GB2311255A - Filing folder with filing strip or rods retained beneath lugs of hold down plate - Google Patents

Abstract

The filing folder includes a hold down plate 10 with holes 11 and pairs of lugs 12 for releasably retaining the ends 31 of the filing strip or spring rods in depressions 13 at the end of the plate. The filing strip or rods are secured to the folder 40 by a plate 20 using rivets 41. An elongate recess 24 is provided beneath the plate 20 for receiving the intermediate portion of the filing strip or the ends of the spring rods. The plate 20 has two holes 22 matching the holes 11 of the hold down plate, each hole 22 having a transverse slot 23 to accommodate the filing strip.

Description

TITLE: IMPROVED FASTENING DEVICE FOR FILE FOLDERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of the Invention: The present invention relates generally to a fastening device for file folders, and more particularly to a fastening device which simple and compact in construction and convenient to use.

(b) Description of the Prior Art: With reference to Figs. 5X, SY and 5W, the conventional fastening device generally consists of two spring rods 32 and a hold down means 30, such as a hold down strip 31, a hold down plate 61, two slide members 62 and a metal securing plate 63. Referring to Fig. 5X, the spring rods 32 are used on a file folder 40 and the slide members 62 are disposed on the hold down plate 61 for pressing the spring rods 32. Each spring rod 32 has a bottom end 321 which projects from the bottom side of the securing plate 63 after the spring rod 32 is inserted through a hole in the securing plate 63. The securing plate 32 has a retain piece 631 for pressing the bottom end 321 so that the spring rod 32 may be firmly secured in place. In use, the spring rods are passed through punched holes in file papers 50 before the respective slide members 62 slidably displace outwardly to hold down the spring rod 32, thereby securing the file papers 50. In Fig. 5W, the hold down means 50 takes the form of a hold down strip 31.

However, there are the following drawbacks with the conventional fastening devices for file folders: 1. When spring rods 32 are used for the hold down means 30, they have to be firstly secured onto the metal securing plate 63. Besides, the retain piece 631 of the securing plate 63 has to retain the bottom end 321 of the spring rod 32, which requires more labor and increases cost.

2. As the spring rods 32 cannot be removed from the securing plate 63, the spring rods 32 will protrude from the securing plate 63 during packaging, storage or delivery, which is space-occupying and inconvenient.

3. In order to move the slide members 62 on the securing plate 60 to control the hold down means 30, a transverse force has to be exerted thereon, which requires a relatively greater force.

4. The hold down plate 61 has to be provided with a lug at a suitable position for restricting the displacement of the slide members 62, which complicates the manufacturing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device for file folders, which is simple in construction, convenient to use and easy to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device for file folders, in which a hold down plate is provided with a through hole and a depression near either end, the depression having a couple of lugs, such that, a hold down means may pass through the through holes and fit into the depressions, thereby being retained by the lugs A further object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device for file folders, in which a securing plate has an integral hole having a transverse slot therein at either end so that it may be adapted for use with a hold down strip or a couple of spring rods.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fastening device for file folders, in which a securing plate made of plastic material and having a hole at either end may tightly hold a spring rod in its hole, without unduly occupying space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a first preferred embodiment of the fastening device in an exploded state, in which a hold down strip is adopted; Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a second preferred embodiment of the fastening device in an exploded state, in which two spring rods are adopted; Figs. 3A and 3B are schematic side views of the first preferred embodiment of the fastening device in an assembled state; Figs. 4A and 4B are schematic side views of the second preferred embodiments of the fastening device in an assembled state; Fig. 5W is an elevational view of a hold down strip of the prior art; Fig. 5X is side view of a prior fastening device for file folders; and Fig. 5Y is a partial elevational view of a spring rod and a securing plate of the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawings, the improved fastening device for file folders according to the present invention essentially comprises a hold down plate 10, a securing plate 20 and a hold down means 30.

Referring to Fig.J.2 in which the hold down means 30 is in the form of a hold down strip 31. The hold down plate 10 has a suitable thickness and is provided with two through holes 11 for passage of the ends of the hold down strip 31 near its ends respectively. Two depressions 13 are also respectively formed at the ends of the hold down plate 10 such that each depression 13 extends from the periphery of each through hole 11 to the extreme edge of the hold down plate 10. Each depression 13 has two curved lugs 12 provided at the upper ends of its opposite side walls at a suitable distance from the through hole 11 so that the curved lugs 12 and the depression 13 together define a space into which the hold down strip 31 or a couple of spring rods 32 may be pressed to be retained therein by the curved lugs 12, obviating use of the slide members in prior fastening devices for file folders.

The securing plate 20 is provided with two holes 21 at its ends for passage of a couple of rivets 41 respectively therethrough to lock the securing plate 20 to a file folder 40. The securing plate 20 is further provided with two through holes 22 at suitable positions for matching the through holes 11 of the hold down plate 10. Each through hole 22 of the securing plate 20 is provided with a transverse slot 23 for passage of the hold down strip 31, while the through holes 22 may allow passage of the spring rods 32. By means of the arrangement of the through holes 22 and the transverse slot 23, different forms of hold down means 30 may be used in conjunction with the securing plate 20.

The securing plate 20 may be formed of plastics material so that, when the spring rods 32 are used, the part of each spring rod 32 near its bottom end 321 may be held relatively tighter by the through hole 22 of the securing plate 20. In this way, when the spring rods 32 are fitted through the through holes 22 of the securing plate 20, they are automatically positioned and secured.

Such an arrangement eliminates the configuration of a retain piece for the metal securing plate so as to retain the bottom end of the spring rod, as in the prior art.

The securing plate 20 is further provided with an elongate slot 24 at a bottom side thereof for concealing the middle section of the hold down strip 31 or the bottom ends 321 of the spring rods 32 fitted therein.

With reference to Figs. 3A and 3B, after the securing plate 20 is locked onto the file folder 40 by means of rivets 41, the middle section of the hold down strip 31 is hidden in the elongate slot 24. In use, the hold down strip 31 are fitted through punched holes in the file papers 50 and passed through the through holes 11 of the hold down plate 10 placed on the file papers 50. The two ends of the hold down strip 31 are then pressed into the notches 13 of the hold down plate 10. The hold down strip 31 is configured to have a width slightly greater than the distance between the curved lugs 12 of the depression 13 so that each end of the hold down strip 31 may be easily pressed into the depression 13 between the curved lugs 12 to be retained thereby. Due to the curvature of the curved rods 12, the hold down strip 31 may be smoothly fitted in the depression 13 by exertion of a little force.

Figs. 4A and 4B illustrates use of the spring rods 32 of the hold down means 30. In the present invention, the distance between the curved rods 12 and the depth of depression 13 should be less than the external diameter of the spring rod so that the spring rod 32 may be squeezed into the depression 13 to be retained by the curved rods 12. It is only necessary to release the hold down means 30 from the confinement of the lugs 12 when it is desired to remove or take out the file papers 50.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiment but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (2)

What is claimed is:

1. An improved fastening device for file folders, comprising: a hold down plate having two through holes near its ends for passage of a hold down means, a depression being formed between each of said through holes and its contiguous end of said hold down plate, said depression having a couple of lugs formed at the upper ends of its opposite side walls such that the external diameter of said hold down means is greater than the distance between said couple of lugs and the depth of said depression; a securing plate having two holes at its ends for matching said through holes of said hold down plate, each of said holes having a transverse slot, said securing plate being provided with an elongate slot at a bottom side thereof; and said hold down means having its ends passing through said holes of said securing plate so that punched file papers may be fitted thereonto before said hold down plate, by means of said through holes, may be fitted on top of said file papers such that the ends of said hold down means may fit into said depressions at both ends of said hold down plate to be retained by said lugs.

2. A fastening device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 1, 3A and 3B; or Figs.

2, 4A and 4B of the accanpanying drawings.