AU2006100007A4

AU2006100007A4 - A notebook

Info

Publication number: AU2006100007A4
Application number: AU2006100007A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Allan Boolkin
Original assignee: ACCO AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd
Current assignee: ACCO AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-01-03
Filing date: 2006-01-03
Publication date: 2006-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2014-01-03
Also published as: AU2006100007B4

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant: ACCO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD A.C.N. 000 265 047 Invention Title: A NOTEBOOK The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: A NOTEBOOK Technical Field The present invention relates to a notebook for writing. In one form, the notebook can be of the type which features a number of pages of paper that are provided together in a pre-bound form. Such notebooks can be used in all manner of domestic, educational or commercial situations.

Background Art When using a notebook (or a folder or diary or the like), it is often the case that other written materials are required to be referred to or used whilst the notebook is in use. These can include a reference table, or another associated documentation to which the user may wish to refer whilst making a recordal of information on the notebook pages. Sometimes these other materials are not readily available and may only be located in another folder or wallet which is separate from the notebook, or perhaps stored in another part of a user's bag or briefcase. In some instances, a user may somehow clip or fasten such other materials in a temporary manner into the notebook, but such storage options may actually increase the likelihood of losing such important reference materials. It is therefore convenient to have a location in immediate proximity to the notebook to store such reference materials, in order to save time and prevent the separation of such materials.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a notebook comprising a plurality of sheet members; and one or more sleeves, each sleeve itself arranged for holding one or more sheet elements; wherein the sheet members and the or each sleeve are provided in a bound form.

Such an arrangement conveniently provides sheet members and the one or more sleeves in close proximity to one another for example to allow a user to view reference material held in the sleeve(s), and to make notes or record other information on the adjacent sheet members.

In many applications it is convenient to have reference material (for example, an itinerary, a timetable, a schedule, or other important documents) close to the sheet members (for example, when the sheet members are paper pages). Such an arrangement can allow immediate access to a reference material for use when recording information on a sheet of material. The sleeve(s) can also be used to store an item of value, such as money, keys, credit cards, travel tickets and the like.

In the present specification, when the term "bound form" is used, it broadly refers to any type of fixed binding arrangement used when the notebook is assembled from its component parts. In its bound form, the sheet members and the one or more sleeves are moveable in relation to one another, for example to turn the sheet members relative to one another and with respect to the sleeve(s).

In one embodiment, the sheet members and the or each sleeve can also be bound to the notebook, as well as to each other. In one form of this, the bound form of the notebook can be achieved by a binding element comprising at least one of a spiral wire, a stitching, an adhesive substance and a staple, used to bind the sheet members and the sleeve(s) with the remainder of the notebook.

In another embodiment, the bound form of the notebook can be achieved by a binding element comprising at least one of a spiral wire, a stitching, an adhesive substance, a clip, a through-fastener and a staple which binds the sheet members, the sleeve(s) and the remainder of the notebook together.

In an embodiment, the sheet members and the or each sleeve can be positioned between a front cover and a back cover of the notebook. In one form of this, the sleeve(s) can be positioned on top of the sheet members and immediately underneath the front cover of the notebook.

In an alternative embodiment, the sheet members can be positioned between a front cover and a back cover of the notebook and the or each sleeve is positioned on the other side of one of the front cover or the back cover.

In one form of this, the sleeve(s) can be positioned immediately adjacent to the front cover of the notebook, and in another form of this, the sleeve(s) can be positioned immediately adjacent to the back cover of the notebook.

In one variation of either of these alterative embodiments, the or each sleeve can be a sheet protector pocket that is open at one end for the introduction or removal of sheet elements.

In another variation, the or each sleeve can be a sheet protector pocket that comprises a sealable envelope.

In one form of this, the said envelope can be sealable by a zip-lock sliding seal.

In one embodiment, the or each sleeve may be transparent to allow ready visual access to the reference material, such as a timetable or schedule. For example, the or each sleeve can be made of polypropylene.

In one embodiment, the sheet members can be made of paper, although other materials can include plastic (such as transparencies, cardboard etc) In one embodiment, the front cover and the back cover can be formed from a resilient plastic, for example a thick polypropylene, although other rigid or semi-rigid materials are able to be used. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the front cover and the back cover can be formed from a cardboard material.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a front, perspective view of a notebook comprising a plurality of sheet members and two sleeves for holding sheet element(s), in accordance with the invention, the notebook shown in an almost closed position; Figure 2 shows the notebook of Figure 1 where the notebook is shown in a splayed-open position; Figure 3 shows a further front, perspective view of a notebook comprising a plurality of sheet members and two sleeves for holding sheet element(s), in accordance with the invention, the notebook shown in a splayed-open position; Figure 4 shows a further front, perspective view of a notebook comprising a plurality of sheet members and two sleeves for holding sheet element(s), in accordance with the invention, the notebook shown in a splayed-open position; Figure 5 shows a further front, perspective view of a notebook comprising a plurality of sheet members and a single sleeve for holding sheet element(s), in accordance with the invention, the notebook shown in a splayed-open position; and Figure 6 shows the notebook of Figure 5 where the notebook is shown in a partially open position with the sleeve moved adjacent to the front cover of the notebook.

Modes for Carrying out the Invention Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show a notebook 10 comprising a plurality of sheet members in the form of a wad of paper pages 12, each page 12 being of the same overall size, and two like sleeves each in the form of thin and flexible, transparent plastic sleeves 14.

These plastic sleeves 14 are of the sheet-protector type normally used in display books for retaining any number of sheet elements (for example sheet(s) of paper), and comprise two adjacent sheets of thin plastic where three side edges of each respective sheet are joined to form a pocket and the fourth side of each respective sheet (typically at the 'top' edge 15 of the sleeve) remains unjoined so as to define a slit into which a sheet element can be inserted.

In the notebook 10 shown, the two plastic sleeves 14 and the paper pages 12 are provided in a bound form. In this embodiment, the bound form involves a spiral metal wire binder 16, which is typical of prior art paper notebooks. In this example, both of the transparent plastic sleeves 14 and each of paper pages 12 all bear a line of tiny perforations along their respective left hand edges (shown generally by arrow 18), through which the spiral metal wire binder 16 is inserted to hold the paper pages 12 and the plastic sleeves 14 together.

-7- In such a bound form the two plastic sleeves 14 and the paper pages 12 are moveable in relation to one another, for example enabling turning of the paper pages 12 relative to one another and with respect to the plastic sleeves 14 by pivoting around the spiral metal wire binder 16.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the paper pages 12 and the plastic sleeves 14 are also bound to the notebook front cover 20 and back cover 22. The front and back 22 covers are typically made of a plastic such as polypropylene, for example that is typically around 50-200 micrometres thick and is therefore quite stiff. Other rigid or semi-rigid materials are able to be used for one or both of the front and back covers, such as a cardboard material.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the notebook front 20 and back 22 covers each bear a line of tiny perforations along their respective left hand edges (shown generally by arrow 18), through which the spiral metal wire binder 16 is inserted so as to hold together the paper pages 12, the plastic sleeves 14 and the front and back 22 covers. In such an arrangement, the two plastic sleeves 14, the paper pages 12 and the covers 22 are moveable in relation to one another by pivoting around the spiral metal wire binder 16.

Referring now to some further embodiments, for convenience when like parts are referred to, use has been made of the same reference numerals.

In the two embodiments shown in each of Figure 3 and Figure 4, the paper pages 12 and the plastic sleeves 14 are also bound to a notebook front cover, but not in a manner which permits pivotal movement of the cover with -8respect to the paper pages 12 and/or the plastic sleeves 14.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, (as was the case for the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2) the plastic sleeves 14 and each of the paper pages 12 all bear a line of tiny perforations along their respective left hand edges (shown generally by arrow 24), through which the spiral metal wire binder 16 is inserted to hold the paper pages 12 and the plastic sleeves 14 together. This type of binding permits movement of the plastic sleeves 14 and the paper pages 12 in relation to one another by pivoting around the spiral metal wire binder 16.

However, in the embodiment of a notebook 40 shown in Figure 3, the plastic sleeves 14, the paper pages 12 and the spiral metal wire binder 16 are positioned in a fixed manner at a unitary folder 26, ie. one formed from a single, integral sheet of material, for example plastic, which comprises the front 2.8, back 30 and spine 32 portions of the folder 26. In this case, the unitary folder 26 is made up of a single sheet of plastic such as polypropylene, or another rigid or semi-rigid material such as cardboard, which has been folded along two generally central hinge or crease lines 34, 36. In this embodiment, the spiral metal wire binder 16 is fastened to the back cover portion 30 of the folder 26 by some other means, for example by gluing with an adhesive substance, or stapling the binder 16 thereto. When the notebook is deployed in the 'closed' position, the front 28 and back 30 cover portions of the folder 26 are folded toward one another to enclose the paper pages 12, the plastic sleeves 14 and the spiral metal wire binder 16.

Referring now to the embodiment of a notebook shown in Figure 4, with regard to the unitary folder 26, -9the plastic sleeves 14 and the paper pages 12, the notebook 50 shown in this embodiment is in all respects similar to the notebook 40 shown in Figure 3, with the exception that the binder used to bind the plastic sleeves 14 and the paper pages 12 is not of the spiral metal wire type. In this embodiment, the plastic sleeves 14 and the paper pages 12 can be stitched, clipped, glued, welded, rivetted or stapled (or a combination of any of these) to any position on the interior face of the folder 26 to form the notebook 50, for example, by gluing these to the spine 32 portion of the folder 26, as shown in Figure 4 (or, in further embodiments, to the front 28 or back 30 portions thereof). In all other respects the front 28 and back cover portions of the folder 26 function similarly to that described for the embodiment of the notebook 40 shown in Figure 3.

In each of the embodiments shown and described for Figures 1 to 4, the paper pages 12 and the plastic sheets 14 have been shown with the plastic sheets 14 positioned on top of the paper pages 12 when the front cover 20 (or cover portion 28) is turned to reveal the contents of the notebook 10 (or 40, 50). Of course in other arrangements (not shown), the plastic sheets 14 can be located immediately adjacent to the back cover 22 (or cover portion 30), or even indispersed between the paper pages 12 themselves.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, an alternative embodiment is shown in which the paper pages 12 are positioned between a front cover 20 and a back cover 22 of the notebook 60. In this embodiment, there is a single sleeve shown in the form of a sealable sheet protector envelope 62 that is comprised of a plastic material that is of somewhat thicker gauge than the plastic sheets 14 referred to in previous embodiments. The envelope 62 comprises two adjacent sheets of clear plastic where three side edges of each respective sheet are joined to form a pocket and the fourth side of each respective sheet (in this instance, typically at the outermost edge 64 of the sleeve away from the spine of the notebook) is fitted with a sealing arrangement, for example a press-seal, a tongue and groove-type seal or, in the example shown, a zip-lock sliding seal 66.

In the arrangement of the notebook 60 shown in Figures 5 and 6, the envelope 62 and the paper pages 12 are provided in a bound form. In this embodiment, the bound form involves a spiral metal wire binder 16. In this example, the plastic envelope 62 and each of the paper pages 12 all bear a line of tiny perforations along their respective left hand edges (shown generally by arrow 68), through which the spiral metal wire binder 16 is inserted to hold the paper pages 12 and the envelope 62 together in a pivotally moveable relationship, in the manner described for the embodiment of the notebook shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, the paper pages 12 and the envelope 62 are also bound to the notebook front cover 20 and back cover 22. The front and back 22 covers are typically made of a plastic such as polypropylene, for example that is typically around 50-200 micrometres thick and is therefore quite stiff. Other rigid or semi-rigid materials are able to be used for one or both of the front and back covers, such as a cardboard material.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, the notebook front 20 and back 22 covers also each bear a line of tiny perforations along their respective left hand -11edges (shown generally by arrow 68), through which the spiral metal wire binder 16 is inserted so as to hold together the paper pages 12, the envelope 62 and the front and back 22 covers. In such an arrangement, the envelope 62, the paper pages 12 and the covers 20, 22 are each moveable in relation to one another by pivoting around the spiral metal wire binder 16.

However, unlike each of the embodiments shown and described for Figures 1 to 4 in which the one or more sleeves are located between the front cover 20 and the back cover 22 (or between the cover portions 28, 30) of those notebooks and adjacent to the paper pages 12, in the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6 the envelope 62 is positioned on the other side of one of the front cover or the back cover 22. That is, in any orientation of the notebook 60, the envelope 62 and the paper pages 12 are separated from touching each other by the presence of the front cover 20 or the back cover 22. In use, this means that the envelope 62 can be flipped around to be located on top of the front cover 20 of the notebook, or alternatively can be flipped around to be positioned immediately adjacent to the back cover 22 of the notebook.

In any of the aforementioned embodiments, the or each plastic sleeve 14 or envelope 62 is transparent (for example, by being made of polypropylene) so as to allow ready visual access to the reference material, such as a timetable or schedule. Opaque, translucent or coloured plastic versions are also possible.

Any of the aforementioned embodiments provides a notebook with paper pages 12 and a conveniently located plastic sleeve or a sealable envelope for placement of reference material. A user can thus make notes or record other types of information on the adjacent paper pages 12, -12whilst being easily able to refer to some other reference material if required. For example, a traveling salesman may need to make client notes whilst en route, and can place his or her itinerary, a timetable, a cost schedule, or other important travel documents in the plastic sleeve(s) 14 or envelope 62. If the client has specific questions, these can be noted on the paper pages 12 and, if a cost estimate is required or a product specification is needed, then this can be readily to hand in the plastic sleeves 14 or envelope 62. Similarly, a student taking class notes using the paper pages 12 may need to refer to a class timetable, a periodic table, an experimental procedure or any number of reference documents which can be conveniently positioned close to the paper pages 12 in the plastic sleeves 14 or envelope 62. In still other applications, the envelope 62 can be used to store an item of value, such as money, keys, credit cards, travel tickets and the like.

In still further embodiments, a notebook is envisaged that has both an open plastic sleeve(s) 14 and a sealable envelope 62, depending on the requirements. In some versions of this sort of 'dual sleeve' type of notebook, the envelope 62 may be located between the front cover and the back cover 22 (or between the cover portions 28, 30) of those notebooks and adjacent to the paper pages 12, rather than being separated from the paper pages 12 and located on the other side of one of the front cover 20 or the back cover 22, as shown in the arrangement of Figures and 6. Other types of sleeve (both sealable and nonsealable) are within the scope of the present invention.

The notebook of the invention can be arranged in any shape or configuration as desired, depending upon the particular application. In the examples shown in Figure 1 -13to 6 the notebook is generally rectangular, but in other arrangements the notebook can be of other shapes and sizes, for example to suit sheets of paper that are square, A4, A5, US Letter, foolscap or any other convenient size. The plastic sleeves need not all of be of the same size, nor do these sleeves need to be of the same size as the pages of the notebook, depending on the requirements.

Now that preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in some detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the notebook has at least the following advantages: the notebook can position a reference material in close proximity to a notebook writing page as a convenient source of information when taking notes; the notebook negates the need to separately hold a reference document in another folder or loose in a carry bag of a person; the sleeve(s) of the notebook is capable of holding of a range of different gauge sheet elements, or indeed other objects; when located at the front cover, or immediately inside the front cover of a notebook, it is always apparent to the user of the notebook that the sleeve is available for use.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described.

For example any number of plastic sleeves, or types of sleeve material are within the scope of the invention, and need not be restricted to the particular form of the preferred embodiment described. In some embodiments the -14sheet members need not be of writing paper, and other materials can be suitable (such as transparencies, cardboard, tracing papers etc). All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology 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", "above", "below", "uppermost", "outermost", "underside", "top", "on top of", "the other side", "left hand" and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points with regard to the particular embodiments shown herein, 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.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or in any other country.

Claims

2. A notebook as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet members and the or each sleeve are also bound to the notebook.
3. A notebook as claimed in claim 2 wherein the bound form of the notebook is achieved by a binding element comprising at least one of a spiral wire, a stitching, an adhesive substance and a staple.
4. A note book as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bound form of the notebook is achieved by a binding element comprising at least one of a spiral wire, a stitching, an adhesive substance, a clip, a through-fastener and a staple. A notebook substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.