Document or file folders, e. g., manila folders, are, well known and are employed for collecting, accumulating, and indexing or segregating a plurality of related documents in a unitary volume. Typical applications for document folders inclue, e. g., bundling and indexing legal documents and retail sales records. In retail specialty sales, sales receipts are kept as a record of business transactions for each day for financial reasons and as a record of a customer's instructions concerning an order.

The receipts thereby provide a record of customers'orders which may be referred to for various purposes, including the filling of repeat orders. This type of repeat order transaction is common in the retail florist industry. For example, many customers order flowers or floral arrangements simply by asking for the same arrangement of flowers that was sent on a particular previous occasion. Thus, most retail florists keep extensive records comprising copies of daily retail sales slips, or- ganized in chronological, or other, order. Such records may be kept in a document folder which provides a ready reference for sales persons when a customer requests a repeat of a previous order. The document folders in which the sales receipts are bundled may be kept in a drawer or a filing cabinet.

Similarly, professionals such as physicians maintain file folders into which they insert documents relating to patients and wish to maintain them in chronological or other specific order for repeated reference.

Generally, file folders are stored in horizontal or vertical file drawers and have tabs with indicia placed thereon to facilitate their identification. These tabs can be readily damaged because they are relatively small projections and the card stock is easily bent, and the size limits the amount of information which can be printed thereon.

In some applications, the most active file folders are stored in open top trays or boxes for easy access, but the same problems of identification and potential damage to the tab occurs.

Order form booklets are a form of document file which can present special problems in that it is sometimes desirable to place loose copies of documents therein, and these may fall out when the folder is removed from the storage area.

Moreover, many document folders employ paper board stock which is so flexible that the folder does not have sufficient stiffness to stand vertically without lateral support.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel document folder in which multiple documents can be readily assemble and stored and which is relatively rigid so that it is self-supporting.

It is also an object to provide such a document folder in which documents may be stored loosely and retained from falling out when the folder is moved about.

Another object is to provide such a document folder in which there is a large area position which is visible in its stored position and upon which identifying indicia may be printed.

DISCLOLTRE OF THE INVENTION It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects can be readily attained in a document folder for enclosing and retaining a multiplicity of documents which has an integrally formed cover having a back flap, a front flap and a spine hingedly connecting the flapis. The flaps are disposable in an overlying position and together with the spine provide an enclosure for receiving a multiplicity of documents therebetween. The flaps are movable relative to each other about the spine, and the cover is formed of relatively flexible sheet material.

A fastener is mounted on the back flap and has a portion for passage through apertures in the documents to retain the documents in the document folder between the back and front flapis. A relatively rigid stiffener is secured on the cover by the fastener and is dimensioned cooperatively with the back flap to rigidify the folder when stored vertically so that it is self-supporting.

Desirably, the stiffener is substantially coextensive with the back flap, and the fastener has a center portion mounted on the back flap and a pair of prongs at its ends which extend through the stiffener and which are adapted to extend through the apertures in the stored documents.

Preferably, the spine has a plurality of fold lines extending longitudinally thereof so that the spine may be varied in width and the spacing between the front and back flaps may be varied. The spine is adapted to be imprinted with viewable indicia when stored in a file.

In one embodiment, the back flap has side flaps hingedly connecte thereto along the side margins thereof and an end flap hingedly connecte to its end opposite the spine. The side and end flaps are foldable into a position overlying the back flap, and the front flap is releasably engageable with the end flap. The side and end flaps have a plurality of fold lines extending longitudinally thereof adjacent the back flap so that the spacing between the overlying portions of the flaps and the back flap may be varied.

A plurality of dividers may be included to separate the documents on the fastener into related groupings.

Preferably, the fastener is mounted on the inner surface of the back flap by an adhesive.

IF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a document folder embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the front face of the folder of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the rear face of the folder of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the folder of Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged scale; Figure 5 is an exploded view of the folder of Figure 1 with the front flap opened and the clamp element removed; Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of a plurality of document folders of Figure 1 arrange vertically in a plurality of rows; Figure 7 is a plan view of the front face of another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 8 is a plan view of the opened folder of Figure 7.

MODES FOR CAR_YIN OL1T THE INVENTION A document folder in accordance with the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10 in Figure 1. The document folder 10 inclues a cover generally designated by the numeral 11 with a back flap 12 and a front flap 14. The back flap 12 and front flap 14 are movable relative to each other and connecte to each other by means of the spine 16 at their upper ends. The cover 11 is fabricated from relatively flexible sheet material such as heavy gauge paper, cardboard or plastic, e. g., a polyolefin. Suitable indicia 18 may be provided on the front flap 14 for identifying the subject matter and/or date range of the documents contained within the folder. The spine 16 may also be imprinted with indicia 20 so that they are visible with the folder 10 placed in a file.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the front flap 14 may include a notched portion 22.

The notched portion 22 may be useful to thumb to a particular document or documents contained within the document folder 10 via, for example, indexing tabs or the like (not shown).

As shown in Figures 1,3 and 6, the back flap 12 and the front flap 14 include smooth outer surfaces 13,15 for ease in stacking the document folders 10, e. g., in a container such as a filin cabinet (not shown). By stacking the document folders 10 in rows in the illustrated upright position, indicia 20 are viewable, and space in the file drawer or container is conserve. Referring to Figure 6, the document folders may be stacked, e. g., in a plurality of rows in a storage container of suitable width whereby, because of the smooth outer surfaces of the back and front flaps 12 and 14, individual document folders 10 may be readily inserted into, and removed from, a row as indicated by the arrow 23.

As best illustrated in Figure 5, the spine 16 inclues three fold lines 24,26 and 28 formed by scoring or other well known techniques. They provide for varying of the distance between the flaps 12,14 to accommodate varying volumes of documents 30 (Figure 5) within the document folder 10. The first fold line 24 is dispose advantageously a short distance away from an upper edge 31 of the documents 30 so as to allow for ease in folding of the front flap 14 thereover. As the number of documents pinned in the folder increases, the additional fold lines 26,28 provide extra spacing. It will be appreciated that while three fold lines are shown for illustrational purposes, any suitable number may be employed.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the document folder 10 inclues a stiffener 32 along with a plurality of document dividers 34. The stiffener 32 may be formed of any suitable sheet material that is relatively rigid or inflexible such as a plastic, e. g. ; a polyolefin, or a heavier gauge cardboard. The stiffener 32 is employed to support the document folder 10 to make it self-supporting in an upright position as illustrated in Figure 6. It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the stiffening member 32 and the back flap 12 are approximately coextensive, to prevent folding or creasing damage to the bottom edge 12a of back flap 12 when the document folder 10 is in the upright position shown in Figure 6. Also, by employing the stiffener 32, the cover 11 may be formed of one piece of relatively thin material.

The dividers 34 are advantageously provided for separating various groups of documents 30 based upon, for example, a category of various methods of payment such as house accounts, credit cards or cash as illustrated by indicia 35. Physicians may separate tests from reports, etc.

A conventional two prong fastener generally designated by the numeral 36, usually made of a metal or plastic, is employed for retaining the documents together on the back flap inclues a base 38, a pair of deformable prongs 40 and a clasp 42. The base 38 is preferably mounted on the inner surface 44 of the back flap 12, by any suitable means such as an adhesive, or tape which does not protrude through the back flap 12. If elements of the fastener were to protrude through the back flap 12, such elements would interfere with smoothly withdrawing and inserting individual document folders 10 from and into a tightly packed row, as illustrated in Figure 6. For this reason, front flap 14 as well as the back flap 12 are maintained smooth and free of protrusions of any kind. The clasp 42 inclues apertures 48 and a groove 50 for receiving the prongs 40. A pair of sliders 46 are dispose on the clasp 42 and are selectively movable to lock the prongs 40 in place. The stiffener 32, dividers 34 and documents 30 include apertures 52 through which the prongs 40 extend for retention on the back flap 12 of the document folder 10.

Turning next to Figures 7 and 8 therein illustrated is another embodiment of the present invention which inclues side and end flaps 60,62 to provide a four-sied enclosure for any loose documents which might also be stored in the folder 10. In this embodiment, the back flap 12 has the side flaps 60 extending over most of the length thereof and provided with a series of fold lines 64 to enable adjustment of the width therebetween when folded over. Along the end of the back flap 12 opposite the spine portion 16, is the end flap 62 with a series of fold lines 66 and a series of parallel slits 68 therein.

In this embodiment, the front flap 14 is not coextensive with the back flap 12 and has a tab 70 formed at its free end which will, when the front flap 14 is folded over be engageable in one of the slits 68. In addition to the documents 30, loose papers 74 may be placed within the folder and will be retained therein by the side and end flaps 60,6.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that upon a reading and understanding of the foregoing, numerus alterations to the described embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and it is intended to include such alterations within the scope of the appende claims.

Thus, it can be seen from the foregoing detailed description and attache drawings that the document folder of the present invention provides a self-supporting structure which can be stacked in a vertical pOSitiOfi, and which is easily removed from, and inserted into, a large number of such folders. The cover may be formed of relatively flexible and inexpensive paperboard stock, and is coupled with a relatively rigid member which can be fabricated from relatively rigid paperboard, plastic or other materials and assemble with the cover when the folder is placed into use. The spine connecting the covers is readily imprinted with indicia so as to allow facile identification of the contents of the folders when placed in a stack either horizontally or vertically.