Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Paul Edward Ruble ·
Assignee(s)	None listed in document.  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Koppel, Jacobs, Patrick & Heybl ·
Primary Examiner	A. L. Wellington ·
Assistant Examiner	Monica Carter ·
Application Number	US9379966
Filing date	08/24/1999
Issue date	05/14/2002
Predicted expiration date	11/24/2017
U.S. Classifications	402/60  · 402/70  · 281/151  · 24/671.1  · 402/75  · D19/26  · 24/67.R  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	B1
International Classifications	281 151 · 281 211 · 281 29 · 281 31 · 281 36 · 281 37 · 281 38 · 281 34 · 283 64 · 283 60 · 402 70 · 402 73 · 402 60 · 402 75 · 402 79 · 24 67 R · 24 679 · 24 6711 · D19 26 · D19 27 · D19 32 · D19 33 ·
Related U.S. Application Data	The following application, is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/316,238, filed on May 21, 1999, abandoned to Ruble, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/977,304, filed on Nov. 24, 1997, now abandoned also to Ruble.
Foreign Priority	CA2368383 - 01/16/2002 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

A hardcover binder that can be interchanged with a variety of binding mechanisms. A binding mechanism is removably mounted in the binder hardcover allowing for removal of the binding mechanism for recycling or replacement of the binding mechanism or binder hardcover. The hardcover has a pair of interior pockets that are offset from and open towards the hardcovers spine. The invention comes with a pair of inserts that can be perforated and integrated with binding mechanisms such as plastic comb or spiral. In the case of a 3-ring binding mechanism, the inserts can be affixed to the binding mechanism or the binding mechanism can be mounted on a single section of insert material resulting in two insert flaps that function the same as the inserts. The inserts (or flaps) are removably inserted and fit snugly into the interior pockets to anchor the binding mechanism against the spine and between the hardcover. In the case of D-ring binding mechanisms, opposing interior pockets are formed on the interior of the hardcover back panel and the hardcover back panel such that the D-ring binding mechanism is mounted on the back panel.

Independent Claims | See all claims (37)

1. 1. A printed material binder, comprising: a hardcover binder having front and back binder panels that are joined at a spine, said front and back binder panels each having an interior pocket that opens towards the spine; a binder mechanism for holding printed materials; and a pair of-opposing inserts that are integrated with said binding mechanism, said binding mechanism and said inserts forming a separate unit that is removably mated with said hardcover binder to form said printed material binder, said inserts being removably insertable and snugly fit into said pockets to hold said binding mechanism against said spine and between said front and back binder panels, said inserts being rigid enough to maintain their shape within said pockets, said pockets allowing slight movement of the inserts and binding mechanism, thereby providing a cushion that helps prevent said printed material on said binder mechanism from forcing said binding mechanism open when said printed material binder is jarred; said inserts having tips that are formed approximately halfway between the ends of their respective inserts and taper to an approximate height of said pocket, making each said insert easier to handle and feed into its respective pocket.
2. 10. A printed material binder, comprising: a hardcover binder having front and back binder panels that are joined at a spine, said front and back binder panels each having an interior pocket that opens towards the spine; a binder mechanism for holding printed materials; and a pair of opposing inserts that are integrated with said binding mechanism, said binding mechanism and said inserts forming a separate unit that is removably mated with said hardcover binder to form said printed material binder, said inserts being removably insertable and snugly fit into said pockets to hold said binding mechanism against said spine and between said front and back binder panels, said inserts being rigid enough to maintain their shape within said pockets, said pockets allowing slight movement of the inserts and binding mechanism, thereby providing a cushion that helps prevent said printed material on said binder mechanism from forcing said binding mechanism open when said printed material binder is jarred; said inserts having tips that are formed approximately halfway between the ends of their respective inserts and taper to an approximate height of said pocket, making each said insert easier to handle and feed into its respective pocket, wherein each said interior pocket substantially covers its respective panel and has an overlap tab along the length of the pocket opening, said tab overlapping said spine and tucked under said binding mechanism such that said inserts are hidden within said pockets and said pocket openings are hidden behind said binding mechanism.
3. 11. A binder of printed material, comprising: front and back binder panels that are joined at a spine, said front and back binder panels each having an interior pocket that opens towards said spine; a binding mechanism for binding printed material; and a pair of opposing inserts of substantially less width than said panels, said inserts integrated into said binding mechanism, said binding mechanism and said inserts forming a separate unit that is removably mated with said binder panels and said spine to form said binder of printed material, each said insert fitting snugly in a respective one of said interior pockets to mount said binding mechanism against said spine and between said front and back panels; said pockets and inserts cooperating to resist side-to-side or twisting movement of said binding mechanism, prevent movement of said binding mechanism, and prevent said binding mechanism from falling out of said binder accidentally.
4. 26. A binder of printed material, comprising: front and back binder panels that are joined at a spine, said front and back binder panels each having an interior pocket that opens towards said spine; a binding mechanism for binding printed material; and a pair of opposing inserts of substantially less width than said panels, said inserts integrated into said binding mechanism, said binding mechanism and said inserts forming a separate unit that is removably mated with said binder panels and said spine to form said binder of printed material, each said insert fitting snugly in a respective one of said interior pockets to mount said binding mechanism against said spine and between said front and back panels, said interior pockets allowing slight movement of the inserts and binding mechanism, thereby providing a cushion that helps prevent said printed material on said binder mechanism from forcing said binding mechanism open when said binder of printed material is jarred; said pockets and inserts cooperating to resist side-to-side or twisting movement of said binding mechanism, prevent movement of said binding mechanism, and prevent said binding mechanism from falling out of said binder accidentally, wherein each said interior pocket substantially covers its respective panel and has an overlap tab along the length of the pocket opening, said tab overlapping said spine and tucked under said binding mechanism such that said inserts are hidden within said pockets and said pocket openings are hidden behind said binding mechanism.
5. 27. A D-ring printed material binder, comprising: a hardcover binder having front and back binder panels that are joined at a spine, said back panel having an interior pocket that is offset and opens toward said spine and said spine having an interior pocket that is offset and opens toward said back panel; a D-ring binding mechanism for holding printed material; and a pair of opposing inserts that are integrated with said binding mechanism, said binding mechanism and said inserts forming a separate unit that is removably mated with said hardcover binder to form said printed material binder, each said insert being removably insertable and snugly fit into a respective one of said pockets to hold said binding mechanism against the interior of said back panel along the edge joining said spine and said back panel, said inserts rigid enough to maintain their shape within said pockets, said pockets allowing slight movement of the inserts and binding mechanism, thereby providing a cushion that helps prevent said printed material on said binder mechanism from forcing said binding mechanism open when said printed material binder is jarred; said pockets and inserts cooperating to resist side-to-side or twisting movement of said binding mechanism, prevent movement of said binding mechanism, and prevent said binding mechanism from falling out of said binder accidentally.
6. 34. A method of interchanging or replacing a binder binding mechanism, comprising: providing a binding mechanism for holding printed material, said binding mechanism having a pair of opposing inserts, said binding mechanism and inserts forming a separate unit; providing a hardcover that has a front and back interior panel each of substantially greater width than said inserts and joined to a spine, said panels having respective interior pockets that are offset from and open towards said spine; and inserting said inserts into respective ones of said pockets so that they fit snugly and anchor said binding mechanism against the spine inside said hardcover_such that said insert and binding mechanism unit is removably mated with said hardcover and said interior pockets allow slight movement of said insert and binding mechanism unit, thereby providing a cushion that helps prevent said printed material on said binding mechanism from forcing said binding mechanism open when said binder is jarred; said pockets and inserts cooperating to resist side-to-side or twisting movement of said binding mechanism, prevent movement of said binding mechanism, and prevent said binding mechanism from falling out of said binder accidentally.
7. 37. A method of interchanging or replacing a binder binding mechanism, comprising: providing a binding mechanism for holding printed material, said binding mechanism having a pair of opposing inserts, said binding mechanism and inserts forming a separate unit; providing a hardcover that has a front and back interior panel each of substantially greater width than said inserts and joined to a spine, said back panel having an interior pocket that is offset from and open towards said spine and said spine having an interior pocket that is offset form and open towards said back panel; and inserting said inserts into respective ones of said pockets so that they fit snugly and anchor said binding mechanism against said back panel inside said hardcover such that said insert and binding mechanism unit is removably mated with said hardcover and said interior pockets allow slight movement of said insert and binding mechanism unit, thereby providing a cushion that helps prevent said printed material on said binding mechanism from forcing said binding mechanism open when said binder is jarred; said pockets and inserts cooperating to resist side-to-side or twisting movement of said binding mechanism, prevent movement of said binding mechanism, and prevent said binding mechanism from falling out of said binder accidentally.