EP2774774B1

EP2774774B1 - Notebook with pen

Info

Publication number: EP2774774B1
Application number: EP14425003.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anna Di Natale
Original assignee: Giuseppe Di Natale SpA - Arti Grafiche E Cartotecnica; Giuseppe Di Natale SpA Arti Grafiche E Cartotecnica
Current assignee: Giuseppe Di Natale SpA - Arti Grafiche E Cartote
Priority date: 2013-01-17
Filing date: 2014-01-15
Publication date: 2016-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 2034-01-15
Also published as: EP2774774A2; ITNA20130003A1; EP2774774A3

Description

The present invention relates to a notebook with pen.
The patent application US-20040136774 describes a notebook with pen similar to that shown in the web-site http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-89852536/stock-photo-empty-opened-white-block-notes-with-spiral-and-pen.html. According to this patent application loose leaves laterally provided with a plurality of holes are hold by one double ring spiral passing through the holes. A pen is inserted into an elastic strap in the form of a loop attached to the back plate of the cover in its right-hand side edge.
It should be understood that such an arrangement of the pen inside the cover increases the lateral dimensions of the same. This arrangement, in addition to increasing the overall size of the notebook without providing a useful extension of the size of the leaves, can determine the risk that the pen accidentally slips off the strap to loop, without the user noticing as the pen is covered by the cover front plate. Another notebook with pen called Recycled cardboard journal is shown in http://www.szwholesale.com/shenzhen China products/Recycled-Cardboard-Journal 1.htm. This second notebook basically includes a front plate, a back plate and loose leaves, all of them being provided with two separate series of square holes on a portion of the left-hand vertical edge. Two double ring spirals pass through the square holes of the plates and leaves. A rigid sleeve made of cardboard is sewn on the left-hand vertical edge portion to allow a pen to be inserted and retained in the rigid sleeve. In this second notebook the pen as well as the same rigid sleeve, when the pen is removed from it, hinders complete opening of the notebook, which makes uncomfortable to write on the back of the leaves. When the notebook is combined with other blocks or books, it does not rely on them uniformly because it does not provide a flat surface. The overall width of the set of books and blocks is also increased. Furthermore, since the pen is completely exposed, it is likely to easily slip off and fall due to a contact with other objects.
In this context, a technical task underlying the present invention is to propose a notebook with pen that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a notebook with pen in which a pen is applied in a notebook without increasing unnecessarily its encumbrance.
A further object of the present invention is to prevent a pen applied on a notebook to slip off accidentally and fall.
The technical task mentioned and the aims specified are substantially achieved by a notebook with pen, comprising the technical features set forth in one or more of the appended claims.
The features and advantages of a notebook with pen according to the invention will become clear from the following detailed description, relating to embodiments thereof as described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a notebook with pen according to the invention, in a closed position;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the notebook in Figure 1 from which the pen has been removed;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the notebook in Figure 1 when it is leafed to the last page; and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the notebook according to the invention when it is at the first page.

A first embodiment of a notebook 10 with pen according to the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 3, as seen in a perspective view in a closed position, with and without a pen, and in an open position respectively until the last page. According to the terminology used in book binding, a front plate is denoted as 1, a back plate as 2, and loose leaves of the notebook are generally denoted as 3. Respective series of square holes generally indicated as 4 are formed in the front plate 1 and in the rear plate 2 and in the loose leaves 3 on upper and lower ends of an edge thereof that is the left-hand one in the shown embodiment. Two double ring spirals 5, 5, made generally of metal, pass through the respective series of holes 4 in order to hold together the front plate 1, the rear plate 2 and the leaves 3. The plates 1 and 2 are made of stiff cardboard as desired, or other suitable material.
According to the present invention a loop-shaped elastic strap 6 is fixed by means of a rivet 7 on the inner side of the rear plate 2, i.e. the one facing the leaves 3. The elastic strap 6 is fixed in a central position in the same edge portion in which the square holes 4 are made. In this way the elastic strap 6 protrudes laterally from the rear plate 2 and is adapted to retain a pen 8 between the two spirals 5, 5. The pen 8 is shown in Figure 1 as positioned in the notebook 10. The pen 8 is prevented from slipping off accidentally as its unwanted sliding in the loop of the elastic strap 6 would cause the ends of the pen to be inserted in the one or the other of the two spirals 5, 5. On the contrary, an user can remove easily the pen 8 by pulling laterally outwardly the upper side of the pen with a consequent deformation of the elastic strap 6, which allows the pen 8 to be tilted with respect to its position coaxial to the two spirals 5, 5. Thus the pen 8 can slide out of engagement with the spirals 5, 5 and, therefore, be removed from the notebook.
Shown in Figure 4 is a second embodiment of a notebook 11 with pen according to the present invention. The second embodiment differs from the first one as the leaves 3 are placed inside a cover 9, where a front plate 12 and a back plate 13 are joined by a spine 14. Glued on the third page of the cover, i.e. on the inner side of the rear plate 13, is a flyleaf 15, namely a sheet of cardboard bored like the leaves 3. In the field of bookbinding it is known that the flyleaf is a connection element between the cover and the sheets of the book. Two double ring spirals 5, 5 pass through respective series of square holes 4 formed in the flyleaf 15 and in the leaves 3 in order to hold the leaves together and with the cover 9. The notebook 11 differs from the notebook 10 of the first embodiment in that the spirals 5, 5, and the pen 8 are hidden when the cover 9 is closed, but nothing changes in the functional features of the notebook that is able to reliably hold the pen in place, preventing accidental removal thereof. Conventionally, the cover 9 can be held closed by an elastic strip not shown in the drawings.
Another feature of the invention is that the pen 8 does not disturb the use of the notebook when the pen 8 is inserted into the elastic strap 6, nor the latter creates discomfort to the user even in the absence of the pen 8.

Claims

A notebook (10; 11) with pen, including a front plate (1; 12), a rear plate (2; 13), loose leaves (3) being provided with a double series of square holes (4) on an edge portion thereof, two double ring spirals (5, 5) passing through the double series of square holes (4) and a loop-shaped elastic strap (6) for holding a pen (8), characterised in that said elastic strap (6) is attached to said rear plate (2; 13) on its side facing the loose leaves (3) in said edge portion so as to protrude from the loose leaves (3) for retaining the pen (8) between the two spirals (5, 5).
The notebook (10; 11) with a pen according to claim 1, wherein said elastic strap (6) is attached centrally in said edge portion of the rear plate (2; 13).
The notebook (10) with a pen according to claim 1, wherein the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) are provided with square holes (4) in correspondence of said double series of square holes (4) of the loose leaves (3), the two spirals (5, 5) being adapted to pass through the square holes (4) of the front plate (1) and rear plate (2) and leaves (3), and said elastic strap (6) is fixed by a rivet (7).
The notebook (11) with a pen according to claim 1, wherein the front plate (12) and the back plate (13) are joined together by a spine (14) to form a cover (9), and a flyleaf (15) being equipped with square holes (4) in correspondence of said double series of square holes (4) of the loose leaves (3) is glued to the rear plate (13), the two spirals (5, 5) being adapted to pass through the square holes (4) of the flyleaf (15) and of the loose leaves (3), and said elastic strap (6) is covered by the flyleaf (15).