WO1997034280A1

WO1997034280A1 - Marker for highlighting indicia

Info

Publication number: WO1997034280A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/003254
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alec Robinson
Original assignee: Beautone Specialties Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1996-03-13
Filing date: 1997-03-03
Publication date: 1997-09-18
Also published as: AUPN861896A0

Abstract

This invention relates to markers (12) for articles, and in particular relates to markers (12) for highlighting indicia (22). In a broad aspect, the invention provides marking means (12) for location adjacent to an indicium (22) or the like, said marking means (12) being adapted to be removeable from said location, said marking means (12) being provided with means (16) for carrying a message (18) or for inscribing a message (18) thereon, said marking means (12) being provided with means (20) to indicate an indicium (22) relevant to said message.

Description

MARKER FOR HIGHLIGHTING INDICIA

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to markers for articles, and in particular relates to markers for highlighting indicia.

Most people have at least one calendar in their home, as well as one in their work place. Conventionally, the type of calendar used is in a booklet form adapted to be hung on a vertical surface such as a wall, with usually details of one, but sometimes up to three months on a single sheet, often opposed to a photograph, reproduction of a painting or the like, or some other form of artistic work. At the expiration of the month, or the last of a group of months, the sheet is turned over to reveal a new month.

Most conventional calendars are devised so that persons are able to write, adjacent to a particular date, an appointment, birthday, or some other event which is to take place on or near that date. Even persons who have business diaries and/or personal organizers will additionally make use of conventional calendars, because they are always on display.

However, there is often insufficient space on calendars to write all the information required, particularly for dates such as those which fall on weekends, on public holidays, or during school holidays. Furthermore, some calendars are such "works of art" that people do not wish to deface those works by writing on them.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved removable means for marking an article, such as a calendar or the like, to highlight indicia thereon.

The invention may provide, in a broad aspect, marking means for location adjacent to an indicium or the like, said marking means being adapted to be removable from said location, said marking means being provided with means carrying a message or for inscribing a message thereon, said marking means being provided with means indicating an indicium relevant to said message.

Preferably, said indicium relevant to said message is window means through which said indicium is visible.

Preferably said indicium is a date or day on a calendar or the like.

Alternatively, said indicium is a portion of printed text.

Preferably, said means indicating an indicium is an aperture or slit in said marking means, or a cut-out portion of said marking means.

Alternatively, said means indicating an indicium is transparent or translucent area.

The invention may also provide, in a broad aspect, an assembly of marking means (for example, stacked in a pad), each of said marking means being removably attached to each other or removably attached to a backing sheet, and, if desired, capable of being dispensed from a dispenser. Preferably, said dispenser is a pad formed from said assembly.

The invention may also provide removable marker means as defined in this specification, further including register marks located on said sheet adjacent said means indicating an indicium, said register marks being adapted to assist in identifying said indicium.

The invention may further provide, in a broad aspect, in combination, an article on which indicia are located, and removable marker means for association with one of said indicia, said marker means carrying or being adapted to have inscribed on at least a portion of it an indicium which is connected with said one of said indicia.

Preferably, said article is a calendar, diary or the like, and said one of said indicia is a number representing a day of a month.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of marking means according to the present invention as utilized on a calendar.

Figure 2 illustrates one embodiment of a dispenser for marking means according to the present invention.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of a dispenser for marking means according to the present invention.

Figure 4 illustrates six additional embodiments of marking means according to the present invention. Figure 5 illustrates a pad assembly of marking means according to the present invention.

Figure 6 illustrates four additional embodiments of marking means according to the present invention.

Figure 7 illustrates two additional embodiments of marking means according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention, which may be preferred, will be described in detail by reference to the Figures accompanying this disclosure. As shown therein, marker 1 2 has, preferably on the side of sheet 14 other than that on which the adhesive is located, an area 1 6 adapted to carry indicia 1 8. Marker 1 2 also includes a portion 20 which enables calendar indicia 22 to be seen through the marker 12, preferably such that the particular indicia - usually a date, as shown in Fig. 1 - is highlighted.

Portion 20 may be an aperture in sheet 1 4, may be a transparent or translucent area, or any be any other mechanism. For a paper marker 12, the aperture option may be preferred, for its economy, but it is technically feasible to have an transparent or translucent portion 20. For a marker 1 2 formed from plastics material, it may be possible to form portions 1 8, 20 in one operation. Such an embodiment may also require printing or the like to visually define the portion 20 which is intended to surround and/or highlight the calendar indicia.

Preferably, the markers 1 2 or equivalent are to be marketed in a form in which they may be easily dispensed. Fig. 2 shows a dispenser 24 in the form of a cuboidal box 26, which dispenses marker 12 in much the same way as the presently available Australia Post boxes dispensing 100 45c stamps from a roll. The box 26 has a slit 28 for dispensing markers 12 from a roll or the like (not shown) within box 26. Preferably, the markers are on a roll, and are connected to adjacent markers 1 2 by perforations 30, which allows individual markers 12 to be torn from the roll.

In Fig. 3, there is shown a dispenser 32 similar to dispenser 24 of

Fig. 2, for dispensing markers 12. The dispense 32 is in the form of a cuboidal box 34 which is adapted to contain markers 1 2, which are dispensed through a dispensing opening 36. The arrangement may be seen as being similar to a tissue box, in which the markers 1 2 are stored in a folded orientation, such that each individual marker 12 is separately dispensed as it is pulled through opening 36.

In Fig. 4, there are shown six alternative versions of marker 12, which has a circular aperture 20 located nearer one end of rectangular sheet 14. In each case the portion equivalent to portion 20 of maker 12 is formed as an aperture. Marker 1 12 of Fig. 4 has a square portion 220, marker 21 2 has an elliptical portion 220, maker 31 2 has a star- shaped portion 320, marker 412 has a heart-shaped portion 420, marker 51 2 has a hexagonal portion 520, and marker 612 has a diamond- shaped portion 620. Of course, any shape or size of portions equivalent to portion 20 of Fig. 1 may be chosen. In each case, there is enough room on portion 18 of sheet 14 for indicia, whether pre-printed and/or written by the end user.

Fig. 5 shows a third form of dispenser 38 in the form of a pad, in which the markers 12 are held in the pad formation 38 by the previously- mentioned adhesive, and are thus easily removed from the pad 38 for use.

To describe the use of markers 12 of the other variant, one may return to Fig. 1 . It can be seen that even in the relatively unusual situation where adjacent dates require annotation, a number of markers 12 may be used without difficulty. This is because they may be arranged in any orientation, and may be partially overlain over another marker. It can be seen that the markers 12 are also able to be easily removed when the date has been reached or passed. The markers 1 2 and variants of this invention may also be used with similar articles such as year planners.

Fig 6. shows four further alternative markers (71 2, 81 2, 91 2,

101 2), which may take any of the forms described earlier in this specification, although it is suggested that they be formed from a sheet of paper, and preferably they are provided with two adhesive strips on one side of the sheet to ensure that they are not dislodged from the article to which they are temporarily attached for marking purposes.

It is intended that the Fig. 5 markers (71 2, 81 2, 91 2, 1 01 2) be particularly suitable for use in the publishing industry, in particular for author's corrections to galley proofs.

At present, galley are corrected using an old-fashioned system of annotations to the galley proofs, which are the earliest stage of the printing process for publications. The number of symbols used to mark up galleys proofs is extensive. Such symbols are defined in British Standard BS 5261 ; Part 2; 1 976, part of which is quoted in "Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 1 992", published by A & C Black (Publishers) Limited, London, 1 992.

The markers 712, 812, 912 and 1012 are intended to be similar to marker 12 of Fig. 1 and to the other markers of Fig. 4, except that the aperture 20 in Fig. 1 is replaced by slits 720, 820 respectively, and wider slits 720, 820, 920 and 1020 respectively located on examples of text - in the case of all markers, a Latin text - for correction. Slits 720, 820 are of a size to embrace the height of one line of text, and slits 920, 1020 are wider, to embrace two or two and one-half lines. It can be seen that the various embodiments show "horizontal" and "vertical" orientations for the slits, in relation to an exemplary rectangular marker.

In each case, a portion of text is circled (and of course the word, letter or other text element may be highlighted in any other way) with a line leading to portions 71 6, 816, 91 6 and 101 6, on which indicia 718, 818, 91 8 and 1018, relating to the correction, may be pre-printed or written or otherwise inscribed on the marker. Alternatively, a code could be marked on the text, with the same code on the marker, for specific identification of the correction. Preferably, the markers are on a highly colored material, to allow for quick location of corrections. It is believed that the present invention could allow for an improved, up-to-date method of correcting proofs.

In Fig. 7, there is shown two variants 1 1 12, 1212 of markers, which may be referred to as correction target tags or reference tags, for use in the drafting industry, in particular in relation to the preparation of engineering drawings. A fact of life with draftspersons is the fact that engineering drawings, architects' plans and the like are being constantly revised. Usually, changes, corrections and the like are being constantly revised. Usually, changes, corrections and the like are indicated by annotations on a copy of the drawings, plans or the like, but that may lead to confusion as a copy becomes messy.

The tags 1 1 12, 1212 are intended to be used as removable markers, to highlight corrections or changes, thus overcoming the aforementioned problems. They each have apertures of the like 1 1 20, 1 220, which are intended to embrace the feature to be changed or corrected, and an area 1 1 1 6, 121 6 for the location of a message or the like 1 1 1 8, 1 218. In other respects the tags 1 1 1 2, 1212 are similar to tag 12 of Fig. 1 , or the other markers mentioned in relation to the various figures of drawings of this application, in their material, for example. However, they differ in that apertures or the like 1 1 20, 1 220 have register marks or "gunsight" marks 1 140, 1 240 printed or otherwise located on that part of the tag surrounding the apertures 1 1 20, 1220. These register marks 1 140, 1240 enable the area for changed or correction to be centered in them to aid in identifying that are, to "target" them.

It can be seen that this invention provides an improved marker for use with a calendar, Street directories (not shown) or the like, which is easy to dispense and use, and easy to remove.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled in the art, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described, by way of example, hereinabove.

Claims

- 9 - WHAT IS CLAIMED IS;

1 . An improved means for marking an article and to highlight indicia thereon, said marking means being adapted to be removable from said article, said marking means being provided with means carrying a message or for inscribing a message thereon, said marking means being provided with means indicating an indicium relevant to said message.

2. Marking means according to claim 1 , wherein said indicium relevant to said message is window means through which said indicium is visible.

3. Marking means according to claim 1 , wherein said indicium is a date or day on a calendar or the like.

4. Marking means according to claim 1 , wherein said indicium is a portion of printed text.

5. Marking means according to claim 1 , wherein said means indicating an indicium is an aperture or slit in said marking means, or a cut-out portion of said marking means.

6. Marking means according to claim 1 , wherein said means indicating an indicium is transparent or translucent area.

7. An assembly comprising a plurality of marking means, each of said marking means being removably attached to each other or removably attached to a backing sheet, and wherein individual marking means from said assembly may be dispensed from a dispenser.

8. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein said dispenser is a pad formed from said assembly.

9. An assembly according to claim 7, further including register marks located on said sheet adjacent said means indicating an indicium, said register marks being adapted to assist in identifying said indicium.

10. An assembly comprising in combination, an article on which indicia are located, and removable marker means for association with one of said indicia, said marker means carrying or being adapted to have inscribed on at least a portion of it an indicium which is connected with said one of said indicia.

1 1 . An assembly according to claim 10, wherein said article is a calendar, and said one of said indicia is a number representing a day of a month.

12. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein said article is a diary, and said one of said indicia is a number representing a day of a month.

1 3. An assembly according to claim 1 0, wherein said marker means is located on the side of the sheet other than that on which the adhesive is located, and includes an area adapted to carry indicia.

14. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein said marker means also includes a portion which enables calendar indicia to be seen through the marker.