Field of the Invention This invention relates to calendars or other book-like documents which are releasably attached in order to allow the user of such documents to either keep the documents attached in any given location or readily remove them if the user so desires.

Background to the Invention Calendars have been widely used for centuries. Today, they are present in books alongside note papers and addresses, they are found in electronic versions in personal computers, spiral bound and hooked to office walls, some are pads which incorporate perforations to facilitate the daily tear away of sheets etc.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a calendar or similar document which has improved practicality as compared to the above prior art.

One particular objective of the present invention is to provide a system which is particularly well suited for operation with a computer monitor. Patent Application US 5672105 (Curic) has suggested the attachment of a mask to a computer video monitor which would incorporate a document comprising a central cut-out so that it generally surrounds the screen of the video monitor. The book is not directly attached to the monitor but it is the mask which employs a loop and hook mechanism so that the mask may be removed from the monitor.

This computer book while presenting a surface onto which the user can readily write if he so wishes does not provide a readily releasable open-flat book and is therefore impractical.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a book-like document whose releasable attachment means have improved functionality as compared to conventional releasable attachment means.

A further objective of the present invention is to present a book or the like which improves the viewing of individual sheets and their use.

Summary of the Invention In a first broad independent aspect, the invention presents a calendar or other book-like document which is adapted to open-flat and at least one of whose sheets incorporates means to attach the document releasably to a surface.

This combination of features is particularly advantageous because it provides a document which is practical. The advantages of this configuration can become particularly apparent when employed in the modern office when the surface is part of the computer monitor. Its open-flat capability is advantageous because it permits easy one handed writing operation. Its releasable function will be particularly beneficial for rapidly removing the document from the surface to which it may be attached.

In a subsidiary aspect in accordance with the first broad independent aspect, the book is divided into two or more groups of sheets which may be separately rotated about the book's binding.

This latest configuration increases the versatility of the document and is particularly beneficial in maximising the usage of the sheets.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the front cover is sufficiently transparent to view the contents of a computer screen.

This feature has the advantage of the front cover not impeding the viewing of the screen when it is open.

In a further subsidiary aspect, the releasable attachment means consist of a loop and hook mechanism where the hooks are orientated within the range of 5 to 15° from the horizontal direction.

This non-conventional orientation of hooks has the advantage of preventing the document from being removed from the hooks accidentally by any force in essentially the vertical direction and permitting the removal of the document when it is displaced essentially in the direction of the hooks.

In a second independent aspect, the invention resides in a kit consisting of a book being adapted to open-flat and at least one of the sheets incorporating releasable attachment means and mating attachment means which comprise fixing means to facilitate fixture to a monitor.

This particular combination of features achieves an advantageous kit because it is particularly practical to use and versatile in its function. This kit is also the result of creative thinking in that it considers fixing a book to a device which is intended

to do away with the necessity of sheets by supplying means to display and store information in electronic format.

In a subsidiary aspect in accordance with this second independent aspect, the mating attachment means is folded about an axis in order to be fixed about the edge of the monitor.

By arranging the mating attachment means in this manner, the kit is particularly advantageous because it improves the mechanical properties of the mating attachment means by particularly enhancing its resistance to wear.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a plan view of a document according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 presents a plan view from the back of the document of the first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of the back sheet of the document alongside a side elevation of a part of a computer monitor according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of a document in the context of a third embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective illustration of a computer monitor alongside a document in a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a schematic view of a hook pad.

Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1 presents a calendar 1 which incorporates a number of sheets 2 of paper or other material suitable for receiving the inscription of a writing instrument. The sheet illustrated in the Figure shows the first working week of March 2002 with boxes corresponding to each working day of that particular week. The blank spaces provided on the sheets are of course designed to receive the user's inscription: appointment times, notes or other useful information.

Calendar 1 has a multiplicity of sheets opening about a common edge. The mobility of the sheets is facilitated and restrained by a spiral 3 which is inserted through cut-outs 4. The cover sheet 5 of the calendar is shown in its open position relative to the rest of the sheets. The invention envisages that this cover sheet 5 is made out of sufficiently translucent material so as to permit viewing through it when opened into the site path of the viewer of a computer screen. While this cover sheet is the only translucent sheet to have been illustrated, the invention is however not limited to only having this sheet in translucent form. It is thought that it may be particularly practical to have each sheet of the calendar to be at least partially translucent.

Generally, the calendar is elongate so as to match the width of the plastic frame around the majority of computer monitors. In order to advantageously fit to the computer monitors, it is preferable that the length of the calendar be at least three times its width.

In order to releasably attach the calendar to a computer monitor or any other appropriate surface, appropriate attachment means are envisaged. An example of such means is illustrated in Figure 2 where a calendar 6 is illustrated in its closed position. Calendar 6 incorporates a spiral 7 and two pads 8 and 9 which each hold an array of loops destined to operate in a loop and hook mechanism. Hook means will be provided on a surface and will co-operate with pads 8 and 9 when these

are sufficiently overlapped. Such a loop and hook mechanism will have the advantage of not requiring the user of the calendar to accurately place the calendar on the hook means. This combination will therefore result in a particularly practical solution.

While the loop and hook mechanism is a particularly practical solution, other alternatives may be employed to releasably attach the calendar to a surface. The invention envisages for example the use of an appropriate double sided adhesive sufficiently strong to hold the calendar on to the surface and sufficiently weak to permit the user to remove the calendar from the surface when he so requires without any great degree of effort.

Figure 3 shows a particularly advantageous embodiment of a hook mechanism. In this embodiment, a number of hooks 10 are arranged about the surface of the edge of a computer monitor 11. Each of these hooks is orientated at 15° from the horizontal direction. A number of cut-outs 12 are provided in one of the calendar sheets sufficient in size to allow an effortless insertion of the hooks 10. This configuration has the advantage of permitting the calendar to be held relative to the monitor 11 while small forces in the general vertical direction whether deliberate or inadvertent will prevent the calendar from falling off the hooks 10.

This is in effect a mechanism against accidental knocks such as those that may occur while working on other tasks at the desk and to prevent an unauthorised party from easily removing the calendar from its attachment means.

Figure 4 shows a calendar 13 comprising five groups of sheets such as that referenced at 14 which may be separately rotated about the calendar's binding.

This particular embodiment will include (although not illustrated in the drawing) suitable attachment means such as those illustrated above. Each group of sheets may be a group of same week days. While the particular embodiment of Figure 4 only presents five groups of sheets, the invention of course envisages utilising

seven groups of sheets each corresponding to a day of the week. This configuration is particularly versatile and practical.

Figure 5 presents a calendar 15 whose back sheet incorporates an array of cut-outs 16 which allow the calendar to be hooked on to appropriate hook means such as those illustrated at 17 with its right side up or upside down. The calendar 15 may incorporate one side of each sheet with the inscriptions right side up and their other side with the inscriptions in the opposite direction so that both sides of each sheet may be used.

Hooks 17 are grouped together by a substrate 18 which is folded about an axis 19 in order to form an angle matching the edge of the monitor 20. Beneath the substrate 18 there are provided double sided adhesives (not illustrated in the drawing) to fix the substrate 18 to the monitor 20.

Figure 6 shows a hook pad 22 of a loop and hook attachment means which may be used for example with the calendar of Figure 2. Hook pad 22 has the particularity of having arrays of hook 23 orientated in the vertical direction. This arrangement is advantageous because the user may attach the calendar in any orientation when the loop pad is part of the calendar and may remove the calendar in the vertical direction without requiring to tear it from the hook pad.

While this embodiment presents hooks in a vertical direction, the invention extends to pads with hooks essentially parallel to one another which may extend in other directions than the vertical when in use.