Machine-printable, pop-out tabbed indexed dividers

#The invention relates generally to a machine-printable index tab assembly having a divider sheet material for use in notebooks, binders and the like to separate sections and further relates to sheet materials having index tabs wherein the index tabs can be printed in a desktop or commercial printer. After printing, the index tabs are folded to extend beyond the edge of the sheet material.

#When printed material is contained in notebooks or binders where pages can be inserted and removed, the printed material is often separated into sections by the use of indexed tabbed dividers. These dividers are usually of a heavier weight divider sheet material and have index tabs extending beyond the edges of the divider sheet material at several locations along an edge of the sheet. The difficulty of using indexed tabbed dividers today, however, is that these indexed tabbed dividers cannot be conveniently inserted into a standard inkjet or laser printer connected to a computer for printing using a word processing program. The index tab is outside the “printable area.” To be able to use the indexed tabbed dividers, sheets having removable labels for the index tabs can be printed, then the index tabs or labels are removed from a carrier sheet and placed onto the dividers by a user, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,831 entitled COMPUTER PRINTER COMPATIBLE INDEX TABS to Thomas-Cote. Another solution uses pre-numbered or prelabeled index tabs. An index table of contents or an index page is printed with sections labeled according to the labels on the index tabs. This approach is not very user-friendly because a user must flip back and forth between the table of contents and/or index to determine the section to which the preprinted number or letter refers.

#What is desirable is to be able to print directly onto the indexed tabbed divider using standard laser jets and ink jet printers.

#FIG. 1 an illustration of an embodiment of divider sheet material having printable index pop-out index tabs. It is suggested that FIG. 1 be printed on the face of the patent.

#FIGS. 2A and 2B are enlarged illustrations of deployment of the printable index pop-out index tabs of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

#FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the divider sheet material when printing is done on the obverse of the divider sheet material and when the printed index tab is deployed. FIG. 3C illustrates the carrier layer having an opening as the printable region.

#With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a machine-printable index tab assembly 10 that comprises a divider sheet material 100. Divider sheet material 100 is preferably of a durable and sufficient weight to be noticeably different than the sheets that will be separated by the divider sheet material 100. The machine-printable index tab assembly 10 and more particularly the divider sheet material 100 is preferably printable in commercial and personal printers, including but not limited to laser, ink-jet, or impact printers. Of course, although the index tab assembly is machine-printable, one of skill in the art will easily acknowledge that the index tabs can also be hand-printed. Examples of suitable divider sheet material 100 may be paper cardstock, plastic, or a printable polymer. The divider sheet material 100 of the machine-printable index tab assembly 10 may actually comprise one or more layers such that the index tabs 120 are on one layer and there may be a carrier layer 330 in FIG. 3B attached to and integral with the divider sheet material 100 such that the index tabs 120 are releasable from the carrier layer 330. Using a carrier layer 330 can provide greater durability to the divider sheet material 100 after the index tabs 120 have been deployed. The divider sheet material 100 is generally rectangular and is preferably of the same size as the sheets that it will separate, such as, for example, 8½×11 inches, 11×17 inches, or A4 paper. Preferably the size of the divider sheet material 100 is a standard size that fits in most commercial and personal printers for batch printing without having to reprogram the printer or the printer drivers when the printer is electronically or wirelessly connected to a computer. Optional punched holes 110 are shown in the divider sheet material 100 so that the dividers 100 can be inserted into, for instance, a 3-ring binder or notebook. Holes 110 need not be located along the left side of the divider sheet material but may be located near any edge. Of course, there may be fewer or more holes 110 or none at all as when the divider sheet material 100 is used in, for instance, a punchless clamp binder. Divider sheet material 100 has four edges: a right edge 114, a left edge 116, a top edge 164, and a bottom edge 166; as shown in FIG. 1 the face of the divider sheet material 100 towards the viewer is the obverse side and the face of the divider sheet material 100 that cannot be seen facing downwards away the viewer is the reverse side.

#Index tabs 120 are formed in the divider sheet material 100 and can be made of a heavier or stronger or more durable material than the divider sheet material 100; alternatively, the divider sheet material 100 may be reinforced with a polymer or other stronger material in the location of the index tabs 120. The index tabs 120 shown in FIG. 1 are equally spaced along a vertical direction of the divider sheet material 100. This is not to be taken as a limitation of the embodiments described herein. There may be more or fewer index tabs 120. Index tabs 120 may be located nearer to any edge of the divider sheet material 120. Index tabs 120 may be larger or smaller than illustrated. Index tabs 120 need not be equally spaced along a dimension of the divider sheet material 100.

#Each index tab 120 is die-cut or scored on its perimeter at those edges 122, 124, and 126 that are not at the fold 130 so that those edges are releasable from the divider sheet material 100, i.e., those edges of the index tab 120 can be separated to pop-out of the plane of divider sheet material 100. The index tab 120 has a fold 130 that is scored or impressed so that the index tab 120 can be easily folded but remain integral with and attached to the divider sheet material 100. When deployed, the index tab 120 is released or popped-out of the plane of the divider sheet material 100 and folded at fold 130 so that index tab 120 extends in an opposite direction from its original position in the divider sheet material 120. When deployed in this matter, the index tab 120 extends beyond the edge 114 of the divider sheet material 120 as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3A, 3B.