DESCRIPTION The invention relates to a device for use as a holder which can be unfolded by a user from a flat basic shape into a three-dimensional shape for storing (retaining/receiving) information material therein such as data sheets, brochures, leaflets, etc.

According to the invention a device is provided for use as a holder for information material such as data sheets, brochures, leaflets, etc., wherein the flat basic shape of the device is unfolded by a user into a three-dimensional shape for storing the information material. In its basic form, the device comprises a flat plate of a rigid material, in particular of a metal, having the property of plastic deformation. The plate comprises two holder elements which are intended and arranged to be bent outwardly by the user outside the plane of the plate. For this purpose, the holder elements are substantially formed as elongated strips, each having an essentially inclined main part extending from the top to the bottom, an upper transverse part and a lower transverse part, wherein each strip is separated from the remainder of the plate by a separating slot, wherein each of the transverse parts on one of its sides is connected to the plate by an interruption of the separating slot. The transverse parts, at the location where the transverse parts are connected to the remainder of the plate and at the location where the transverse parts are connected to the main part, comprise one or more folding grooves (or alternatively folding openings/slots of a different shape, hereinafter referred to as folding grooves), the folding grooves being arranged to reduce the effective material thickness and/or material amount at that location in order to facilitate bending of the strip by the user. The distance between the locations, where the upper transverse parts of the strips are connected to the plate material, is greater than the width of the information material to be stored, and the distance between the locations, where the lower transverse parts of the strips are connected to the sheet material, is smaller than the width of the information material to be stored .

Preferably, the plate comprises suspension elements, preferably symmetrical with respect to the holder elements and also intended and arranged to be bent outwardly by the user outside the plane of the plate. The suspension elements comprising an upper suspension element, which in the flat basic shape extends between, or on top, or above the strip-shaped holder elements and which is separated from the remainder of the plate by a separating slot, except for the top side because the separating slot is interrupted at that location and/or comprises one or more folding grooves, intended and arranged to reduce the effective material thickness and/or the amount of material therein, in order to facilitate the upward bending by the user of the upper suspension element. Furthermore, the suspension elements comprise a lower suspension element, which in the flat basic shape extends between, or on the bottom or below the strip- shaped holder elements, and which is separated from the remainder of the plate by a separating slot, except for the top side or bottom side, because at that location the separating slot is interrupted and/or comprises one or more folding grooves, intended and arranged to reduce the effective material thickness and/or the amount of material, in order to facilitate bending of the lower suspension element by the user. The upper and lower suspension elements are arranged and shaped such that, in the unfolded state of the device, the upper and lower suspension elements of several specimens of the device can be hooked into each other or coupled/joined together. The invention will now be further discussed with reference to the figure description below.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention. Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention which is for use as an holder for holding/ containing/retaining/storing information material therein such as data sheets, brochures, folders, leaflets etc. The device can be unfolded by a user from a flat basic shape (Figure la) into a three-dimensional shape (Figure lb-d). In its basic shape, the device comprises a flat plate 1 of a rigid material, which material allows for plastic deformation,

(see https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastische_vervorming or

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deformation_(engineering)#P lastic_deformation), in particular a metal, for example a non-alloy steel plate. The plate 1 comprises two holder elements 2 which are intended and arranged to be bent outwardly by the user outside the plane of the plate. The holder elements 2 are formed as elongated strips 3, each having a n inclined oriented main part 4 essentially extending from top to bottom, an upper transverse part 5 and a lower transverse part 6, wherein each strip 3 is separated from the remainder of the plate by a separating slot 7, for example provided by means of water jet cutting or laser cutting. However, each of the transverse parts 5 and 6 on one of its sides is connected to the plate 1 by an interruption of the separating slot 7. Furthermore, the transverse parts 5 and 6 at the location where they are connected to the remainder of the plate and at the location where they are connected to the main part comprise one or more folding grooves 8, intended and arranged to reduce the effective material thickness and/or the amount of material at that location, in order to facilitate bending of the strip by the user.

The distance SI, between the locations where the upper transverse parts of the strips are connected to (the remainder of) the plate material 1, is greater than the width of the information material to be stored (often in A4 format having a width of approximately 21 cm). The distance S2, between the locations where the lower transverse parts 6 of the strip-shaped holder elements 2/3 are connected to (the remainder of) the plate material 1, is (substantially) smaller than the width of the information material to be stored . In this way is achieved that the unfolded holder elements 2 are able to retain the side edges of the information material between the upper transverse parts 5 and are able to support the under edges of the information material on the lower transverse parts 6.

Furthermore, the plate 1 comprises suspension elements, preferably symmetrical with respect to the holder elements and, like the above-described holder elements 2, intended and arranged to be bent or pressed outwardly by the user outside the plane of the plate 1. In the flat basic shape of the device, an upper suspension element 9 extends (Figure la) between, or on top or above the strip-shaped holder elements 2 and is separated from the remainder of the plate 1 by a separating slot 10. However with the exception of the top side, because there the separation slot is interrupted and/or comprises a folding line with one or more folding grooves 11, which grooves are intended and arranged to reduce the effective material thickness and/or the amount of material in order to facilitate the upward bending of the upper suspension element 9 by the user.

Furthermore, in the flat basic shape of the device, the device is provided with a lower suspension element 12, which element extends between, or at the bottom side or below the strip-like holder elements 2. The suspension element is separated from the remainder of the plate 1 by a separating slot 13. Except for the bottom side or the top side however, because there the separating slot is interrupted and/or comprises folding groove(s) 14, which grooves are intended and arranged to reduce the effective material thickness and/or the amount of material there, in order to facilitate bending of the lower suspension element by the user. The upper suspension element 9 and the lower suspension element 12 are arranged and designed in such a way that, in the unfolded state of the device (see in particular Figure lb), the upper and the lower suspension elements 9 and 12, respectively, of ten multiple specimens of the device, are able to be hooked into each other or to be mutually interconnected or coupled to each other. As a result, a serial assembly is obtained, wherein the top device is attached to a wall, for example, and the other specimens are coupled to each other underneath each other in a vertical way/line.

In addition to the folding line with folding grooves 11 (in practice twofold) already previously discussed, the upper suspension element 9 comprises two horizontal folding lines 15 and 16, respectively, each having one or more of folding grooves, the folding grooves being intended and arranged to reduce the effective material thickness and/or the amount of material therein in order to facilitate twofold bending by the user of the lower part of the upper suspension element 9 around both folding lines 15 and 16.

Figures lc and Id show the upper suspension element 9, which furthermore is provided with a suspension opening 17, being arranged to be used in two ways. In the upper device of Figure lc, the upper suspension element is bent upwardly completely around the (double) folding line 11, so that the suspension opening 17 extends above the upper edge of the plate 1. Of the devices that are to be suspended underneath the upper device of Figure lc, the upper suspension element 9 is unfolded rearwardly by the user as shown in Figure Id. The suspension opening 17 of the lower, hanging devices is coupled to the forwardly extending lower suspension element 12 of the above positioned device. In this way, a number of devices can be coupled in a vertical direction. The suspension opening 17 has a rearwardly extending position in the direction of the wall against which the series of devices is suspended, causing the devices to be positioned with their top edge at a distance from the wall, as a result of which all the devices hang slightly forward from bottom to top. This ensures that the data sheets, leaflets, brochures, etc. inserted between the holder elements 2 are provided with a slightly forward orientation also, so that the information material can be taken out more easily from between the holder elements 2 of the device.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment, wherein the plate 1 is provided with side supports 20. The side supports 20 are provided on the longitudinal sides 21 of the plate 1, which longitudinal sides 21 extend in the vertical direction in the use position of the device. The side supports 20 are provided with a downwardly inclined, tapered, substantially triangular shape. The longitudinal sides 21 are formed as folding lines with one or more folding grooves, so that the side supports 20 can be folded backwards into a position in which the side supports are at an angle of approximately 90°, so that the device, the brochure holder, can be supported in its forwardly hanging position on the wall on which the brochure holder has been attached .

In an advantageous embodiment the upper width side 22 of the plate 1 is provided with a folding element 23. The upper width side 22 is formed as a folding line with folding grooves, so that the folding element 23 can be folded downwards towards the front or rear side of the brochure holder. As a result, a receiving space is formed within which, for example, a flat strip can be provided comprising information about the nature and origin of the brochures in the holder.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a device which is manufactured and supplied in the form of a flat plate, provided with separating slots, whereby a three-dimensional holder for information material can be folded quickly and manually from said flat plate by the user. If desired, several specimens of the device can be coupled to each other.