U.S. patent application number 12/562751 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-01 for document retention device with integral pillow box.
This patent application is currently assigned to Independent Printing Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to Craig T. Wienkes.
Application Number | 20100078342 12/562751 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42056237 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100078342 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wienkes; Craig T. |
April 1, 2010 |
Document Retention Device with Integral Pillow Box
Abstract
A document retention device includes a first panel and a pillow
box blank coupled to the first panel. The first panel is configured
to retain a first document on a first medium. The pillow box blank
includes a first body portion, a second body portion, at least one
top flap, and at least one bottom flap. The pillow box blank is
configurable into a pillow box defining an open interior.
Inventors: |
Wienkes; Craig T.;
(Appleton, WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANDRUS, SCEALES, STARKE & SAWALL, LLP
100 EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE, SUITE 1100
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202
US
|
Assignee: |
Independent Printing Company,
Inc.
DePere
WI
|
Family ID: |
42056237 |
Appl. No.: |
12/562751 |
Filed: |
September 18, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61101725 |
Oct 1, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/307 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/0209 20130101;
B65D 85/546 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/307 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00 |
Claims
1. A document retention device comprising: a first panel configured
to retain a first document on a first medium; a pillow box blank
coupled to the first panel, the pillow box blank having a first
body portion, a second body portion, at least one top flap, and at
least one bottom flap coupled together and configurable into a
pillow box defining an open interior.
2. The document retention device of claim 1, further comprising a
second panel integral with the first panel such that the document
retention device is a folder, the folder configured to retain a
second document on a second medium.
3. The document retention device of claim 2, further comprising a
third panel integral with the second panel, such that the second
and third panels define a folder and the first and second panels
define a pocket within the folder.
4. The document retention device of claim 1, further comprising a
plurality of panels integral with the first panel such that the
first panel and the plurality of panels form a box.
5. The document retention device of claim 1, wherein the pillow box
blank is perforatedly coupled to the first panel, such that the
pillow box blank is removable from the first panel.
6. The document retention device of claim 1 wherein the first body
portion is integral with the second body portion and the first body
portion and the second body portion are separated by a score
line.
7. The document retention device of claim 6 wherein the pillow box
blank further comprises first and second top flaps and first and
second bottom flaps, the first and second top flaps being
configurable to form a top end of the pillow box and the first and
second bottom flaps being configurable to form a bottom end of the
pillow box.
8. The document retention device of claim 7 wherein the first top
flap and the first bottom flap further comprises a cut-out that is
usable as a grip such as to assist a user in assembling or
disassembling the pillow box.
9. A document retention device configured for retaining a plurality
of documents on diverse media, the document retention device
comprising: a first panel; a second panel integral with the first
panel, the first and second panels being configured to retain a
first document of a first media; and a pillow box coupled to the
first panel, the pillow box having integral first and second
portions separated by a score line, at least one top flap coupled
to the first portion, and at least one bottom flap coupled to the
first portion, the first portion, the second portion, the at least
one top flap, and the at least one bottom flap defining the pillow
box with an open interior configured for retaining a second
document of the first media or a second media.
10. The document retention device of claim 9 further comprising a
third panel hingedly coupled to the second panel to define a spine
such that the second and third panels define a folder.
11. The document retention device of claim 10 wherein the first
panel and the second panel are coupled together to define a pocket
in the folder.
12. The document retention device of claim 9 wherein the first
panel and the second panel define a folder, an interface of the
first panel and the second panel defining a spine, the pillow box
being coupled to the first panel at the spine.
13. The document retention device of claim 13 wherein the first
panel is further configured to retain a third document of a third
media.
14. A document retention device configured for retaining a
plurality of diverse articles, the document retention device
comprising: a first panel configured to retain a first article; a
pillow box coupled to the first panel, the pillow box having first
and second portions coupled at a score line, a first top flap
coupled to the first portion and a second top flap coupled to the
second portion, the first top flap engaging the second top flap to
form a closed top of the pillow box, the pillow box further having
a first bottom flap coupled to the first portion and a second
bottom flap coupled to the second portion, the first bottom flap
engaging the second bottom flap to form a closed bottom of the
pillow box; wherein the first portion, second portion, closed top,
and closed bottom define an open interior of the pillow box which
is configured to retain a second article.
15. The document retention device of claim 14, further comprising a
second panel coupled to the first panel, the first and second
panels forming a pocket configured to retain a third article.
16. The document retention device of claim 15 further comprising a
third panel coupled to the second panel at a spine, the second
panel and the third panel defining a folder which contains the
pocket and the pillow box.
17. The document retention device of claim 14, further comprising a
plurality of panels coupled to the first panel, the plurality of
panels being configurable with the first panel to form a box.
18. A document retention device die line, configurable to form a
document retention device, the document retention device die line
comprising: a first cover hingedly coupled at a lateral side to a
lateral side of a second cover at a spine defined by at least one
score line; a pocket flap coupled to the second cover at a bottom
edge of the second cover; a first sealing tab coupled to the second
cover at a side opposite the spine, the first sealing tab
engageable with the pocket flap to retain the pocket flap in a
configuration in which the pocket flap overlays the second cover to
form a pocket; a first portion coupled to the pocket flap, the
first portion having a first top flap and a first bottom flap; a
second portion hingedly coupled to the first portion at a score
line, the second portion having a second top flap and a second
bottom flap; and a second sealing tab coupled to the second
portion, the second sealing tab engageable with the first portion
to retain the first portion and the second portion in a
configuration in which the first portion overlays the second
portion.
19. The document retention device blank of claim 18, wherein the
first cover, the second cover, the pocket flap, the first sealing
tab, the second sealing tab, the first portion, and the second
portion are integrally formed from a single piece of material.
20. The document retention device blank of claim 19, wherein the
first portion is perforatedly coupled to the pocket flap.
21. The document retention device blank wherein the blank is
configured to form the document retention device by folding the
first cover and the second cover along the spine to form a folder,
folding the pocket flap to overlay the second cover to form a
pocket, the pocket flap being retained by the first sealing tab,
and folding the second portion to overlay the first portion to form
a pillow box, the first portion and second portion being retained
in the pillow box configuration by the second sealing tab.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application relates to and claims priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/101,725, filed Oct. 1,
2008.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present application relates to the field of containing
and carrying documents and objects. In particular, it discloses a
document retention device that includes an integral pillow box. The
pillow box may be used for carrying and retaining objects, such as
a flash drive.
[0003] Document retention devices or products are a well known
method for transporting, containing and presenting printed
materials. With the advancement of digital technologies,
information is now also stored on portable media, such as CDs, DVDs
and flash drives. Before the present application, there was not
provided an easy method for retaining flash drives or similar size
objects within a document retention device. The present application
provides an integral pillow box to retain flash drives, or other
similar size objects. The document retention device may also
comprise at least one pocket for retaining pertinent materials or
documents on paper.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary document
retention device in accordance with the present application;
[0005] FIG. 2 is a close up view of the integral pillow box of the
exemplary document retention device of the present invention,
wherein the upper and lower flaps of the pillow box are open;
[0006] FIG. 3 is a top view of an exemplary document retention
device in accordance with the present application demonstrating the
integral pillow box in an assembled, expanded position;
[0007] FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary document retention
device in accordance with the present application showing the
pillow box with open flaps;
[0008] FIG. 5 is a die line drawing of an exemplary document
retention device in accordance with the present application.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Referring initially to FIG. 1, an exemplary document
retention device, here a folder 2, is depicted in an open position.
One of skill in the art will recognize that the document retention
device in the present application may include, but is not limited
to the following: standard folders, reinforced folders, tab
folders, capacity folders, legal folders, mini-folders, tri-panel
folders, file folders, sculptured pocket folders, report covers,
paper wallets, document folders, portfolios, 3-ring binders, 3-ring
binders with tabs, 3-ring binders with page pockets, software
boxes, tote boxes, donut type boxes, hotel key folders, door
hangers, CD and DVD holders, photograph holders and photograph
retention devices.
[0010] In the exemplary embodiment, folder 2 comprises a left cover
4 and a right cover 6 separated by a folding spine 8. The folder 2
opens and closes along folding spine 8. The spine may comprise one
or more score lines. For example FIG. 5 demonstrates a spine 8 with
three score lines 8a, 8b and 8c. The number of score lines may be
increased or decreased depending on the desired capacity of the
folder.
[0011] Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, the folder 2 of the present
application also includes at least one pocket 10 for holding and
retaining documents. The folder further comprises at least one
pillow box 12. In one embodiment, the pillow box 12 is integral to
the pocket 10. In another embodiment, the pillow box 12 is integral
to either the left cover 4 or the right cover 6. The pillow box 12
may also be integral to other parts of the folder 2. The number of
pockets and pillow boxes that may be used is limited only by the
available space on and in the folder 2.
[0012] The pillow box 12 includes a main pillow box body 14. The
main pillow box body 14 includes a first portion 16 and a second
portion 18 separated by a center score line 34. The pillow box 12
also includes two sets of flaps 20, 22 and 24, 26. Flaps 20 and 22
comprise first and second bottom flaps, while flaps 24 and 26
comprise first and second top flaps. In one embodiment, at least
one of the bottom flaps and at least one of the top flaps includes
a cut out 28, 28' for ease in opening and closing the flaps to
allow access to the interior of the pillow box 12.
[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, when the bottom and top flaps
of the pillow box 12 are open, the pillow box may be flattened such
that when the folder is closed along folding spine 8, the folder
remains relatively flat. As shown in FIG. 3, when one set of either
the top or bottom flaps are closed, the pillow box is expanded,
providing a hollow interior. The hollow interior of the pillow box
12 may be used to house a flash drive or other similarly sized
objects.
[0014] Referring now to FIG. 5, therein is shown the die line for
constructing one embodiment of a document retention device in
accordance with the present application. Again, the exemplary
embodiment is a folder 2. FIG. 5 demonstrates left cover 4 and
right cover 6 as seen from the outside when folded along folding
spine 8. Pocket 10 and pillow box 12 will be folded upwardly into
the interior of right cover 6 when constructed, in one embodiment,
to provide the features of the present application. As shown in
FIG. 5, the folder 2 includes pocket sealing tab 32 for retaining
the pocket 10 in place on the interior surface of right cover 6.
Pillow box 12 also includes a sealing tab 30 for securing the
terminal end of the second portion of the pillow box body 18 to an
interior portion of pocket 10. Alternatively, the pillow box may be
secured by affixing sealing tab 30 to an interior portion of the
first portion of the pillow box body 16. When the sealing tab 30 is
secured, the center score 34 will define an outer edge of the
pillow box 12.
[0015] As mentioned, pillow box 12 may retain a flash drive (often
otherwise referred to as a jump drive or USB drive). However, the
pillow box 12 may be used to retain other things that one may
desire to keep in a folder, such as promotional items, writing
utensils or other items. Additionally, the dimensions shown in FIG.
5 are not limiting. The folder shown in the figures is an exemplary
document retention device, and a document retention device in
accordance with the present application may be of any size. For
example, the dimensions shown in the figures are to accommodate
conventional U.S. sized papers. However, European size A4 paper or
other sizes of paper may be used and the dimensions of the document
retention device may be adjusted accordingly. As a further example,
the number of covers or panels may be increased to include three or
more covers or panels as is known in the industry. As additional
examples, the document retention device in accordance with the
present application may retain documents in an electronic format
such as CDs, DVDs, or other software. Thus, the document retention
devices contemplated as being within the scope of the present
application include CD holders, DVD holders and software boxes.
Moreover, document retention devices in accordance with the present
application may be mass storage units such as boxes, and therefore
include, but are not limited to software boxes, tote boxes, donut
type boxes or other types of boxes well known in the industry.
[0016] Likewise, the dimensions of the pillow box 12 may be
adjusted and modified to fit the particular needs of the user. For
example, the pillow box may be extended lengthwise to retain
writing utensils or other objects having a longer length.
Additionally, the pillow box may be increased in width to hold
larger items. Also, the pillow box may be attached with
perforations to the document retention device for easy removal.
Perforated, removable pillow boxes are advantageous when used with
smaller document retention devices such as hotel key folders,
mini-folders, paper wallets, door hangers and photo holders.
However, the size of the document retention device does not dictate
whether a perforation may be used or not. As a further example, a
door hanger, which is a die-cut card that retains document
information (e.g. a "do not disturb" door hanger) may include a
pillow box attached by perforations on the bottom or sides of the
hanger.
[0017] While there have been described what are believed to be the
preferred embodiments of the present application, those skilled in
the art will recognize that other and further changes and
modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit
of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and
modifications that fall within the true scope of the present
application.
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