Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet – Sheet retainer travels arcuate path – Travel in plane perpendicular to axis of rotation
Patent
1996-09-16
1997-12-02
Howell, Daniel W.
Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet
Sheet retainer travels arcuate path
Travel in plane perpendicular to axis of rotation
402 36, 402 37, 402 41, 402 20, 402 31, 281 271, B42F 1322
Patent
active
056928483
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a ring binder for removably binding separate sheets with binding holes by opening and closing binding rings.
BACKGROUND ART
In one of the known prior-art designs of this type of the ring binder, a pair of opposing swing plates are pivotally attached to the longitudinal edges of a fixed plate by means of a hinge mechanism, and a pair of opposing ring halves which form a binding ring are fixedly mounted at their bases onto the swing plates. As the longitudinal swing edges of the opposing swing plates are moved toward the top face of the fixed plate, the ring halves are brought into engagement with each other at their ends, thereby closing the binding ring. Also, the hinge mechanisms on the swing plates is normally provided with a coil spring for resiliently biasing the swing plates away from the top face of the fixed plate.
In order to close the binding rings in this type of the ring binder, the opposing swing plates are separately rotated until their swing edges come closer to the top face of the fixed plate, thus bringing the ends of the ring halves into engagement with each other. When it is intended to open the binding rings, after disengaging the ends of the opposing ring halves, the swing plate are rotated so that their swing edges move away from the top of the fixed plate.
However, with this arrangement of the ring binder, the opening and closing operations are rather complicated.
Since the opposing swing plates are independently hinged to the fixed plate, it is necessary to rotate the opposing swing plates separately by hand manipulation, making one-touch operation by one hand difficult. Moreover, the coil spring must be incorporated into each of the hinge mechanisms for the opposing swing plates, which increases the number of necessary parts. In addition, in order to achieve stable engagement between the ends of the ring halves, the opposing swing plates must be precisely mounted. But for the swing plates to be able to pivotally rotate, some free play in a longitudinal direction must be allowed, and so are the mounting tolerance. Thus with arrangement of the prior-art ring binder, the ends of the opposing ring halves inevitably clash against each other, making it difficult to accomplish stable engagement of the ring halves.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to eliminate these and other disadvantages of the prior-art, and to achieve the object, the following arrangement has been designed.
The ring binder in accordance with this invention includes a fixed plate, a pair of opposing swing plates pivotally attached to the longitudinal edges of the fixed plate by means of a hinge mechanism, and binding rings fixedly mounted on the swing plates. As the swinging edges of the opposing swing plates are pivotally moved closer toward the top face of the fixed plate, the binding rings are closed, while, on the other hand, as the swinging edges of the opposing swing plates are moved pivotally away from the top of the fixed plate, the binding rings are opened. The swinging edges of the opposing swing plates are uniquely connected together by a joint mechanism so that the opposing swing plates are moved pivotally together toward and away from the top face of the fixed plate.
In one preferred embodiment, the joint mechanism may include a male joint having a projection fixedly mounted to the swinging edge of one swing plate, and a female joint fixedly mounted to the swinging edge of the other swing plate at a position corresponding to the male joint and having a slot extending along the width at a position corresponding to the projection. With this arrangement, the male joint and the female joint are engaged together by means of the projection being slidably fitted into the slot, thus connecting the swinging edges of the opposing swing plates together. In another form, the joint mechanism may include a protruded joint section formed on the swing edge of one swing plate, and a recessed joint section formed on the swing edge of the other swing pla
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Howell Daniel W.
Kokuyo Co. Ltd.
Krolikowski Julie A.
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