Expandable connecting member for file folder

Abstract

A file folder includes a front panel, a rear panel, and two side expandable connecting members coupled between the front panel and the rear panel for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other in order to adjust a space between the front panel and the rear panel. The connecting members each include a V-shaped front connecting segment having a free end attached to the front panel with weldings, and a V-shaped rear connecting segment coupled to the front connecting segment and having a free end attached to the rear panel with weldings. One or more V-shaped intermediate connecting segments may further be coupled between the front and the rear connecting segments.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to an accordian-like file folder, and more particularly to an accordian-like file folder including an improved expandable or collapsible side connecting member made of cheaper or economical materials and having a structure to be easily and quickly manufactured.[0003]2. Description of the Prior Art[0004]Typical file folders, particularly the accordian-like file folders comprise a front panel, a rear panel, and two side expandable or collapsible envelopes or connecting members coupled between the front panel and the rear panel for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other in order to adjust the volume or space or compartment size between the front panel and the rear panel.[0005]For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,509 to Su discloses one of the typical accordian-like file folders also comprising two expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connectin...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a file folder including an improved expandable or collapsible side connecting member made of cheaper or economical materials and having a structure to be easily and quickly manufactured.

[0012]In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a file folder comprising a front panel, a rear panel, and two side expandable connecting members coupled between the front panel and the rear panel for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other in order to adjust a space between the front panel and the rear panel, the expandable connecting members each including a V-shaped front connecting segment which includes a free end attached to the front panel with weldings, and a V-shaped rear connecting segment coupled to the V-shaped front connecting segment and having a free end attached to the rear panel with weldings for forming the expandable connecting member. The V-shaped front and the rear connecting segments may be formed or manufactured separately and then attached or secured together with such as stitches or weldings or spot weldings for allowing the connecting segments to be made with cheaper or economical materials, such as cheaper or economical plastic materials without being made or manufactured with the expensive polypropylene (PP) materials, rubber materials or other expensive synthetic materials.

[0013]The expandable connecting members each further include at least one V-shaped intermediate connecting segment attached between the front connecting segment and the rear connecting segment for increasing the expandable space or compartment between the front panel and the rear panel.

Problems solved by technology

For allowing the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members to be suitably expanded or collapsed or for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other, the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members are required to be made of resilient synthetic materials, such as polypropylene (PP), rubber materials or other expensive synthetic materials which are very expensive and which may greatly increase the manufacturing fee or cost for the typical accordian-like file folders.

The expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members are also required to be made of resilient synthetic materials, such as polypropylene (PP), rubber materials or other expensive synthetic materials which are very expensive and which may greatly increase the manufacturing fee or cost for the typical accordian-like file folders, for allowing the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members to be suitably expanded or collapsed or for allowing the front panel and the rear panel to be moved toward or away from each other.

In addition, in the typical accordian-like file folders or compartmentized file folders, the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members are normally bent or formed or molded or deformed from a continuous sheet member, but the continuous sheet member are required to be made of resilient synthetic materials that may not be easily folded or bent or deformed into the expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members, and the manufactured expandable or collapsible side envelopes or connecting members of the typical accordian-like file folders or compartmentized file folders may be sprung back and may not be suitably compressed to a flat folding structure.

Images