Device with quick-attach feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086637-B2
Application number	US-201414458793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Aug 13, 2013
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A system including a panel having a panel opening and a coupling device coupled to the panel. The coupling device includes a coupling device opening and a flange positioned adjacent to the coupling device opening. The coupling device opening at least partially overlaps with the panel opening, and the flange is elastically deflectable to allow a binding mechanism to pass the flange and into or out of the coupling device opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a panel including a panel opening;
a supplemental panel coupled to said panel along a fold line, wherein said panel opening intersects said fold line; and
a coupling device coupled to said panel, said coupling device including a coupling device opening, and a flange and a supplemental flange positioned adjacent to and on opposite sides of said coupling device opening, wherein at least part of said flange and said supplemental flange overlap with said panel opening, and wherein said flange and said supplemental flange are each elastically deflectable to allow a binding mechanism to pass said flange and into or out of said coupling device opening.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said panel opening is positioned adjacent to said fold line.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said supplemental panel includes a supplemental panel opening having an outer perimeter which is aligned with an outer perimeter of said panel opening.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said panel opening and said supplemental panel opening intersect and are in communication with each other to together define a single larger opening.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said panel and said supplemental panel are made of a single unitary piece of material, and wherein said coupling device is made of different piece of material.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said panel and said supplemental panel form a body which is movable between a closed position wherein said panels are generally parallel, non-coplanar and facing each other, and an open position wherein said panels are generally parallel, coplanar and not facing each other, and wherein said panel opening and said coupling device opening at least partially overlap when said body is in said closed position.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said panel and said supplemental panel each have about the same width extending in a direction perpendicular to said fold line.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said the panel further includes a first and a second supplemental panel opening, and wherein said coupling device includes a first and a second supplemental coupling device opening, wherein the coupling device further includes a first and a second supplemental flange positioned adjacent to and at least partially overlapping with an associated supplemental coupling device opening and being elastically deflectable to allow a binding mechanism to pass thereby into or out the associated one of said supplemental coupling device openings, said panel openings and said coupling device openings being spaced apart along a length of said panel and configured to receive a three-ring binding mechanism therein.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said flange has a surface that is configured to guide said binding mechanism toward said coupling device opening when said binding mechanism engages said flange, and wherein said coupling device is coupled to said panel such that said coupling device is and remains co-planar with said panel.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said surface is an angled surface that is angled toward said coupling device opening.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said flange has an inner surface that is configured to guide said binding mechanism out of said coupling device opening when said binding mechanism is retracted out of said coupling device opening.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said panel includes an outer perimeter and said panel opening intersects or is immediately adjacent to said outer perimeter.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a binding mechanism at least partially received in said coupling device opening, and wherein said flange is configured to generally retain said binding mechanism in said coupling device opening and configured to be elastically deflected when said coupling device is removed from said coupling device opening.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a binding mechanism at least partially received in said coupling device opening, and wherein said coupling device includes a supplemental flange positioned adjacent to said flange and adjacent to said to coupling device opening, and wherein said binding mechanism has a thickness greater than a size of a gap, if any, between said flange and said supplemental flange such that at least one of said flange or said supplemental flange is configured to deflected when said binding mechanism is passed through said gap into or out of said coupling device opening.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the coupling device extends into the panel opening.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the panel opening is larger than the coupling device opening.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the coupling device opening is not coextensive with the panel opening.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said body and said coupling device are made of separate pieces of material.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein no portions of said panel overlap with said part of said flange that overlaps with the panel opening.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of said flange and said supplemental flange extend into said panel opening.

21. A system comprising:
a body including a first panel having a first panel opening and a second panel having a second panel opening and being directly pivotally coupled to said first panel along a fold line; and
a coupling device positioned adjacent to said fold line, said coupling device including a coupling device opening and a pair of flanges positioned on opposite sides thereof, wherein at least one of said flanges is elastically deflectable away from the other one of said flanges to allow a binding mechanism to pass between said flanges and into or out of said coupling device opening, wherein at least one of said flanges overlaps with both said first panel opening and said second panel opening when said body is in a closed position.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said body and said coupling device are made of a single, unitary piece of material, or wherein said body and said coupling device are made of separate pieces of material and wherein said coupling device is coupled to said panel such that said coupling device is and remains co-planar with said panel.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein at least one of said first panel opening or said second panel opening is aligned with said coupling device opening.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein both flanges of said pair of flanges overlaps with both said first panel opening and said second panel opening.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein said pair of flanges are co-planar.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein said pair of flanges have the same shape.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein said flanges are positioned on opposite sides of said coupling device opening.

28. A system comprising:
a body including a first panel and a second panel pivotally coupled about a pivot area, said body being movable to a closed position wherein said panels are generally parallel and facing each other, each panel including a panel opening positioned adjacent to said pivot area; and
a coupling device coupled to said body and including a coupling device opening and a flange positioned adjacent to said coupling device opening, wherein said flange is elastically deflectable to allow a binding mechanism to pass said flange and into or out of said

Assignees

• Acco Brands Corp

Inventors

• Harris Richard H
• Dingler Noah E
• Nolan Patrick B
• Dotsey Michael A
• Miller Andrew J

Classifications

• B42F7/06

  {Filing appliances comprising a plurality of pockets or compartments, e.g.} portfolios or cases with a plurality of compartments (indexing features B42F21/00) · CPC title

• B42F11/00

  Filing appliances with separate intermediate holding means (B42F17/00 takes precedence; with adhesive strips for mounting papers or sheets B42D1/10) · CPC title

• B42D1/007 Primary

  Sheets or sheet blocks combined with other articles · CPC title

• B42F3/003

  Perforated or punched sheets · CPC title

• B42F3/006

  with edge reinforcing means · CPC title