edges which must be inserted into slots provided in the hanging file. Since the marking member requires an interference fit, it is sometimes difficult to insert the protruding edges of the marking member into the slots.

Moreover, when there are multiple tagged hanging files, the user must ensure that the tags are inserted such that they are positioned alternately for easy viewing. This is often difficult as the user has to accurately judge which slots to insert the edge of the marking member so that the markers alternate when viewing a plurality of hanging folders.

When using a separate marker member, the closed space or recess of the marker into which to insert the information insert is sometimes too tight and it is often difficult to slide the insert into the marker space without wrinkling the marker member. It is also difficult to remove the insert from this space once it has been inserted into it. Often times, a pen, toothpick, paper clip, or other pointed object is needed to pull out the insert so that it protrudes from the tag and can be gripped and pulled out. Moreover, the marking member sometimes falls out of the slot of the briefcase and gets lost.

From US 5,447,334 a marking system is known which is integrated in the briefcase itself. The tag is made of the same cardboard blank as the folder. So, once the information is written to the tag, the folder cannot be reused. Also, when there are a plurality of folders it is essential that the user has folders in which the integrated marking member is disposed differently. Otherwise, a series of folders will have markers interfering with viewing of other markers that follow.

For both types of marking systems outlined above, the manufacturer specifies the amount of space for the marker. For example, the separate signifier member has a specific space for an insert. Similarly, the marking member shown in US 5,447,334 has a specific space for printing information. More importantly, these markers can only be used for files which are associated with the markers, i.e. those known from US 5,447,334, or for folders which have slots into which a separate marking member can be inserted. Thus, the user is not free to use different types of folders, or other items such as a binder or notebook, to store information.

The object of the invention is to provide a system of indicating markers which can be combined not only with folders, but also notebooks, binders, indexes, etc., and which system has markers which can be easily inserted by information inserts, and the markers will not fall out of defined slots, which are fitted briefcases. It is also an object of the invention to provide a system of indicating markers in which the positions of the information markers are defined by the user and the width of the marker is adjustable by the user to obtain adequate space for inserting information inserts of different lengths.

An indicator marker system comprising a strip of flexible plastic film having a plurality of marker-forming structures each providing an indicating marker member, the flexible plastic film strip being an element attached to an object in need of such marker marks, according to the invention is characterized by: that each tag-forming structure includes first link elements forming a pointing signifying member, and second linking elements forming a recess of the tag housing the information insert.

Preferably, the second connection members include removable ribbed and grooved connection members which are spaced apart on the tag-forming structure and which are spaced apart from each other on the tag-forming structure.

By folding the tag-forming structure together and pressing the linking elements together to form a tag recess.

Preferably, the first link elements include removable ribbed and groove link elements which are spaced apart on the tag-forming structure and which are interconnectable elements to hold the indicating marker member at a position indicating where inset information is visible.

Preferably, the second link elements include detachable ribbed and grooved link elements that are spaced apart on the tag-forming structure and that are interconnectable elements by folding the tag-forming structure together and pressing the elements together to form the tag recess. wherein the tag-forming structure further comprises first connection members comprising detachable ribbed and grooved connection members, which are spaced apart on the marker-forming structure, and which are interconnectable elements for holding the pointing marker member in a position indicating where an information insert disposed in a recess of the marker is visible.

Preferably, at least five marker-forming structures are disposed along the strip, the indicative marker members being arranged at different positions along the strip by joining selected rib and groove elements together or separating the combined rib and groove elements.

Preferably, the plastic film comprises a thermoplastic material.

Preferably, one side of the plastic film includes an adhesive to secure the plastic film to the object.

Preferably, the plastic strip is colored and transparent.

Preferably, the structures forming the tag are of a different color to the object.

Preferably, the tag forming structures are colorless and transparent and the information inserts are of different colors.

Preferably, the system is a system that provides a filing system including an item organizing articles.

Preferably, the articles include a paper and document folder, a shelf folder, a hanging document folder, a file card, a folding folder, a divider, a notebook or a binder.

Preferably, the article organizing object is of a different color than the plastic film of the indicator mark.

Preferably, the plastic film is of a thermoplastic material and is adhesively attached to the article organizing object.

Preferably, the plastic film is polypropylene or PVC.

The method of manufacturing an indicator marker system according to the invention is characterized in that a strip of flexible plastic film having one or more connecting elements and one or more marker forming members thereon is used, the strip is glued to the article organizing the articles, one or more is formed. indicating the signifying members by connecting one or more connecting elements, and forming one or more marker recesses, in which an information insert is placed, connecting one or more connecting elements.

Preferably, the strip is further cut to obtain at least three mark forming members.

Preferably, five further mark forming members are formed along the strip, with the index indicating member being placed at different positions to connect or separate the link elements.

Preferably, a plastic film is used that comprises a thermoplastic material.

Preferably, the indicating member is further held in the indicating position in which the inset is visible by joining the one or more link elements.

Preferably, the items to be organized include paper, and the item is a document folder, shelf folder, hanging file folder, file card, fold-out folder, divider, notebook or binder.

Preferably, the plastic strip is colored and transparent.

Preferably, the tag forming structures are of a different color to the object.

Preferably, the marker-forming structures are transparent and colorless, and the information inserts located in the marker cavity are of different colors.

The advantageous effects of the invention are achieved by the proposed cue marker system which comprises a strip of flexible plastic film which has a plurality of structures.

PL 213 381 B1 forming a marker, each knife providing an pointing marker member. A strip of plastic film may be attached to the object to which such indication marks are to be applied, and each marker-forming structure comprises first connecting elements to form the indicating marker member.

Preferably, each tag-forming structure further comprises second linking means to form a tag recess into which an insert can be inserted. In this arrangement, the first link elements include detachable ribbed and groove link elements which are spaced apart on the tag-forming structure and which are joined by folding the tag-forming structure together and pressing the elements together to form a recess. marker. Moreover, the second link elements include detachable ribbed and grooved link elements that are spaced apart on the tag-forming structure and that are coupled to hold the tag in the indicating position so that the inset is visible.

The first link elements preferably include detachable ribbed and grooved link elements which are spaced apart on the tag-forming structure and which are joined by folding the tag-forming structure together and pressing the elements together to form a tag recess, and the second the connection members preferably include removable ribbed and grooved connection members which are spaced apart from the itself on the tag-forming structure, and which are combined to hold the tag at a position indicating that the inset is visible.

The tag-forming structure may be a single strip that the user can trim to form the desired length of the tag members. It may also contain multiple perforations or other discontinuities that may be broken or torn off to determine the length of the marks. In another embodiment, the strip is pre-cut such that at least three to five marker-forming structures are positioned along the strip.

Individual markers can be placed at different positions along the strip by joining selected rib and groove elements together or separating the combined rib and groove elements.

The plastic film is preferably made of a thermoplastic material such as polypropylene or PVC, and contains an adhesive for applying the plastic film to the object. If desired, the plastic strip can be colored and substantially transparent. At least some or all of the tag-forming structures may be substantially transparent but of a different color, or the tag-forming structure may be of a different color to the object to facilitate visual identification of the file. The information inset can have different colors for this purpose.

The filing system comprises an item for organizing articles and a tag system of the preferably type described above. Generally, the articles include a paper and document folder, a shelf folder, a hanging file folder, a flap file, a folding folder, a divider, a notebook or a binder.

The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing an indicator mark system in which a strip of flexible plastic film having one or more connecting elements thereon is used, the strip is cut to obtain a plurality of marker-forming members, the strip is glued to an article organizing the articles, and joined together. one or more linking elements are formed to form indicating signifying members.

The subject of the invention is presented in the embodiment in the drawing, in which fig. 1 shows a plastic film with slits cut out, fig. 2 shows a marker and connecting elements, fig. 3 shows a marking system connected to a hanging briefcase, and fig. 1 and pos. 2 show, for comparative purposes, a typical document folder with a mark protruding from the edges according to the prior art and a marked, known index divider usually included in binders, respectively.

The index mark system can be used to indicate or mark items such as a document folder, shelf folder, hanging file folder, flier card, fold-out folder, divider, notebook or binder. Hot melt glue may be used to attach the index mark system to a folder, notebook, divider or binder or, alternatively, the plastic film may be provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive strip applied to one side of the plastic film so that it can be attached to the edge of the object to be indicated or marked.

PL 213 381 B1

The preferred material for the plastic film is any thermoplastic material.

The most advantageous in terms of cost and performance are polypropylene and PVC. However, as known to those skilled in the art, any other flexible thermoplastic film may be used.

The width and length of the plastic film can vary depending on whether the item to be marked is a hanging briefcase, another briefcase, a notebook, or a file card. However, preferably, its width is approximately 5.2387 cm (2.0625) when 5 marks are used, and approximately 8.89 cm (3.5) when 3 marks are used. Of course, a smaller width is required when marking index cards.

The markers according to the invention are closed. Thus, information inserts can be easily inserted into the tag recess, and replacing such information tags is easy. The closing of the tag is provided by first joining means that allow the tags to be opened and closed easily. The connecting elements may include connecting elements such as an inner rib and an outer rib connected to the signifying member. The outer rib may have a circular, elliptical or polygonal cross-sectional shape. The inner rib has an axial body, the apex of which may have an arrowhead-shaped cross-section, and the width is slightly larger than the opening of the inner rib. The individual parts of the outer and inner ribs are made to be thick enough to provide a connecting force when the ribs are joined. The connecting elements are disconnected by moving the connecting elements apart.

Preferably, the connecting elements are a rib and groove pattern, e.g. arrangement as this type of solution is already known and used for sealing plastic laminated bags. Here, the rib and groove arrangement provides a simple but effective method for making the signifying members of a desired size and position. In terms of size, the marking member can be made in the size of a business card, a conventional insert, or other sized inserts or tags. In addition, one or more tag forming members may be arranged to be visible to the user to provide multiple tag variations, multiple cue tags may be used on a single item, or a single tag may be used on sequentially harvested items in an alternating configuration for ease of use. browsing.

The ribbed and grooved connecting elements are preferably spaced apart on the mark forming structure and are joined by assembling the marker structure thereon and pressing the elements together to form the marker recess. Moreover, the second linking elements are joined to hold the tag in a predetermined position so that the inset is visible. At least five mark forming structures can be positioned along the strip of plastic film and such markers can be placed at different positions along the strip by joining selected connecting, rib and groove elements together, or separating connected connecting, rib and groove elements.

The marking members may be adjustable in width. This can be achieved by using a single signifying member that extends the length of the article organizing object. In one embodiment, the user may simply cut the tag member to a desired width for insertion of an insert. In a second embodiment, the marking member may be provided with a plurality of spaced perforations or other discontinuities that may be broken or torn off to determine the length of the marks. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of marks are pre-cut and provided with an article organizing item. For a room of wide gussets, a plurality of adjacent markers may be arranged depending on which fasteners the user uses.

The preferred embodiment has a double linkage mechanism such that the first linkage mechanism closes and opens the tagging member and the second linkage mechanism locks the tagging member against the strip of plastic film such that the tag is held vertically.

Color coding can be applied to the marker-forming structures and even to the inserts for the most efficient organization of the collected material. The plastic film and / or the marking members may be colored and substantially transparent. The structures that make up the tags can be of a different color to the object to be tagged. The information insets can be of different colors, or even some structures that make up the tags can be of a different color.

The designator members can be of any shape or size, for example hearts, diamonds, animals, balloons, or other shapes that are especially attractive to children.

These shapes can be obtained using conventional die cutters.

PL 213 381 B1

Fig. 1 shows a strip of plastic film 10 made according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The plastic film 10 is generally a thermoplastic film that has both a body and a plurality of associated marker structures constituting marker structures.

More specifically, the body of the plastic film 10 is cut from a sheet of lightweight plastic, preferably polypropylene. As is known to those skilled in the art, other plastics may be used. The width of the plastic film 10 is preferably about 6.35 cm (2.5 inches), however, depending on the item to be marked, the width of the plastic film 10 may be greater or less. For example, the width desired for use with flat cards would be less than that desired for use with notebooks or hanging folders.

A plurality of marker structures constituting mark structures 15 are integrally cut from a portion of the plastic film 10. The marker structures of the marker structures 15 may be cut during the production of the plastic film 10 or may then be cut at a second cutting station. The desired width of the marker structures constituting the mark-forming structures depends on the desired number of marks and the width of the object. When 5 tags are required and the object is a hanging document folder having a size of 21.59 x 2.54 cm (8.5 x 1), the width of each tag is approximately 5.23875 cm (2.0625) and they are separated by a space carrying 0 32 cm (1/8). When 3 markers are required, each mark has a width of approximately 8.89 cm (3.5).

As shown in Fig. 3, the strip of plastic film 10 may be attached to the edge of a briefcase or other object to be marked with hot melt glue. Alternatively, the plastic film 10 may be provided with a pressure responsive adhesive to attach it to the edge of a briefcase or other object to be marked.

As shown in Fig. 2, a tag structure constituting a structure 15 forming a tag on a flat surface having link elements 20. As shown in Fig. 1, one side of the tag is not cut away from the body of the plastic film 10 so that it remains connected to the body. of the folder along the first fold line 25 can rotate about the fold line 25.

The type of knife connecting elements vary depending on the type of the marked item. For example, adhesive may be applied to the strip, as needed, along the removable lidding film such that the adhesive does not stick to other portions of the object prior to forming the marking members. The adhesive can also be a weak pressure-responsive adhesive so that it can be used to form the marking member and detached when the marking member is no longer desired or needed.

Clips or other disengaged connecting elements can be used as connecting elements 20 that can pin together to hold the protrusions together. Thus, the term connecting members can also refer to any known arrangement of the connecting members, for example a member, outer-inner or tongue-groove arrangement.

The connecting elements 20 preferably include connecting elements such as an inner rib and an outer rib.

The inner rib penetrates the outer rib when pressure is applied. The tagging structure 15 preferably has link elements such that when the link elements 20 are connected, the tag structure 15 forms a closed cavity or interior space in which the insert can be placed. Moreover, the tag-forming structure 15 preferably also comprises linking elements 20 such that when the tag-forming structure 15 rotates about the fold line 25, the tag-forming structure 15 may be blocked by the second linking elements 20 such that that the marking structure constituting the tag-forming structure is held in a vertical position and protrudes from the edge of the briefcase or object, to be marked for identification purposes. For example, the tag forming structure 15 may be positioned protruding from a hanging file or document folder for easy identification.

The unused tag forming structures 15 may be positioned such that they do not pivot about the fold line 25 and are not blocked in the vertical position, but lie flat against the plastic film 10 and the briefcase. This way, the tag is invisible. Thus, the user may choose to use only one of the plurality of structures forming the tag for information purposes. In this case, the user will lock the tag in a vertical position using the joining means 20, while the remaining tag forming structures 15 will lie flat against the plastic film 10 and the briefcase so that they are invisible. Alternatively, structure 15

The tag forming line may include tear lines, i.e., perforations or score lines, so that unused tags may be torn from the plastic film and discarded to provide more space in the briefcase or item for organizing articles therein, or their storage.

The tag forming structure 15 may also be provided with a plurality of link elements 20 such that a user can fix or define a desired length of the tag forming structure 15 such that a larger piece of information such as a business card, etc. can be placed therein.

The structure forming the tag is preferably rectangular in shape. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, the markers can be cut into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. For example, the markers may be in the shape of animals or flowers to attract the attention of children. Moreover, the structure constituting the tag may be sized and shaped so as to adopt a company logo for marketing purposes.

In use, the plastic film 10 with integrated marker-forming structures is attached to the edge of the object to be marked. For example, a strip of plastic film 10 with integrated tag-forming structures 15 is attached to the edge of the hanging folder by the use of hot-melt glue. The tag forming structures 15 can be closed by positioning the link elements 20 opposite to each other and applying pressure to them such that the inner rib and the outer rib meet. The information insert may be inserted into the recess or the inner space formed when the tag forming structure is connected. The insert may be placed on the flat surface of the tag-forming structure 15 before joining the connecting elements 20. The user may lock the tag forming structure in a vertical position by locking the second linkage mechanism. The second linkage mechanism comprises an outer rib located on the side of the marking member and a corresponding inner rib of the strip of plastic film 10. The unused tag forming structures 15 may be detached from the strip of plastic film 10 and discarded or simply left behind with the tag forming structure 15 lying flat on the briefcase.