US20050040585A1

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Publication number: US20050040585A1
Application number: US10/495,136
Authority: US
Inventors: George McDonald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: POCKETMEDIA PROPERTIES LLC
Priority date: 2001-11-10
Filing date: 2002-11-08
Publication date: 2005-02-24
Also published as: GB0127094D0; JP2005508775A; EP1441913A1; WO2003041969A1

Abstract

The invention provides a foldable sheet material (2) comprising a first set of concertina folds (4) defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, at which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which, when the sheet is in a folded configuration, is an outermost segment (8) of the folded sheet material, and wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, when the sheet material in the folded configuration.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to foldable sheet materials, regardless of whether in a folded or unfolded condition, and to sheet articles.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is known to provide foldable sheet material having a first set of concertina folds (which term means that the folds are alternately towards and away from the front of the sheet). It is also known to provide foldable sheet material having a first set of vertical concertina folds and a second set of horizontal concertina folds, as exemplified in WO-A-87/04284.

It is also known to provide stiff portions which extend over one corner or two diagonally opposite corners of the folded sheet material. Thus when the folded sheet material is in the folded configuration, the stiff portions provide one or two covers, under or between which the folded sheet material is protected.

When a stiff portion is not present on the folded sheet material a disadvantage inherent in the folded material is that the edges of the uppermost and lowermost portions of the folded sheet are substantially parallel and flush with the edges of the adjacent portions within the folded material. It is therefore difficult for a user to grasp the edges of the uppermost and lowermost portions and unfold the folded sheet material by pulling on those portions.

The use of stiff portions located on the uppermost and lowermost portion alleviates the disadvantage but the cost of manufacturing and affixing the stiff portions to the sheet material considerably increases production costs.

It is therefore an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to overcome or mitigate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, whether expressly disclosed herein or not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention in a first aspect there is provided a foldable sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments in the sheet material, at which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which when the sheet is in a folded configuration is an outermost segment of the folded sheet material, and wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.

Preferably the first segment is the outermost segment when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration. Thus when the sheet material is fully folded about all of the folds, the first segment is an outermost segment of the sheet material.

Preferably the at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.

Suitably the at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than its adjacent segment, when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.

By concertina folds we mean folds that are alternately towards and away from the front of the sheet.

Thus when the folded sheet material is in the fully folded configuration a user may grasp the first segment by a shortened edge. The shortened edge can be positioned such that the user's fingers and/or thumbs can slide across the adjacent segment and under the edge without the need to substantially separate the edge of the first segment from an edge of the adjacent segment.

The first segment may be shorter in width, length or both width and length, than a full segment when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.

Preferably the first segment comprises a handle portion, which, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration, is presented out of the plane of the first segment. Alternatively the handle portion may be presented in towards the first segment, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.

The handle portion may comprise a folded portion of a full segment.

The handle portion may be a separately connected handle portion.

The first segment may thus itself comprise a handle portion, and thus the segment to which it is attached will then not constitute the first segment of the sheet material, but rather the handle portion constitutes the first segment. In embodiments where the handle portion comprises the first segment, the handle portion is shorter in at least one dimension than the segment to which it is connected.

The sheet material may comprise a second segment of the sheet, which, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, forms an outermost segment not comprising the first segment of the folded sheet, wherein at least a portion of the second segment is shorter in at least one dimension that a full segment in a folded configuration. The second segment is preferably as described for the first segment.

Alternatively, the sheet material may comprise a segment which forms an outermost segment of the sheet when the sheet is in the folded configuration, and which includes a stiff portion connected thereto. Preferably the stiff portion is larger than the segment in at least one dimension, and preferably is larger in both width and length. Suitably the stiff portion comprises a stiff card or stiff plastics portion.

In an alternative embodiment, the sheet material may be connected to the inside of a hinged cover, the sheet material being connected such that, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, the first segment is an outermost segment presented from the inside of the cover.

Preferably the sheet material comprises a second set of folds, and more preferably comprise a second set of concertina folds, transverse to the first set of folds.

Preferably the first and second sets of folds are perpendicular to each other.

In preferred embodiments in which the sheet material comprises a second set of folds, at least a portion of the first and, when present, second segments, as described hereinabove, are shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment when the sheet material is folded about both the first and second set of folds, in the fully folded configuration.

In preferred embodiments in which the sheet material comprises a second set of folds, the first and, when present, second segments, as described hereinabove, are an or the outermost segment(s) of the sheet material, when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.

Suitably the sheet material is a rectangular sheet material, but may be any suitable shape.

Suitably, either the first or second set of folds comprises an even number of folds, and the other of the first or second set of folds comprises an odd number of folds.

However, by experiment we have found that the most suitable folding for a rectangular sheet having first and second sets of folds, comprises both the first set of folds and the second set of folds both having an even number of folds or both having an odd number of folds.

The invention is particularly suited to printed sheet material intended to be carried round in the pocket, for which purpose the folds may divide the sheet material into segments of about 4 to 8 cm width and 6 to 12 cm length. It is preferred that the sheet material, in the folded configuration should be credit-card sized, that is with the folds dividing the material into segments of about 5 to 5½ cm width by 8 to 8½ cm length.

The sheet material may, during folding thereof, be folded first about the first set of folds and then the second set of folds, or vice versa.

In preferred embodiments the sheet material is paper, but in other embodiments the sheet material may be a paper-like material such as plastics, or thin card, for example. It is conceivable that the sheet material may be stiff except at the folds, for example cards interconnected by paper, cloth or the like at the folds.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a sheet article comprising a cover comprising hingedly connected first and second surfaces, wherein a foldable sheet material is connected to the inside of the first and second surfaces of the cover, the sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, about which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, and wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which, when the sheet is in a folded configuration, and when the cover is opened, is an outermost segment of the sheet presented from the cover, wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, in the folded configuration.

Preferably the sheet material is as described for the first aspect of the invention.

Reference to “fully folded configuration” in the specification, means the sheet material has been folded about all of the folds present in the sheet material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For a better understanding of the invention and to better understand how embodiments of the same may be put into practice, the invention will now be described by way of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a first embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 1B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 1A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 2A illustrates a second embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 2B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 2A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 3A illustrates a third embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration.

FIG. 3B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 3A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 4A illustrates a fourth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 4B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 4A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 5A illustrates a fifth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 5B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 5A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 6A illustrates a sixth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 6B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 6A in a folded configuration;

FIG. 7A illustrates a seventh embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration;

FIG. 7B illustrates a plan view of the sheet material ofFIG. 7A, with the sheet in a folded configuration;

FIG. 8 illustrates an eighth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded configuration.

FIG. 9A illustrates a ninth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

FIG. 9B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 9A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 10A illustrates a tenth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

FIG. 10B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 10A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 11A illustrates an eleventh embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

FIG. 11B illustrates an end view of the sheet material ofFIG. 11A in a folded configuration.

FIG. 12 illustrates a twelfth embodiment of the sheet material of the invention in an unfolded state.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly toFIGS. 1A and 1B asheet material2 of the invention comprises a generallyrectangular sheet3 defined by spaced apart pairs of

edges

5 and9, and having a first set of fiveconcertina folds4 and perpendicular to thefolds4, a second set of two concertina folds6. Thus thesheet3 is divided up into segments in six columns and three rows. The right-handperipheral column7 has a shorter width than the other five columns (such that five of the columns include full segments, whereas theperipheral column7 includes thinner segments), and includes a first segment in the form of thecorner segment8 which, when thesheet3 is in a folded configuration is arranged to be an outermost segment of the folded sheet material, as illustrated inFIG. 1B.

In use thesheet material2 is folded up by firstly concertina folding thesheet3 about thefold lines4 to stack the six columns on one another such that thecorner segment8 of theperipheral column7 is located as the upper outermost (or lower outermost segment, depending on the way the folded sheet is presented) on the fully folded stack.

Thesheet3 is then concertina folded about the second set offolds6 such that the sheet forms a stack in which all the segments are stacked on one another, and such that thecorner segment8 of the peripheral column is located uppermost (or lowermost) on the stack, as illustrated inFIG. 1B.

When it is desired to unfold the folded sheet, a user grasps thecorner segment8, located uppermost (or lowermost) on the stack and, holding onto the other of the lowermost or uppermost segments of the stack, pulls thesegment8 outwardly of the stack to unfold the sheet.

As thesegment8 has a shorter width than theadjacent segment18 in the stack, a user may easily slide his or her fingers under thesegment8 without the need to first separate the edges of thesegment8 from the edges of theadjacent segment18.

The action of folding and unfolding may be repeated as desired.

We refer now toFIGS. 2A and 2B, which illustrate asheet material2 similar to that shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment thecorner segment8 comprises aportion10 which is folded about afold line12.

Use of the embodiment ofFIGS. 2A and 2B is essentially the same as described for the embodiment ofFIG. 1A and 1B, except that when thecorner segment8 is located uppermost or lowermost in the stack, the foldedportion10 is presented substantially out of the stack such that a user may easily grasp the presentedportion10 in order to unfold, and then refold if desired, thesheet3. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 2A and 2B it is considered that the foldedportion10 is the first segment which is outermost in the fully folded sheet, as claimed for the sheet material of the invention.

In alternative embodiments of the sheet material shown inFIG. 2A and 2B, thefold line12 may be replaced by a perforation line or a visual indicator line, about which a user may fold theportion10. Theportion10 may also be folded about thefold line12 such that it is folded towards theadjacent segment7 in the folded configuration, and is thus presented into the stack.

We refer now toFIG. 3A and 3B, which illustrate a sheet material similar to that shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B, astiff portion14 is connected to the outside of thecorner segment13 which is diagonally opposite thecorner segment8.

Use of the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A and 3B is essentially the same as that described for the embodiment ofFIG. 1A and 1B. In use, when thesheet3 is folded, the stiff portion is located at the lowermost (or uppermost) segment of the stack, as illustrated inFIG. 3B. The stiff portion, being slightly larger than the underlying segments in the stack is relatively easy to grasp by a user and assists in the user unfolding and refolding thesheet3 when desired, by providing a relatively large area to hold. Thestiff portion14 also provides a covering portion which decreases the likelihood of damage to the foldedsheet3 due to handling, liquid spillages or the like.

Instead of a stiff portion, in other embodiments the sheet may be connected to the inside of a hinged cover such that the lowermost or uppermost segment of the stack not comprising thecorner segment8 is connected to the cover, which cover may be closed round the sheet when stacked in the folded configuration.

We refer now toFIGS. 4A and 4B which illustrate asheet material2 similar to that shown inFIG. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, theperipheral column15 located on the opposite side of the sheet to the firstperipheral column7, also has a width shorter than that of its adjacent column.

Use of the embodiment shown inFIG. 4A and 4B is almost identical to that described for the embodiment ofFIGS. 1A and 1B. When thesheet3 is folded to the folded configuration, as shown inFIG. 4B, thecorner segment16 of theperipheral column15 is located at the lowermost or uppermost segment, and thecorner segment8 is located as the other of the lowermost or uppermost segment. Thus both the lowermost and

uppermost segments

8 and16 have a width shorter than their respective

adjacent segments

18 and20, and a user may insert his or her fingers or thumb under the

corner segments

8 and16 without the need to attempt to separate their edges from the edge of the

adjacent segments

18 and20.

We refer now toFIGS. 5A and 5B which illustrate an embodiment of the sheet material of the invention very similar to that illustrated inFIGS. 4A and 4B. In this embodiment the

opposite corner segments

8 and16 are shorter in both length and width than the segment in their respective adjacent columns. Thus in use, when thesheet3 is folded into the fully folded configuration the uppermost and

lowermost segments

8 and16 are shorter in both length and width than their

adjacent segments

18 and20 in the stack.

We refer now toFIGS. 6A and 6B which illustrate asheet material2 similar to that shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, theperipheral column7, when the sheet material is in the unfolded configuration, has a width equal to that of its adjacent column. Theperipheral column7 includes asecondary fold line26 which separates thecolumn7 into two

sub-columns

22 and24, each having a width of one-half of a standard segment of thesheet3.

In use, when thesheet material2 is folded into its folded configuration, as shown inFIG. 6B, theperipheral column7 is folded about thefold line26 such that the sub-column24 atsegment8 is oriented as the outermost portion of thesheet3, lying on top ofsub-column22. Thus, as the sub-columns have a width of one half of a standard segment of thesheet3, the outermost segment formed by the foldedsub-column24, is formed as a concertina-folded first segment presented out of the stack of full segments and half-segment31, of the foldedsheet3, as shown inFIG. 6B.

We refer now toFIG. 7, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of asheet material2 of the invention. Thesheet material2 comprises arectangular sheet3 defined by

edges

5 and9, and having a first set of5 concertina folds4 and perpendicular to thefolds4, a second set of asingle concertina fold6. Thus thesheet3 is divided up into six columns and two rows. The right-hand outerperipheral column7 has a shorter width than the other four columns, and comprises twosegments8, one on each row of the sheet, separated by thefold line6.

Thesheet3 is connected to the inside of a hingedcover28. The hingedcover28 comprises first30 and second32 surfaces which are hingedly connected by afold34 therebetween. The leftperipheral column36 of the sheet comprises upper37 and lower39 segments separated by thefold line6 of the sheet. Theupper segment37 is connected to the inside of thefirst surface30 of thecover28, and thelower segment39 is connected to thesecond surface32 of thecover28 such that thefold line6 between the segments is located directly above and extending along thefold34 of thecover28.

In use, thesheet3 is concertina folded such that the concertina-folded upper row of the sheet is located above thefirst surface30 of the cover, and the lower row of the sheet is located above thesecond surface32. The shortenedwidth segments8 of theperipheral column7 are located as the outermost segments of the stack above both the first30 and second32 surfaces of thecover28, as shown inFIG. 7B. Thecover28 can be closed by rotating the first30 and second32 surfaces about thefold line34. As thecover28 is closed thesheet3 will fold about thefold line6 such that theouter segments8 abut.

Thecover28 can then be opened to present thesegments8 as the outermost segments of the stack, which can then be grasped by the user, and pulled to unfold thesheet3 to present the five regular columns and one shortened width column.

We refer now toFIG. 8 which illustrates an embodiment of asheet material2 of the invention which is similar to the embodiment shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment the

segments

8 and16, which in the folded configuration form the uppermost and lowermost segments of the foldedsheet3, comprise tabs which extend from their respective

adjacent segments

18 and20. The

tabs

8 and16 do not form a continuous surface with the remainder of their respective

peripheral columns

7 and15, and are spaced apart from their adjacent segments of the columns, as illustrated inFIG. 8. The

tabs

8 and16 have both a width and length shorter than their adjacent

full segments

18 and20 in the stack when thesheet3 is in the fully folded configuration.

In an alternative embodiment to that shown inFIG. 8, the

tabs

8 and16 can have a width equal to the width of their

adjacent segments

18 and20 in their respective peripheral columns.

We refer now toFIG. 9A and 9B which illustrate asheet material2 similar to that shown inFIGS. 6A and 6B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, thecorner segments18 of the peripheralright hand column7 includes afold line26 diagonally bisecting thecorner segment18 such that the free corner portion bisected by thefold line26 forms thefirst segment8 of thesheet material2. Thus in use, when thesheet3 is folded into the folded configuration, theoutermost segment18 is folded aboutfold line26 such that thecorner segment8, forming the first segment as claimed in the invention, is presented either into or out of the plane of thesegment18.

We refer now toFIGS. 10A and 10B which illustrate an embodiment of the sheet material similar to that illustrated inFIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like features. In this embodiment, theperipheral column7 has a width equal to that of its adjacent column it includes a first segment in the form of thecorner segment8 in which a curved sector has been removed from the free corner thereof. Thus, thefirst segment8 has a portion which includes a width and length shorter than theadjacent segment18, when thesheet3 is in the fully folded configuration, as shown inFIG. 10B.

We refer now toFIGS. 11A and 11B, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention similar to that described forFIGS. 1A and 1B. Like numerals represent like components. In this embodiment theperipheral column7 has a width equal to its adjacent column and the upperright corner segment18 is dimensioned identically to its adjacent segment when in the folded configuration. Thecorner segment18 includes ahandle portion8 which forms the first segment of thesheet material2 of this embodiment. In use, when thesheet material2 is in the folded configuration, as shown inFIG. 11B, thehandle portion8 is presented out of the plane of itsadjacent segment18, and has a width and length shorter than theadjacent segment18. Thus, the handle portion in this embodiment forms the first segment as described for the invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a twelfth embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention and a second embodiment of the sheet article of the second aspect of the invention, and is similar to the embodiment shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B. Like numerals represent like components. In this embodiment the sheet material is attached to a cover comprising first14 and second30 stiff portions, hingedly connected by a fold line52 between the

stiff portions

14,30. The sheet material is attached to the firststiff portion14, as described for the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A and 3B. Use of the embodiment shown inFIG. 12 is similar to that ofFIGS. 3A and 3B, with the exception that once thesheet material2 is folded into the fully folded configuration such that thefirst segment8 is outermost in the folded stack, the secondstiff portion30 is folded abut thefold line32 to close the cover such that the sheet material is sandwiched between the

stiff portion

14,30.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless express stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A foldable sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, at which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet which, when the sheet is in a folded configuration, is an outermost segment of the folded sheet material, and wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment, when the sheet material in the folded configuration.

2. A foldable sheet material, wherein the first segment is shorter in width, length or both width and length, than a full segment when the sheet material is in the folded configuration.

3. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the first segment comprises a handle portion, which, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration, is presented out of the plane of the first segment.

4. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the first segment comprises a handle portion, which, when the sheet material is in the folded configuration is presented in towards the first segment.

5. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 3, wherein the handle portion comprises a folded portion of a full segment.

6. A foldable sheet material as claimedclaim 1, wherein the sheet material comprises a second segment of the sheet, which, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, forms an outermost segment not comprising the first segment of the folded sheet, and wherein at least a portion of the second segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment in the folded configuration.

7. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the sheet material comprises a second segment of the sheet, which, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, forms an outermost segment not comprising the first segment of the folded sheet, and wherein at least a portion of the second segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment in the folded configuration, wherein the second segment is as described for the first segment inclaim 2.

8. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the sheet material comprises a segment which forms an outermost segment of the sheet when the sheet is in the folded configuration, and which includes a stiff portion connected thereto.

9. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 8, wherein the stiff portion is larger than the segment in at least one dimension.

10. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 8, wherein the stiff portion comprises a stiff card or stiff plastics material.

11. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the sheet material is connected to the inside of a hinged cover, the sheet material being connected such that, when the sheet is in the folded configuration, the first segment is an outermost segment presented from the inside of the cover.

12. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the sheet material comprises a second set of folds.

13. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 12, wherein the first and second sets of folds are perpendicular to each other.

14. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 12, wherein both the first and second sets of folds comprise an even number of folds, or both the first and second set of folds comprise an odd number of folds.

15. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the sheet material, in the folded configuration, is substantially credit card sized.

16. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the sheet material is paper.

17. A foldable sheet material as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the first segment is an outermost segment when the sheet material is in the fully folded configuration.

18. A sheet article comprising a cover comprising hingedly connected first and second surfaces, where in a foldable sheet material is connected to the inside of cover, the sheet material comprising a first set of concertina folds defining a plurality of full segments of the sheet material, about which folds the sheet material can be folded and unfolded, and wherein the sheet material is provided with a first segment of the sheet, which when the sheet is in a folded configuration, and when the cover is opened, is an outermost segment of the sheet presented form the cover, wherein at least a portion of the first segment is shorter in at least one dimension than a full segment in the folded configuration.

19. (Cancelled)

20. (Cancelled)

21. (Cancelled)