Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet – Pliant – deformable sheet retainer
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-03
2001-02-13
Howell, Daniel W. (Department: 3722)
Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet
Pliant, deformable sheet retainer
C281S021100, C281S045000, C402S070000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186690
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to binding devices and, more particularly, to an improved strap connection system for releasably binding pages together within covers in a lay flat condition.
The first known Latin manuscript, circa 55 A.D. was protected by two wooden covers bound on one side by leather thongs to act as a hinge. Today, there are many different types of binding systems. One type of hardback binding is an adhesive binding using glue with an integral cover to permanently secure the pages within the cover. While adhesive bindings are used for permanently binding the pages of books, there are many other types of less permanent and less expensive binding systems which serve the basic needs of protecting, storing and providing convenient access to the bound information.
Perhaps the best known non-permanent binding system is the three ring binder. The three ring binder is available in a variety of different sizes ranging from one inch to five inches for holding various numbers of pages therein. The rings may be round, D-shaped or elliptical rings and are opened and closed for adding, removing and rearranging pages. One disadvantage of a three ring binder is that the size of each binder is fixed and it is not reducable or expandable to accommodate varying number of pages therein. Thus, the user may select a binder which is too large or too small for the number of pages to be held by the rings of the binder. If the number of pages exceeds the capacity of the rings, the rings may not close properly and the pages may be difficult to turn or may become loose. If the number of pages is less than the capacity of the rings, then the user may be left with a bulky binding system having exposed rings. In either case, the number of pages may increase or decrease as the user adds or removes pages and it may be difficult to select a binder which is sized to match the number of pages held in the binder at any given time. Another disadvantage is that the three ring binder does not typically lay flat in its closed condition and thus may be difficult to store and may be less aesthetically pleasing in both the opened and closed conditions.
Other types of non-permanent binding systems include wire bindings, spiral coil bindings, comb bindings and screw post bindings. Wire bindings and spiral coil bindings require special machinery to punch holes in sheets to be bound and insert the binding through the holes. While these types of bindings are not permanent and are often used to bind reports and presentations, one disadvantage is that pages cannot be easily removed, rearranged or added once they are secured because the binding must be removed and reattached using special machinery. In addition, the size of the wire or spiral coil is fixed so that the number of pages cannot exceed a certain predetermined amount.
Comb binding uses a separate spine to hold together punched pages and allows pages to be added, removed or rearranged. Similarly, screw post binding uses two cover pieces and a removable spine to releasably hold punched pages together. While comb and screw post bindings provide an expandable, lay flat binding system, one disadvantage is these bindings may be too bulky if only a small number of pages are to be bound. In addition, these type of bindings may be relatively expensive due to the three cover pieces and the comb or screw post components which are required. Further, the required disassembly and reassembly of the parts each time a page is removed or added makes these types of bindings relatively complicated and not user-friendly.
With the increasing popularity of showcasing photos and memorabilia in attractive keepsake albums and scrapbooks, the need for lay flat, attractive albums including user-friendly binding systems which allow pages to be removed, rearranged or added with ease has increased. One currently available lay flat, photo album utilizes a binding system which includes straps and two anchored pieces having slots for receiving the straps to releasably secure two covers together. While this binding systems allows the user to remove, rearrange and add pages, as desired, in a lay flat album, one disadvantage is that the straps are difficult to thread through the slots and must be threaded in a certain manner to properly secure the strap. Further, this binding system requires that the two covers be separate. Thus, a separate spine portion must be added if the user desires to cover the binding at the spine of the album resulting in additional expense. Another disadvantage is that the strap ends are exposed at both the front and rear cover. In addition, the straps must be located only where the slots in the anchored pieces are formed and they cannot be moved to different positions along the vertical extent of the covers to accommodate pages having slots in various locations along the edge thereof.
Therefore, there is a need for a simple connection system which securely holds pages together within covers while allowing a user to easily remove, rearrange or add pages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved strap connection system which provides a simple, inexpensive means for releasably securing pages within covers in a lay flat condition. The improved strap connection system includes a pair of cover pieces and a flexible binding strap having one anchored end which is permanently secured to one cover piece, with the other end of the strap extending away from such cover piece. An arrangement for releasably securing the extending end of the strap to the other cover piece includes a retaining sheet attached to and forming a pocket with the other cover piece. In use, the extending end of the strap is inserted through a slot formed in the end of the pages and slides under the retaining sheet into the pocket to secure the strap in place. The improved strap connection system is specifically designed to allow the extending end of the strap to be easily released from and secured to the cover piece for readily removing, rearranging or adding pages while providing a secure connection for holding the pages together within the covers. In addition, the elongated, flexible strap allows a large or small number of pages to be held within the covers, as desired, and permits the cover pieces and pages to be opened or closed into a completely flat condition. The improved strap connection system of the present invention is ideal for use in photo albums, scrapbook albums, report covers, portable CD holders, collector albums and virtually any item for which a 3-ring binder or other releasable-type binder is currently used.
In the preferred embodiment, the improved strap connection system is utilized in an album, such as a scrapbook or photo album, to releasably bind a plurality of album pages together within the album covers. The cover pieces of the connection system are defined by a front album cover and a rear album cover which are joined together by an integral album spine along the inner vertical extent of each cover. Thus, the front and rear covers and spine form a single piece rather than three separate pieces as is required with some binding systems.
In the preferred embodiment, the strap of the album comprises a pair of elongated, flexible strap members selectively placed along the inner vertical extent of the album covers in a spaced apart position and extending therebetween. While the strap comprises two strap members in this embodiment, the strap may include multiple strap members in other embodiments, as desired. For example, additional strap members may be used to provide stability in larger applications, such as by way of example, oversized photo albums may include three strap members. Each strap member has one extending end which is releasably secured to one cover and an opposite anchored end which is fixedly secured to the other cover. In the preferred embodiment, the fixedly secured or anchored end of each strap member comprises a retaining strip, extending between and connecting the strap members, which is
Carter Monica S.
Howell Daniel W.
Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman LLP
NAPCO, Inc.
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