AU2001100264A4 - Scrapbook memory album/photo album - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT ALBUM OR PRESENTATION FOLDER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: CAPSTONE COMP. SERVICES 61 7 3279 0254 P.01 2 The invention relates to an album or presentation folder of the kind in which a plurality of releasable leaves, sleeves, cards, presentation pockets or pages (hereinafter referred to more simply and inclusively as leaves) are bound. The album or presentation folder of the invention includes scrapbooks, memory albums, photograph albums and the like, assembled in such manner to allow a user to optionally disassemble it, add or remove leaves and then reassemble it.

The presentation folder is referred to hereinafter, for convenience, as an album and any of the general kind as specified hereinbefore is to be read into the word except where context dictates something more particular.

Albums are known and they have been provided in any of a variety of loose-leaf structures. Some use a spring-back binding method. Some use a lever-arch assembly as a means by which to retain the leaves. Some use a cord or similar filament passed though holes in leaves and respective cover boards.

A particular known means by which to effect the binding of an assembly of cover boards and leaves clamps them together, typically holding the leaves between hinge plates on the cover boards. In this klnown sitrcture, binders are used wherein screws are threaded into hollow posts passed through complementary holes in the cover boards or hinge plates and leaves. The assembly is captured or held between flanged heads to respective screws and posts. In order to effect a pleasing finish, a spine cover is incorporated, also threaded via complementary holes by the posts, but the assembly is difficult when the spine cover is to hide the spine and the clamping screws whilst being also held by them.

13/08 '01 MON 14:34 [TX/RX NO 7421] It is an object of the present invention to provide an album using a spine cover in association with binders wherein its assembly and disassembly is more readily effected making it quicker and simpler for users.

In a particularly preferred form of the invention the aim is to achieve a book like appearance or 'volume' look when put together side by side on a bookshelf In a further particularly preferred form of the invention the aim is a construction in which the album opens exposing the leaves in the flat such that items mounted thereon are less likely to be damaged by bending.

The invention achieves its object in an album including: front and back cover boards each formed with a hinge plate at a rearward edge; at least one of the front and back cover boards each additionally formed externally with a pocket open at and along its rear edge adjoining its hinge plate; the hinge plates being holed for passage of binders; leaves with complementary holes for passage of the binders; releasable binders to hold the cover boards and leaves together; and a spine cover; the binders effecting, in use, a spine to the album; the spine cover wrapping the spine; the spine cover having an end tucked, in use, into the pocket.

In its preferred form the album is of the type wherein the leaves are bound between hinge plates caught between flanged heads on respective screw and post CAPSTONE COMP. SERVICES 61 7 3279 0254 2 4 forming each binder. Both cover boards can be fitted with a pocket, each pocket is ideally formed behind respective cover sheets that are fitted over the cover boards and are open to the rear at respective edges that adjoin the hinge plates. The spine cover can be sheet-like to extend around the spine and flexible but sufficiently stiff for its end or ends can be pushed into respective pockets. The cover boards are ideally formed by first and second sheets that are edge-connected by a wrap around cover material. The cover material is preferably an embroidered cloth. The cover boards may have various decorative items mounted thereon, either external or internal, chosen preferably to be in keeping with intended use.

The invention will now be described with reference to various preferred embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: FIG 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of an album in accordance with the invention, FIG 2 is a partially exploded top view of the album of Fig 1, FIG 3 is a perspective view of the album of Figs 1 and 2, shown in its assembled form, FIG 4 is a partial perspective view of a cover board as used in an album as in Figs 1 to 3, FIG 5 is a perspective view of the top of a second embodiment of the invention showing its finished appearance, without a spine cover, FIG 6 is a further perspective view of the second embodiment showing it at a stage during assembly, and FIG 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention.

13/08 '01 MON 14:34 [TX/RX NO 7421] In Fig 1 the album 10 is formed between front and back cover plates, leaves or boards and the like 11 and 12, referred to hereinafter as cover boards for convenience. Each cover board is formed with a respective hinge, connector or clamp plate and the like 13 and 14, hereinafter referred to as a hinge plate for convenience. The hinge plates and respective cover boards may be operatively interacted or connected in hinged manner, being joined by bridging cloth or tape as is known to those in book-binding arts. The front and back hinge plates are provided with holes 15 to 17 through which respective binder posts 18 to 20 are passed. The binder posts have coaxial, threaded bores in which to receive respective screws, such as screw 21, threaded, in use, into the threaded bore in clamp post 18. The binder posts pass through album plates, leaves or pages and the like 22 to 24, hereinafter referred to as leaves for convenience. On securing screw 21 the leaves and cover boards are assembled, held, retained or bound together between respective flanged heads to the screws and binder posts. The length of the binder posts is chosen to match the thickness of leaves to be threaded plus hinge plates. Longer posts are substituted and used as required when an extension is needed to thread an expanded album. The respective front and back cover boards 11 and 12 may be both constructed with pockets for a spine cover.

The cover boards may be fitted with respective decorative treatments, cover materials or facing sheets, such as over face 25 arranged, adapted or configured to form a recess, slot, sleeve or pocket and the like, hereinafter referred to as a pocket for convenience. The pocket provides a mouth or opening 26 that is oriented towards the rear (described in greater detail below). A spine sheet, web or cover and the like 27, hereinafter referred to as a spine cover for convenience, is -CAPSTONE COMP. SERVICES 61 7 3279 0254 P.03 6 finted to the album 10 to cover the album spine that is effected by the screw and binder post retained, held or bound leaves and hinge plates 13,14. The spine cover forward edges 28,29 are slotted, slid or inserted into the respective pockets on the front and back cover boards 11,12 with forward edge 28 passed through opening 26.

A. sheet of card that has a covering applied thereover might form the spine cover 27. The covering is ideally chosen to match or complement any external covering that is applied to the cover hoards. The covering might be a woven cloth, possibly embroidered or similarly decorated, whose edges wrap around the top and bottom edges of the card to achieve a more elegant appearance. The card edges that are slotted into the pockets need not be so carefully finished as they are out of sight or completely covered, in use, inside their respective pocket. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that a spine cover might be prepared from a variety of base materials, with or without a cover if it has the requisite rigidity to enable it to be slid into a pocket. Alternately if a lamination of base material and covering is used only the assembled lamination need exhibit the requisite rigidity, the base material being less critical. A particular form for leaves to be used in an album in accordance with the invention involves a construction that is similar to that of the cover boards, a sheet material hinged off a hinge plate. Ideally the sheet material is a card material such as the black cardboard used in photograph albums. When the hinge plates are thicker, substantially equaling the card thickness plus what is to be mounted on it, 13/08 '01 MON 14:34 [TX/RX NO 7421] such as photographs, an assembly of these hinged leaves does not swell when filled as do other albums.

In Fig 2 the album is oriented with the top in view. The spine cover 27 is shown displaced to the left, in a disassembled state, its front edges 28,29 withdrawn from respective pockets. The pockets are on the outside of the respective front and back cover boards 11,12. The binder post 18 and screw 21 are shown undone and withdrawn from the hinge plates 13,14.

1o In Fig 3 the album 10 is seen in its assembled state with hinge plates and screwed binders hidden from view by the spine cover 27. The spine cover is fitted to the cover boards with its forward ends or edges sleeved or slotted into respective cover board pockets. The spine cover seen pocketed at 26, completely covers the binders to provide a neat appearance to the album.

In Fig 4 is seen a cover board 30 with a facing material or cover sheet 32 fitted there over. They may be fixed to their cover boards by adhering only flanges 34 to 36 that are folded over the cover board. They are otherwise free of the board to leave a pocket there between, with an opening 33 in which to receive a spine cover (not shown).

In Figs 5 and 6 cover boards 37,38 are hinged at 47,46 to respective hinge plates 39,40 with leaves 41,42,43 between. Pockets on the cover boards 37,38 open at 45,44 for a spine cover (not shown) of the type seen in Figs 1 to 3. In Fig 5 the cover boards 37,38 are folded forward on their hinges 47,46 enclosing or SCAPSTONE COMP. SERVICES 61 7 3279 0254 P.04 8 wrapping over the hinge plates 39,40. This is the finished configuration for the album. In use it secures an advantage in that it opens flatter than the first embodiment with less bending of contents that might otherwise be damaged. In Fig 6 the cover boards 37,38 are folded backwards to expose the binders, binder 48 being the only one in view, making them accessible when leaves are to be added, or removed from the album.

In Fig 7 the cover boards 49,50 are hinged on hinge plates 51,52 with leaves 53,54,55 between. In this embodiment the spine cover 56 is attached at 59 to the end of cover board 49 by a hinge 59 akin to hinge 60 between cover board 49 and its hinge plate 51. The hinges are readily provided in similar manner by use of tape and the like affixed typically by some suitable bonding medium such as an adhesive. Alternately the spine cover end might be fixed in place in a false pocket if a symmetric appearance is needed. The other edge 57 is free and in use it is slid into the pocket on cover board 50 that opens at 58 enabling accommodation of variation in the spine as leaves are added or removed. An advantage in this embodiment is the reduced potential for the spine cover to be inadvertently removed by a simple rearward tug.

The cover boards are readily prepared from two pieces of card. A first sheet or piece of card has a hinge plate attached by tape to hinge the two together. The second sheet or piece or card has a cover material applied over its outer face with a first edge folded around the edge that forms the pocket mouth. The two sheets are then simply laid up side by side, pocket mouth edge and hinge plate edges together; Covering flaps off the cover material on the second sheet are then simply 13/08 '01 MON 14:34 [TX/RX NO 7421] folded over the assembly edges and adhered to the inner face of the first sheet. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the extent of a cover material over the outer faces of the cover boards can be a complete or partial cover, such as a threequarter cover. A decorative end paper might be adhered to the inside face to cover the flaps in the now common manner in the bookbinding art. The decorative end paper need not be limited to plain, printed or pattern paper, plastic or metallic material, or the like. The album might be finished by use of a material matching the outer cover, or other media such as a suede, etc. The second sheet and its cover might be laminated with an intervening resilient foam sheet to achieve the now common plush feel of albums.

In production of an album in accordance with the invention, the cover boards and hinge plates are typically formed from a thick cardboard. They may be covered over which a cloth layer that might be adhered to them and to span a small gap between the two to effect a hinge as will be known to those skilled in the art. The binder posts and their screws are typically brass fittings. The cover boards may covered with face sheets in a finishing material such as a woven material, embroidered or otherwise finished, leather and the like, either alone or with a reinforcing backing, tailored to provide the pocket. A similar sheet material may be backed with an appropriately flexible stiffening material to create a spine cover that is sufficiently rigid to enable it to be pushed into the pockets and maintain a decorative finish.

Claims (5)

1. An album including: front and back cover boards each formed with a hinge plate at a rearward edge; at least one of the front and back cover boards each additionally formed externally with a pocket open at and along its rear edge adjoining its hinge plate; the hinge plates being holed for passage of binders, to leaves with complementary holes for passage of the binders; releasable binders to hold the cover boards and leaves together; and a spine cover; the binders effecting, in use, a spine to the album; the spine cover wrapping the spine; the spine cover having an end tucked, in use, into the pocket.

2. An album as claimed in claim I wherein the leaves are bound between hinge plates caught between flanged heads on respective screw and binder post: forming each binder.

3. An album as claimed in claim I wherein both cover boards are fitted with a pocket, each pocket is formed behind respective cover sheets that are fitted over the cover boards and are open to the rear at respective edges that adjoin the hinge plates. 13/08 '01 MON 14:34 [TX/RX NO 7421]

4. An album as claimed in claim 3 wherein the spine cover is sheet-like to extend around the spine and flexible but sufficiently stiff for its ends to be pushed into respective pockets.

5. An album as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cover boards are formed by first and second sheets that are edge-connected by a wrap around cover material including an embroidered cloth. Dated this k'day of tA-2001. lo-