AU2002304234B2 - Spine-indexing device - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): BEAUTONE CO., LTD.

Invention Title: SPINE-INDEXING DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: SPINE-INDEXING

DEVICE

The present invention is related to a spine-indexing device and more particularly, to a spine-indexing device with a paper holder, a portfolio, a diary, a PP file or the like.

Index divider sheets with insertable index tabs have long been in use, primarily for placement in three-ring loose-leaf binders. Annual sales of such insertable index tab sheets are estimated at between 40 million and million dollars, at wholesale. Such index tabs are well known to millions of school children and businessmen, who use them in dividing notebooks according to school subjects, reports according to chapters, and presentations according to sections, as well as any other use where a collection of materials must be subdivided into sections that can be easily accessed.

One type of prior art indexing system with plural tabular index divider sheets usually consists of a paper divider sheet generally of standard 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch size but also available in other sizes, and a tabular index part extending from one edge of the paper divider sheet for indexing.

According to the prior art, when plural tabular index divider sheets are put together in a holder and the holder is put on a shelf, we can't directly distinguish those tabular index divider sheets of the holder according to the tabular index parts because all tabular index parts are closed together and can't be seen in the spine-direction of the holder.

Therefore, it is tried to rectify this drawback by the present applicant.

The invention provides a spine-indexing device for indexing easily in the vertical direction even though the spine-indexing device is closed or put on a shelf.

It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a spine-indexing device for indexing easily in the vertical direction even though the spine-indexing device is closed or put on a shelf.

(N 2 0 According to the present invention, a unitary spineindexing device comprises: CI a first piece having an edge; a second piece extending from the edge; and a spine section disposed on the edge, the second C piece being urged against the first piece, and a specific area for indexing formed on the spine section by pressing, Scharacterized in that the specific area is a vertical area and a part of the spine section.

The spine-indexing device may be a divider sheet.

Alternatively, the spine-indexing device can be a paper holder.

Alternatively, the spine-indexing device can be a portfolio.

Alternatively, the spine-indexing device can be a diary.

Alternatively, the spine-indexing device can be a PP file.

Alternatively, the first piece and the second piece can be secured together.

Alternatively, the spine section can be formed by means of pressing.

Preferably, the spine section has a particular shape.

Preferably, the specific area can be a vertical area.

According to the present invention, there is further provided a spine-indexing system comprises: a case having a containing region; a plurality of spine-indexing sheets disposed in the case for partitioning the containing region into a plurality of specific regions, wherein each of the spineindexing sheets is unitary and comprises: a first piece having an edge; a second piece extending from the edge; and a spine section disposed on the edge, the second piece being secured against the first piece, and a H: \Simeona\Keep\Speci\2002304234 .doc 23/12/04 (N 3 0 specific area for indexing formed on the spine section by pressing, characterized in that the specific area is a C1 vertical area and a part of the spine section.

Preferably, the spine section has a particular shape.

c, Preferably, the specific area can be a vertical area.

(cN It is therefore another objective of the present invention to provide an indexing case for indexing easily in the vertical direction even though the indexing case is put on a shelf.

According to another aspect of thepresent invention, there is provided an indexing case comprises: a case body having an opening and side wall having a free edge; and a vertical indexing area disposed on the free edge for indexing the case, characterized in that the vertical indexing area is a part of the free edge.

Preferably, the indexing area has a particular shape.

Preferably, the indexing area can be a vertical area.

In yet a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an indexing device comprises: a sheet having an edge; and a vertical indexing area disposed on the edge, characterized in that the vertical indexing area is a part of the edge.

H: \Simeona\Keep\Speci\2002304234 .doc 23/12/04 V 3A SThe foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the following descriptions with reference to the drawings, wherein: C-i Fig. 1 illustrates a spine-indexing device according to the present invention; CFig. 2 illustrates a spine-indexing system according to the present invention; C1 0 Fig. 3 illustrates another spine-indexing system according to the present invention; and Fig. 4 illustrates an indexing system having plural indexing cases according to the present invention.

The present invention to provide a spine-indexing device for indexing easily in the vertical direction when a stationary with the spine-indexing device is put on a shelf.

Please refer to Fig. 1. It illustrates a spineindexing device of a first objective of the present invention. Fig. 1 illustrates the spine-indexing device including a first piece 21 having an edge 22, a second piece 23 H; \Simena\Keep\Speci\2002304234 .doc 23/12/04 extending from the edge 22, and a spine section 24 disposed on the edge 22.

Fig. 1 illustrates the second piece 23 urged against the first piece 21, thereby the spine section 24 forming a specific area on the edge 22 for indexing. Meanwhile the specific area is a vertical area. In Fig. 1, the spine-indexing device of the present invention is applied in a divider sheet.

Certainly, the spine-indexing device can be used in a paper holder, a portfolio, a diary, a PP file or the like. As shown in Fig. 2, the spine-indexing devices 34, 35, 36 are applied in several stationeries.

According to the present invention, the first piece 21 and the second piece 23 can be secured together. Certainly, the spine section 24 has a particular shape and can be formed by means of pressing. The first piece 21, the second piece 23 and the spine section 24 are of a unity.

Please refer to Fig. 3. It illustrates a spine-indexing system according to the present invention. The spine-indexing system includes a case 41 having a containing region 42, plural spine-indexing sheets 43 disposed in the case 41 for partitioning the containing region 42 into plural specific regions 44, wherein each the spine-indexing sheet 43 includes a first piece 431 having an edge 432, a second piece 433 extending from the edge 432, and a spine section 434 disposed on the edge 432, wherein the second piece 433 is secured against the first piece 431, thereby the spine section 434 forming a specific area on the edge for indexing.

It is therefore another objective of the present invention to provide an indexing case for indexing easily in the vertical direction even though the indexing case is put on a shelf.

Fig. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the spine-indexing system according the present invention. The system includes plural indexing cases wherein each indexing case 5 include a case body 51 having an opening 52 and side wall 53 having a free edge 54, and an indexing area 55 disposed on the free edge 54 for indexing the case 5. In this embodiment, each indexing case 5 can be used respectively or be combined to form a united indexing system.

According to the present invention, a spine-indexing device is provided.

The spine-indexing device can be applied in several stationeries. For the s stationeries having the spine-indexing device, it is easy to be distinguished according to the spine-indexing device even though the stationeries are closed or put on a shelf For the purposes of this specification it will be clearly understood that the word "comprising" means /0 "including but not limited to", and that the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a /If part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Claims (11)

1. 2. The spine-indexing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the spine-indexing device is a divider sheet.
2. 3. The spine-indexing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the spine-indexing device is a paper holder.
3. 4. The spine-indexing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the spine-indexing device is a portfolio. The spine-indexing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the spine-indexing device is a diary.
4. 6. The spine-indexing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the spine-indexing device is a PP file.
5. 7. The spine-indexing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the first piece and the second piece are secured together.
6. 8. The spine-indexing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the spine section has a particular H: \Simeona\Keep\Speci\2002304234 .doc 23/12/04 (N 7 0 shape. CI 9. A spine-indexing system comprises: a case having a containing region; a plurality of spine-indexing sheets disposed in the C- case for partitioning the containing region into a plurality of specific regions, wherein each of the spine- Sindexing sheets is unitary and comprises: a first piece having an edge; 10 a second piece extending from the edge; and c-I a spine section disposed on the edge, the second piece being secured against the first piece, and a specific area for indexing formed on the spine section by pressing, characterized in that the specific area is a vertical area and a part of the spine section. The spine-indexing system according to claim 9 is characterized in that the spine section has a particular shape.
7. 11. An indexing case comprises: a case body having an opening and side wall having a free edge; and a vertical indexing area disposed on the free edge for indexing the case, characterized in that the vertical indexing area is a part of the free edge.
8. 12. The indexing case according to claim 11 is characterized in that the indexing area has a particular shape.
9. 13. An indexing device comprises: a sheet having an edge; and a vertical indexing area disposed on the edge, characterized in that the vertical indexing area is a part of the edge. H: \Simeona\Keep\Speci\2002304234 .doc 23/12/04 N 8 0 S14. A unitary spine-indexing device substantially as herein is described with reference to the accompanying CO drawings as shown.
10. 15. A spine-indexing system substantially as herein is Cq described with reference to the accompanying drawings as shown. CN S16. An indexing case substantially as herein is described with reference to the accompanying drawings as shown.
11. 17. An indexing device substantially as herein is described with reference to the accompanying drawings as shown. Dated this 23rd day of December 2004 BEAUTONE CO., LTD. By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia H:\Simeona\Keep\Speci\2002304234.doc 23/12/04