Books – strips – and leaves – Book – element thereof – or accessory therefor – Covers
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-12
2001-07-31
Fridie, Jr., Willmon (Department: 3722)
Books, strips, and leaves
Book, element thereof, or accessory therefor
Covers
C281S022000, C281S037000, C281S045000, C402S070000, C402S073000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267413
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a photograph album that is useful for both storing and displaying photographs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional photo albums are often constructed in the same manner as a book. That is, a photo album is typically comprised of a plurality or even a multiplicity of pages upon which photographs are mounted. The photograph mounting pages are bound together at a common binding edge between the front and back covers. The front and back covers are joined together by a spine and the binding edges of the photograph mounting pages are secured at the spine.
Conventional photo albums are quite adequate for storing photographs. However, conventional photo albums are not very useful for displaying photographs. If one attempts to stand a conventional photo album upright resting on the bottom edges of the front and back covers, the album is likely to fall over since the front and back covers are normally too close together to provide sufficient lateral stability for the album to stand upright. On the other hand, if one attempts to provide the necessary lateral stability by spreading the outside edges of the front and back covers apart from each other, the album is still unstable since the outside edges of the photograph mounting pages are then unsupported, and tend to buckle. The weight of the photograph mounting pages pulling against spine of the album is likely to cause the album to collapse by falling in a forward direction. A conventional photo album thereby makes a poor freestanding photograph display.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a photo album of unique construction that not only serves as an ideal means of storing photographs, but which also provides a self supporting, freestanding display for the photographs. A user is thereby not limited to the display of only one, two, or three photographs as with conventional freestanding picture frames. Quite to the contrary, a large number of photographs can be supported in an upright display arrangement utilizing the album display structure of the invention.
The photo album of the present invention performs not only the function of a conventional photo album, namely the storage of photographs, but also serves the function of a freestanding picture frame. Conventional picture frames may be formed with one, two, three, or even more frame panels within which photographs may be displayed on a piece of furniture, such as a desk, shelf, or buffet. However, conventional freestanding picture frames can hold only a few photographs at the most. The photo album of the present invention provides a stand up display that can exhibit a few photographs which are visible all the time, and which holds many more photographs which can be viewed at will. Alternatively, the photo album of the invention can be completely folded up and stored on a bookshelf or in a cabinet like a conventional photo album.
In one broad aspect the present invention may be considered to be a photograph display structure comprising: a flat rectangular base support having opposing, mutually parallel, laterally extending edges. The base support is folded longitudinally to form a plurality of stiff panels joined to each other in articulated fashion by linear hinge connections that extend between the opposing laterally extending edges. The plurality of panels include: a pair of outer cover panels disposed on opposing sides of a central spine, a pair of end panels each having a concealed surface and an exposed surface, and which are hinged to said outer cover panels, and a pair of inner cover panels hinged to the end panels. The photograph display structure also includes a pair of photo mounting packets, each packet being secured to the concealed surface of a separate one of the end panels. Each packet contains a plurality of photo mounting pages therewithin.
Preferably the end panels are formed as stiff, narrow, elongated strips disposed between the outer and inner cover panels. The spine is preferably formed as a stiff web disposed between the outer cover panels and having a width about equal to the combined widths of the pair of end panels. The outer and inner covers are preferably equal in height and are also preferably equal in width.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the base support is formed of an opaque material and rectangular or oval windows are defined in the centers of the inside covers. Photographs are located between the inside cover panels and the photo mounting packets and display photographs are secured to the inside cover panels so that they are visible through the windows in the inside cover panels. The display photographs may be secured to the inside surface of the inner panels by any conventional means. For example, the photographs may be permanently secured in position by backing sheets glued to the inside surfaces of the inner cover panels. The photographs may also be removably positioned in the inner cover panel windows by conventional swivel tabs of the type used to secure pictures in frames.
Another preferred feature of the invention involves the use of interchangeable fasteners located on the inner cover panels and on the spine. When engaged, the releaseable and interengageable fasteners hold the packets trapped between the inner and outer cover panels in each of two mirror image portions of the display.
In another broad aspect the invention may be considered to be a double album photograph display structure comprising: a base support formed in a rectangular sheet with mutually parallel top and bottom edges and bifurcated into two mirror image portions by a central spine extending between the top and bottom edges. Each of the mirror image portions includes a stiff, rectangular outer cover panel connected to the spine at a hinged connection therewith. The hinged connections extend between the top and bottom edges. Each mirror image portion also includes an end panel narrower than the outer cover panels and joined thereto by a hinged connection that extends between the top and bottom edges. Each mirror image portion also includes a stiff, inner cover panel wider than the end panel and joined thereto by a hinged connection that extends between the top and bottom edges. In this way all of the panels of the base support are movable in articulated fashion relative to each other about the hinged connections. The photograph display structure also includes a pair of photograph packets. Each packet is mounted to a separate one of the end panels and each packet has a plurality of photograph mounting sheets therewithin for holding a plurality of photographs.
In still another aspect the invention may be considered to be a photograph display album comprising: a base support structure formed in a rectangular shape with mutually parallel, laterally extending top and bottom edges. The base structure is divided by longitudinally extending hinged connections that are perpendicular to and extend between the top and bottom edges. The structure thereby forms a central spine, a pair of flat, stiff outer cover panels, one on each side of the central spine, a pair of end panels each narrower than the outer cover panels and connected to a separate one of the outer cover panels, and a pair of flat, stiff inner cover panels. The inner cover panels are wider than and joined to a separate one of the end panels. The outer cover panels, the end panels and the inner cover panels are movable in rotation relative to each other in articulated fashion about the hinged connections therebetween. The display album is also comprised of a pair of photograph mounting packets. Each packet includes a plurality of photograph mounting sheets therewithin. Each of the photograph mounting packets is secured to a separate one of the end panels.
The invention may be described with greater clarity and particularity by reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3565462 (1971-02-01), Gottlieb
patent: 4637631 (1987-01-01), Baer
patent: 5713684 (1998-02-01), Turelamo
patent: 600
Fridie Jr. Willmon
Thomas Charles H.
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