File folder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744794-B2
Application number	US-201614986998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2016
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A file folder includes a rotatable cover and a closure mechanism. The closure mechanism secures the rotatable cover against a front of the file folder to maintain the file folder in a closed position. The closure mechanism further secures the rotatable cover against a back of the file folder to maintain the file folder in an opened position. The closed position protects contents of the file folder, while the opened position allows access to the contents of the file folder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A file folder comprising:
a fixed section having fixed dimensions and defined by a closed bottom, an open top, and a pair of opposing sides, wherein the fixed section includes a fixed partition extending between the pair of sides and located between the closed bottom and the open top such that the fixed partition is spaced apart from the closed bottom and spaced apart from the open top;
a rotatable cover securable in a closed position to cover the open top of the fixed section and securable in an opened position to uncover the open top of the fixed section;
at least one pull-out drawer being slidable between a position located between the fixed partition and the closed bottom of the fixed section and a position that protrudes outwardly from one of the pair of opposing sides of the fixed section; and
wherein the fixed section includes a storage compartment located between the fixed partition and the open top.

2. The file folder of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pull-out drawer comprises a pair of pull-out drawers, wherein one of the pull-out drawers is slidable between the position located between the fixed partition and the closed bottom of the fixed section and the position that protrudes outwardly from one of the pair of opposing sides of the fixed section and wherein the other of the pull-out drawers is slidable between a position located between the fixed partition and the closed bottom of the fixed section and a position that protrudes outwardly from the other of the opposing sides of the fixed section.

3. The file folder of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pull-out drawer is secured in the position located between the fixed partition and the closed bottom by at least one snap.

4. The file folder of claim 3 , wherein the at least one pull-out drawer comprises a flap having a first portion of the snap and wherein a front of the fixed section comprises a second portion of the snap.

5. The file folder of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable cover comprises a through cut that defines a closure tab.

6. The file folder of claim 5 , further comprising a front slot extending through a front of the fixed section, the front slot configured to receive the closure tab to secure the rotatable cover in the closed position.

7. The file folder of claim 5 , further comprising a back slot extending through a back of the file folder, the back slot configured to receive the closure tab to secure the rotatable cover in an opened position.

8. The file folder of claim 7 , further comprising an expandable section located adjacent to the fixed section and having at least one unfixed dimension, wherein the back of the file folder comprises a back of the expandable section.

9. A file folder comprising:
a fixed section having fixed dimensions and defined by a closed bottom and an open top;
a rotatable cover securable in a closed position to cover the open top of the fixed section and securable in an opened position to uncover the open top of the fixed section, the rotatable cover having a through cut that defines a closure tab;
a front slot extending from an outer surface to an inner surface of a front of the file folder, the front slot configured to receive the closure tab on the rotatable cover to secure the rotatable cover in a closed position; and
a back slot extending from an outer surface to an inner surface of a back of the file folder, the back slot configured to receive the closure tab on the rotatable cover to secure the rotatable cover in an opened position.

10. The file folder of claim 9 , further comprising a fixed partition separating the closed bottom from the open top, wherein the front of the file folder comprises a front of the fixed section.

11. The file folder of claim 10 , further comprising an expandable section located adjacent to the fixed section and having at least one unfixed dimension, wherein the back of the file folder comprises a back of the expandable section.

12. The file folder of claim 10 , further comprising at least one pull-out drawer being slidable between a position located between the fixed partition and the closed bottom of the fixed section and a position that protrudes outwardly from a side of the fixed section.

13. The file folder of claim 10 , wherein the fixed section includes a storage compartment located between the fixed partition and the open top.

14. The file folder of claim 9 , wherein the through cut in the rotatable cover that defines the closure tab comprises an arcuate through cut.

15. The file folder of claim 9 , wherein the rotatable cover including the closure tab comprise an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein in the closed position the closure tab is bent out-of-plane from a portion of the rotatable cover and received by the front slot in the front of the file folder so that the outer surface of the closure tab faces the inner surface of the front.

16. The file folder of claim 15 , wherein in the opened position the closure tab is bent out-of-plane from the portion of the rotatable cover and received by the back slot in the back of the file folder so that the inner surface of the closure tab faces the inner surface of the back.

17. A method of accessing contents of a file folder, the method comprising:
providing a fixed section having fixed dimensions and defined by a closed bottom, an open top and a fixed partition separating the closed bottom from the open top, wherein a front of the file folder comprises a front of the fixed section;
removing a closure tab that is defined by a through cut in a rotatable cover from a front slot extending through the front of the file folder so as to release the rotatable cover from a secured closed position;
rotating the rotatable cover; and
inserting the closure tab into a back slot extending through a back of the file folder so as to secure the rotatable cover in a secured open position.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising sliding at least one pull-out drawer between a position located between the fixed partition and the closed bottom of the fixed section and a position that protrudes outwardly from a side of the fixed section.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein removing the closure tab that is defined by the through cut in the rotatable cover from the front slot further comprises removing the closure tab so as to allow the closure tab to return to a position that is in alignment with a portion of the rotatable cover.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein inserting the closure tab into the back slot extending through the back of the file folder so as to secure the rotatable cover in the secured open position comprises inserting the closure tab into the back slot by bending the closure tab out-of-plane from the portion of the rotatable cover so that an inner surface of the closure tab faces an inner surface of the back.

Assignees

• Target Brands Inc

Inventors

• Kuehn Thomas P
• Larson Katherine E

Classifications

• B42F7/04

  Covers with retention means · CPC title

• B42P2241/02

  Fasteners; Closures · CPC title

• B42F7/08 Primary

  expansible · CPC title