Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,490, there is described a binder ring metal commonly referred to as a “twist-lok” metal. An advantage of this type metal is that it is relatively easy for a user to open by applying finger pressure to respective halves of a binder ring, typically near the respective ends of the ring halves where they join together, to close the metal. The user then moves his or her fingers in a rotary or twisting manner to separate the ends of the halves. The opposite ends of the ring halves are connected to separate leaves which extend side-by-side beneath a cover portion of the metal. The leaves have swedges which are angled with respect to the leaves and the twisting movement of the upper portion of the ring halves causes the leaves to sufficiently flex so that an over center toggling action occurs and the binder rings remain open after the finger pressure is released.
A problem with previous twist-lok metals has been that they are prone to open when a binder in which they are installed is accidentally dropped. If a binder falls off a table, or is bumped out of a person's hands while they are carrying the binder, it often occurs that one or more of the binder rings spring apart, opening the binder. The person then must retrieve the binder and re-close the rings, hopefully without having lost any pages out of the binder. The present invention is directed to an improved twist-lok ring metal which is still easy to open, but which now does not inadvertently open when dropped, bumped, or otherwise subjected to a force.
More recently, attempts have been made to improve the construction of these type metals. See, for example, U.S. application publication 2008/0089736. However, further improvements are still required to insure that twist-lok binder rings stay tightly closed when an otherwise opening force is accidentally applied.
The present disclosure is directed a locking ring metal having twist-lok rings. A plurality of twist-lok type binder rings are spaced along the length of the metal. Each binder ring comprises a pair of binder ring halves with one end of each ring half interlocking with the corresponding end of the other ring half, when the binder rings are closed, to close the respective binder rings. A pair of frames extend generally parallel to each other substantially the length of the metal. The other end of each ring half of each binder ring is attached to a respective one of the frames for pivotal movement of the frames relative to each other affecting opening of the binder rings. One of the frames is movable longitudinally with respect to the other frame which cannot move longitudinally. The ring metal also includes a cover beneath which the frames are installed. A trigger is installed at one end of the ring metal. Movement of the trigger moves the movable frame relative to the other frame to separate the interlocking ends of the binder ring halves. A spring has respective ends which are secured to opposite sides of the cover, on the underside thereof, and below the frames. The springs exert a force on the frames, after the interlocking ends of the binder end halves are separated, to urge the frames to pivot in a binder ring opening direction.
In one embodiment of the invention, each frame includes a tab contacted by each spring for the spring to exert the binder ring opening force on the frame. In a second embodiment of the invention, the spring is a circular spring looped about the tabs with the force exerted by the spring on the frames urging the frames toward a binder ring open position once the interlocking ends of the binder ring are separated.
It is an advantage of this ring metal construction that the binder rings cannot be inadvertently or accidentally opened if the binder is dropped or bumped.
Importantly, it is a further feature of the ring metal of the present invention to lock the movable frame member in place when the binder rings are open. This is done using a tab formed or attached to the movable frame or a ring metal cover and a slot formed on the other of the two components. The tab is received in the slot as the binder rings are opened by pivoting movement of the longitudinally movable frame member and prevents subsequent longitudinal movement of the movable frame member until the binder rings are substantially closed.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide an easy to open ring metal, but one in which, when the twist-lok rings are closed, sufficient force is exerted on the rings to keep them closed.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
The objects of the invention are achieved as set forth in the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings which form a part of the specification.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it will be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The present invention is directed at first, making it easier for a person to open a “twist-lok” metal. But second, and at the same time, the present invention substantially prevents the binder rings from being inadvertently or accidentally opened for one of the above noted reasons.
Referring to the drawings, a binder ring metal 10 of the present invention is for installation, for example, in the spine section S of a binder B for holding hole punched sheets of paper or the like. Those skilled in the art will understand that ring metal 10 can be installed in other ways in different type binders. Ring metal 10 is a “twist-lok” metal having a plurality of binder rings indicated generally 12, 14, and 16. The metal may have more, or fewer, rings without departing from the scope of the invention. Each ring is comprised of two ring halves 12a-12b, 14a-14b, and 16a-16b respectively. As is known in the art, the outer ends of twist-lok ring halves are formed or shaped so that they interlock when the rings are closed. This is best shown, for example, in
As shown in
A trigger 26, located at one end of ring metal 10 is connected to frames 18, 20 for use by someone to open and close binder B. In this regard, the trigger mechanism includes a coil spring 27 and a bar 28 which connects to frame 20 so to push and pull the frame in a direction longitudinal to cover 22 and frame 18. Importantly, trigger 26 is not connected to frame 18 so as to move the frame longitudinally of ring metal 10, beneath cover 22. So, while both frames will pivot, as described hereinafter, to affect a rotary ring opening and closing movement of the binder ring halves, only frame 20 moves linearly or longitudinally; frame 18 does not so move. As shown in
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that opening the binder rings 12-16 is two-step process. First, the interlocking ends of the binder ring halves must be spatially separated from each; and then, the ring halves of the respective binder rings are rotated away from each other. Operation of trigger 26 first moves frame 20 longitudinally or lengthwise along ring metal 10 so that it slides along underneath cover 22 a short distance. In this regard, frame 18 is considered a fixed frame, in that operation of trigger 26 does not significantly move this frame lengthwise along the ring metal. Rotation of trigger 26 does, however, significantly move frame 20 in a longitudinal direction. Referring to
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that this longitudinal movement of frame 20 serves only to separate the interlocking ends of the ring metal halves from each other. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that someone can also achieve the same effect by manually moving one of the ring halves 12b, 14b, or 16b longitudinally away from its corresponding ring half 12a, 14a, or 16a.
Ring metal 10 next includes a spring 30a-30c positioned adjacent a respective binder ring 12-16 on the underside of cover 22. This is as particularly shown in FIGS. 4 and 8-10. Ears 32 are formed on the underside of cover 22, on opposite sides of the cover, and each spring 30a-30c has its respective ends secured to opposite sides of the cover, below the frames, using these ears. Next, a tab 34 is formed on the underside of frame 18, as is a tab 36 on the underside of frame 20. The ears 32 along one side of cover 20 are offset from those on the opposite side of the cover. In addition, when binder B is closed, the respective tabs 34 are substantially directly across from the ears 32 adjacent frame 20; and the respective tabs 36 are substantially directly across from the ears 32 adjacent frame 18. Installation of the springs 30a-30c are such that a first leg 38 of each spring extends from the ear 32 on the side of the cover adjacent frame 18, across frame 18 to the tab 36 on frame 20. A next leg 40 of the spring extends diagonally across the frames to the tab 34 on frame 18. Finally, a leg 42 of the spring extends from the tab 34 on frame 18, across frame 20 to the ear 32 on the side of the cover adjacent frame 20. This spring installation results in a Z shaped configuration of the springs 30a-30c as shown in
In operation, once frame 20 has moved longitudinally of frame 18 so the interlocking ends of each binder ring are separated from each other, the respective springs 30a-30c take over and exert a force on the frames causing the frames to pivot in a binder ring opening direction. The resulting rotation of the frames now causes the outer ends of the binder ring halves to rotate away from each other, opening the binder.
Referring to
Now, so long as the binder rings remain open, longitudinal movement of frame 20 is prevented or blocked by the tabs 50 in the slots 52. This maintains ring metal 10 in a binder ring open position. When the binder rings are subsequently closed, the frames are rotated in the opposite direction to that in which they were rotated to open the rings. However, for the greatest portion of this rotation of the frames, a portion of the tabs 50 will extend through the slots 52 so to continue to prevent longitudinal movement of frame 20. This means that frame 20 can only continue to rotate, not move longitudinally. However, as the interlocking ends of the respective binder ring halves come into registry with each other, frame 20 clears the tabs 50 so that the frame can now move longitudinally in the direction for the interlocking ends of the binder ring halves to interfit with each other and close binder B.
Next, as shown in
As with the construction of
Finally, referring to
With respect to the overall operation of ring binder B, the above described construction provides a binder in which the rings are positively locked in place when closed by the interlocking design of the rings, and cannot be inadvertently opened. Thus, even if the binder is knocked about or subjected to a significant force, the rings remain in their closed, locked position, and cannot be opened. Further, once the binder rings are open, they are readily held open until the user decides to close them.
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects and advantages of the present disclosure have been achieved and other advantageous results have been obtained.