GB2287906A

GB2287906A - Loose-leaf binder

Info

Publication number: GB2287906A
Application number: GB9506344A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shlomo Menachem
Original assignee: Superfile Ltd
Current assignee: Superfile Ltd
Priority date: 1994-04-01
Filing date: 1995-03-28
Publication date: 1995-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-28
Also published as: GB9506344D0; GB2287906B

Abstract

The free ends of the spiral springs 16 which receive the pins 18 are bent 4mm from the ends to increase the frictional resistance to disengagement. <IMAGE>

Description

J.OOSE-LEAF BINDER The present invention relates to loose-leaf binders in general and, in particular, to loose-leaf binders including bridging means for movement of pages therein from one side of the binder to the other.

There are known a large variety of loose-leaf binders for filing papers having holes punched adjacent the margins thereof. One example of many is shown in uSP 1,016,iS7 to Fairchild. These binders generally include front and back leaves, two or three flexible threadable members extending from the back leaf through papers to be filed, and a rigidly secured locking member for locking the threadable members when the binder is to be closed.

A disadvantage of these binders is that, in order to remove or add a page from the middle of the binder, all the pages on top of it must be removed first and then replaced. This is time consuming and often difficult, and pages are often dropped or fall out of place. Furthermore, rethreading of the threadable members through all the holes of the original pages is time consuming and often frustrating, particularly when the holes in all the pages are not precisely aligned with one another.

One proposed solution is shown in UK Patents 177,906 and 759,198. These binders include. a U-shaped rigid bar including a pair of pin means on the ends thereof which are disposed on the front leaf of the binder and which are arranged for pivoting from a flat-lying position during closure of the binder, to an upstanding position. In the upstanding osition, the pin means are disposed in register with the ends of the threadable means on the back leaf of the binder. The threadable means constitute hollow spiral springs whose ends can slip onto the pin means, thereby creating a "jrFdge" across which pages which are punched in the binder can be moved from one side of the binder to the other without being removed from the binder.

Thus, a page can easily be inserted or removed from anywhere in the pile of punched pages merely by moving all the pages on top of it to the pin means during addition or removal.

U.S. Patent No. 828,974 discloses a file binder having two coiled posts with a hook fixed at one end to one coiled post and whose other end is insertable in the end of the second coiled post to form a continuity of the two posts.

However, these binders also suffer rrom a disadvantage. In the same way tat the spiral springs can slide onto the pin means, they can also slide off the pin means, and often do so while a user is in the process of transferring pages from one side to the other of the bridge.

Other patents disclosing flexible coil filing prongs are U.K. Patents Nos. 1,20O,592 and 1,348,342 and German patent publications Nos. 343696 and 2526268.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved bridge apparatus for a loose-leaf binder which does not suffer from the disadvantages of the prior art.

There is thus provided in accordance with the present invention a loose-leaf binder including a first and second leaf, i.e., a front leaf and a back leaf, at least two threadable members mounted in one of the leaves, locking means for locking the threadable members in a closed orientation, pivotable pin means mounted on the second leaf, substantially in register with the threadable members, for engaging respective threadable members, wherein each threadable member defines a portion at the free end thereof which provides greater frictional resistance to the pin means engaged therewith than the remainder of the threadable member, so as to prevent said pin means from disengaging freely from said threadable member.

According to a preferred embodiment, the threadable member consists of a spiral spring defining a bent portion at the free end thereof.

According to one embodiment, the bent portion is formed by separating adjacent twists of the spiral about 4 mm from the end of the threadable member.

According to one embodiment, the first and second leaves are integrally formed of a single folded sheet.

There is further provided according to the invention for use in a loose-leaf binder, a threadable member consisting of a tightly wound spiral spring defining at the free end thereof a bent portion.

The present invention wil be further understood and appreciated from the following detailed description taken in conj unction with the drawings in which: Fig. 7 is a perspecçive view of a loose-leaf binder constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view of a threadable member according to one embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a binder according to the invention in the bridging orientation.

The present invention relates to a threadable member on one leaf of a loose-leaf binder adapted to engage pivotable pin means on another leaf of the loose leaf binder and to a loose-leaf binder including such a threadable member. It is a particular feature af the invention that the threadable member defines a portion at its free end with increased frictional resistance to a pin means inserted therein. This increased frictional resistance can be created ifl a number of ways. In a preferred embodiment this consists of a bend near the end of the spiral spring which is sufficient to render it very difficult for the spring to be released freely from a pin inserted therein, but not difficult to insert the pin therein.

Referring now to Fig. 1 there is shown a loose-leaf binder 10 constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Binder 10 includes a first leaf 12 and a second leaf 14. In the illustrated embodiment, leaves 12 and 14 are integrally formed of a single sheet of cardboard. However, alternatively two separate leaves can be utilized or a diffarently folded binder, all as known.

Mounted through leaf 12 are two threadable members 16. Threadable members 16 may consist of any suitable strong yet flexible material which can be threaded through holes punched near the margins of pages to be filed and which can be releasably locked in place. According to a preferred embodiment, each of threadable members 16 comprises a tightly coiled, hollow spiral spring.

Disposed on leaf 14, substantially in registration with threadable members 16, are two pin means 18 tightly held in shorter coil sections 17, as known in the art. Pin means 18 are mounted on leaf 14 so as to pivot through 900 from a flat-lying position on leaf 14 during closure of the binder, to an upright position for fitting into threading members of leaf 12 to create a paper bridge with threadable member 16 on leaf 12, as shown in Fig. 3.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that the threadable members 16 are provided with means for increasing the frictional resistance to disengagement of the pin ia therefrom at their free ends Fig. 2 is a detail view of a threadable member according to one embodiment cf the invention. In this embodiment, threadable member 20 comprises a tightly coiled spiral spring 22 having a hollow core 24 to engage pin means 18 (not shown). The tip 26 of threadable member 20 is bent relative to the rest of member 20 at an angle which is sufficient to provide significant friction: resistance to the inadvertent free removal of pin means inserted in the hollow core 24 oe the threadable member, while allowing easy inserting and removal by a user.Here the bent portion 26is formed by separating adjacent twists 25, 27 of the spiral about 4 mm from the end of the threadable member.

Alternatively, any other means of providing localized increased frictional resistance near the end portion of the threadable member can be utilized according to the invention.

Operation of the binder of the invention is substantially similar to that of other bridge-type looseleaf binders In Fig. 3, there is shown the binder according to a preferred embodiment wherein a bridge has been created between the threadable members and the pin means. It can be seen that the bend in the spiral spring 16 creates a frictional engagement between the spring and the pin means 18 which does not exist in conventional bridge binders.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to what has been shown and described hereinabove by way of example. Rather, the scope of the invention is limited solely by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. A loose-leaf binder comprising: a first leaf and a second leaf; at least two threadable members mounted in the first leaf; locking means for locking the threadable members in a closed orientation; pivotable pin means mounted on the second leaf, substantially in register with the threadable members for engaging said respective threading means; wherein each threadable member defines a portion at the free end thereof which provides greater frictional resistance to the pin means engaged therewith than the remainder of the threadable member so as to prevent said pin means from disengaging freely from said threadable member.

2. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 1 and wherein each threadable member consists of a spiral spring defining a bent portion at the free end thereof

3. A loose-leaf binder according to claim 2 and wherein said bent portion is formed by separating adjacent twists of the spiral about 4 mm from the end of the threadable member.

4. A loose-leaf binder according to any of the preceding claims and wherein the first and second leaves are integrally formed of a single folded sheet.

5. For use in a loose-leaf binder, a threadable member consisting of a tightly wound spiral spring defining at.

the free end thereof a bent portion.

6. A threadable member according to claim 5 and wherein said bent portion is formed by separating adjacent twists of the spiral about 4 mm from the end of the threadable member.

3. A loose-leaf binder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 and substantially as described hereinabove or as shown in the drawings.

8. A threadable member for use in a loose-leaf binder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 and substantially as described hereinabove or as shown in the drawings.