AU2005100544A4 - A binding system - Google Patents

Description

30/06 '05 THU 17:56 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK 1004

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant: ACCO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD A.C.N. 000 265 047 Invention Title: A BINDING SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:56 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK M 005 -2o A BINDING SYSTEM F1 ci Technical Field

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Cc 5 The present invention relates to a binding system for a folder. The binding system can be generally used to directly hold items in the folder such as pages, cards, V)paper sheets, photographs, transparencies, plastic sheets oor sheet protector sleeves made of plastic. Such folders can be used in all manner of domestic, educational or ocommercial situations.

ci Background Art A number of methods exist for binding reports or plastic sleeves for display. One method provides a display book with separate front and back flat covers which have a plurality of sheet protector sleeves made of plastic positioned therebetween. The covers and the sleeves have holes located therethrough, and via which is inserted a plastic comb to hold the covers and sleeves together. Normally the comb comprises a plurality of Ushaped rings or teeth that are joined to a rod, and both the rod and a distal portion of the U-shaped rings or teeth are arranged to slide in a track in a respective side of an elongate base plate which forms the spine of the folder. Sliding of the comb relative to the base plate allows disengagement of the comb from the base plate, and enables the removal (or insertion) of additional sleeves for retention by the U-shaped rings or teeth.

These binders, although convenient, do not provide for an aesthetically pleasing presentation because the comb and base plate tend to easily rotate relative to the COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:56 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK 1006 -3folder into various positions. This makes the display C folders difficult to arrange on a shelf with the base plates aligned vertically. This can look untidy and can make it difficult to read a folder label placed on the panel spine. If the exposed comb experiences an impact, the comb rings can be broken, thus rendering the folder useless.

In o Summary of the Invention o In a first aspect the present invention provides a binding system for a folder having a front portion, a back portion, and a spine portion located between and adjoining the front and back portions, the system comprising: a binding member for location within the folder adjacent to the spine; and an elongate fastening plate for location outside the folder and fastenable to the binding member by one or more fasteners extendable through the folder in use.

The provision of the binding member and the elongate fastening plate can provide an aesthetically pleasing folder. Aesthetic improvements in embodiments of this invention include the concealment within the binding member of the closed folder, concealment of the fasteners, and provision of a sleek appearance of folder with unobtrusive binding system elements. These folders can be used, for example, in various business or academic situations where items would be displayed in a presentation folder.

The fastening of the binding member to the fastening plate offers an advantage over some prior art attempts to provide a folder because the binding member is held in a fixed orientation to a portion of the cover. This fixed orientation enables similar folders to be stored on a COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:57 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK 1 007 V-4bookshelf with the elongate fastening plates of each A stored folder in a regular arrangement. The regular arrangement also enables labels to be affixed to the visible portion of each stored folder. In some embodiments, this visible portion can simply be the fastening plate.

SFurthermore, the concealment of the binding member V inside the folder when closed in use can protect the Sbinding member from an impact and possible breakage, which can otherwise cause a failure of the opening and closing function of the folder.

In the present specification, when the term "folder" is used it broadly includes any size or shape of a storage device which has an outer cover made up of a front portion, a back portion, and a spine portion located between and adjoining the front and back portions, and wherein the folder is arranged for the storage of generally planar articles such as paper sheets, cards, placards, photographs, computer discs, transparencies, plastic sheets, film and the like. The spine portion need not necessarily be made of the same material as the front or back portions.

In one embodiment, a plurality of fasteners can be arranged along the fastening plate and protrude through a plurality of corresponding holes in the folder for receipt in corresponding apertures defined in the binding member.

In one form of this embodiment, the or each fastener may be a split pin formed integrally with the fastening plate and deformable when inserted into the aperture in the binding member so as to be locked therein.

In one form of this, each split pin can have an enlarged head at a distal end thereof that locks the pin into the binding member aperture, once deformably inserted COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:57 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK [a008 thereinto, to facilitate locking of the pin in the binding member.

In an embodiment, the or each fastener can be formed from a resilient plastic, deflectable on insertion through the apertures in the binding member and once inserted, urged back into a locking position.

These fasteners can be arranged in many Vconfigurations. For example, in an embodiment, three or Smore equally spaced fasteners may be provided on the V 10 fastening plate for engaging three or more corresponding o and equally spaced apertures in the binding member.

However, other arrangements, for example for four fasteners, either equally or unequally spaced, are possible.

The binding member and fastening plate can be positioned in many configurations on the front, back or spine portion. In an embodiment, the fastening plate and binding member can each be located to run along a length of the spine on opposite sides thereof.

In an embodiment, the binding member can comprise an elongate base plate and an elongate comb slidably mounted to the base plate, the comb comprising a plurality of binding elements. In one form of this embodiment, the binding elements can be U-shaped rings or teeth that run the length of the comb.

In one form of this embodiment, the binding elements are equally spaced along the length of the comb.

In one form of this embodiment, the elongate base plate may be fastened along the spine portion in use.

In an alternative form of this embodiment, the elongate base plate can be fastened along the folder back portion in use, and parallel and adjacent to the spine, with the fastening plate located on an opposite side of and along the folder back portion in use. The fastening COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:58 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK 1 009 V-6plate and binding member need not be parallel to the spine portion. For example, these can run perpendicular to the spine portion, or align along a margin of the folder.

In any of these embodiments, the system can be used with a unitary folder formed from a single sheet of material, for example plastic, which comprises the front, back and spine portions of the folder, In a second aspect, the present invention provides a O binding system for a folder having a front portion, a back portion, and a spine portion located between the front and o back portions, the system comprising: a binding member that is configured to be located within the folder and mounted along the spine portion in use; and one or more fasteners that are configured to be located outside the folder and mounted along the spine portion to extend therethrough in use and into fastening engagement with the binding member to fasten it to the spine.

In an embodiment, the system of the second aspect uses a binding member that is otherwise as defined in the first aspect.

In an embodiment, the one or more fasteners can comprise one or more securing elements. In one form of this embodiment, the or each securing element is a rivet, but in other forms can be an adhesive, welds or screws.

In an embodiment, one fastener is provided and comprises an elongate fastening plate as defined in the first aspect.

In any of the foregoing embodiment, the folder may be a display book folder arranged for removably binding one or more sheet members.

COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:58 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK 10010 -7- Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of a binding system for a folder will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a binding system for a folder, in accordance with the invention, the binding system shown in conjunction with a folder; Figure of Figure 1; Figure Figure 1; 2 shows a plan view of a cover of the folder 3 shows an end view of the binding system of 4a shows a plan view of an elongate fastening binding system of Figure 1; Figure plate of the Figure 4b shows a side view of the elongate fastening plate of Figure 4a; and Figure 5a shows a plan view of an elongate base plate of the binding system of Figure 1; Figure 5b shows a side view of the elongate base plate of Figure 5a; and Figure 6 shows an underside plan view of an comb of the binding system of Figure i.

elongate COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 .05 THU 17:58 FAX 61299255911GRFIHAC 4oi GRIFFITH HACK 10011 -8- Modes for Carrying out the Invention

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Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a folder cover 10 which is made up of three portions: a rectangular front cover panel 12, a similarly-sized rectangular back tflcover panel 14 and an elongate rectangular spine panel 16 o that is located to adjoin each of the front 12 and back 14 cover panels along a respective score or hinge line 18, o 20. The folder cover is also shown in Figure 2.

A binding system 22 is also shown in Figure 1 for mounting to the folder cover 10. The binding system 22 is provided in two main parts. The first part is a binding member, which is itself made up of two portions. A first portion of the binding member is shown in the form of a rectangular and elongate base plate 24 which is generally H-shaped in cross-section, as shown in more detail in Figure 3. Opposing elongate side edges 26, 28 of the base plate 24 are each arranged with a respective recess or cavity 30, 32 therealong. The second portion of the binding member is an elongate comb 34 which is slidably mounted to the base plate 24. The comb 34 is made up of a series of evenly spaced apart U-shaped rings 36 which are mounted (at one end 38 of the U-shaped ring) to a web in the form of an elongate rod 40, whilst at the other end of each respective U-shaped ring 36 is a small lateral tab 42. When fitted to the base plate 24 in use, the rod is slidably mounted in one of the recesses 30, whilst the lateral tab 42 of each respective U-shaped ring 36 is.0 slidably mounted in the recess 32 of the opposing elongate side edge 28.

In use the elongate comb 34 can be disengaged from the base plate 24 by sliding so that the lateral tabs 42 COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:59 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK M 012 d-9of the U-shaped rings 36 are free from the side edge 32 i recess of the base plate 24. In that position, planar articles such as paper or plastic sheets etc that have a -n side edge which is perforated with a row of holes, can be 0 n 5 located onto the U-shaped rings 36, and then the elongate comb 34 can be slidingly re-engaged with the base plate 24. In this way a number of generally planar articles can V be mounted and stored in the folder. Such a comb 34 and o base plate 24 arrangement is known in the art as a 'display book' folder which is arranged for removably obinding one or more sheet members.

When in position the elongate base plate 24 is located along the spine panel 16 of the folder cover and facing into what forms the inside region of the folder when closed (ie within the space defined by the front cover panel 12, back cover panel 14 and spine panel 16).

Therefore in use, the elongate comb 34 is also facing the inside region of the folder and is protected by and concealed within the folder.

The second part of the binding system is a fastener which functions to mount the binding member to the folder.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings (Figures 3, 4a and 4b), the fastener is present as an elongate plate 44 which functions as a backing plate, and is located on an opposite side of the spine panel 16 of the folder and outside of what forms the inside region of the folder when closed (ie the inside being the space defined by the front cover panel 12, back cover panel 14 and spine panel 16).

In the embodiment shown, the elongate plate 44 is fastened to the base plate 24 of the binding member by four fasteners, each in the form of an integral projection 46 arranged on one side of the elongate plate 44, and each projection 46 having an enlarged head end 48. The projections 46 are positioned along a longitudinal COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:59 FAX 61299255911GRFIHAC j01 GRIFFITH HACK [a 013 tt~) centreline of the elongate plate 44. Each head end 48 is ci shown in the form of a split pin made of a resilient plastic material which is deformable from a rest position to a position in which the head end 48 can be narrowed in width so as to pass through a corresponding hole 50 in the elongate base plate 24 of the binding member. once the head end 48 is inserted through a respective hole 50, it resiliently urges back to its normal rest position and o thereby facilitate locking of the split pin at the base plate 24 of the binding member.

o During assembly of the folder 10 and binding system (N 22, the elongate fastening plate 44 is located on one side of the folder 10 and is then placed in fastening engagement with the binding member positioned on the other side of the folder 10 by passing the or each split pin through a plurality of corresponding holes 52 formed in the folder 10 along the spine panel 16. Each split pin is then placed in locking receipt in corresponding holes defined in the base plate 24 at which each head end 48 of the split pin is retained, as previously described.

In other embodiments, there can be a different number of split-pin fasteners arranged on the fastening plate, for example for engaging three or more corresponding and equally spaced apertures in the binding member. However, other arrangements for different numbers of fasteners, either equally or unequally spaced, are possible.

In other embodiments the fastener(s) may be present in forms other than split pins that are integrally formed with an elongate plate, and made of materials other than resilient plastic so long as the fastener(s) can mount the binding member to the folder.

For example, there can be any number of discrete fasteners in the form of rivets or screws which fasten the fastening (backing) plate to one side of the folder, and a COMS ID Na:SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 17:59 FAX 61299255911GRFIHAC j01 GRIFFITH HACK [a 014 binding member (for example, the elongate base plate 24) (N to the other side of the folder (typically at the inside region of the folder when closed). In still other forms, the rivets or screws need not be arranged to fasten to a single fastening plate, but to a number of smaller, discrete fastening plates or to other forms of mounting for the rivet or screw, which may be something as simple as an internally threaded socket located in the spine o panel 16. In such embodiments the use of an elongate plate (such as 44) is not necessarily required, and if o present, is only to enhance aesthetics and/or spine (N stiffness. Alternatively, the one or more fasteners can comprise the use of other securing elements such as an adhesive. Also, any combination of any two or more of these types of fasteners may also be used.

In other embodiments, forms of the binding member and fastening plate can be positioned in other configurations on the front or back cover panels, or spine portion of the folder. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the fastening plate and binding member are located on opposite sides of the spine portion 16 of the folder 10. In an alternative embodiment, the binding system can be fastened along the folder back portion 14 in use, and parallel and adjacent to the spine, still with the fastening plate 44 located on an opposite side of and along the folder back portion 14 in use.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the binding system is arranged for use with a unitary folder formed from a single sheet of material, for example plastic; which comprises the front 12 and back 14 cover and the spine panel 16 portions of the folder 10. In still other embodiments, each of these three portions of the folder need not be made of the same material, for instance the spine may be of a different material (such as a more rigid COMS ID Na:SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 18:00 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK o015 -12o plastic) compared to the material of each of the front and back covers. In still other embodiments, the spine portion may not be a panel per se, but merely a joint between front and back cover portions.

cc )5 In still other embodiments, the second portion of the binding member may not necessarily be an elongate comb but can be another form of holding means, for example with teeth or openable rings etc. In these embodiments (or oindeed in the embodiment utilising an elongate comb), the individual elements which hold the planar articles need not have equally spaced binding elements therealong, for instance in situations where the perforated holes in the side edge of the planar articles are irregularly spaced.

Now that a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in some detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the binding system has at least the following advantages: The binding system represents an aesthetic improvements on known binding systems of this type because of the concealment of the binding member within the closed folder, and provision of a sleek appearance of folder with unobtrusive binding system elements; (ii) The fastening of the binding member to the fastening plate fixes the orientation of the binding member in relation to the cover of the folder, to provide for a more attractive appearance when stored; and (iii) The concealment of the binding member inside the folder when closed in use can protect the binding member from an impact and possible breakage.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 18:00 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK oM016 -13and modifications other than those specifically described.

For example any shape of folder and binding system is also within the scope of the invention, and need not be restricted to the particular form of the preferred embodiment described. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined V) from the foregoing description.

o In describing the preferred embodiment of the V 10 invention illustrated in the drawings, specific oterminology has been resorted to for the sake of clarity.

However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar technical purpose. Terms such as "inside", "outside", "peripheral", "adjacent", "parallel" and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points and are not to be construed as strictly limiting terms.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments.

COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30

Claims (3)

1. 2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of fasteners are arranged along the fastening plate and protrude through a plurality of corresponding holes in the folder for receipt in corresponding apertures defined in the binding member.
2. 3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the binding member comprises an elongate base plate and an elongate comb slidably mounted to the base plate, the comb comprising a plurality of binding elements.
3. 4. A binding system for a folder having a front portion, a back portion, and a spine portion located between the front and back portions, the system comprising: a binding member that is configured to be located within the folder and mounted along the spine portion in use; and one or more fasteners that are configured to be located outside the folder and mounted along the spine portion to extend therethrough in use and into fastening COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30 30/06 '05 THU 18:01 FAX 61299255911 GRIFFITH HACK @018 s o engagement with the binding member to fasten it to the c( spine. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding CC 5 claims wherein the folder is a display book folder arranged for removably binding one or more sheet members. SACCO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD by its Patent Attorneys o GRIFFITH HACK ci COMS ID No: SBMI-01329015 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:05 Date 2005-06-30