Step index file folder

Abstract

A file folder is formed with front and back faces and a plurality of dividers located therebetween. Side panels of the folder are formed with pleated folds. Each of the dividers is provided with a pocket label tab. The folder may include a cover that forms a window to allow concurrent visual observation of all of the label tabs on all the dividers, even when the pockets are collapsed. The cover can be closed over the front face of the folder. The label tabs can be arranged in a single row, or in a plurality of rows in which each row behind projects above the row immediately in front. Even with the cover closed and the pockets collapsed all of the label tabs are concurrently visible through the window. Also, the file folder may be formed without a cover and with the pockets collapsed.

1 . A file folder comprising:
 a folder body having a front face with opposing side edges and with top and bottom regions longitudinally separated from each other, a back face with opposing side edges and with top and bottom regions longitudinally separated from each other, and said bottom regions of said front and back faces are connected to each other, a folder cover extending from said top region of said back face and bendable to fold into a closed position down over said top region of said front face and in contact with at least a portion of said front face and alternatively to unfold into an open position fully exposing said front face and out of contact with said front face, and side panels extending between and joining together said side edges of both said front and back faces;   a plurality of dividers each having a top region and a bottom region longitudinally separated from each other and said dividers are disposed in said folder body and each of said dividers has a width that extends laterally between said side panels so that said dividers define a plurality of pockets therebetween and between said front and back faces;   a pocket label tab located at said top region of each of said dividers, each pocket label tab extending laterally over only a portion of the width of the divider upon which it is located, and at least some of said pocket label tabs are arranged in a front rank in laterally offset relation to each other; and   wherein said folder cover provides a window so that said pocket label tabs in said front rank are all concurrently visible through said window when said folder cover is in said closed position.   
     
     
         2 . A file folder according to  claim 1  wherein said folder body is formed of sheets of opaque material with a window opening defined in said folder cover and further comprising a transparent material forming a window pane and secured to said folder cover across said window opening. 
     
     
         3 . A file folder according to  claim 1  wherein said side panels are folded in accordion fashion so as to allow said front and back faces to be compressed toward each other thereby collapsing said pockets and alternatively to allow said front and back faces to be drawn apart from each other thereby expanding said pockets. 
     
     
         4 . A file folder according to  claim 1  wherein only some of said pocket label tabs are arranged in said front rank and the remainder of said pocket label tabs are arranged in at least one additional rank behind said front rank. 
     
     
         5 . A file folder according to  claim 4  wherein said pocket label tabs in said at least one additional rank project longitudinally further from said bottom regions of said dividers upon which they are located than do said pocket label tabs in said front rank, so that all of said pocket label tabs are concurrently visible through said window when said folder cover is in said closed position. 
     
     
         6 . A file folder according to  claim 5  wherein each of said pocket label tabs in said front rank is laterally offset from each laterally adjacent pocket label tab a distance greater than one-half of its width. 
     
     
         7 . A file folder comprising:
 a folder body having a front face with opposing side edges and with top and bottom regions longitudinally separated from each other, a back face with opposing side edges and with top and bottom regions longitudinally separated from each other, and said bottom regions of said front and back faces are connected to each other, and side panels extending between and joining said side edges of both said front and back faces;   a plurality of dividers each having a top region and a bottom region longitudinally separated from each other and said dividers are disposed in said folder body and each of said dividers has a width that extends laterally between said side panels so that said dividers define a plurality of pockets therebetween and between said front and back faces;   a pocket label tab located at said top of region of each of said dividers, each pocket label tab extending laterally over only a portion of the width of the divider upon which it is located, and at least some of said pocket label tabs are arranged in a front rank in laterally offset relation to each other, and only some of said pocket label tabs are arranged in said front rank and the remainder of said pocket label tabs are arranged in at least one additional rank behind said front rank, and said pocket label tabs in said at least one additional rank project longitudinally further from said bottom regions of said dividers upon which they are located than do said pocket label tabs in said front rank, so that all of said pocket label tabs are concurrently visible from in front of said front face.   
     
     
         8 . A file folder according to  claim 7  further comprising a folder cover extending from said top region of said back face and bendable to fold into a closed position down over said top region of said front face and in contact with at least a portion of said front face and alternatively to unfold into an open position fully exposing said front face and out of contact with said front face. 
     
     
         9 . A file folder according to  claim 8 , wherein said folder cover provides a window so that said pocket label tabs in all of said ranks are all concurrently visible through said window when said folder cover is in said closed position. 
     
     
         10 . A file folder according to  claim 8  wherein said folder cover is opaque. 
     
     
         11 . A file folder comprising:
 a folder body having a front face with opposing side edges and with a top extremity and a bottom extremity located remote from each other at longitudinally opposite ends of said side edges thereof and said top and bottom extremities extend laterally between said side edges, a back face with opposing side edges and with a top extremity and a bottom extremity extending longitudinally between said side edges thereof, and said bottom extremities of said front and back faces are secured to each other, a folder cover extending from said top extremity of said back face and bendable to fold into a closed position down over said top extremity of said front face and into contact with at least a portion of said front face and alternatively to unfold into an open position fully exposing said front face and out of contact therewith, and side panels extending between and securing together said side edges of both said front and back faces;   a plurality of divider partitions each having a top extremity and a bottom extremity longitudinally separated from each other and said divider partitions are disposed in said folder body and each of said divider partitions has a width wide enough to extend laterally between said side panels so that said divider partitions define a plurality of receptacles therebetween and between said front and back faces;   a storage receptacle label tab located at said top extremity of each of said divider partitions, each storage receptacle label tab extending laterally over only a portion of the width of the divider partition upon which it is located, and at least some of said storage receptacle label tabs are arranged in a front row in laterally offset relation to each other, and   wherein said storage receptacle label tabs in said front row are all concurrently visible when said folder cover is in said closed position.   
     
     
         12 . A file folder according to  claim 11  wherein said folder body is formed of sheets of an opaque material and a window opening is defined in said folder cover and further comprising a transparent window pane secured to said folder cover across said window opening. 
     
     
         13 . A file folder according to  claim 11  wherein said side panels are folded in accordion fashion so as to allow said front and back faces to be compressed toward each other thereby collapsing said storage receptacles and alternatively to allow said front and back faces to be drawn apart from each other thereby expanding said storage receptacles. 
     
     
         14 . A file folder according to  claim 11  wherein only some of said storage receptacle label tabs are arranged in said front row and the remainder of said storage receptacle label tabs are arranged in at least one additional row behind said front row. 
     
     
         15 . A file folder according to  claim 14  wherein said storage receptacle label tabs in said at least one additional row project longitudinally further from said bottom extremities of said divider partitions upon which they are formed than do said storage receptacle label tabs in said front row, so that all of said storage receptacle label tabs are concurrently visible when said folder cover is in said closed position. 
     
     
         16 . A file folder according to  claim 11  wherein each of said storage receptacle label tabs in said front row is laterally offset from each laterally adjacent storage receptacle label tab a distance greater than one-half of its width. 
     
     
         17 . A file folder comprising:
 a folder body having a front face with opposing side edges and with top and bottom regions longitudinally separated from each other, a back face with opposing side edges and with top and bottom regions longitudinally separated from each other, and said bottom regions of said front and back faces are connected to each other, a folder cover extending from said top region of said back face and bendable to fold into a closed position down over said top region of said front face and in contact with at least a portion of said front face and alternatively to unfold into an open position fully exposing said front face and out of contact with said front face, and side panels extending between and joining together said side edges of both said front and back faces;   a plurality of dividers each having a top region and a bottom region longitudinally separated from each other and said dividers are disposed in said folder body and each of said dividers has a width that extends laterally between said side panels so that said dividers define a plurality of pockets therebetween and between said front and back faces;   a pocket label tab located at said top region of each of said dividers, each pocket label tab extending laterally over only a portion of the width of the divider upon which it is located, and at least some of said pocket label tabs are arranged in a front rank in laterally offset relation to each other, and   wherein at least a portion of said folder cover is transparent so that said pocket label tabs in said front rank are all concurrently visible through said cover when said folder cover is in said closed position.   
     
     
         18 . A file folder according to  claim 17  wherein said entire folder cover is transparent. 
     
     
         19 . A file folder according to  claim 18  wherein said entire folder body is constructed of transparent components.