GB2191734A - Grip binders - Google Patents

Abstract

A grip binder which has a holder (10) with a base (16) and at least one arm (18,20) and a cover piece (14) with a hole (44,46) through which the arm (18,20) passes, the cover piece (14) being adhesively engageable with a surface on which the base (10) is located. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Grip binders This invention relates to a grip binder ofthe kind used for example with a file cover so that correspondence and documentation can be releasably retained inside the file cover.

One type of grip binder used to date has a base with at least one upstanding arm which is passed through a respective hole form in the file cover itself.

It is found in usethatthe base, which is normally metallic, can scratch underlying support surfaces or cut a user and, when many documents are secured to the arms, the file cover is prone to tear and the grip binder comes awayfrom the file cover.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide an improved grip binder.

The invention provides a grip binderwhich includes a holder and a cover piece, the holder including a base and at least one arm which extends from the base, the cover piece being formed with at least one holethrough which the arm passes and including at least one adhesive portion which at least partly overlaps the base and which is adhesively engageable with a surface which is adjacent the base.

Preferably the adhesive portion overlaps the base on all sides i.e. the adhesive portion surrounds the base.

The adhesive portion may adhesively engage the upper side ofthe base. The underside of the base may itself be adhesive, or have an adhesive coating.

The holder may be made from any suitable material, plastics or metallic so that each arm is bendable or flexible. The adhesive underside ofthe base may have a removable protective covering.

The adhesive portion ofthe cover piece may also have a removable protective covering.

The cover piece may include a flexible piece of sheet material with at least one hole which is located generally on a central axis ofthe sheet material, one surface ofthe sheet material including an adhesive coating with a removable protective covering over the adhesive coating.

The sheet material may be of any suitable material, including plastics or paper. A suitable material is that sold underthe trade name TYVEK. The cover piece mayform partofa roll of cover pieces and maybe detachable from the roll e.g. along a line of weakness such as a perforated line.

In one form ofthe invention the holder includes at least one flexible arm which terminates in a cross bar. With this form ofthe invention the base may itself be formed by a similar cross bar. Preferably, though, the base is generally circular. In another form ofthe invention the base is elongate and includes two upstanding flexible arms each of which may terminate in a cross bar.

The invention also provides a method of secu ring a grip binderto asurface,thegrip binder including a base and at least one arm extending from the base, the method including the steps of locating the base on the surface, locating a cover piece over the base, each arm ofthe grip binder passing through a respective hole in the cover piece, and adhesively engaging the cover piece with the surface adjacent the base, and preferably on a portion which surrounds the base.

The base may itself be adhesively engaged with the surface, and with the cover piece.

The invention isfurtherdescribed byway of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view, in exploded form, illustrating the manner in which a grip binder according to one form ofthe invention is used, and Figures2to 5illustrate the use of grip binders according to other variations of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates from the underside the manner in which a grip binder according to a first form ofthe invention is used. The grip binder includes a holder 10, a retaining piece 12,and a cover piece 14.

The holder 10 is made from thin sheet metal which is bendable and includes a base 16 and two arms 18 and 20 respectively which extend from the base. The underside 22 of the base has an adhesive coating 24 which is covered with a removable protective covering 26 of paper.

The retaining piece 12 is made from a similar metal and includes two holes 28 and 30 which correspond in size and spacing to the arms 18 and 20, the arms being in use passed through the holes, and two slidable catches 32 and 34 located on the retaining piece between the holes.

The cover piece 14 is made from a strong flexible material such as that sold underthetrade mark TYVEK and one surface thereof is coated with an adhesive 36. This surface has an overlying removable protective covering 38 consisting of two pieces 40 and 42 respectively. Holes 44 and 46 are formed through the cover piece, substantially on a central axis of the cover piece and correspond to the holes 28 and 30 in the retaining piece 12. The cover piece 14can be provided in roll form and be detached from the roll when desired. The respective cover pieces ofthe roll can be connected to each other along lines of weakness, forexample lines of perforations.

In use of the grip binder the protective covering pieces 40 and 42 are peeled from the cover piece 14 thereby exposing the adhesive surface 36. The holder 10 is engaged with the cover piece by passing the arms 18 and 20 through the holes 44 and 46 respectively so that the upper surface of the base 16 is adhesively engaged with the adhesive surface 36.

The protective covering 26 is then peeled from the underside ofthe base exposing the adhesive coating 24.

The dimensions of the cover piece 14 exceed the dimensions of the base 16; thus the adhesive underside22 ofthe base is surrounded byan adhesive marginal portion formed by the overlapping adhesive coating 36. The assembly can then be adhesively secured in any desired position for example on a wail,tabletop orany other location, although itwill normally be secured on the inside of a file cover. The orientation ofthe assembly can also be varied according to the requirement.

The grip binder is then ready for immediate use.

Punched documents are located over the upstanding arms 18 and 20 in the normal manner and the retaining piece 12 is then engaged with the arms.

Thereafter the arms are folded inwardly towards one another, overlying the retaining piece, and the catches 32 and 34 are moved to and fro to secure the arms in position in the folded state.

The advantage lies in the fact that by virtue ofthe adhesive cover piece 14 which extends over a fairly substantial area the grip binder is strongly secured in position and will nottearfree in normal use. In addition because the adhesive force is spread over a large area the stress on the file cover or othersurface to which the cover piece is secured is reduced and damage to the support surface is unlikely. Another point is that the file cover is not weakened by forming holesthrough it. Thegrip bindercan also be used in any desired orientation and will for example strongly support documents secured to a vertical surface such as a wall surface.

Figure 2 illustrates a second form of the invention.

In this instancethe holder 50 consists of a cross bar shaped base52,andaflexiblearm 54which is terminated in a cross bar 56. The arm may consist of afibrous material with the cross bars being formed by crimping metallic sleevesto the ends ofthe material. The holder is secured to any desired surface 58 by means of an annularcover piece60 which is adhesively engaged with the surface surrounding the base 52. In use documents are engaged with the grip binder simply by threading the cross bar 56 and arm 54 through holes punched in the documents.

In Figure3the holder 62 is metallic and includes two arms 64 and 66 which extend upwardly from a circular base 68 which is adhesively secured to a surface 70. An annularcover piece 72 is again used.

This cover piece surrounds the base 68 and is adhesively engaged with the upper surface ofthe base and with the area surrounding the base.

A retaining piece 74 is passed overthe arms and is used to keep documents pressed down on tithe surface 70 when the arms 64 and 66 are folded over in opposite directions.

The grip binder shown in Figure 4 includes a holder 76 which is moulded from a flexible plastics material and an annular cover piece 78 which is threaded onto the holder. The holder has a circular base 80 with an adhesive underside which is covered with a removable protective covering, similar to that shown in Figure 1. Aflexible arm 82 extends from the base and terminates in an integral cross bar 84. The cross bar can be bent sideways so that it is aligned more or less with the arm to allow the cover piece to be threaded overthe arm. The cover piece, in use, adhesively engages the upper side of the base, and the surface surrounding the base.

In the Figure 5 embodimentthe holder 90 is again moulded from a plastics material and has an elongate base 92 with two upstanding arms 94 each of which terminates in a cross bar 96. The cover piece 98 is similarto the cover piece 14shown in Figure 1.

The underside of the base 92 is also adhesive, and has a removable protective covering over it. This binder is used in a similarwayto the binder of Figure 4.

In each embodiment the same advantages are displayed, namely a strong form of secured is provided for the grip binder, which minimizes the likelihood ofthe binder becoming detached and reduces the possibility of accidental damage, and which allows the binder to be secured to practically any surface.

Claims (14)

1. A grip binderwhich includes a holder and a cover piece, the holder including a base and at least one arm which extends from the base, the cover piece being formed with at least one hole through which the arm passes and including at least one adhesive portion which at least partly overlaps the base and which is adhesively engageable with a surface which is adjacent the base.

2. A grip binder according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive portion surrounds the base.

3. Agrip binderaccording to claim 1 or2wherein the adhesive portion adhesively engages the upper side of the base.

4. Agrip binder according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the underside of the base is adhesive.

5. Agripbinderaccordingtoclaim4which includes a removable protective covering over the adhesive underside of the base.

6. A grip binder according to any one of claims 1 to Swhich includes a removable protective covering overthe adhesive portion of the cover piece.

7. Agrip binder according to anyone of claims 1 to 6 wherein each arum is flexible or bendable.

8. A grip binder according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the cover piece includes a flexible piece of sheet material with at least one hole which is located generally on a central axis of the sheet material, one surface of the sheet material including an adhesive coating.

9. A grip binder according to any one of claims 1 to 8wherein the cover piece forms part of a roll and is detachable from the roll along a line of weakness.

10. A grip binder according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein at least one arm ofthe holderterminates in a cross bar.

11. Agrip binder according to anyone of claims 1 to 1 Owherein the base of the holder includes across bar at one end of an arm.

12. Agrip binder according to any one of claims 1 to wherein the base is generally circular.

13. A grip binder according to any one of claims 1 to 10wherein the base is elongateand includestwo upstanding flexible arms.

14. Agripbindersubstantiallyashereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1, or Figure 2, or Figure 3, or Figure 4, or Figure 5, of the accompanying drawings.