Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
21~ 7
WO95/31431 F~l/~J,.,~,.'. ~'\~
BINDING ASSEMBLY
t TeCMical Field
The present invention relates to binding assemblies for use in binding
5 together a pluraiity of loose sheets by adhering the sheets to layers of pressure
sensitive adhesive on parts of assembly.
R- ' ' Art
The art is replete with binding assemblies for use in binding together a
0 pluraiity of loose sheets by adhering the sheets to layers of pressure sensitive
adhesive on parts of assemblies. European Patent Oftice Publication No 0 511
146 Al and PCT ;~lt~ i publication no. WO ~7/02941 provide illustrative
examples. Heretofore, however, known binding assemblies of this type have
included strips of release liner protecting the pressure sensitive adhesive that must
be removed before the assembly is used, or the assemblies have had other features
that make them less convenient to use tham might be desired.
Dicr:loc--re of Invrnti-~n
The present invention provides a binding assembiy for use in binding
toðer a plurality of loose sheets by adhering the sheets to iayers of pressure
sensitive adhesive on parts of assembly, use of which binding assembly does not
require removai of strips of release liner, and which is other vise more easily used to
assemble and arrange loose sheets of paper than other known binding assemblies.
The binding assembly according to the present invention generaily comprises
(1) a pluraiity of support strips; (2) layers of pressure sensitive adhesive (which
couid be ~ ;.. '-!r, removable or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive) aiong
front surfaces of the support strips; and (3) layers of release materiai on a rear
surfaces of the support strips. The support strips are adhered together to form a
support strip stack with iMer edges of the support strips in aiignment, with the30 layers of pressure sensitive adhesive on the support strips adhered to the layers of
release materiai on adjacent support strips, and with the front surfaces of the
21~ 7
WO 95/3 1431 P~
support strips uppermost in the support strip stack. The binding assembly further
includes binding means aiong the rnnet edges of the support strips that affords
separation of the support strips and revolving of the support strips reiatiYe to each
other around axes generally parailel to their inner edges. The relatively high
5 stiffness of the support strips, the adhesiYe property of the layer of pressure
sensitive adhesive, the level of adhesion between the layers of pressure sensitive
adhesive and the layers of release materiai, and the relatively low resistance to
pivotal movement of the support strips relative to each other caused by the binding
means bein8 selected so that oniy tension applied through a paper sheet adhered
o aiong the full length of the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on the uppermost
one of the support strips adhered in the support strip stack can be used to separate
that one support strip fitom an adjacent support strip adhered to the layer of release
material on the firont surface of that one support stnp and cause revoiving of that
one support strip away from the support strip firom which that one support strip was
15 separated.
In one ~.. ,1,9.1;. ,.. :, that binding means aiong the inner edges of the support
strips comprises, for each support strip, an elongate hinge strip that is significantly
more flexible around a Inn~itll~in~l axis than the support strip. The hinge strip has
an attachment portion adjacent a first edge adhered along a portion of the support
20 stnp adjacent the inner edge of the support strip, an anchor portion adjacent a
second opposite edge, and a central hinge portion between the attachment and
anchor portions. The major surfaces of the anchor portions are attached together in
an anchor stack adapted to have its lowermost surface adhered or otherwise
secured to a substrate, and the hinge portions are ;"~. l,. .,.1. .~lly bendable around
25 axes extending l.~ of the hinge strip to afford revolving of said one
support strip away from the support strip from wilich the one support strip was
separated.
i n another ~ ' t, that binding means along the inner edges of the
support strips comprises a layer of flexible hot melt adhesive adhered aiong the30 inner edges of the support strips; and in yet another r~ ; adapted for use inthree ring binders that binding means comprises a plurality of aiigned tilrough
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2~9~1 ~ 7
WO95/3JJ31 r~ ",r~
openings in the support strips adapted to be rcceived on and slide aiong spaced
annular rings disposed about a common axis.
The outer edge of each support strip in the support strip stack can proJect
past the outer edge of the next lowermost support strip in the support strip stack by
a distance in the range of about O.008 to O.063 inch (preferably by about O 015
inch) which facilitates separating the supports strips from each other. The
binding assembly can further include means on the anchor stack adapted to attachthe anchor stack to a substrate1 which means can be a layer of pressure sensitive
adhesive or a hook portion of a hook and loop fastener, or both. Aiso, the binding
lo assembly can inciude means on the top of the anchor stack (such as the loop portion
of a hook and loop fastener) adapted to have attached thereto the bottom of the
anchor stack of another one of the binding assembiies. The binding assembly
can further include an elongate cover strip with a layer of release materiai on its rear
surface, which cover strip is adhered to the top support strip in the stack with their
inner edges aiigned, and with the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on the top
support strip adhered to the layer of release material on the cover strip, and the
binding me~ms can include means along the inner edge of the cover strip for
affording separation of the cover strip and revolving of the cover strip relative to
the top support strip around axes generaily parallel to the imner edges. The
sigmficant stiftness of the cover strip, the level of adhesion between the layer of
pressure sensitive adhesive on the top support strip stand the layer of release
materiai on the cover strip, and the relatively low resistance to pivotai movement of
the cover strip relative to the support strips caused by the binding means are
selected so that the cover strip can be easily manuaily separated firom the layer of
pressure sensitive adhesive on the top support strip and revolved away from the top
support strip by simply engaging the cover strip aiong one edge.
The length of the cover strip and its width between its inner and outer edges
can be essentially the same as the length and width of the support strips, or,
Li~ , or can be ~ ' ' ' '1~ greater than the length and width of the support
strips.
--3--
~ 1 9 ~
WO 9513 1~131 PCTI~JS9~/0560C
Aiso, the binding assembiy can further include a backing member and the
binding means aiong the inner edges of the support strips can be attached aiong a
front surface of the backing member, and that backing member can be a rear portion
of a cover which can aiso include a front portion attached so that it can be moved
5 relative to the rear portion between open and closed positions.
Brief DescriDtion of Drawin~
The present invention will be further described with reference to the
a~cu~ drawing wherein like reference numerais refer to iike parts in the
lo several views, and wherein:
Figure I is a perspective view of a first r..,l,u.l,".. . ,1 of a binding assembly
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an end view of a sheet bound on the binding assembly of Figure I
being used to separate a support sheet to which the sheet is releasably adhered from
15 other support sheets in a support sheet stack;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second ~, . .I ,o. '; - . ,1 of a binding
assembly according to the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a third ~ I .o.l ", .. l of a binding assemblyaccording to the present invention;
Figure 5 is an end view of three binding assemb~ies of the .,.. ll,. '
illustrated in Figure 4 stacked and attached together;
Figure 6 is a perspectiYe view of a fourth ....' .o. i: ~ of a binding assembly
according to the present invention;
Figure 7 is a side view of a fifth c ~ - ' of a binding assembly
25 according to the present invention;
Figure 8 is a top vlew of the binding assembly illustrated in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the binding assembly of Figure 6 attached
in a first type of folder;
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the binding assembly of Figure 6 attached
30 in a second type of fûlder;
2~01~ ii I `
WO g513~431 ~ ~
Figu}e 11 is a perspective view of a sixth tllliJOU;~ of a binding assembly
according to the present invention; and
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a seventh . ' "~ of a binding
assembly according to the present invention.
Detailed Descrii~tion
Referring now to Figures I and 2 of the drawing, there is shown a first
i IL ' of a binding assembly according to the present invention generaily
designated by the reference numerai 10, which binding assembly 10 is adapted foro binding together a plurality of loose sheets.
Generally the binding assembly 10 comprises a pluraiity of support strips 12
of a fairly stiff flexible material (e.g., of paper or poiymeric material). Each of the
support strips 12 has front and rear major surfaces 13 and 14, opposite imner and
outer edges 15 and 16, and opposite ends 17. Aiso each ofthe support strips 12
15 has a layer 18 of pressure sensitive adhesive (which could be I ~,o~;i;u.~l~"removable or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive depending on the desired
application of the binding assembly 10) adhered along its front surface 13, and a
Iayer 20 of release material on its rear surface 14. The support strips 12 are
adhered together to form a support strip stack 22 with the inner edges 15 of the20 support strips 12 in aiignment, with the layers 18 of pressure sensitive adhesive on
the support strips 12 adhered to the layers 20 of release material on adjacent
support strips 12, and with the front surfaces 13 ofthe support strips 12 uppermost
in the support strip stack 22. The binding assembly I û further includes bindingmeans 24 along the imner edges 15 of the support strips 1 2 for affording separation
2~ ofthe support strips 12 and revolving ofthe support strips 12 relative to each other
around axes generaily parailel to the inner edges 15. The stiffness of the support
strips 12 (e.g., a Tabor stiffness vaiue of about 2.63 8 gram centimeter), the
adhesive property of the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive (e.g., a peel value of
about 4.6 Newtons/Decimeter), the ievel of adhesion between the layers 18 of
30 pressure sensitive adhesive and the layers 20 of release materiai (e.g., a peel vaiue
of about 0.57 Newton/Decimeter), and the resistance to pivotai movement of the
-5-
~1~0117
WO95/31131 ,, PCT/IJS95105606
support strips 12 relative to each other caused by the binding means 24 (e.g., about
0.73 Newton/Decimeter) are selected so that only tension applied through a papersheet 25 (see Figure 2) adhered along the full length of the layer 18 of pressure
sensitive adhesive on one ofthe support strips 12 can be used to separate that one
support strip 12 from an adjacent support strip 12 adhered to the layer 18 of release
material on the rear surface 14 of that one support strip 12 and cause revolving of
that one support strip 12 away from the underlying support strip 12 from which that
one support strip 12 was separated.
The outer edge 16 of each support strip 12 in the support strip stack 22
o projects past the outer edge 16 ofthe next lowermost support strip 12 in the
support strip stack 22 by a distance in the range of about 0.008 to 0.063 inch (e.g.,
0.015 inch) which facilitates separating the uppermost support strip 12 from theother supports strips 12 forming the support strip stack 12.
The binding means 24 along the iMer edges IS of the support strips 12
comprises, for each support strip 12, an elongate hinge strip 26 that is ,;t;~ ly
more fiexible around a 1~~3i~ ' ' axis than the support strips 12 (e.g., a Taborstiffness of about 0.1236 gram centimeter). Each hinge strip 12 has opposite major
surfaces, opposite first and second edges 29 and 30, an attachment portion 31
adjacent the f rst edge 29 adhered along a portion of the support strip 12 adjacent
the inner edge 15 of the support strip 12, an anchor portion 32 adjacent the second
edge 30, and a central hinge portion between the attachment and anchor portions 31
and 32. The anchor portions 32 are attached or adhered together, major surface to
major surface, to form an anchor stack 34, and the hinge portions are ~ ly
bendable around axes extending I _' ' '1~ of the hinge strip 26 to afford
revolving of the one support strip 12 away from the support strip 12 from which
that one support strip 12 was separated. The anchor stack 34 is adapted to be
secured to a substrate by a layer 36 of a suitable permanent pressure sensitive
adhesive along the bottom surface of the lowermost anchor portion in the anchor
stack 34.
An example of materials for use in the binding assembly 10 described above
(and in those alternate ~ thereof described below) are as follows. The
~l~Ot.17~ -,
WO 95/3.1.131 PCTIUS95/0560C
support strips 12 can be made of polyester in the range of 0.003 to 0.006 inch thick.
The pressure sensitive adhesive can be a ~ .1 acryiate pressure sensitive
adhesive such as the ;~uu~,LylG~.lyL~/u~.~yldc~l~ t/~.l.ill~i bis phenone pressure
sensitive adhesive described in European patent application No. 93.901342.1 filed
5 December 18, 1992, the content whereofis ;II~.UIlIUI dLt i herein by reference. The
release materiai can be a premium silicone release material with a release vaiue of
0.5 tû 6 ounces. The materiai firom which the binge strips are made should be
5;~ 'r~ ullly more flexible than the materiai frûm which the support strips 12 are
made, such as a 0.002 inch tbick pGl~,.hyl~,..., backing material which can be
o adhered together in the anchor stack 34 and adhered to the support strips 12 by
layersofacrylatehightackpressuresensitiveadhesiveO.0015toO.004inchthick.
To use the binding assembly 12 to bind several sheets, an edge portion of a
first sheet to be bound is adhered aiong the layer 18 of pressure sensitive adhesive
on the uppermost support strip 12 in the support strip stack 22. Tension applied15 through that first sheet can then be used to peal that uppermost support strip 12
away from the layer 18 of pressure sensitive adhesive on the next lower support
strip 12 in the support strip stack 22, as is illustrated in Figure 2 with the sheet 25,
thereby exposing that layer 18 of adhesive so that a second sheet to be bound can
be adhered to it. S l ~ l ,lly tension applied ti rough that second sheet can be20 used to peai that next lower support strip 12 away from the layer 18 of pressure
sensitive adhesive on the yet next lower support strip 12 in the support strip stack
22 thereby exposing that layer 18 of adhesive so that a third sheet can be adhered to
it. In this manmer, the layers 18 of adhesive on as many of the support strips 12 as
needed can be used to bind sheets together. If a user desires to remove or replace
25 an aiready bound sheet, the user simpiy peais that sheet from the iayer 18 ofadhesive amd either ailows that layer 18 of adhesive to again adhere to the layer 20
of release materiai on the adjacent support strip 12 or adheres the I tlJla~,~l..."lL sheet
to it.
Various . ~ of the binding assembly 10 according to the present
30 invention are illustrated in Figures 3 through 12 in which similar structural elements
to those described above with reference to the Figures I and 2 are identified with
_7_
~ ~ 9 ~
wo gS/3~31 PCT/US95/056n6
similar reference numerais to which has been added one of the suffixes "a" thorough
"d".
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate two binding assemblies 3 S and 40 that include
various means on the anchor stack 34a or 34b other than the layer 36 of adhesivethat are adapted to attach the anchor stack 34a and 34b to a substrate
Figure 3 illustrates the binding assembly 38 in which that means is both a
layer 42 of pressure sensitive adhesive aiong a layer of foam 43, and a hook portion
44 of a hook and loop fastener (e.g., the hook portion described in U.S. Patent No.
5,116,563, the content whereof is; I~/ul l~uldl~d herein by reference). The use of
o both the layer 42 of pressure sensitive adhesive and the hook portion 44 affords
attaching the binding assembly either to a smooth surface, or to a IQOP portion of
such a fastener, or to various structures with loops along their surfaces such as the
wails of certain types of office partitions.
Figure 4 iilustrates the binding assembly 40 in which that means is a hook
portion 46 of a hook and loop fastener and which further includes means on the top
surface of its anchor stack 34b in the form of a loop portion 47 of a hook and loop
fastener (e.g., open woven or nonwoven textile fabric) adapted to have attached
thereto the anchor stack 34b of another one of the binding assemblies 40. Figure S
iilustrates binding together three of the binding assemblies 40 which together can
bind many more loose sheets than can be bound with oniy one binding assembiy 40.The lowest binding assembly 40 is shown attached to a layer 48 of loop materiai.Figure 6 illustrates a binding assembly 50 including an elongate cover strip
52 for protecting the layer 18 of adhesive on the uppermost support strip 12c before
a sheet is attached to it. The cover strip 52 has front and rear major surfaces 53 and
54, opposite inner and outer edges 55 and 56, and opposite ends 57. A layer of
release materiai 58 is adhered on the rear surface 54 of the cover strip 52; and the
cover strip 52 is adhered to the top support strip 1 2c in the support stack 22c with
the imner edge 55 of the cover strip 52 aiigned with the inner edges I Sc of thesupport strips 1 2c, and with the layer 1 8c of pressure sensitive adhesive on the top
support strip 1 2c adhered to the layer of release materiai 58 on the cover strip 52.
The binding means including means aiong the inner edge 55 of the cover strip 52 for
2~gO1~ 7
wo 95134431 ~ ~
affording separation of the cover strip 52 and revolving of the cover strip 52
relative to the top support strip 1 2c around axes generally parallel to the inner edges
SS and I Sc; and the stiffness of the cover strip 52, the level of adhesion between the
layer 1 gc of pressure sensitive adhesive on the top support strip 12c and the layer of
5 release materiai 58 on the cover strip 52, and the resistance to pivotai movement of
the cover strip 52 relative to the support strips 12c caused by the binding means are
selected so that the cover strip 52 can be easily manuaily separated from the layer
1 8c of pressure sensitive adhesive on the top support strip 1 2c and revolved away
from the top support strip 1 2c by engaging the cover strip 52 along one edge. As
o illustrated in Figure 6, the width of the cover strip 52 between its inner and outer
edges 55 and 56, and the length ofthe cover strip 52 between its opposite ends 57
are essentially the same as the widths and lengths of the support strips 1 2c. The
materiais of the cover strip 52 and in the layer 58 of release materiai can be the
same as the materiai of the supports strips 12 and in the layer 20 of release materiai
described above. Use of the binding assembly S0 is essentiaily the same as the use
of the binding assembiy 10 described above, except that before the first sheet to be
bound is adhered aiong the layer 1 8c of pressure sensitive adhesive on the
uppermost support strip 12c in the support strip stack æc, the cover strip 52 must
be separated from it, which can easily be done by engaging the cover strip 52 aiong
its outer edge 56 and pealing it away.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a binding assembly 70 having a cover strip 62 in
which the width of the cover strip 62 between its inner and outer edges 63 and 64 is
~UI,~L~ILi~ greater than the width of the support strips 12d between their innerand outer edges ISd and 16d; and the length ofthe cover strip 60 between its
opposite ends 66 is ~ O~ Lly greater than the lengths of the support strips 12d
between their ends 1 7d so that the cover strip 62 provides a cover for documents
adhered to the binding assembly 60. As is illustrated, the cover strip 62 can betransparent, and the binding assembly 60 can further include a backing member 67that is slightly larger than the cover strip 62, has a front surface to which the anchor
stack 34d is attached, and has the hook portion 70 of a hook and loop fastener
attached aiong its rear surface 69 by which the backing member 68 can be
g
2~01~7
WO9S/3.~431 ,, l~ ~ r~l~u.,,''tC'o~
releasably attached to loop materiai Thus, the binding assembly 60 can be attached
by the hook portion 70 to a loop martiai such as that on the wall of a cubicle
divider.
Figure 9 illustrates the binding assembly 50 of Figure 6 having its anchor
5 stack 34c adhered to a backing member 52, which backing member 52 is a rear
portion of a coYer or folder 53 including the rear portion 52 and a front portion 54
The front and rear portions 54 and 52 of the folder 53 are joined and folded aiong
adjacent edges 56 to afford movement of the front portion 54 relative to the rear
portion 52 from a closed position overlaying the rear portion 52, to an open
o position spaced from the rear portion 52 as illustrated. The anchor stack 34c of the
binding assembiy 50 extends aiong the foided edges 56 with the support strip stack
22c on the side ofthe anchor stack 34c opposite the folded edges 56 The folder 53
is of the type commoniy used to carry travel documents particularly including airline
tickets, and may be made of any suitable paper or polymeric materiai (e g, 0.010inch thick pvl~ ...6 i~ , ' ' ' ' ), The binding assembly 50 is particularly
useful in such a folder 53 as it affords binding together various types an sizes of
documents ~ while traveling, such as ticket stubs, and various receipts
for parking, taxis, hotels and the like
Figure 10 illustrates the binding assembly 50 of Figure 6 having its anchor
stack 34c adhered to a backing member 62 which is a rear portion of a cover or
folder 63 including the rear portion 62 and a front portion 64. The front and rear
portions 64 and 62 are joined and folded along a common aiigned edge or fold 66
to afford movement of the cover portion 64 relative to the rear portion 62 from a
closed position overlaying the rear portion 62, to an open position spaced from the
2s rear portion 62 as illustrated. The binding assembly 50 extends at a right angie to
the fold 66 aiong one end of the rear portion 62 of the folder 63 . The folder 63 is
of the type commoniy used to collect larger documents (e g., typicaily 8 and onehalf by 11 inches in size) relating to a single subject, and may be made of any
suitable paper or polymeric material.
Figure 11 illustrates a binding assembly 80 according to the present
invention which, like the binding assembly 10, includes a pluraiity of support strips
-10-
i ,
wo 9513~31 P(,~ .,,~J~
12e, each of which has as a layer 1 8e of pressure sensitive adhesive (which could be
,rrf.~ ., removable or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive) adhered along
its front surface, and a layer 20e of release material on its rear surface, which
support strips 1 2e are adhered together to form a support strip stack 22e with the
inner edges of the support strips 12e generally in alignment, with the layers 1 8e of
pressure sensitive adhesive on the support strips 12e adhered to the layers 20e of
release material on adjacent support strips 1 2e, and with the front surfaces of the
support strips 12e uppermost in the support strip stack 22. Also, the binding
assembly 80 further includes binding means 24e along the inner edges of the support
strips 12e for affording separation ofthe support strips 12e and revolving ofthesupport strips 12e relative to each other around axes generally parallel to the inner
edges. Unlike the binding assembly 10, however, in the binding assembly 80 that
binding means 24e comprises a layer 82 of flexible hot melt adhesive adhered along
the inner edges 1 5e and an adjacent portion of the front surface of the support strips
12, which layer 82 of hot melt adhesive will not adhere to the layers 20e of release
material on the support strips 1 2e. A suitable hot melt adhesive for forming that
layer 82 is ethylene vinyl acetate such as that sold under the trade designation"Elvax" (R.T.M.) by DuPont Chemical Company, Wi' ~ 1, Delaware, or that
sold under the trade designation "Ultrathene" (R.T.M.) by Quantum Chemical
Corp., USI Division, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Figure 12 illustrates a binding assembly 90 according to the present
invention which generally comprises a plurality of support strips 92 of a fairly stiff
flexible material (e.g., of the same material as the support strips 12). Each of the
support strips 92 has front and rear major surfaces 93 and 94, opposite inner and
2~ outer edges 95 and 96, and opposite ends 97. Also each of the support strips 92
has a layer 98 of pressure sensitive adhesive adhered along its front surface 93, and
a layer 100 of release material on its rear surface 94. The support strips 92 are
adhered together to form a support strip stack 102 wjth the inner edges 95 of the
support strips 92 in alignment, with the layers 98 of pressure sensitive adhesive on
tbe support strips 92 adhered to the layers 100 of release material on adjacent
support strips 92, and with the front surfaces 93 of the support strips 92 uppermost
WO 9513.~:131 PCT/US95/05606
~ ! .
in the support strip stack 102. The binding assembly 90 further inciudes bindingmeans 104 aiong the inner edges 95 of the support strips 92 for affording separation
of the support strips 92 and revoiving of the support strips 92 relative to each other
around axes generaily parailel to the imner edges 95. The stiffness of the support
strips 92. the adhesive property of the layer 98 of pressure sensitive adhesive, the
level of adhesion between the layers 88 of pressure sensitive adhesive and the layers
100 of release materiai, and the resistance to pivotai movement of the support strips
92 relative to each other caused by the binding means 104 are selected so that oniy
tension applied through a paper sheet (not shown) adhered aiong the full length of
o the layer 98 of pressure sensitive adhesive on one ofthe support strips 92 can be
used to separate that one support strip 92 from an adjacent support strip 92 adhered
to the layer 98 of release material on the rear surface 94 of that one support strip 92
and cause revolving of that one support strip 92 away from the underlying support
strip 92 from which that one support strip 92 was separated.
In the binding assembly 90, the binding means 104 aiong the inner edges 95
of the support strips 92 for affording separation of the support strips 92 and
revolving of the support strips 92 relative to each other-around axes generaily
parallel to the inner edges 95 comprises a pluraiity of aiigmed through openings 105
in the support strips 12 adapted to be received on and slide aiong spaced annuiar
rings (not illustrated) disposed about a common axis, and the openings 105 are
spaced so that the binding assembly 90 is adapted for use on the rings of i three
ring binder If desired, a cover strip (not illustrated) could also be provided on the
binding assembly 90. Use of the binding assembly 90 without or with the cover
strip would be essentially the same as the use of the binding assemblies 10 and 50
2s described above.
The present invention has now been described with reference to numerous
~ _' ' thereof It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many
changes can be made in the ~ ' ' described without departing from the
scope of the present invention. Thus the scope of the present invention should not
be limited to the structures described in this application, but oniy by structures
described by the language of the claims and the equivalents of those structures.
-12-
