BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION THIS invention relates to a stationery holder.

Files of various forms such as traditional lever arch type files, folders or the like, are utilised for note taking purposes by students and professionals in many applications, one of which being the recording of notes and other details in a loose leaf format. Generally, paper pads or loose sheets of paper are retained in the file or folder and any stationery and accessories required by the user are contained in a separate storage container or pencil case, which is carried independently.

Articles of stationery and other accessories contained in the pencil case or similar container are often difficult to access as the items are all collected and housed in a random manner.

This inevitably results in clumsy and cumbersome rummaging within the pencil case in order to locate items that may be required, such as an eraser or highlighter.

A further disadvantage of pencil cases and similar containers, is that the stationery and accessories contained in such a manner are prone to rubbing against each other, or susceptible to other external forces, resulting in damage and a reduced life span of the articles.

There is accordingly a need to eliminate the inconvenience of having to carry around a file or folder and an accompanying pencil case, and rather to store stationery and accessories in an organised, easily accessible and protected manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for holding items of stationery, the apparatus comprising a support member on which is provided a plurality of securing means for releasably securing items of stationery to the support member, and file retaining means for releasably retaining the apparatus in a file or folder.

Further according to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for holding items of stationery as described above, in combination with a file or folder, the apparatus for holding items of stationery being secured to the file or folder.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a file or folder wherein the apparatus for holding items of stationery as described above is formed integrally with the cover of the file or folder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 shows a front view of a stationery holder, according to the invention, incorporating a standard design layout of stationery and accessories ; Figure 2 shows a front view of the stationery holder of Figure 1, with various stationery articles and accessories retained in situ ; Figure 3 shows an alternate layout of the stationery holder of Figure 2 ; Figure 4 shows a front view of an opened file with the stationery holder positioned in the retaining mechanism of the file, with various stationery articles and

accessories retained on the stationery holder ; and Figure 5 shows a front view of a second embodiment of the stationery holder, positioned on the inside cover of a file, with various stationery articles and accessories retained on the stationery holder.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 illustrates a stationery holder 10 consisting of a support member, being a firm generally planar board 12 manufactured from resilient cardboard or plastic, and covered with a nylon cloth or other suitable material. The cloth is sewn onto the board together with a webbing material 13 that is used to hem and protect the edges of the stationery holder. A padding material such as foam is sewn into position between the board and the covering cloth.

A number of securing means in the form of elastic loops 14 are arranged and sewn onto the front side of the board 12 and are accurately dimensioned to accommodate various items of stationery and related accessories. The approximate dimensions of the stationery holder and articles are indicated in Figure 1 in millimetres and the numerals represented within blocks are the approximate lengths of elastic material required to form the loops 14 that are intended to accommodate each specific item.

Figure 2 shows the preferred layout of the stationery holder 10 with various articles of stationery and accessories retained within the elastic loops 14, including a ruler 16, a pencil sharpener 18, an eraser 20, correction fluid 22, pens 24, pencils 26, a glue stick 28 and a calculator 30. The preferred layout also incorporates a pouch 32 for miscellaneous sundries, the pouch being closed by means of a zip 33. There is also a display area 34 with a transparent plastic window 36 for locating a business or student card. This area may instead be used to house a label on which is written the owner's name, address and other details.

The stationery holder 10 has file retaining means in the form of punched holes 38, for retaining the board 12 in a file, folder or other loose leaf binder. The holes are preferably reinforced by means of sturdy metal eyelets 39. The stationery holder is retained in the file or similar binder in the same manner as the paper 41 that is intended to be contained therein. It will be appreciated that the number and position of the reinforced holes may be designed to suit the particular file or binder. The preferred layout has two holes adapted to engage with the retaining mechanism or clips 40 of a standard, lever arch type file 42.

Figure 4 shows the stationery holder positioned in a file 42. The stationery holder could obviously also be utilised as a separate convenient means of storing stationery and other accessories, and may be carried together with books and pads of paper in a briefcase or the like.

The board 12 of the preferred design is of slightly greater dimension than A4 size paper and is intended to lie flat in the file and in this manner the unutilised side of the stationery holder 10 also serves to protect and retain the paper already filed. Both sides of the stationery holder 10 may be utilised for the retainment of articles of stationery. However, due to the preferred design presenting a flat surface to the filed contents and pages, the rear side of the board is better suited to containment of flat items, such as loose unpunched sheets of paper. For this purpose there may be a storage area in the form of a sleeve or envelope, which may in addition incorporate a plastic window to enable visibility of the documents contained therein, such as a timetable or calendar.

It will be readily apparent that the stationery holder 10 may be adapted to accommodate items that are not ordinarily suited to being stored within a pencil case or similar storage device, either due to their size or delicate nature. For example, large or bulky items such as a 30cm ruler or a stapler ; or potentially dangerous items such as a pair of scissors or a craft knife with spare blades ; or fragile items such as a calculator or student card may be easily and safely conveyed.

It should also be appreciated that the stationery holder 10 as described above may be

adapted to suit the needs of specific user profiles, simply by changing the dimensions and position of the relative retaining means. In this way the choice of articles may be modified, for example a maths set, paper pad or crayon set may replace the calculator, or the glue stick may be discarded for a stapler and so on.

The standard designs may consist of various shades or decorated nylon cloth, or other suitable covering, with coloured trimmings and elastic loops. The design is therefore aesthetically pleasing and may be modified to suit business persons or students depending on the choice of colours, as well as presenting a neat and organised appearance.

The stationery holder 10 is easily removable from the file or folder if desired, to facilitate note taking, and the articles may be simply accessed and replaced into position. The zipped pouch 32 may be used for storing miscellaneous items including money, keys and other small personal articles and stationery. In this way the stationery holder may also eliminate the need to carry separately items such as a wallet, purse or keys. The stationery and other articles are securely retained to the stationery holder, thereby minimising loss, damage or theft while simultaneously providing a convenient, accessible and organised means of storing and transporting the articles so contained.

The reinforced eyelets of the punched holes 38, and the sturdy padded board 12 beneath the cloth create a robust means of transporting and storing the stationery. The choice of cloth, and in particular nylon, further provides increased durability. It will also be appreciated that the board 12 need not be covered with cloth or other material and may simply be formed from moulded plastic or manufactured from other suitably firm material, and may be decorated or coloured as required. In addition the elastic loops 14 need not necessarily be sewn to the board and may be fastened by other suitable means, including stapling, gluing or punching of holes in the board to enable the elastic to be threaded through the board and retained on the rear side thereof. It should also be appreciated that the articles could be retained in means other than elastic loops 14. The articles could, for example, be retained in slots or pockets formed in the cloth, or by means of clips or the like.

In a second embodiment of the invention the stationery holder 10 described above is attached to the inside cover 44 of a file 42, instead of being secured in the retaining mechanism 40 of the file. Figure 5 illustrates such an embodiment of a file and stationery holder combination. The board 12 is formed from the cover 44 of the file and padded cloth and webbing material, as in the first embodiment above, is sewn onto the entire file cover to integrally form the file and stationery holder combination. Again, the rear side of the board, being the front of the file, may incorporate a sleeve or envelope with a plastic window. It will be appreciated that variations of a stationery holder may be incorporated in a similar manner in folders or notebooks.