EP0755335B1 - Document capable of being dismantled, transported and stored in separate interconnectable portions - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bound document comprising detachable independent parts. It allows the separation of a book, a file, of a file, or others, in several removable parts, this for allow the transport, handling, modification, replacement of these parts, then put them back in place to reconstruct the original document.

One of the aims of the present invention is in particular to lighten the weight of documents transported from their home to their place of work by schoolchildren and students, sales representatives, people working on construction sites. For example, a student's school bag weight commonly reaches between 9 and 14 Kg; this weight is excessive and is the subject of numerous complaints from parents and children, and appears to be the cause of many back problems. Currently, this is remedied by the costly use of a double set of books, a for the house, the other for the school, and by the use of loose leaves which may get lost or deteriorate.

The present invention also offers an alternative to certain materials. existing office systems such as filing cabinets, computer listings, systems including separable parts are provided with protrusions, bundle systems, binders for the classification of journals and periodicals, storage and classification of loose leaves.

The present invention allows a considerable reduction in documents to transport, for example by dividing by 8 the weight of an average school book; thanks to the invention, the documents are split into multiples easily manipulated parts that can be separated or assembled at will. According to the more or less intensive use of these separable parts and according to their destination, they may be provided with a protective cover and a tracking system, thus avoiding the drawbacks of a conventional filing cabinet.

The device according to the invention makes it possible to place sheets flying in the cover of the detachable parts, if there is one, without that these sheets must be double for the passage of a pin or that the cover of the detachable parts is closed on two sides, as in beam systems, nor on three sides. It is possible also that the detachable parts consist of paperbacks to form the equivalent of a notebook or journal.

The device according to the invention showing no protuberances on the back detachable parts allow their use easily, for example open on a table, like a notebook or an ordinary journal.

The document linked according to the invention can have the appearance and the bulk of a book and be used as such respecting in particular the quality of printing photos, drawings and presentation, also ensuring safe positioning of the different paragraphs. When detached, each detachable part can have the quality and the approval of a review.

The present invention relates to a bound document of the type comprising detachable independent parts, each of which is provided on its fixing edge with at least one notch closed laterally by a metal rod secured to the detachable part; such a document is for example that which is represented in FIGS. 1 to 3 of French patent n ^° 878 684.

According to this French patent, the notch and the metal rod that closes it, here a clip, form a passage for a mounting strap that passes through all the passages of the independent stacked parts, the ends of the strap then being attached to the cover of the document; so, to detach a part detachable, it is necessary to remove the mounting strap, see three straps as in the example shown, which detaches all the parts detachable; after removing the selected detachable part from the batch, without disturb others, the mounting straps must be replaced for reconstitute the document.

Document FR-A-2 141 326 describes an album the pages of which can be added or removed each page has a fixed hinge element by gluing an assembly strip folded back on itself.

GB-A-1 543 912 relates to a file for parties detachable, each consisting of a plurality of transparent pockets assemblies presenting in one piece a heel adapted to be fitted into a groove secured to the back of the filing cabinet.

For the assembly and transport of books, notebooks, it is proposed, according to the document FR-A-1 564 011, a binding provided with a closing link such as elastic belt or bracelet.

According to the invention, a bound document includes a cover and detachable independent parts, each detachable part being provided on its fixing edge of at least one notch closed laterally by a rod metal integral with the detachable part and intended to be inserted in a elastic receiver which includes a space intended to receive said rod metallic and into which an insertion slot opens, said receiver being secured to the cover is characterized by the fact that the bound document is such that school book, catalog or other, separable into detachable parts of the genre notebooks, journals or pockets for loose sheets, and that the metal rod is the body of a clip secured to the detachable part by its folded ends, which are not contiguous but at least at a distance from each other equal to the width of the notch, means being provided to ensure the longitudinal positioning of the detachable part relative to the receiver.

Other characteristics presented by the document are described in dependent claims.

To better understand the object of the invention, we will describe now, by way of example, purely illustrative and not limiting, modes of realization shown in the accompanying drawings.

• la figure 1 est une vue partielle en coupe d'un document selon l'invention, une partie détachable étant présentée en cours de montage ;
• la figure 2 est une vue partielle en plan de la partie détachable du document de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue partielle en coupe selon III-III de la figure 4 montrant l'intérieur du dos d'une variante de document ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe selon IV-IV de la figure 3 ;
• la figure 5 est une variante de la figure 3 dans laquelle les récepteurs sont décalés ;
• les figures 6 et 7 sont analogues aux figures 3 et 5, respectivement, et correspondent à une autre variante de récepteurs ;
• la figure 8 est une vue partielle en coupe montrant une autre variante de récepteurs ;
• la figure 9 est une vue partielle en coupe montrant une variante d'agrafe ;
• la figure 10 est analogue à la figure 1 et montre encore une autre variante ;
• la figure 11 montre encore une autre variante, le document étant partiellement ouvert;
• la figure 12 est analogue à la figure 1 et montre encore une autre variante ;
• les figures 13 à 16 sont des vues partielles en coupe montrant chacune encore une autre variante de récepteur ;
• la figure 17 est une vue de la tranche d'un document montrant un moyen de repérage des parties détachables;
• les figures 18 et 19 montrent un moyen d'indexage des parties détachables, la figure 18 étant une vue en coupe selon XVIII-XVIII de la figure 19 qui est une vue selon la flèche XIX de la figure 18.

In these drawings:

• Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a document according to the invention, a detachable part being presented during assembly;
• Figure 2 is a partial plan view of the detachable part of the document of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a partial sectional view along III-III of Figure 4 showing the inside of the back of a variant document;
• Figure 4 is a sectional view along IV-IV of Figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a variant of Figure 3 in which the receivers are offset;
• Figures 6 and 7 are similar to Figures 3 and 5, respectively, and correspond to another variant of receivers;
• Figure 8 is a partial sectional view showing another variant of receivers;
• Figure 9 is a partial sectional view showing a staple variant;
• Figure 10 is similar to Figure 1 and shows yet another variant;
• FIG. 11 shows yet another variant, the document being partially open;
• Figure 12 is similar to Figure 1 and shows yet another variant;
• Figures 13 to 16 are partial sectional views each showing yet another variant of receiver;
• FIG. 17 is a view of the section of a document showing a means of locating the detachable parts;
• FIGS. 18 and 19 show a means of indexing the detachable parts, FIG. 18 being a sectional view along XVIII-XVIII of FIG. 19 which is a view along arrow XIX of FIG. 18.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, we see that the document according to the invention consists of two cover pages 20 connected by a back 25; folds 26 facilitate the opening of the document. A series of receivers 4 elastic is secured to the back 25; each receiver 4 is intended to receive a detachable part 1 and includes a space 7 into which a slot opens introduction 8.

Each detachable independent part 1 is provided on its edge with fixing of a notch 5, visible in FIG. 2, closed laterally by a rod metallic formed by the body of a clip 2 secured to the part detachable 1 by its folded ends 6.

Thanks to the elasticity of the receptors 4, it is easy to introduce the rod of clip 2 into a space 7 through slot 8 and remove it.

In Figure 1, there is shown schematically a device to wedge 10, articulated at 27 on the edges of the cover 20, allowing keep the document cover 20 in the closed position; a lug 11 of gripping allows to loosen the device 10 to open the document.

For each detachable part, the staples 2 can be used to maintain together the sheets placed there, and therefore replace the broaching with wire or staples, case of internal notebooks of 32 or 64 pages of a school book especially. Staples 2 can hold only part of the sheets or quite simply the outermost sheet forming the cover of the part detachable, or even serve as a bond for a cover with a pinch system for loose leaves or groups of leaves.

Various materials, paper, cardboard, P.V.C., polypropylene, Rhodoïd, etc ... can be used for this internal coverage depending on whether you are looking for a high resistance to wear and handling or great flexibility analogous to that of the pages of a book to reconstruct the most faithfully possible a classic book. To simultaneously take into account the constraints that we just mentioned, we can provide reinforcements at the attachment points, extra thickness of paper, gummed corners, etc., or laminating in such a way more or less flexible coverage of the detachable part and points fasteners, possibly by a printing process, before or after printing of the text to be placed in the detachable part, or better, at the same time time. In addition these internal covers can be as required open on three sides, to form a notebook, or two sides as in beam systems or one side to form a pocket.

The staples 2 secured to the detachable parts 1 preferably have their ends 6, fig. 2, folded back inside the detachable parts and separated by a space at least equal to the width of the notch 5. Each detachable part can comprise two, or more staples, or even only one central staple or a single staple occupying almost the entire length allowing the detachable part to be removed in a single gesture.

The notches can be made at the same level on each part detachable and in this case the general coverage receivers are aligned at each end of this cover, for example fig. 3, 6. But these notches can also be practiced at different levels for each detachable part, the corresponding receivers therefore being offset, by example diagonally as in fig. 5, 7; thus, each detachable part has a unique place in the general binding and you can't swap two of these parts (respect of the order of the paragraphs of a work).

The notches 5, if their width corresponds to the thickness of the receivers general coverage, can ensure the positioning of the parts detachable (put at the same level) and avoid their sliding in the direction of the length of this cover. Positioning can also be obtained by extra thicknesses 22 or patches on the internal part of the back of the general cover, wedging the ends of the detachable parts or corresponding to a particular conformation of the staples fig. 9.

The receivers 4 integral with the general coverage in which the staples 2 must be engaged can be made of various materials elastic, plastic, steel wire fig. 3 and 4, thin sheet, fig. 6. Slot 8 of receiver may have joined edges, fig. 8, or of calibrated thickness. The elasticity of the receiver material and its shape in the case of a slit with edges contiguous, the elasticity and the width of the slit in the second case, are calculated to ensure the best possible compromise between the effort to deploy for the passage of the staple and the effective retention of the detachable parts in place in general binding during manipulations such as viewing the document connected. The receivers 4 may possibly take several fixed positions for the same detachable part or be mounted on slides to be able to accommodate detachable parts of unequal thickness, provide space empty to accommodate objects other than documents.

Receivers can be molded in one piece with the back of the cover fig. 10 and 11.

The receivers can be placed on one or more plates 9 fig. 3 to 7 fixed by gluing, welding, riveting etc ... inside the back of the cover general or else integrally molded with part or all of this binding.

The slot 8 allowing the passage of the staple is generally placed vertically with respect to the space 7 receiving the clip as in FIGS. 1 to 10. A variant consists in placing the slot 8 at an angle or to the side, extending obliquely to the detachable part when the document is closed, as in figure 14: the tearing force of the detachable parts working mainly upwards, the staple tends to get stuck in space 7 and there is less risk of an unwanted exit from the clip. Figures 13 and 15 show another variant of the slot 8 in the form of the letter J; the variant of FIG. 16 presents a slot 8 of width greater than the diameter of the clip for easy sliding; the clip is in this case retained in space 7 by the spring effect of an elastic device or material 19 suitably arranged; in the latter case, the material from the rest of the receiver elastic may not be elastic.

The general binding may possibly have a flexible back 25 fig. 1 - 4 - 10 - 11, elastic made of a rubberized or other material to allow give the back of the general binding an arc shape by pressing fingers at receptors; a non-slip device 18 can be provided fig. 12. This circular arc shape facilitates the insertion of the detachable parts by increased available space and enlarged receptor slots. Returning to the upright position contributes by tightening to locking the clip or rod in its housing. A flexible back lock 25 in an upright position can be provided with a clamping system 23 fig. 12, with hinges 27 and automatic wedging 10 fig. 1-4 - 10 - 11, manipulable with a pin 11 lockable using a push button system not shown. The back locking can also be achieved by the presence of a coin attached or included, making a spring, by a curved and stable elastic piece can also take a stable inverted position (locking, receiver unlocking), an example of this device being used in hairstyle to maintain hair. Finally, this locking can be obtained by a suitable elastic tension of the material of the back of the cover general.

The detachable parts are provided with one or more visual marking, colors, designs, figures printed on the edge, for example fig. 17, or touch such notches, lugs, indexes for directories, etc .... These various means of marking can be combined with each other and even repeated in correspondence at the receptor level.

A particularly convenient tactile and visual means of locating, detaching and reinserting the detachable parts consists, Figures 18 and 19, in mark with the letter A, the edge of the first part, hollow out all the others by correspondence, mark with letter B in an offset way the second part detachable, hollow out all the others in correspondence and so on (C, D, E). By medium, the detachable part can be grasped between two fingers and separate it from the others in an obvious way.

One or more detachable parts can be selected from the general cover to move them, reclassify them otherwise, take them on a place of work, visit, etc ...

The school notebooks themselves for the sake of simplification may be presented in the form of detachable parts 1 accompanied by the binding adequate.

The present invention is intended to allow the production of separable documents, limiting transport and handling to parts necessary for the work in progress and avoiding unnecessary transport of documents heavy. By its simplicity in the less sophisticated versions, it is particularly intended for school editions. By its adaptability and versatile, it is also suitable for any document filing system, magazines, loose sheets, etc ...; it allows the updating of works by replacement of expired parts, acquisition in stages, replacement little expensive damaged or lost parts, etc ...

Claims (24)

1. A bound document comprising a cover (20) and independent detachable parts (1), each detachable part (1) being provided on its fastening edge with at least one notch (5) closed laterally by a metal rod attached to the detachable part (1) and intended to be inserted into an elastic receiving element (4) which comprises a space (7) intended to receive said metal rod and into which opens an inlet slot (8), said receiving element (4) being attached to the cover (20), characterised in that the bound document is in the manner of a school book, catalogue or the like, separable into detachable parts such as exercise books, journals or pockets for loose sheets, and in that the metal rod is the body of a fastener (2) attached to the detachable part (1) by its bent ends (6), which (6) are not joined but are spaced apart by a distance at least equal to the width of the notch (5), means being provided for ensuring the longitudinal positioning of the detachable part (1) in relation to the receiving element (4).
2. A document according to claim 1, characterised in that the ends (6) of the fastener (2) are bent towards the interior of the detachable parts (1).
3. A document according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the slot (8) and the space (7) of the receiving element (4) are formed in an elastic material.
4. A document according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the slot (8) and partly the space (7) of the receiving element (4) are formed in a non-elastic material, the space (7) being bordered by an elastic means (19).
5. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the slot (8) is straight and extends parallel to the detachable part (1) when the document is closed.
6. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the slot (8) is "slanted", extending obliquely in relation to the detachable part (1) when the document is closed.
7. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the slot (8) and the space (7) of the receiving element (4) define a shape analogous to the letter J.
8. A document according to any one of claims 3 and 5 to 7, characterised in that the slot (8) is partly with contiguous edges.
9. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the cover (20) has a back to which the receiving element (4) is attached.
10. A document according to claim 9, characterised in that the back (25) and the receiving element (4) are integral.
11. A document according to claim 9, characterised in that the receiving element (4) is attached to a plate (9) secured to the inside of the back.
12. A document according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the back is rigid.
13. A document according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the back is flexible and an automatic wedging system (10) is provided for keeping the cover pages (20) parallel in the closed position of the document.
14. A document according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the back is flexible and a wedging system (23) locks the back in a straight position.
15. A document according to either claim 3 or claim 13, taken independently, characterised in that in the closed position of the document the slot (8) is partly with contiguous edges.
16. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that it comprises an index system (A,B,...) formed by cutouts provided in an offset manner on the edge of the detachable parts (1), each detachable part bearing an index at right angles to which the other detachable parts are cutout so that it is possible to grip the detachable part between two fingers for the purpose of separating it from the others.
17. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that the notch (5) and the receiving element (4) relating one detachable part are offset in relation to the notch (5) and to the receiving element (4) relating to each of the other detachable parts (1).
18. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that, to ensure the longitudinal positioning of the detachable part (1) in relation to the receiving element (4), the width of the notch (5) corresponds to the thickness of the receiving element (4).
19. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that the longitudinal positioning of the detachable part (1) in relation to the receiving element (4) is ensured by the fastener (2).
20. A document according to claim 19, characterised in that an extra thickness (22) or insert on the inner part of the back of the cover co-operates with the fastener (2) which is suitably shaped.
21. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterised in that the receiving element (4) consists of plastics material.
22. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterised in that the receiving element (4) consists of steel wire.
23. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterised in that the receiving element (4) consists of thin sheet metal.
24. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterised in that the detachable part (1) comprises a plurality of sheets coupled by the fastener (2).

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