Filing Device for Use with Filing Cabinet or the Like

Abstract

A filing cabinet system including a filing cabinet having a pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface, and a filer positioned on the filing cabinet. The filer has a first portion positioned adjacent to one of the side surfaces, a second portion positioned adjacent to the other one of the side surfaces, and a third portion positioned on the horizontally oriented surface, wherein the first portion includes a pocket thereon.

Description

The present invention is directed to a filing device, more particularly, to a filing device which can be draped over a filing cabinet or other furniture or filing items.

BACKGROUND

Filing cabinets are widely used in office, home and other environments for storing loose papers or the like. However, filing cabinets have a finite storage capability. In addition, filing cabinets can be cumbersome to open and filled with a relatively high volume of materials, making it difficult to quickly and easily locate an item of interest.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment the present invention is a filer which can be positioned externally of a filing cabinet or the like, providing additional storage capacity which is easily accessible. More particularly, in one embodiment the invention is a filing cabinet system including a filing cabinet having a pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface, and a filer positioned on the filing cabinet. The filer has a first portion positioned adjacent to one of the side surfaces, a second portion positioned adjacent to the other one of the side surfaces, and a third portion positioned on the horizontally oriented surface, wherein the first portion includes a pocket thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the filer of the present invention, shown in conjunction with a filing cabinet;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the filer and filing cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the filer of FIG. 1, shown in conjunction with a different filing cabinet;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the filer and filing cabinet of FIG. 3

FIG. 5 is a top view of the filer of FIG. 1, laid flat;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the filer of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the filer of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a side cross-section of the pockets of the filer of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 5-7, in one embodiment the filer 10 of the present invention is a generally flat, planar rectangular component. In the illustrated embodiment, the filer 10 has a first portion 12 and a second portion 14 positioned on opposite sides thereof, with a third portion 16 positioned therebetween and directly coupled to the first 12 and second 14 portions. In some cases the first 12, second 14 and/or third 16 portions can be made of separate pieces of material and/or have separate properties and/or carry different components thereon. However, as will be described in greater detail below, the first 12, second 14 and third 16 portions can, in some cases, at least partially be defined by their configuration when positioned on a filing cabinet, as shown in FIGS. 1-4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 12 includes a plurality of pockets 18 formed or carried thereon. The pockets 18 can be formed in a variety of manners and take any of a wide variety of shapes. However, in the illustrated embodiment the first portion 12 includes a base panel 20 (FIGS. 7 and 8), and a plurality of pocket panels 22 are coupled to the base panel 20 in a shingled manner to provide a plurality of pockets 18 in a shingled or overlapping manner. Each pocket 18 can include a pair of opposed, gusseted sides 24. In the illustrated embodiment, each pocket 18 may be sized to entirely receive an unfolded 8-½×11 sheet of paper therein. However, it should be understood that various other pocket arrangements can be utilized.

The third portion 16 can be made of a relatively flexible piece of material. In particular, in one embodiment the third portion 16 is sufficiently flexible such that it is not self-supporting. In other words, if the third portion 16 were supported or attempted to be supported in a cantilevered manner (i.e. gripped or supported at either end thereof), the third portion 16 would flop over and fold/fall downwardly such that a majority of the length of the third portion 16 would be oriented generally vertically. In one embodiment, the third portion 16 has a length (i.e. the dimension extending between the first 12 and second 14 portions) less than that of the first portion 12, and/or greater than the second portion 14. The third portion 16 can include any of a wide variety of lengths, but in one case has a length between about fourteen inches and about eighteen inches, and another embodiment between about twelve inches and about twenty inches. The third portion 16 may lack any pockets, or at least lack pockets of the same size and/or shape as those on the first portion 12.

The second portion 14 can be relatively stiff In particular, in one embodiment the second portion 14 has sufficient stiffness such that if the second portion 14 is supported in a cantilevered manner, the second portion 14 is self-supporting; e.g. extends generally horizontally or at a 90° angle without drooping or significant deflection such that no part of the second portion 14 is oriented generally vertically. The second portion 14 can have a shorter length than the first 12 and/or third 16 portions. Moreover, in the illustrated embodiment the second portion 14 includes a plurality of magnets 26 positioned therein or carried thereon. In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 14 includes a magnet 26 at each corner thereof

As shown in FIG. 6, in one embodiment the second portion 14 can include a relatively tacky, high-friction gripping surface 28 carried thereon. In one embodiment, neither the first 12 nor third 16 portions include a high-friction gripping surface thereon. If the gripping surface 28 is utilized, it alone provides insufficient traction and gripping to a filing cabinet or desktop, or other underlying surface, to support the filer 10 and hold the filer 10 and pockets 18 hanging therefrom while preventing the filer 10 from sliding off of the filing cabinet or other underlying surface. In particular, if the filer 10 were placed on a desktop, with the first portion 12 hanging down, the filer 10 would slide off the desktop, and would not be frictionally held in place by the gripping surface 28, although the magnets 26 could secure the filer 10 in place to a metal surface.

In order to utilize the filer, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the filer 10 can be positioned on a filing cabinet 30 having a pair of opposed vertically oriented side surfaces 32a, 32b and a horizontally oriented top surface 34. In particular, the filer 10 can be draped over the filing cabinet 30 such that the majority of the third portion 16 is generally horizontally oriented and covers/spans the top surface 34. In this orientation, both the first 12 and second 14 portions hang downwardly from the third portion 16 and are generally vertically oriented, positioned adjacent to and/or engaging the side surfaces 32a, 32b of the filing cabinet 30, and not covering the front surface/drawers 34 which are slidaby openable to provide access thereto. The filing cabinet 30, or at least the side surfaces 32a, 32b or portions thereof can be made of a metal or other ferrous or magnetizable material. In this manner, the magnets 26 of the second portion 14 can be magnetically attracted to the filing cabinet 30 to magnetically engage the filing cabinet 30 and couple the filer 10 to the filing cabinet 30.

As noted above, the third portion 16 can be made of a relatively flexible material and can have varying lengths. These properties enable the filer 10 to be used in conjunction with filing cabinets of varying widths. In particular, if a filing cabinet having a width less than that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 were to be utilized, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the flexibility of the third portion 16 enables the outer ends of the third portion 16 to hang down and be positioned generally vertically along the side surfaces 32a, 32b of the filing cabinet 30, which also enables the first 12 and second 14 portions to be oriented generally vertically along the side surfaces 32a, 32b to retain the filer 10 in place. The flexibility of the third portion 16 can be particularly useful when the second portion 14 is made of a relatively stiff material, since in this case the second portion 14 would not be able to conform to the side surface 32b without the flexibility provided by the third portion 16. In addition, as outlined above, the third portion 16 can have lengths of between about fourteen inches and about eighteen inches, and in another embodiment between about twelve inches and about twenty inches. This range of lengths may be selected such that the third portion 16 can span the widths of standard or expected-size filing cabinets or the like, without being so long as to make the filer 10 too long and unwieldy for use.

In addition, the flexibility of the third portion 16, and the magnetic gripping and orientation of the filer 10 about three sides of the filing cabinet 30, enables the filer 10 to be arranged in various positions. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first panel 12 can be raised and/or lowered along the surface 32a, and the filer 10 can remain in place after such adjustments. This provides additional functionality to the filer 10 for variety of positioning.

In this manner, the filer 10 provides additional external storage capability to the filing cabinet 30 or other associated component. In addition, the filer 10 provides storage which is immediately and easily accessible by a user, without having to open the drawers of the filing cabinet 30. Moreover, although the filer 10 is illustrated as used in conjunction with a filing cabinet 30, it should be understood that the filer 10 can be used with any of a wide variety of other devices which can include at least one ferrous metal (magnetizable) surface or portion thereof including, but not limited to, bookshelves, cubicle walls, tool chests, refrigerators and other appliances, etc.

Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the various embodiments, it should be understood that modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A filing cabinet system comprising:

a filing cabinet having a pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface; and

a filer positioned on said filing cabinet, said filer having a first portion positioned adjacent to one of said side surfaces, a second portion positioned adjacent to the other one of said side surfaces, and a third portion positioned on said horizontally oriented surface, wherein said first portion includes a pocket thereon.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said second portion includes a magnet therein or thereon, and wherein said vertically oriented side surface includes a magnetizable or metal portion and said magnet is magnetically attracted to said magnetizable or metal portion to couple said filer to said filing cabinet.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said third portion is generally flexible.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said third portion is sufficiently flexible that said third portion naturally folds down in a vertically direction when supported in a cantilevered manner.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said third portion has sufficient flexibility to be positioned on filing cabinets having differing widths that are spanned by said third portion, while enabling said first and second portions to hang generally vertically along said side surfaces.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said third portion has a length of between about fourteen and about eighteen inches.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said second portion is generally stiff

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said second portion is sufficiently stiff that said second portion is positioned generally horizontally when supported in a cantilevered manner.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and third portions both lack a high fraction surface thereon engaging said filing cabinet.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said third portion is positioned directly between said first and second portions, and directly coupled thereto.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and second portions are oriented generally vertically, and said third portion is oriented generally horizontally.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said first portion includes a plurality of pockets thereon, said pockets being arranged in an overlapping manner.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said second and third portions lack any pockets thereon.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said third portion has a length greater than said second portion.

15. A filer system including a filer configured to be positioned on a device having a pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface, the filer comprising:

a first portion configured to be positioned adjacent to one of said side surfaces, said first portion having at least one pocket thereon;

a second portion configured to be positioned adjacent to the other one of said side surfaces, said second portion including at least one magnet therein or thereon; and

a flexible third portion configured to be positioned on said horizontally oriented surface.

16. The filer system of claim 15 wherein said third portion has sufficient flexibility to be positioned on filing devices having differing widths that are spanned by said third portion, while enabling said first and second portions to hang generally vertically along said side surfaces of the device.

17. The filer system of claim 15 further comprising said device having said pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and said horizontally oriented surface, and wherein said first portion is positioned adjacent to one of said side surfaces, said second portion is positioned adjacent to the other one of said side surfaces, and wherein said third portion is positioned on said horizontally oriented surface.

18. A method for using a filer comprising:

accessing a device having a pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface; and

positioning a filer on said device, said filer having a first portion positioned adjacent to one of said side surfaces, a second portion positioned adjacent to the other one of said side surfaces, and a third portion positioned on said horizontally oriented surface, wherein said first portion includes a pocket thereon.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said device is a filing cabinet.