Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With viewed object or viewed field illumination
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-20
2001-06-19
Epps, Georgia (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With viewed object or viewed field illumination
C359S806000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249390
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Technical manuals, treatises, organizers and similar publications often include a rigid binder with ring or post-type binding members along a side or top edge thereof. Each page of the printed material likewise includes a plurality of apertures along a side or top edge thereof, each of which receive a select binding member allowing individual pages to be removed or added. However, reading such publications can be strenuous and difficult, especially for the elderly or visually impaired, in that the printed indicia is often extremely small. Therefore, there is currently a need for a device which allows a reader to conveniently magnify unreadable indicia on such bound printed material. Although conventional magnifying glasses could be used, they are not always readily available and are typically too small to magnify an entire page.
Although various magnifying inserts for bound printed material exists, they are difficult to use, manufacture and/or attach to a binder. Furthermore, none are specifically designed for a binder of the type described above. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,907 issued to Schaeffer discloses a magnifying insert for a book having a transparent first section, a flexible second section fixedly attached to the first section and a magnifying lens section fixedly attached to the second section. Each section may be folded relative to the others allowing the magnifying lens section to be positioned over a page having fine print or indicia thereon. The magnifying lens section may be a Fresnel lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,770 issued to Galiani relates to a lens magnification system for restaurant menus or similar booklets including a Fresnel lens pivotally and linearly moveable on a frame that is positioned between pages of the booklet. Other embodiments include the lens being physically connected to the structure of the booklet by one or more accordion connectors allowing the lens to be manually moved between a storage and operable position. Another embodiment relates to a folding container having pockets for receiving maps and other printed matter. The pocket is defined by a front and rear wall with the front wall being constructed with a magnifying lens. Accordingly, the front wall magnifies indicia appearing on documents placed within the pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,347 issued to Galiani relates to a lens magnification system for booklets as described in Galiani '770, supra.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,190 issued to Clover relates to a transparency viewer comprising a screen for mounting an array of transparency images in a grid pattern. A viewing member is movable over the array for viewing any selected image thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,823 issued to Peters relates to a bookmark.
Although magnifying inserts exist, none are designed to be mounted within ring or telescoping post type binders. The insert includes binder ring receiving apertures along a side or top edge thereof allowing the insert to be secured within the binder similarly to the printed material. Furthermore, measurement indica are disposed along an edge of the insert thereby increasing the versatility thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a magnifying insert for a binder. The device comprises a substantially rectangular panel having a pair of opposing longitudinal side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge. The panel is constructed entirely with a transparent, magnifying material, such as that commonly referred to as a Fresnel lens and has sufficient flexibility to allow it to be bent onto itself. The panel is slightly larger than each page of the printed matter retained within the binder so that the device can be used as a page mark or a divider. Along one of the edges of the panel are a plurality of apertures, each spaced, dimensioned and positioned to receive one of the retaining members within the binder. Measurement indicia can be disposed along another edge allowing the device to be used as a measuring tool as well. The flexibility of the panel allows it to be bent onto itself to magnify the measurement indicia or an object being measured, if desired. Accordingly, the panel may be secured within the binder in a manner similar to that of the pages and used as a conventional insert. If the indicia on the any of the pages are unreadable, the device may be easily separated from the binder and placed above the unreadable page to magnify the indica appearing thereon.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a magnifying insert for a binder that is easy-to-use and inexpensive-to-manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnifying insert for a binder which can be easily secured within a binder.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a magnifying insert for a binder uniquely configured to be retained within a ring or post type binder. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3324823 (1967-06-01), Peters
patent: 4293190 (1981-10-01), Clover
patent: 5333907 (1994-08-01), Schaeffer
patent: 5471347 (1995-11-01), Galiani
patent: 5501019 (1996-03-01), Concari et al.
patent: 5610770 (1997-03-01), Galiani
patent: 5695346 (1997-12-01), Sekiguchi et al.
Epps Georgia
Seyfari David
Tolar Kenneth L.
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