Patent Grant
11613141
Ring binders hold, and store punched sheets of paper and other suitably hole-punched materials. Typically, ring binders use rigid rings to hold paper and a locking/release mechanism for the rigid rings that include a thumb- or finger-operated latch. Other styles of portfolios can use features such as large pockets to receive a portion of a paper, pressure-sensitive adhesive for retaining the bound edge of bound paper, or a plurality of sockets, each socket being adapted to receive the tongue of a bound pad of paper.
At the heart of some embodiments of the present invention is the inventor's discovery that it is possible to have a binding device made from a flexible sheet of material without necessarily requiring any rigid metal or plastic parts. It is possible to create a binding device that can adjust its thickness automatically to the thickness of the items that it binds and use the flexibility and stiffness of the material from which it is made to bind a bundle of items. It is possible to create a binding device that does not excessively exceed the exterior dimensions of the items it binds and easily adjusts its thickness every time a user adds or removes hole-punched paper or other items.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a binding device for securing hole-punched paper or other items. The binding device can include a tie formed from a flexible sheet of material, the first opening in a flexible sheet, and a second opening in the flexible sheet. The tie can be configured to secure the hole-punched paper or other items by extending along the flexible sheet in a first direction, passing through the first opening, extending along the flexible sheet in a second direction that is at an acute angle relative to the first direction, from the first opening to the second opening, and passing through the second opening. In some embodiments, hook-and-loop fasteners, glue, or other fastener arrangements that can secure the tie can be used instead of the second opening.
In some embodiments, a tie can be flat, have opposite edges, and can be formed from a flexible sheet of material, and a flexible sheet substrate (e.g., formed from the same flexible sheet of material as the tie) can include a first opening. The tie can be configured to secure hole-punched paper or other items by extending along a first side of the flexible sheet in a first direction, passing from a first side of the flexible sheet through the first opening, and bending at an acute angle at the opening so that the opposite edges of the tie engage inner edges of the first opening to secure the tie at the first opening.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for manufacturing a device for binding hole-punched paper or other items. A binding can be made from a single sheet of flexible sheet material. The binding device can include a flexible sheet of material, a tie formed as a ribbon of the flexible sheet material, and a first opening in the flexible sheet. The tie can be configured to secure the hole-punched paper or other items by extending along a first side of the flexible sheet in a first direction, passing through the first opening, and extending along a second side of the flexible sheet in a second direction that is acutely angled relative to the first direction, such that the tie bends at an acute angle at the first opening, and opposite sides of the tie engage an inner edge of the opening. The method can further include providing at least one of a second opening, formed in the flexible sheet material, to secure the tie at the acute angle, or a separately formed fastener configured to secure the tie at the acute angle.
This description first presents some tutorial material related to binding.
The document binding solutions that are currently available on the market use expensive binding equipment and a variety of plastic or metal rings, springs, plastic combs arrangements forming spines, etc. in order to keep documents together. None of the solutions has its spine adjust itself to the thickness of the documents it contains. Fixed dimension spines and thick covers increase a binder's thickness above its nominal capacity available for documents. The available binding devices are normally not filled up to their full capacity, which causes their open ends to be narrower than their spines. This uneven shape presents storage problems, as it does not allow efficient use of storage space. The sharp edges of metal parts can cause painful injuries. Plastic and metal parts have a high carbon footprint and are difficult to recycle.
As a solution to these and other issues, this disclosure presents embodiments of a flexible binding device. In some embodiments, it is possible to have a binding device made from a biodegradable, flexible sheet of material without rigid metal or plastic parts involved. Such a binding device may be capable of adjusting its thickness automatically to match the thickness of materials bonded and not exceed significantly over the thickness of said materials.
To do that, a flat sheet of material may be used, with stiffness and flexibility that is similar to the stiffness and flexibility of paper. However, this does not mean that embodiments herein are limited to paper. Due to the well-known characteristics of paper, paper is discussed herein as an example. There are scores of other materials with similar physical characteristics but that are significantly more resistant to forces tearing them apart than paper. As an example a product available under the generic name of “Synthetic Paper” may be used, including biodegradable synthetic paper, as well as other materials, including metals, foil, fabric, and plastics, as well as combinations of suitable materials.
For example, known characteristics of paper allow the use of paper to support heavy loads, when the gravitational force of the load applied align in a parallel direction to the direction of the surface of the piece of paper. Because it is sometimes difficult to have a perfectly aligned flat piece of paper to support a heavy load, paper is sometimes used in a waved form known as corrugated paper, such as to construct storage boxes. Corrugated paper is fabricated from a sheet of paper forming waves. In other words, changing a sheet of paper's directions in order to reinforce the paper, and thanks to that, the amazingly thin walls of corrugated paper that most shipping boxes are made from can support a heavy load.
This strength of a deformed flexible sheet of material can be employed in embodiments of the disclosed binding device. For example in manufacturing a device according to some embodiments: first, a tie is cut from a flexible sheet of material, then at least two openings are cut in the same sheet, with their width close to the width of the tie. One of the openings is located by the attached end of the tie, cut in the same piece of flexible sheet of material and there is also a second opening cut on the side of the attached end of the tie in such arrangement that the free end of the tie when penetrating the first opening must emerge in acute direction to its previous direction in order to reach and penetrate the second opening. The tie penetrates the first opening and then proceeds in a return direction that creates at the bending point an area of strength and stiffness similar to the wave formed in corrugated paper. When the tie, after bending, proceeds in the opposite, 180-degree direction to its previous direction, the bent area has increased stiffness in the direction perpendicular to the direction of length of the tie.
Initially, the existence of such ‘bent,’ stiff, and strong (hard to crush) area does not provide a stopping force that prevents the tie from releasing from the opening since the separating force is parallel to said tie, and the tie is flexible in this direction. To have a braking effect, it may be appropriate to direct the separating force to act against the nonflexible, bent area of the tie. Again the stiff and hard to crush area of the tie is stiff and hard to crash only in the direction perpendicular to the length of the tie. This means the breaking force should be applied to the side of the tie at the bending point, as may be achieved by directing the tie to the side with an acute angle to its previous direction after it penetrates the first opening.
The separating force is still working in the same direction, parallel to the general direction of the tie, but now the acute angle of the bent area is exposing a hard, bent edge area against the edge of the penetrated opening, pressing hard against said edge and stopping tie from moving in the direction of the separating force. The tie at the bent point can form a hard, nonflexible structure that acts as a nonflexible brake when it presses against the edge of the opening. To make the stopping effect permanent, the second or next opening (or a fastener in place of that opening) can be used to secure the tie permanently in an acute direction to the previous direction of the tie.
There is also a second force that can increase the engagement of the binding device. To increase the grip of the binding device, its stiffness can again be applied from another direction. If, for example, the tie is formed from fabric, fabric alone has no inner stiffness and is not able to resist a separating force when pulled out from the opening. When instead of fabric, stiff but still flexible sheet material can be used to form the tie, when the tie is pulled out at an angled direction, relative to its previous direction, the tie will not slide out of the opening but instead lifts the material into which the opening is cut. Its stiffness does not allow bending at a sharp angle. To do that, excessive force must be applied, damaging the inner structure of the material that the tie is cut from, to form a crease, and overcome stiffness, normally allowing only wide-angle bending.
For example, the tie can be cut from paper and bend it into the shape of the letter “L” with the bottom arm of the “L” set flat, horizontally on the ground. Then the second piece of paper can be inserted with an opening penetrated by the vertical arm of the letter “L,” and this second piece of paper lies horizontally on the top of the bottom horizontal arm of the “L”. Then, when trying to remove the “L”-shaped tie by pulling up the vertical arm of “L”, instead of pulling the tie out of the opening the horizontal penetrated piece is lifted. This happens because the stiffness of the material the tie is cut from is greater than the force applied.
Using only this type of gripping power with direction comparable to the gripping direction of a plier, one may use a tie formed from sections of marginally flexible or nonflexible material with hinges or other flexible connections in between, like for example crease to bind any material, with the same arrangement of holes as described above, to allow smooth penetrations of the holes by the tie. With the free end of the tie secured in place by penetration of the second hole or by use of a fastener or glue instead, a user may have a fully functioning binding device, with slightly different handling than the handling of the binding device with a full-length flexible tie. The gripping power of the binding device is generated by the use of the stiffness of material from which the tie is cut.
Continuing the discussion above regarding the use of flexible material: a configuration with two guiding openings may be limited in the amount of the material it can bind, because if the first angle of entry of the tie in the first opening is not acute, the solution will not work. When the tie is used to bind a thicker load of material, as the tie's angle of entry to first hole approaches 90 degrees, the gripping power becomes weaker. When the angle of entry is close to 90 degrees, the breaking power effectively ceases to exist. The “brake” function will not be formed. In this situation, the strength of the binding device may be increased by multiplying the number of openings penetrated by the tie. Each opening located in such an arrangement that the tie after penetrating the previous opening proceeds in almost return direction with an acute angle to the previous direction into the next opening. More openings may be added, to be penetrated by the tie, directed each time to the next opening under an acute angle to its previous direction, forming this way more gripping power each time tie is bent when penetrating the next opening.
The gripping power of the binding device can be increased by the use of rigid, nonflexible material to make the clasp or, in other words, the arrangement of openings designed to retain the tie.
The binding device described above, including the tie, is cut from a single sheet of flexible material, but a tie and a separate substrate with openings may also be assembled as separate pieces made from other suitable materials. Further, the last opening securing the free end of the tie in an acute position to its previous direction may be replaced in some embodiments with a fastener, including a hook-and-loop fastener, a clasp, hooks, rings, glue strips, etc. The other openings may be made similarly.
The example above described a binding device made from a flexible sheet of material, but another embodiment may have parts made from nonflexible material. For example, parts with openings or attached flaps with openings may be made from nonflexible material. The binder described may have different forms like for example document binder with covers as well a binder with multiple ties and arrangements of openings attached to a spine as well as a binder consisting of single ties with arrangements of openings attached, as well as other shapes and arrangements as different uses and situations may suggest.
In some embodiments, as alluded to above, it may be useful to form one or more of the openings for a tie on flaps that extend away from a main part of the substrate material. For example, the tie in the above arrangements is penetrating the openings, each time crossing to the other side of the sheet made from a flexible sheet of material. Because it may pose a problem when there is not easy access to the full length of the tie from one side of the substrate, flaps can be used. Flaps may be folded somewhat away from an associated flexible sheet. Flaps may be made in the form of openings separated on 2 or 3 sides from the rest of the material or materials that the binding device is made from or in the form of an attachment with an opening inside, made from other materials. This arrangement allows the tie to stay on one side of the sheet of material that the binding device is made from and be always accessible from one side after it penetrates an opening.
Embodiments of the present Invention was specifically designed to bind hole-punched paper but is capable of a more general application as a lock wherever a flexible tie arrangement coupling with a clasp consisting of holes or flaps with holes may replace locks used in bags, belts, shoes, closing of seams uniting flexible or nonflexible bodies. The clasps may be made from flexible as well from nonflexible material.
When embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components outlined in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.
The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed after that and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
Likewise, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, unless otherwise specified or limited, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.
Some figures may include multiple instances of similar structures or structural relationships. For convenience of presentation, in select figures, only some of these similar structures or relationships may be specifically labeled with a reference number. One of skill in the art will recognize that the features not labeled with reference numbers can include similar aspects and perform similar functions to similar features that are labeled with reference numbers.
Some embodiments of the invention relate to binding devices, such as those used for securing hole-punched paper or other items. Although some conventional designs can usefully bind hole-punched paper, conventional designs can also exhibit significant deficiencies. For example, as noted above, some conventional binders include rigid rings to hold the hole-punched paper. The rigid and fixed shape of the rings can prevent the binders from being flattened, when not in full use, or expanded, when large amounts of hole-punched paper are to be bound together. Similarly, some conventional portfolios can include pockets or adhesive material. Although some of these designs can be flattened significantly when not in full use, the ability to expand capacity as needed may be limited. Further, some pocket designs may not secure large amounts of paper particularly well. Further, many conventional designs are relatively expensive and complex to manufacture and assemble.
Some embodiments of the invention can address these issues or others. For example, in some embodiments, a binding device can be formed from a single blank (e.g., sheet of flexible material), can be capable of binding hole-punched paper and other items having a wide variety of thicknesses, and can exhibit significant retention strength. In some embodiments, a binding device can exhibit significant retention strength despite being formed from a flexible sheet of material, which may allow for highly economical and straightforward manufacturing and use.
Generally, embodiments of the solution can include a tie and a plurality of openings, all of which can, for example, be formed in (or from) a substrate of a single flexible sheet of material. The tie can be configured to extend through holes punched in a paper (or other materials), then be threaded through the holes to securely retain the hole-punched paper (or other items) as desired. In some embodiments, a tie can be configured to bend at an acute angle at one of the associated openings. This can be useful, for example, to provide substantial gripping strength between the tie and the relevant opening, to prevent forces on the bound hole-punched paper (e.g., from gravity, handling by users, and so on) from easily withdrawing the tie from the opening. In some embodiments, three or more openings can be provided to engage a tie, resulting in at least two acute bends of the tie and correspondingly substantial holding strength. In embodiments with multiple openings, the tie may sometimes be configured to bend at an obtuse angle at one of the openings and acute angles at other openings.
In different embodiments, binding principles disclosed herein (e.g., as described above) can be implemented with regard to a variety of large binding devices. For example, different embodiments can include: a stand-alone binding device in which a single tie is configured to surround at least part of a bound material (e.g., paper); a binding device in which a spine connects multiple distinct sets of openings and an associated tie (each set, generally, also a binding device), such that each tie can surround a different portion of a bound material to bind the material together and to the spine; a portfolio that includes at least one set of openings and an associated tie; and various others.
Some embodiments of the invention can include binding devices (e.g., a set of openings and a tie) that are cut from a single sheet of material, potentially a flexible sheet of material. Some embodiments may not incorporate any additional parts beyond those made from the single sheet of flexible material, including relatively rigid parts such as those made from metal or hard plastic. It can be beneficial, for example, because a tie that is made from the same material as that from which associated openings are cut may be less likely than a tie made from a different material to tear the material surrounding the openings. Additionally, cutting an embodiment of the present solution from a single sheet of material and not adding any additional parts or materials may simplify manufacturing processes, reduce costs, and reduce the time required to complete manufacturing.
As used herein, the term “opening” refers to straight, oval, round, square, rectangle, triangle, trapezoid, or a similarly shaped hole wide enough to allow passing of a tie and narrow enough to keep it from moving to the sides. Certain shapes of hole like straight cut, oval, trapezoid may have increased gripping power effect due to the exposure of a larger area of the penetrated hole's edges to the penetrating tie surface and edges. Other shapes of the holes such as round or square may have lower gripping power. Shapes with parts of the edge extending toward the inside of the hole, for example hole cut in letter “C”, may have limited gripping power due to the fact that the shape may not allow full bending of the penetrating tie. As a result, the tie may disengage when a load becomes too heavy for particular arrangement. The term “opening” also refers to hooks and to holes with a side cut allowing access to the inner area of the hole.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “sheet” refers to a flat piece of material. In some embodiments, a sheet may be substantially planar (e.g., deviating from planar, when resting on a planar surface, only by surface roughness or within acceptable manufacturing tolerances in the industry) and substantially thinner than it is long or wide (e.g., at least two orders of magnitude thinner than its length or than its width).
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “other items” refers to any variety of objects, including, for example, documents, parts, components, and products (i.e., groups of any manner of thing that can be fastened together for handling.)
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “paper” refers to paper as material. In some embodiments, the term refers to sheets of paper that have holes punched through them, for the purpose of securing the sheets in a binder or folder.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “flaps” refers to features formed on (e.g., of) a sheet of material (e.g., that a binding device is made from) and that remain connected to the sheet but are separated on one or more sides from the sheet, so that the features can be bent away from a main portion of the sheet. For example, some flaps are separated on two or more sides from a flexible sheet substrate and may be folded somewhat away from the flexible sheet. Sometimes flaps may be formed as features in other types of material or devices and attached to the side of the binding device to perform the same function. Rings, clasps, hooks, and other standalone devices with openings can be used as flaps when attached with part of its edge to the side of the binding device. A main function of flaps in some cases is to allow the tie to remain on one side of the binding device, to be easily accessible and not to cross through an opening to the other side of the binding device where the tie may be difficult to reach. Flaps may have exterior shapes that are elongated or corner-like, which may limit or extend their flexibility as needed.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “cut” refers to the separation of parts or sections of a material (e.g., that a binding device is made from), regardless of the actual method used to make those separations.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “flexible sheet” is used to refers to a variety of sheet material formulations that can be folded relatively easily (e.g., by hand) and that exhibit sufficient strength to avoid tearing when subjected to the contemplated loads (e.g., the weight of between 5 and 500 sheets of pure paper). As such, a flexible sheet may include conventional paper formed from cellulose or similar materials. It may also include relatively thick materials that are otherwise similar to conventional paper, such materials commonly known as cover paper, card stock, cover stock. It may also include synthetic paper, such as may be formed from synthetic resins, plastic, petroleum derivatives, metals, foils, plastics, and other similar material or as well as from a combination of any of these materials. Further, it may also include a flexible material having desired bending or tensile characteristics (e.g., stiffness and flexibility), such as fabric or laminates. Such flexible materials may sometimes be reinforced with stronger (i.e., more robust or rigid) materials depending on the application. In some instances, a “flexible sheet” may not include pure paper as pure paper may be prone to ripping, depending on thickness and quality. In some instances, pure paper can be supplemented with another material (e.g., fabric, laminate, or other flexible sheet material) to enhance the desired characteristics, reduce susceptibility to ripping and tearing, and allow the pure paper to serve as flexible sheet according to this disclosure.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “tie” may include a flat strip of material, such as a ribbon cut from synthetic paper or from other flexible material, although other configurations are possible. In some embodiments, a tie may be integrally formed with a flexible sheet of material, such that an end of the tie is integrally attached to material that is not configured as a tie (e.g., a sheet of material configured as a portfolio or cover). In some contexts, a “tie” describes a flexible ribbon-like piece of material tied to rigid a section—as an extension of the tie. Sometimes term “tie” may refer to a flexible tie with a rigid end or a string of narrow, rigid pieces of material flexibly tied to each other.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “fastener” may refer to any suitable device, clasp, ring, buckle, hook, hook-and-loop fastener, material, or combination of materials for securing, affixing, or adhering a tie to a flexible sheet (or the tie to itself). One such example of a fastener is an adhesive material (e.g., glue), which provides a tacky surface on which the tie will adhere (i.e., bond) in such a manner as to hold the tie with sufficient strength to support a desired operational load. Another example of a fastener is hook and loop (e.g., VELCRO®) fastener. In some such examples, a tie will include the hook or the loop portion of the fastener, while a flexible sheet will include the opposite, such that the tie will be held to the flexible sheet when the fastener portions are in contact. In another example, a fastener can be configured as an eyelet. In such examples, the eyelet may be configured to receive the tie to be configured in such a manner (e.g., wrapped, twisted, knotted, folded, etc.), such that the tie will be held in an acute angle.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “stiffness” refers to the extent to which a material or object resists deformation in response to an applied force. It is defined as the property of a material, which makes it difficult to bend. In one example, the flexible sheet of material has a characteristic stiffness such that a tie made therefrom resists deformation in response to an applied force in a particular direction (e.g., perpendicular to a thinnest dimension of the tie). In another example, the characteristic stiffness is such that the tie can maintain its shape and form in response to an applied force in a particular direction.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, the term “flexibility” refers to the extent to which a material or object can bend or deform without cracking or breaking. In one example, a flexible sheet has characteristic flexibility such that a tie made from it may be deformed (e.g., bent double) in response to an applied force without cracking or breaking.
Among other benefits, some embodiments of the present invention can bind a wide range of amounts and sizes of bound items, depending, in some cases, on factors such as the material(s) from which the binding device is composed, the number of openings that the binding device comprises the arrangement of the openings or the dimensions of the tie. In some cases, this may allow relatively simple and compact embodiments of the present invention to replace a large number of relatively complex or sizable conventional binding products. For example, a single instance of some embodiments of the present invention may be able to replace each of a set of ring-binders with sizes ranging from 0 inches to 4 inches, in thickness. A single instance of some embodiments of the present invention may also be able to replace binders with thickness even greater than 4 inches.
Another benefit of the present invention is that some embodiments can maintain a low profile regardless of how much target material they bind. For example, because some embodiments may primarily use a strap-like tie to secure bound material, the overall profile of the binding device and bound material may not extend above or below the top/bottom of the bound material by substantially more than the thickness of the tie. In some cases, this may result in negligible overall protrusion of the binding device, such as when the thickness of the relevant tie is relatively insignificant compared to the total thickness of the bound material.
Notably, in some embodiments, the openings and the tie can be configured to require the tie to bend in a return direction and simultaneously extend at an acute angle at the first opening to after that extend to the second opening. This can result in substantially strong engagement between the tie and the flexible sheet and the first opening, with correspondingly strong securement of the target (now bound) material.
As used herein, the term “first opening” does not necessarily refer to the first opening that a tie passes through. Instead, “first opening” is a labeling term that may not have any ordinal significance. Likewise, as used herein, the term “second opening” does not necessarily refer to the second opening that a tie passes through, but rather is also a labeling term that may not have any ordinal significance. This also applies to subsequent terms that are used to label additional openings, such as “third opening,” “fourth opening,” etc. For example, “first opening” may refer to opening that a tie passes through before it bends at an acute angle and “second opening” may refer to the next opening that a tie passes through after it has bent at an acute angle, even if the tie has already passed through other openings prior to reaching the labeled openings. However, in another embodiment “first opening” may refer to opening that a tie passes through after it has already bent at an acute angle and “second opening” may refer to the opening that a tie passes through before it bends at an acute angle. In yet another embodiment, “first opening” may refer to opening that a tie passes through at an obtuse angle before bending in an acute angle at “second opening” and “third opening.”
For example, in an embodiment where the present solution is implemented in a paper portfolio, the flexible sheet may be the portfolio itself, and the tie and associated openings may all be cut out of the portfolio. During a binding process for a target material, the tie may begin inside the portfolio, then pass through an opening in the target material, after which the tie passes through a first opening cut into the portfolio. As a result, the free end of the tie may now be outside of the portfolio. From there, the tie may be extended (e.g., pulled) along the portfolio towards a second opening cut into the portfolio, and the free end of the tie may be passed back into the interior of the portfolio through the second opening. Due to the arrangement of the openings, the tie may be bent at an acute angle at the second opening, rather than the first, and this bend and the interactions between the edges of the tie and the edges of the second opening (or others) can resist withdrawal of the tie out of the openings.
Although the examples above, and others below, expressly address only two openings, some embodiments may have additional openings through which a relevant tie can be passed, thereby forming additional bends (e.g., additional acute bends). In some cases, these additional openings and bends may beneficially increase resistance to withdrawal of the tie from the openings.
Generally, a flexible sheet for use in embodiments of the solution has sufficient strength, stiffness, and flexibility to be used repeatedly as a tie to secure the desired load (e.g., a desired number of sheets of pure paper).
In one example, the relative thickness of the flexible sheet, or other flexible sheet material, to its width is increased by making a tie having a narrow width. As a result, introducing a bend (i.e., fold, bend line, or fulcrum) in the tie will result in an area of increased stiffness and decreased flexibility. In one example, the bend line can be used to apply a gripping force via friction at an opening in the flexible sheet.
In some embodiments, a binding device can maintain a desired position relative to a flexible sheet by applying a braking force to the flexible sheet. For example, a binding device can include a tie made from a narrow ribbon of a flexible sheet or other suitable material, a pivot point (i.e., fold, bend line, or fulcrum), and braking surface (i.e., edge). In one example, the pivot point is created by the tie penetrating an opening in a first direction and bending in a return direction to form an acute angle at the opening. In such an example, if left in the original bent position (i.e., 180 degrees or directly opposite the first direction), the tie would not apply sufficient force against the edge of the opening to maintain itself in the desired position. However, if the tie is moved to form an acute angle between the first and second directions, the creation of the acute angle in the pivot point of the tie can result in an increase in friction between the tie and the edge of the opening. Thus, due to the increase in friction from reduced contact area between the tie and the edge of the opening, the tie can be prevented from dislodging even under relatively substantial load.
A tie made from a flexible sheet can maintain the bend and act as a binding device even without the tie being affixed at both ends because tie gripping force is created at the bends of the tie, not by affixing the end of the tie to anything.
In some embodiments, a tie (e.g., a strap) can be configured to be retained with an acute angle at an opening by features other than another opening. For example, some ties may be sufficiently stiff that the tie naturally remains at an acute angle without other interventions. As another example, a fastener can be provided, such as indicated schematically by fastener 36a in
In some embodiments of the present invention, a tie may have a substantially uniform width throughout its entire length. In some embodiments, including some cases in which a tie exhibits a substantially uniform width, a tie may not have any protruding or recessed geometry, such as teeth, lobes, ratcheting mechanisms, or recessed catches, that would engage the edges of the openings or other features and resist the tie from sliding backward. In some embodiments of the present invention, a tie may be tapered on its leading end, to help the leading end of the strap pass more easily through the openings.
Depending on the needs of a particular embodiment, a tie can have practically any length. In some embodiments in which a tie is cut from a flexible sheet, the tie can have a maximum length that is substantially equal to the dimension of the flexible sheet in the direction in which the tie aligns. This design can allow for some ties to have greater lengths than some alternative, conventional designs, in which multiple ties are cut from the same section of the flexible sheet and thus have maximum lengths that may be limited to only a portion of the dimension of the flexible sheet in the direction in which the ties align.
In some embodiments, openings and an associated tie can be cut from the same flexible sheet. In some embodiments, no additional materials or parts are added to a tie or associated openings after the tie or the openings are cut from the flexible sheet. In some embodiments, forming a tie and associated openings from the same material reduces the tendency for the tie to tear the parts of the flexible sheet that form the edges of the opening, including as compared to some conventional configurations where the tie is formed from a material other than the flexible sheet itself. Additionally, forming the tie and the openings from the flexible sheet itself, without any later additions, can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce costs as compared to configurations that require post-cutting modifications to either the tie or the openings.
In
In some embodiments, an opening in the flexible sheet may have a maximum width (e.g., a diameter of a circle or a major axis of an ovular shape) that is substantially the same as the width of an associated tie. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
Thus arranged, the tie 32 can form a loop 32a, of variable size, that can be used to secure bound material. For example, the tie 32 can be threaded through aligned punched holes in stacked paper before being threaded through the first opening 34, so that the paper can be secured at the loop 32a. Moreover, because of the acute bend at the opening 34, the tie 32 can be relatively securely held against being withdrawn from the opening 34, so that the paper may remain reliably secured at the loop 32a. And the tie 32 (and thereby the paper) can be further secured due to engagement of the tie 32 with the second opening 36, which can help to maintain the acute angle 40 while also directly helping to prevent the free end 38 of the tie 32 from being withdrawn towards the first opening 34. In this regard, for example, it can be seen that the non-alignment of the openings 34, 36 along the first direction 44 can help to preserve an appropriate acute bend of the tie 32 at the opening 34.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Importantly, in the illustrated embodiments of
Generally, embodiments of the present solution have at least two openings associated with a particular tie (e.g., two openings in a common flexible sheet). This can be useful, for example, to allow a first opening through which a tie passes to provide a pivot point for the tie to bend and to allow a subsequent opening through which the tie passes to provide an anchor point to secure the free end of the tie and help to maintain the angle of the noted bend. As such, some embodiment of the present solution that includes at least two openings can allow a tie to bend at a specific angle and maintain the angle of that bend indefinitely, when in a coupled state. As the specific angle of a bend in the tie can be important in some embodiments of the present invention, the presence of at least two openings to help maintain a particular bend angle can generally be important for effective binding.
Some embodiments of the present solution may be configured to have more than two openings. In some cases, additional openings can allow for additional points of engagement between the tie and the edges of the openings. In some cases, additional openings may also allow for additional bends in the tie, including when the tie is in a fully coupled state. The additional points of engagement between the tie and the edges of the opening and the additional bends in the tie can together help to increase the amount of resistance that prevents the tie from being withdrawn from the relevant holes. And greater resistance in this regard can allow some embodiments to bind relatively large amounts of target material without the tie coming undone.
Different embodiments can have different amounts of space between openings, which can provide different benefits in different contexts. For example, some embodiments with larger amounts of space between openings may sometimes have larger amounts of flexible sheet between those openings, which can provide greater strength to resist tearing of the flexible sheet. As another example, some embodiments with smaller amounts of space between openings can exhibit reduced distance over which a tie must travel between openings, which can leave a greater amount of the length of the tie available to bind target material. With these and other potential benefits in mind, it may accordingly be possible to optimize different embodiments to a wide range of contexts, including as may account for availability of flexible sheet of material to form a tie of a particular length, overall strength of the flexible sheet, expected or required total thickness of bound materials, weight or strength of bound materials, and so on.
Some embodiments of the present solution may have some openings disposed on flaps in the flexible sheet. When a tie passes through an opening that is disposed on a flap of the flexible sheet, it begins on a first side of the flexible sheet, passes through the opening and underneath the flap, and then continues to travel along on the first side of the flexible sheet. The tie remains substantially all on the first side of the flexible sheet both before and after passing through the opening, only traveling behind the portion of the flexible sheet that forms the flap on which the opening is disposed. This configuration allows the tie to remain substantially all on one side of the flexible sheet as it passes through an opening. Among other benefits, this may be beneficial if a particular embodiment seeks to minimize the amount of the tie that is visible on one side of the flexible sheet. It may also simplify the process of passing the tie through the opening.
Embodiments of the present solution can be configured to secure target material in a variety of ways. In some embodiments of the present solution, a tie may sometimes pass through a hole in the target material before coupling with the openings in the flexible sheet. In this way, the tie surrounds a portion of the target material, binding it to the flexible sheet. For example, the target material may be hole-punched paper. A tie of an embodiment of the present solution may begin on one side of the hole-punched paper, pass through the hole in the hole-punched paper, and then proceed to couple with the openings in the flexible sheet. As a result, the tie surrounds the portion of the hole-punched paper between the hole and the flexible sheet and binds the hole-punch paper together and to the flexible sheet.
Some embodiments of the present solution can exhibit a low profile. The low profile exhibited by some embodiments may be related to the type of material from which it is formed, particularly it is formed from a flexible material. In such an embodiment, when a tie binds a target material and couples with the openings, the tie, and flexible sheet do not extend beyond the top or bottom of the target material by substantially more than their thickness, regardless of the pre-existing profile of the target material (e.g., as shown in
Some embodiments of the present solution may be configured to bind target material other than hole-punch paper. Some embodiments of the present solution may be configured to bind target material to a flexible sheet or to bind together multiple target objects. For example, ties in some embodiments can be configured to surround and secure a bundle of objects, such as electrical cords, before coupling with openings in a small piece of flexible sheet to which the tie is anchored. Such an embodiment could bind the disparate electrical cords together as the tie passes through the openings.
As another example, some embodiments can be used to bind target objects, e.g., rods, to a flexible sheet. In this regard, for example, multiple binding devices on a flexible sheet spine can be configured so that each relevant tie can surround a portion of the rods to bind the rods together and to the flexible sheet collectively. In some cases, this type of arrangement can also include other elements. For example, some embodiments can include a handle (not shown in the Figs.) connected to the flexible sheet, which may facilitate easy transportation of disparate pieces of target material. Some embodiments of the present solution can also incorporate other elements, such as tools to identify or label the target material.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Generally, embodiments of the present solution can implement any number of component binding devices, such as one, two, or three individual binding devices. As also discussed above, implementing multiple binding devices on a spine or other linking of a flexible sheet of material can provide particular benefits in some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments of the present solution, each binding device of a set of multiple devices may be able to bind a different portion of the target material, which may increase the total strength with which the target material can be bound.
In some embodiments, using a spine to connect multiple binding devices instead of a larger or more complex structure, such as a portfolio, may have numerous benefits. For example, linking binding devices with an integral (or other) spine may reduce manufacturing time or costs or increase the range of contexts in which the relevant binding devices can be implemented. In some embodiments, using a spine may allow for easy storage, including storage of multiple binding devices (e.g., multiple spines and associated ties) together. In some embodiments, using a spine may provide aesthetic or functional benefits. For example, the relatively small size and concealability of a spine may be useful in cases for which the target material may be aesthetically attractive or may need to be readily and immediately visible.
In some cases, however, it may be appropriate to use structures other than spines to connect multiple binding devices. For example,
Although binding devices with two holes per tie are generally shown in the examples of
As also noted above, in some embodiments with more than two openings, a tie can be secured with multiple bends, including an obtuse bend and one or more acute bends. For example, the openings may be arranged such that a tie that extends in one direction before passing through a first opening must bend at an acute angle (e.g., as measured in direction parallel to the plane of the flexible sheet) after passing through the first opening to extend in a different direction to a second opening. In some embodiments, after passing through the second opening, the tie may again extend in a different direction to extend to a third opening. In some embodiments, this second change in direction may force the tie to bend at another acute angle (e.g., also as measured in a direction parallel the plane of the flexible sheet), although other configurations are possible. As also noted above, the use of multiple acute bends in this fashion can sometimes provide substantial binding strength.
In some embodiments, more than three openings can be provided. In some embodiments, for example, after passing through a third opening, a tie may again change directions to extend towards a fourth opening. In some embodiments, a tie may be bent at an acute angle at alternating, rather than successive openings. In some embodiments, a tie may pass through a first sequential opening without an acute bend, then pass through successive (e.g., third and fourth) sequential openings with acute bends.
When coupled with the operations illustrated in
In some embodiments, further acute bends can be provided. For example, in some embodiments, the tie 102 can be configured to form additional bends (not shown), such as by arranging the tie 102 to extend in a different direction before entry into the opening 104 or after passage through the opening 110.
In some embodiments of the present solution, the openings of a binding device can be arranged in a variety of shapes, beyond the substantially square arrangement shown in
As also noted above, different embodiments can include more or fewer openings than the examples illustrated in the various Figs. For example, some embodiments of the present solution can include more than four openings, depending on the size of the openings, the size of the flexible sheet, the material properties of the flexible sheet, and the intended purpose.
In some embodiments, it may be possible for a binding device to be used in a partially coupled state, such as a state in which a tie has passed through some, but not all, of the relevant openings of the binding device. For example, in a four-opening embodiment, an adequate binding capacity may sometimes be obtained after a tie has passed through openings that are sufficient for the tie to form a single bend at an acute angle, even if certain openings associated with the tie have not yet been engaged (i.e., with the binding device in a partially coupled state). It may be beneficial for a binding device to be able to bind target material when only in a partially bound state, for example, as users may be able to save time by only having to thread the tie through some of the openings (e.g., if the amount of target material being bound is sufficiently limited). This customizability of coupled states can also allow some embodiments of the present solution to produce a range of binding strengths, based on the number and selection of openings through which a user threads a particular tie.
In different embodiments, including embodiments with four or fewer openings, differently configured openings can be used. For example,
The tie 120 to secure material, can generally be coupled similarly to the tie 102 of
In some embodiments, a side cut can be provided in order to allow access to the inner area of a particular opening. For example, as shown with a dashed line in
In some embodiments, openings to engage a tie can be formed on flaps that can be folded somewhat away from an associated flexible sheet. In some cases, this may help to improve the ease with which users can secure a tie in a coupled state. For example, some embodiments with flaps can be secured in a coupled state with a tie remaining substantially on only one side of a relevant, flexible sheet, other than at edges of certain flaps. Accordingly, it may be possible for a user to place the relevant binding device in a coupled state without the need to engage a tie from two different sides of a flexible sheet. It may be particularly useful, for example, for binding devices implemented as part of portfolios or in other arrangements that are configured to bind large amounts of material.
As one example,
Continuing,
Finally,
In some embodiments, flaps of a binding device can be formed with different orientations relative to each other. For example, as shown in
As also discussed above, in some embodiments, having at least some openings disposed on flaps may provide benefits. In some embodiments, having the tie remain substantially on one side of the flexible sheet as it passes through and travels between many of the openings may provide an aesthetic benefit. For example, having a tie remains substantially on the backside of a flexible sheet that may allow it to be hidden from view, which can provide a cleaner or less complicated look that may be desirable. In some embodiments, having a tie remain substantially on one side of a flexible sheet may make it easier for some users to thread the tie through the openings because the tie will not have to travel along both sides of the flexible sheet, so the user may not need to access both sides of the flexible sheet. In some embodiments of the present solution, having a tie remains substantially all on one side of a flexible sheet may make it easier for some users to thread the tie through the openings because a user may be better able to see the tie as he passes it through the openings.
In the illustrated embodiment, the portfolio 180 also includes a spine 188, with the openings 184 of each binding device disposed on an opposite side of the spine 188 from the associated tie 182. As also discussed above, for example, this may help to allow the portfolio 180 to conveniently accommodate a wider range of target material 186 than might otherwise be possible. In this regard, for example, not only can the spine 188 expand to accommodate a large amount of bound material, but the spine 188 can also compress to reduce the overall profile of the portfolio 180 when a smaller amount of bound material is engaged.
Generally, portfolio 190 provides an example of an embodiment that has a low profile. For example, due to the relative thin aspect and parallel orientation of the ties 194 relative to the portfolio covers, neither side of the portfolio 190 or the tie 194 extends beyond the dimensions of the target material 196 by substantially more than its thickness. Notably, some embodiments of the present solution can provide a low profile substantially similar to the portfolio 190 regardless of how much (or how little) target material is bound.
As also alluded to above, some embodiments of the present solution may be configured to have openings disposed on either side of a spine of a portfolio or a stand-alone (or other) spine. For example, some embodiments may have all of the relevant openings disposed on the side of a spine to which an associated tie is anchored. As another example, some embodiments may have all of the relevant openings disposed on the side of the spine that is opposite of where an associated tie is anchored. Some embodiments may have some openings disposed on both sides of the spine or on the spine itself.
In this regard, for example,
As another example,
As alluded to above, passing the tie 250 through the eyelet 258 may allow the tie 250 to be readily formed into a loop before the tie 250 passes through the openings 254 to fully couple the binding device 256 around the relevant target material. In some embodiments, this may allow the user to easily adjust the size of the loop formed by the tie 250, which may be beneficial for sizing or tightening the loop around target material even before the binding device 256 is fully coupled.
In the embodiment shown in
With further folding, the leafs 360a-c and the primary portion 356 can be disposed as shown in
Thus, embodiments of the disclosed invention can provide various benefits compared to conventional binding devices and related methods. For example, in some embodiments, binding devices according to the invention can be quickly and economically manufactured and can secure assembled materials having a wide range of thicknesses, while exhibiting generally small overall profiles.
While not being bound to a single theory, the embodiments described herein provide improved devices and methods for creating a binding device from flexible sheets of materials. Generally, the binding devices include a tie, at least one opening, and (optionally) one or more fasteners. The tie, when passed through the first opening, can remain at an acute angle, such as by way of engagement with a second opening or a fastener. The acute angle of the tie results in a stopping force via the application of a force (i.e., friction) against the edge of the opening. Maintaining the acute angle with a second opening or fastener prevents the tie from dislodging from the first opening, thereby retaining the target material in the desired position (i.e., bound).
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210221161 A1 | Jul 2021 | US |
