Maric R. (Internet Agencies Pty. Ltd, 73-75 Magnesium Drive Crestmead, QLD 4132, AU)
| 1. | Stationery item comprising one or more members with a curved shape hook or one or more angularly extending cutouts at the perimeter edge for hanging the item to provide a functional item with a secure hanging action. |
| 2. | Stationery item as claimed in claim 1 comprising one or two members with hook for hanging for the purpose of book place marking. |
| 3. | Stationery item as claimed in claim 1 comprising one or two members with hook for hanging for the purpose of card display and decoration hanging. |
| 4. | Stationery item as claimed in claim 1 comprising one or two members with hook for hanging for the purpose of business card display. |
| 5. | Stationery item can according to any one of claims 14 wherein the stationery item can be made of paper materials. |
| 6. | Stationery item can according to any one of claims 14 wherein the stationery item can be made of plastic materials. |
| 7. | Stationery item can according to any one of claims 14 wherein the stationery item can be made of metal materials. |
| 8. | Stationery item can according to any one of claims 14 wherein the stationery item can be made of wooden materials. |
| 9. | Stationery item can according to any one of claims 14 wherein the stationery item can be made of leather materials. |
| 10. | Stationery item can according to any one of claims 14 wherein the stationery item can be made of textile materials. |
| 11. | Stationery item can according to any one of claims 14 wherein the stationery item can be made of ceramic materials. |
| 12. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 14 wherein the hanging means is formed with an indentation configured to receive a part of the book or hanging rod. |
| 13. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 112 wherein the body and/or any of the stationery item being formed in the shape of a real or created character and/or plant and/or scenery and/or work tool, and/or building structure, and/or vehicle. |
| 14. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 113 wherein the item is used as a bookmark where the hook is to be used for hanging the item over the top edge of the spine of the said reading material with multiple bound pages, and in particular, but not limited thereto, the bookmark can be adapted to mark two locations in the reading material. |
| 15. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 113 wherein the item is used as a gift card in either a rectangular, square or diecut shape, where the hook is to be used for hanging the item on a hanging rail or string for display purposes and in particular, but not limited thereto, the gift card can be adapted for further recycled use as a bookmarker as per claim 14. |
| 16. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 113 wherein the item is used as an information or business card where the hook is to be used for hanging the item on a hanging rail or hook for advertising or display, and in particular, but not limited thereto, the business card can be adapted for further recycled use as a bookmarker as per claim 14. |
| 17. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 116 wherein the item is used as an information or business card where two hooks can be used for hanging the item over the pages of the said reading material with multiple bound pages, and in particular, but not limited thereto, the card can be adapted to mark two locations in the reading material. |
| 18. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 116 wherein the item is used as a bookmark where the hook is to be used for hanging the item over the top of the spine of the said reading material with multiple bound pages, and in particular, but not limited thereto, multiple bookmarkers can be inserted into various locations in the reading material to mark many reference places without impeding the readability of the said reading material. |
| 19. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 118 wherein the item is used as a bookmark where the hook is to be used for hanging the item over the top of the spine of the said reading material with multiple bound pages providing a secure page marking system allowing the reading material to be inverted or opened without the dislodgement of the said stationery item. |
| 20. | Stationery item as claimed in claims 115 wherein the item is used as a gift card where the card has a perforated curved hook designed to be separated for the purpose of hanging the item on a hanging rail or string for display purposes and in particular, but not limited thereto, the gift card can be adapted by discarding the rear section from the perforated section for further recycled use as a bookmarker as per claim 14. |
| 21. | Stationery item can substantially as herein before described with reference to figures 120 of the accompanying drawings. |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Stationery items can be presented in a variety of forms for displaying information, business cards, gift cards, decorations and bookmarkers. Many items of this nature are designed for a single use and are often discarded. In many cases the method of display of these items is restricted to a container placed on a desktop or, as in the case of gift cards, placed on a bench top for display. This invention has been specifically devised to provide additional options for the display of stationery items and improve the functionality of bookmarkers and gift cards for decoration.
Reading materials such as books and magazines usually have multiple leaves that are bound along one edge thereof. The binding may be along the left hand edge or the right hand edge depending on the language. Each of the leaves may have printing on a single page or on both pages of a leaf. When an open page or pages are read, the right or left leaf, again depending on the language, is turned over to present a subsequent page or pages for reading.
As people are generally busy with many different things to do, it is usual that reading materials are read in a number of sessions. For instance, some people may read while travelling in a bus or in a train, and some other people may read at lunch time or just before retiring to bed. These people therefore need to mark the location or page where they stop reading for the session so that they can easily locate where they stopped reading when resuming reading in a subsequent session. Bookmarks are used to help readers to readily locate the page or location where they stopped reading during the previous reading session.
Certain written materials may contain particular information or references that people need to refer back to. Such information can be a favourite cooking recipe, a mathematical equation, a science formula, a poem, a verse in The Bible, or simply a
written passage. Bookmarks are also used for marking the page or location containing this information.
The bookmarks known to the applicant are generally in the form of elongated strips. For marking, such a strip is simply placed between facing pages in the reading material, and usually a part of the strip is left projecting from the top edge of the reading material.
The applicant has observed that the known bookmarks tend to slip within the facing pages so that the projected parts are no longer visible. As the bookmarks are thin in nature, the readers need to flip through the reading materials to locate the bookmarks.
These bookmarks can also easily dislodge from the reading materials if the materials are inverted, dropped or placed in carry bags or briefcases while travelling. If the reader has marked several important places in the reading material and the bookmarks have dislodged then the reader loses their place markings.
Other types of bookmarkers are designed to clip over the individual pages and subsequently cause damage to the pages of the reading material and restrict the use of the reading material if clipped over several pages to ensure a secure fastening. In addition to the possible damage to pages many of the bookmarks in existence are designed in a manner that restricts the reader to one bookmarker per reading material, or when devised to mark several places in one book are so complex that they would be too expensive to manufacture.
Cards may have printed information thereon, or may be blank at the point of purchase for a person to write information thereon. The cards are generally for greeting or acknowledgement or introducing an individual, a firm or a company. In general, the cards are termed greeting cards, thank you cards and business cards, in connection with the purpose of use of the cards.
In shops, the greeting cards and the thank-you cards are assembled in stacks and placed on shelves. Where the cards in a stack are different, a person interested in buying a card needs to flip over the cards in the stack in order to select a desired card. It is usual that some of these cards are misplaced and get mixed up with the cards in a different stack.
Many people receiving greeting cards and thank you cards like to display them along a wall, using the fold along the perpendicular for hanging on wire or string, or fixed to the
wall with an adhesive or by some other display method. As the folds are usually along a line perpendicular to the writing and/or images, the writing and/or images of the hung cards are not upright.
In offices business cards are also stacked. The stacks of business cards are placed on front counters at receptions. As the business cards can easily become dislodged, display boxes are usually used to contain the stacks of business cards.
Further, prior art cards are generally manufactured for a single purpose. Once the purpose is fulfilled, they are usually discarded. For example, when a person receives a prior art birthday greeting card it is read and then discarded soon after. This is costly and also wasteful.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a stationery item which alleviates or reduces to a certain level one or more of the above prior art disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect therefore the present invention resides in a stationery item including a bookmark or card including a main card body having at least one perimeter edge, and hanging means at said perimeter edge for hanging the device on one or more horizontally extended elongated support means.
In another aspect therefore the present invention resides in a bookmark for marking pages of reading material having a top edge, a bottom edge and opposed side edges with one of the side edges being applied with a binding spine. The bookmark comprises a substantially flat body having a main body section adapted for placing in between any facing pages for marking, and an extension body section extending from the main body section. The extension body section is arranged so the body section engages the spine or the top edge and thereby prevents the body from slipping further into the reading material or dislodging when book is opened.
It is preferred that the main body section projects at least partially from any of the top edge, the bottom edge or the free side edge when the extension body section engages the spine of the top edge.
The hanging means may be in the form of one or more curve-shaped members extending from the perimeter, or one or more angularly extending cut-outs at the perimeter edge.
The extension body section may be adapted for writing notes thereon so that the written notes are visible externally of the reading material.
The extension body section may also be adapted for placing in between other facing pages for marking. This arrangement is suitable for marking two different locations, such as using the main body section to mark information in a page that may need to be viewed while reading, and the extension body section to mark where the reader stops reading. Another application is to use one of the sections to mark the beginning or end of a chapter and the other section to mark where the reader stops reading.
The main body section may have a longitudinally extending elongated member and the extension body may have an elongated extension which is spaced from the elongated member and a bridge portion joining the elongated portion to the elongated member.
The bridge portion is adapted to engage the spine or the top edge. When the extension body section is in engagement with the spine the elongated portion and the elongated member are adjacent to respective inner and outer surfaces of the spine. When the extension body section is in engagement with the top edge the elongated portion is placed for marking one location and the elongated member is placed for marking another location.
The device may have a fold line separating each said one or more curve-shaped members and the main card body so that the curve-shaped member (s) can be folded onto the main card body.
Where the hanging means is in the form of a single curve-shaped member or a single angularly extending cut-out the curve-shaped member or the cut-out may be positioned at any position along the perimeter edge. It is however preferred that it is position at the middle or an end of the perimeter edge.
The hanging means may have at least one paired of curve-shaped members or paired cut-outs and the paired curve-shaped members or paired cut-outs in a facing relationship.
Preferably, the one or more curve-shaped members are hook-shaped.
The body may be in the shape of a human, animal, cartoon character or other decorative design, and the main body section may be formed by one body part of the character or artistic design and the extension body section may be formed by another body part of the character or continuation of the artwork arranged for hanging the support means. In one example the extension body section is formed by a limb of a Teddy character and the main body section is formed by the remaining body parts of the Teddy character.
The hanging means may be configured so that when the main card body is used as a bookmark for reading material bound with a spine the hanging means extends over the top edge of the spine. Thereby, the hanging means prevents the card device from slipping further into the reading material. The card device therefore functions as a bookmark as described above.
The hanging means may also be configured so that documents can be clipped between the main card body and the hanging means. Therefore, the device functions as a paper clip.
It is preferred that the hanging means is formed as an integral portion of the main card body and the integral portion being arranged for selective part separation from the remainder portion of the main card body so as to be positional to extend from the perimeter. It is further preferred that the main card body has spaced perforations about the integral portion for facilitating the selective part separations of the integral portion as in the case of a gift or decoration card.
In preference the main card body includes two leaves foldable at one perimeter edge and the integral portion, when separated from main card body, is arranged to be positioned to extend from the perimeter edge.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS In order that the present invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and wherein: Figure 1 is the plan view illustrating one embodiment of the bookmark according to the present invention;
Figure 2 illustrates an application of the bookmark shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is the plan view illustrating another embodiment of the bookmark according to the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates an application of the bookmark shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating another embodiment of the card device according to the present invention, and the device is in an open position; Figure 6 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 5 in a closed position; Figure 7 illustrates the card device shown in Figure 5 with the hanging means extended; Figure 8 shows the card device of Figure 7 in a partly open position; Figure 9 to 11 are plan views illustrating yet another embodiment of the card device according to the present invention ; Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the applications of the card device shown in figures 5 to 11 hanging on a rod or string for display; Figure 14 illustrates an application of the card device shown in figures 5 to 11 as a bookmark; Figures 15 and 16 are plan views illustrating further embodiments of the card device with two hanging members according to the present invention; Figure 17 illustrates an application of the card device shown in figure 15 on a hanging stand; Figure 18 illustrates an application of the card device shown in figure 16 as a paper clip; Figures 19 and 20 are plan views illustrating yet another embodiment of the card device according to the present invention with the hanging member cut into the card device with breaking the external perimeter; and Figure 21 illustrates the application of the stationery item shown in figure 1 for marking several places in the reading material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the Figures and initially to Figure 1, there is shown an embodiment of the stationery item 10 according to the present invention. The stationery 10 in this embodiment has a body that is made up of a main body section 12 and an extension body section 14 is made up of an elongated portion 16 and a bridging portion 18 which joins the elongated portion 16 to the elongated member 12. As can be seen the elongated portion 16 is substantially parallel to the main elongated member 12 and is spaced therefrom. A gap 20 is formed between the elongated portion 16 and the main elongated member 12.
Figure 2 illustrates an application of the stationery item 10 shown in Figure 1. As illustrated, the main elongated member 12 (shown in phantom) is inserted between two facing pages of a bound book 100. In the inserted position, the bridging portion 18 engages the top of the spine 102 of the book 100 and the elongated portion 16 is adjacent to the outer face of the spine 102. The stationery item 10 therefore cannot move further into the book 100. The bookmark 10 will not dislodge even if the book lies on any of its edges or is shaken open.
While it is not shown, it should be understood that if the bridging portion 18 is bendable or flexible the elongated portion 16 can be used for marking another location in the book 100. In this case the bridging portion 18 would engage the top edges 104 of some of the leave of the book 100.
Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of the stationery item 10 according to the present invention. In this embodiment the stationery item 10 has an index area 22 which allows a reader to index or make relevant notes which are visible externally of the book.
The index area 22 forms the elongated portion 16 so that it will engage the spine 102 (see Figure 4) or the top edge 104 of the book 100.
Figures 5 to 8 show the embodiment of the stationery item 10 as shown is in the form of a greeting card. The card body 13 in this embodiment has two leaves 13a and 13b foldable about the centre foldline 24. When folded the foldline 24 represents a perimeter edge of the stationery item 10.
The leave 13a has an integrally formed extension body section 14 with spaced perforations 26 arranged about the extension body section 14 between the top edge 19 and the centre foldline 24. The perforations 26 facilitate part separation of the extension body section 14 from the leave 13a by tearing action or cutting with a pair of scissors.
When separated along the perforations 26 the extension body section 14 remains intact with the main elongated member 12, as in Figures 1 to 4, and is able to be positioned about the foldline 24 to extend there from as shown in Figures 7 and 8. In the extended position, the extension body section 14 serves as the hook-shaped extension body section 14 as described earlier. Thus the stationery item 10 can then be re-used as a bookmarker as shown in Figures 2 and 4.
Figure 9 shows another embodiment of the stationery item 10 according to the present invention. The stationery item 10 in this embodiment is in the form of a business card and has a rectangular main elongated body 12 and a hook-shaped extension body section 14 projecting from an end of a long edge 17 of the main elongated body 12. A foldline 15 separates the main elongated body 12 from the extension body section 14. The foldline 15 allows the extension body section 14 to be folded onto the main elongated body 12 when the use of the extension body section 14 is not needed.
In the Figure 10 embodiment the hook-shaped extension body section 14 is arranged to project from the middle of a short edge 23 of the stationery item 10. In Figure 11 the hook-shaped extension body section 14 projects from an end of the short edge 23.
Figure 12 shows the stationery item 10 of Figure 9 hanging on a bar 21. While not shown, it is understood that a number of the stationery items 10 can be hung on the same bar 21 and all of the stationery devices 10 remaining on the bar 21 will maintain their orientation when other stationery items are removed. The stationery item 10 can be easily removed and as the remaining stationery items 10 are on the bar 21 they do not get mixed up with the other stationery items 10 on the bar 21.
Figure 13 illustrates hanging the frog-shaped stationery item 10 on the bar 21.
In Figure 14 the stationery item 10 with a single hook-shaped extension body section 14 is re-used as a bookmark for a book 100. The extension body section 14 contacts the top edge of the spine of the book and thereby prevents the stationery item 10 from slipping completely into the book 100.
Figure 15 shows a stationery item 10 with a pair of hook-shaped extension body sections 14 arranged in a facing relationship at ends of the long edge 17.
As shown in Figure 16 the card device can be shaped as an animal. In this embodiment the animal is a frog and the hook-shaped extension body sections 14 are constituted by bent forelimbs of the frog. The remaining parts of the frog constitute the main elongated body 12.
Figure 17 shows hanging the stationery item 10 on a dual bar stand 25. As can be seen the stationery item 10 can simply be positioned on the stand by the hook-shaped extension body sections 14 for display purposes.
In Figure 18 the stationery item 10 with a pair of hook-shaped extension body sections 14 is used as a paper clip for a bundle of documents. In this application the main elongated portion 12 is positioned on the top of the documents and the extension body sections 14 are turned to slide downwards to contact the back of the documents.
Figure 19 shows a further embodiment of the stationery item 10 in that the extension body section 14 is replaced by a cut-out 26 at the edge 17. Figure 20 shows an embodiment of the stationery item 10 with a pair of cut-outs 26. The cut-out (s) 26 are used to hang the stationery item 10 on a bar 21 as described earlier.
While not shown, it is understood that the stationery item 10 as shown in Figures 1, 3,5 to 8 can also have a second integrally formed portion arranged so that the stationery item 10 can be hung on a display as shown in Figures 12 and 13 and be used as a paper clip as shown in Figure 18.
Figure 21 illustrates multiple stationery items 10 inserted into a book 100 in several places. The stationery items 10 are shown with the extension body sections 14 hanging over of the spine 102 of the book 100 and the elongated portion 16 is adjacent to the outer face of the spine 102. The stationery items 10 therefore cannot move further into the book 100 and do not impinge on the utility of the other stationery items 10 marking other reference points in the book. The stationery items 10 will not dislodge even if the book lies on any of its edges or is shaken open.
The stationery item 10 can be made of any one material or a combination of two or more material. Suitable materials include paper, plastic, leather, metal and textile. Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as herein set forth.
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