MULTIFUNCTIONAL FOLDER

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a multifunctional folder. Background Art

Traditional folders are made of various materials (polymers of various kinds, paper and cardboard, et cetera) and allow to carry paper documents of various sizes without creasing them in any way.

Folders are constituted generally by a base lamina, around which flaps are provided which are folded inward so as to delimit the area within which the documents are to be accommodated; one of said flaps has dimensions which are substantially similar (or even slightly larger, in some embodiments) with respect to those of the base lamina and is meant to cover the lamina and the other flaps when the folder is closed.

Closure elements allowed to keep the larger flat stably above, and in contact with, the other flaps in the closed configuration: in practice, there can be closure buttons (which detachably couple the larger flap to one of the others) or cords (generally elastic ones, which can surmount the larger flap in order to keep it closed since they are coupled to the base lamina).

There are folders which, due to a particular configuration of the larger flap, can be used to support documents or even a book: in this case, the folder can act as a bookstand.

A folder which is suitable to act as a bookstand is an object of unquestionable interest, in particular for use as a gadget to be provided during meetings and/or events to participants or as a gift concept (for example business gifts).

However, a folder of this type can be unsuitable for the purposes described above, because it cannot be personalized easily (by the organizer of the meeting and/or by the company that will use it as a gift).

Another important shortcoming of the cited folders is that they are suitable only to contain sheets correctly: other objects cannot be kept tidily

inside the folder, since the folder does not allow to place them stably. Moreover, if the user has to take out one of these additional objects stored inside the folder, he must open said folder to look for said object: the folder therefore does not have the necessary versatility. Another detail of unquestionable interest is linked to the need to keep the folder, when arranged as a bookstand, and the documents accommodated in particular stable configurations, even if interference from outside occurs: known folders do not ensure the necessary stability; a movement with respect to a stable configuration in fact entails the fall of the contained documents, with the risk of damaging them or losing part of them. Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional folder which has delimited spaces suitable to contain stably accessories of various kinds, such as pens, pencils, other stationery items and the like. Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a personalized multifunctional folder provided with inserts which bear advertising messages and/or information regarding the manufacturing source.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional folder which is suitable to stably maintain the configurations set by the user for said folder and for the documents associated therewith, both when closed and when open (as a bookstand) even if external interference occurs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional folder which has a modest cost, and is relatively simple to provide in practice and and safe in application.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present multifunctional folder of the type which comprises a substantially flat base lamina and a flap which is associated therewith along a perimetric side, whose dimensions are substantially close to the dimensions of said lamina and which can be folded

thereon in the closed configuration, said flap having an outer portion which is articulated with respect to the inner one suitable for the stable contact on a surface of said lamina so as to constitute a supporting member for the inner portion of the flap which constitutes a receptacle for documents being read, characterized in that said flat base lamina comprises ribs which are substantially perpendicular thereto at its perimetric sides which delimit first areas suitable to accommodate standard-size documents and second areas suitable to accommodate stationery items, some of said ribs having appropriate contours which are shaped complementarily to the front end of said articulated portion for detachable mutual interlocking. Brief Description of the Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent and evident from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a multifunctional folder, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top view of a multifunctional folder according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of a multifunctional folder according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a side view of a multifunctional folder according to the invention in a configuration in which it is open like a bookstand;

Figure 4 is a top view of a coupling portion of a multifunctional folder according to the invention; Figure 5 is a front view of a multifunctional folder according to the invention in the configuration in which it is open like a bookstand;

Figure 6 is a front view of a multifunctional folder according to the invention in the configuration in which it is open like a bookstand;

Figure 7 is a sectional side view, taken along a longitudinal vertical plane, of a multifunctional folder according to the invention.

Ways of carrying out the Invention

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a multifunctional folder.

The folder 1 comprises a substantially flat base lamina 2 and a flap 3, which is associated therewith along a common perimetric side 4: the flap 3 has dimensions which are substantially close to those of the lamina 2 and optionally slightly larger, and can be folded onto the lamina in the closed configuration. The line around which folding occurs is the common perimetric side 4. At said side 4, the flap 3 can have a curved tab 5 which is suitable to ensure that when the flap 3 is folded onto the lamina 2, the flap and the lamina are mutually separated in order to be able to comfortably accommodate documents (interposed between them).

The flap 3 has an outer portion 6 which is articulated with respect to the inner portion 7 by means of suitable folding lines 8, which are arranged where the base of the portion 6 merges into the portion 7. The portion 6 is suitable for the stable resting on a surface of the lamina 2 so as to constitute a supporting member for the portion 7: in this configuration, the inner portion 7 constitutes a receptacle for documents being read and the folder 1 assumes the appearance of a bookstand. The base lamina 2 comprises ribs 9 which are substantially perpendicular to its perimetric sides. The ribs 9 delimit first areas 10 which are suitable to accommodate documents of standard size (the size of the documents that can be accommodated between the ribs 9 depend substantially on the dimensions of the folder 1): the document sizes of particular practical interest are the ones cataloged by international harmonization standards; mention is made of the A3, A4 and A5 formats as being particularly interesting, although other formats, dictated by particular requirements, are not excluded.

Other ribs 9 are meant to delimit second areas 11 , which are suitable to accommodate stationery items: in particular, it is sufficient to provide just

one of these areas 11 to accommodate therein pens and/or the like, but in view of the configuration of the folder 1 it can be convenient to also insert others areas in order to utilize completely the space available.

Some of these ribs 9 are provided with suitable contours: in the embodiment shown in the figure, the interlocking contours comprise a set of teeth 12, which is distributed longitudinally with respect to the corresponding rib 9: the space between two successive teeth 12 is provided with a longitudinal ridge 13 with a substantially cambered upper end.

The front end 14 of the first articulated portion 6 comprises respective notches 15 having a substantially constant width (substantially similar to the width of the ridge 13), with a corresponding small retaining protrusion 16 between the facing front edges which delimit them. The notch 15 accommodates by removable interlocking the ridge 13 when the outer portion 6 of the flap 3 constitutes a supporting member for the inner portion 7, so as to constitute a bookstand for documents (as shown in the figure).

The outer portion 6 comprises a lateral contoured grip frame 17 for its movement: said frame 17 must allow easy opening of the flap 3 in order to extract documents from the inside of the folder 1.

The base lamina 2 has pairs of holes 18 which are aligned proximate to the side walls to accommodate the ends of at least one elastically deformable cord 19, which is suitable to keep the flap 3 closed on the lamina 2 when it is arranged above said flap 3: in practice, as in any known type of folder 1, the cords 19 are elastic bands and can be kept below the lamina 2, allowing the free movement of the flap 3 (opening is allowed and documents can be extracted from inside freely), or can be superimposed on the flap 3 when it is in the closed configuration, compressing it onto the lamina 2 and forcibly maintaining the closed condition.

One of the cords 19 (in the embodiment shown in the figure, the cords 19 can be two, but this choice is non-limiting) surmounts, in the closed configuration, both the outer portion 6 and the inner portion 7 of the flap 3:

the outer portion 6, in this configuration, remains in any case orientable in order to ensure access to the second area 11 suitable to accommodate stationery items, which is arranged on the front of the folder 1. In this manner, the user can take a pen from the area 11 without having to open the flap 3 completely but simply by lifting the portion 6 from the lamina 2 in order to access exclusively the area 11 of interest.

One of the cords 19 (again with reference to the embodiments shown in the figure) surmounts, in the closed configuration, the base of the flap 3. For this reason, the base is provided with aligned beaks 20: said beaks 20 constitute a shoulder for the cord 19 in the reading configuration ("bookstand" configuration): in this configuration, the inner portion 7 constitutes the support for the documents being read (and for this reason has appropriate stiffening ribs) and the cord 19 helps to provide a restraint for the documents against the surface of the flap 3 and in the case of a book furthermore ensures that its pages do not close.

The inner portion 7 may furthermore have a through slot 21 , in which it is possible to insert part of the base of the document: the advantage of this type of arrangement of the document is linked to the fact that it is thus kept partially curved, an arrangement which gives it rigidity, allowing to maintain this position suitable for reading.

Positively, the folder 1 comprises multiple surfaces 22 for accommodating logos, company names and messages: in particular, the molds by means of which the folders 1 are provided comprise plugs which can be replaced at the surfaces 22, and in this manner by means of a same mold is possible to provide personalized folders 1 simply by replacing the plugs that bear information related to a first client with others related to other clients.

Tt should be noted that the ribs 9 can also delimit a compartment 23 for accommodating business cards. The base lamina 2 comprises antislip feet 24 on its lower surface:

positively, said feet 24 can be obtained by a same injection of material into the mold during the molding of the entire folder 1.

The folder 1 can thus be used as a traditional folder for storing documents, preventing them from creasing and protecting them against any external agents.

At the same time, this folder 1 can be used as a bookstand, by associating with the ridge 13 the respective notches 15 and thus keeping the inner portion 7 inclined with respect to the lamina 2 supported by the outer portion 6. The ridge 13 and the notches 15 mutually engage by interlocking, by virtue of the increased thickness of the top of the ridge and the presence of the protrusion 16 of the notch 15 : therefore, even if interference occurs from the outside, the "bookstand" configuration will not undergo changes and will remain stable.

The particular arrangement of the ribs 9 furthermore allows to identify areas 11 within which the documents and/or stationery items are to be accommodated (forming a sort of case): conveniently, the stationery items contained in the respective area 1 1 can be taken by the user simply by lifting the outer portion 6 by means of the frame 17 even when the closure cord 19 surmounts said portion 6, since it is possible to utilize the elasticity of said cord 19.

It is important to point out that the folder 1 according to the invention has a supporting border in the portion of the flap 3 that is coupled to the base 2: in the configuration for using the folder 1 as a bookstand, the border constitutes the support for the base of the book (or documents) being read and ensures correct positioning in association with the cord 19 and the beaks 20.

According to an embodiment of particular interest, the base 2 can comprise a band 25, which is substantially articulated at the perimetric side for association with the flap 3: in practice, said band is monolithic with the base 2 (obtained by means of a single molding operation) but can be

oriented at will with respect to it by virtue of the presence of a thinner line at its connection to said base 2.

According to this embodiment, the flap 3 comprises a substantially U- shaped end portion 26: in practice, there are two flat end protrusions which are perpendicular to the end surface of said flap 3 ; a gap of constant width and depth (the internal area of the U-shaped end portion 26) is delimited between such protrusions.

The portion 26 is meant to accommodate slidingly the band 25 when the folder 1 is in the configuration for use and allows to accommodate within the folder 1 sheafs of documents of considerable thickness: the band

25 can in fact perform a translational motion within the portion 26 and therefore, if a very thick sheaf is arranged within the folder 1 , the flap 3 can move away from the base 2 while maintaining stable association with the band 25. It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.

In the examplary embodiment shown, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other examplary embodiment. Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.