The present invention relates to a sheet protector.
Sheet protectors are commonly used as a protective covering for paper documents, or sheets. Typically, a sheet protector includes a front cover and a rear cover coupled to the front cover along three edges. The front and rear covers are commonly uncoupled along a top edge to allow a user to insert and remove a sheet from the sheet protector.
In some sheet protector constructions, the front cover and the rear cover are only coupled along two edges such that the front cover may be opened relative to the rear cover, facilitating insertion and removal of the sheet. However, in such constructions, the covers may be difficult to separate or may become separated unintentionally, exposing the sheet positioned within the sheet protector.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a sheet protector for use with a binder including a ring. The sheet protector includes a first cover having a hole configured to receive the ring, a second cover coupled to the first cover along a first edge and a second edge and uncoupled to the first cover along at least a portion of a third edge and at least a portion of a fourth edge, and a tab coupled to the second cover proximate the third edge. The tab is configured to engage the ring.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a sheet protector for use with a binder including a ring. The sheet protector includes a first cover having a hole configured to receive the ring and a second cover coupled to the first cover. The second cover is movable relative to the first cover between a first position, whereby the first cover and the second cover are configured to receive a sheet, and a second position, whereby the sheet is substantially enclosed within the first cover and the second cover. The sheet protector also includes a tab coupled to the second cover to facilitate movement between the first position and the second position. The tab is configured to engage the ring when in the second position.
In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method of enclosing a sheet within a sheet protector for use with a binder including a ring. The sheet protector includes a first cover having a hole configured to receive the ring, a second cover coupled to the first cover along a first edge and a second edge and uncoupled to the first cover along at least a portion of a third edge and at least a portion of a fourth edge, and a tab coupled to the second cover proximate to the third edge. The method includes opening the second cover along at least a portion of the third edge and at least a portion of the fourth edge relative to the first cover, inserting the sheet between the first cover and the second cover, closing the second cover relative to the first cover, and engaging the ring with the tab.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any 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 set forth 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 are for the purpose of 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 thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, 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, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
Although references are made below to directions, such as “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “rear”, or the like, the references are made relative to the drawings (as normally viewed) for convenience. These directions are not intended to be taken literally or to limit the present invention any form.
As shown in
The illustrated front cover 14 includes a right edge 30, a bottom edge 34, a left edge 38, and a top edge 42. In the illustrated embodiment, the front cover 14 is coupled to the rear cover 18 by a first weld line 46 proximate and parallel to the right edge 30 and a second weld line 50 proximate and parallel to the bottom edge 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the weld lines 46, 50 are formed by, for example, ultrasonic or heat welding. In other embodiments, the front cover 14 may be coupled to the rear cover 18 by an adhesive, stitches, staples, or other conventional technique. In still other embodiments, the front cover 14 and the rear cover 18 may be formed from a single sheet that is folded over itself (e.g., approximately in half). In such embodiments, the right edge 30 may be a fold line and the first weld line 46 may be omitted such that the fold line defines the front cover 14 from the rear cover 18.
The illustrated left edge 38 and the top edge 42 are uncoupled to the rear cover 18 such that the front cover 14 may be partially separated from the rear cover 18 (i.e., opened). In other embodiments, the front cover 14 may be uncoupled to the rear cover 18 along only a portion of each edge 38, 42. As further discussed below, separating the front and rear covers 14, 18 facilitates insertion and removal of the sheet 26 into and from the sheet protector 10.
The illustrated rear cover 18 includes a binding section 54 that is configured to engage a three-ring binder 58 (
In the illustrated embodiment, the binding section 54 is composed of a portion of the front cover 14 and a portion of the rear cover 18. As shown in
As shown in
The illustrated tab 22 is coupled to the front cover 14 proximate to the left edge 38 and the top edge 42 of the cover 14 and positioned to engage and receive the top ring 70A of the binder 58. As shown in
Referring to
Although the sheet protector 10 is described as receiving the sheet 26 while in the illustrated open position, it should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that the front cover 14 may be opened relative to the rear cover 18 by a greater or lesser amount than that illustrated to receive the sheet 26. Additionally, it should be readily apparent that a user may still insert and remove the sheet 26 through the top edge 42 even when the sheet protector 10 is in the closed position. However, opening the front cover 14 greatly facilitates insertion, removal, and proper alignment of the sheet 26 within the sheet protector 10, while reducing the risk of tearing, creasing, or otherwise damaging the sheet 26 during insertion and removal.
In operation, a user opens the front cover 14 relative to the rear cover 18 by lifting the tab 22 and/or a portion of the front cover 14, separating the left edge 38 and the top edge 42 of the front cover 14 from the rear cover 18. The user then inserts the sheet 26 between the covers 14, 18 until the sheet 26 is in a desirable position in the sheet protector 10 (e.g., centered within a periphery of the rear cover 18). Next, the user closes the front cover 14 such that the sheet 26 is substantially enclosed between the front cover 14 and the rear cover 18. If the sheet protector 10 is already coupled to the three-ring binder 58 (as shown in
To remove the sheet 26, the above operation is performed in reverse. More specifically, the user lifts the tab 22 and/or a portion of the front cover 14 to release the tab 22 from the top ring 70A of the binder 58. As the top ring 70A slides out of the hole 90 of the tab 22, the slit 94 momentarily expands to allow the ring 70A to pass through the slit 94. The front cover 14 is then opened and the sheet 26 previously enclosed between the front cover 14 and the rear cover 18 is removed.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.