This invention relates generally to ring binder mechanisms for retaining loose-leaf pages, and more specifically to a ring binder mechanism having a hinge plate that slides for unlocking ring members mounted thereon and pivots for moving them to an opened position.
A typical ring binder mechanism retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It generally features multiple rings, each including two half ring members that mount on two adjacent hinge plates. The hinge plates join together about a pivot axis and pivot within an elongated housing, allowing the ring members mounted thereon to move between an opened position where pages may be added or removed, and a closed position where pages are retained and can move along the rings. An operator may typically open or close the ring members by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. In addition, in some mechanisms the operator can move a lever located at one or both ends of the mechanism to open or close the ring members.
The paired ring members of these known mechanisms often have free ends with tip formations that do not always exactly align when the ring members are closed, and misalignment of the ring members in directions transverse to longitudinal centerlines of the ring members is common. Moreover, even if alignment is initially perfect upon closure, the free ends may still be able to move relative to each other. Accordingly, pages bound by these known mechanisms may not smoothly move from one ring member to the other and may be torn.
It is known to provide paired ring members that have free ends with interlocking tip formations to hold the paired ring members in alignment when they are closed. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,490 (Warrington) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,722 (Holbrook et al.) and in U.S. Pat. Publ. No. 2006/0153628 (Tanaka et al.). To open these ring members, the interlocking formations must first be disengaged. This is typically accomplished by moving one of the ring members in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing relative to the paired ring member. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,490 the ring members themselves are flexed in opposite longitudinal directions to disengage the interlocking tip formations. But the ring members can be difficult to manually flex, and they may bend or fatigue and impair accurate alignment. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,722 the ring members of each ring are formed as ring assemblies. One of the ring assemblies is mounted on a sliding structure for moving the ring members in a longitudinal direction to disengage the interlocking tip formations. But the complex structures associated with moving ring members in a longitudinal direction can be cost prohibitive for mass producing the mechanisms. In U.S. Pat. Publ. No. 2006/0153628 the ring members are mounted on hinge plates, and the hinge plates slide in opposite longitudinal directions to disengage the interlocking tip formations. But direct manipulation of the ring members as required here often requires two hands to disengage the interlocking tip formations. It would therefore be desirable to provide a ring binder mechanism with locking ring members that is easy to manufacture, simple to use, and durable.
In one aspect, a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages generally comprises a housing having a longitudinal axis. First and second hinge plates are supported by the housing along a hinge for pivoting movement relative to the housing about the hinge. Rings for holding loose-leaf pages include a first ring member and a second ring member. The first ring member is mounted on the first hinge plate and moveable with the pivoting motion of the first hinge plate relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an opened position. In the closed position, a free end of the first ring member is joined with a free end of the second ring member. In the opened position, the free end of the first ring member is separated from the free end of the second ring member. An interlocking formation locks the first ring member and second ring member of each ring in the closed position. An actuator is mounted on the housing for movement relative to the housing. The actuator is adapted to pivot the first and second hinge plates and to translate the first hinge plate relative to the second hinge plate in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing.
Other features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to
With additional reference to
With reference to
Two friction buffers, each indicated generally at 29, are located between the hinge plates 23, 25 along the central hinge 27. The buffers 29 are roughly I-shaped in cross section. The buffers 29 are received in cutouts 31 in the hinge plates 23, 25 and each include opposing channels (each channel being indicated at 33) for receiving the inner edges of the hinge plates 23, 25 at the cutouts 31 (
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Operation of the ring mechanism 1 will now be described with reference to
When the ring members 35, 37 are in the closed position (
Also in this embodiment, a channel 171 is formed in the hinge plates 123, 125 for receiving an extension spring 161. Part of the channel 171 extends across a first hinge plate 123 and part extends across a second hinge plate 125 so that the channel 171 seats the extension spring 161 in position across both hinge plates 123, 125. The channel 171 opens downwardly, away from the housing 111, to receive the extension spring 161 that is disposed on the undersides of the hinge plates 123, 125. As described for the first embodiment, the spring 161 connects to detents 163 formed in the hinge plates 123, 125 and urges the first hinge plate 123 to a position in which first and second ring members 135, 137 of each ring 113 are aligned. The channel 171 recesses the spring 161 partially within, or above, outer surfaces of the hinge plates 123, 125 so that the spring does not provide substantial urge to the hinge plates to pivot them upward through the co-planar position when the ring members 135, 137 disengage. However, it is envisioned that a spring could be arranged under hinge plates to pivot the hinge plates upward through the co-planar position for opening ring members when the ring members disengage; a lever would not need to pivot the hinge plates upward for opening the ring members.
In this embodiment, hinge plates 423, 425 pivot through a co-planar position when the ring members 435, 437 open and close. So as the hinge plates 423, 425 pass through the co-planar position, the spring force of the housing 411 urges the hinge plates to pivot away from the coplanar position, either downward (away from the housing) for closing the ring members 435, 437 or upward (toward the housing) for opening the ring members. When the ring members 435, 437 are closed, the housing spring force resists pivoting movement of the hinge plates 423, 425 upward and holds the ring members from opening (even after the first hinge plate 423 slides longitudinally to disengage hook-shaped formations 439, 441 of the ring members 435, 437).
In this embodiment, to open the ring members 435, 437, actuation of the lever 415 first slides the first hinge plate 423 longitudinally for disengaging the ring members 435, 437 and then pushes upward on the first hinge plate, moving the interconnected hinge plates 423, 425 through the co-planar position for opening the ring members. More specifically, a lower arm of the lever 415 contacts the lower surface of the hinge plates 423, 425 (see
Compression springs 461a, 461b are located in cutouts along a central hinge 427 of the hinge plates 423, 425 in the same manner as described above with respect to the third embodiment (
It is understood that the variations described herein can be applied to each of the different embodiments disclosed. While it has been described that a first hinge plate is slidable and a second hinge plate is held against sliding movement, the second hinge plate could be slidable and the first hinge plate held against sliding movement within the scope of the invention. In addition, although in the illustrated mechanisms both ring members can move, mechanisms having one movable ring member and one fixed do not depart from the scope of the invention.
Components of the mechanism of the present invention are made of a suitable material, such as metal (e.g., steel). But mechanisms made of a non-metallic material, specifically including plastic, do not depart from the scope of this invention.
When introducing elements of the invention, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” and variations thereof are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Moreover, the use of orientation terms such as “front” and “back” is made for convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of the components.
As various changes could be made in the above without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/536,486, filed Sep. 28, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11536486 | Sep 2006 | US |
Child | 11745483 | US |