Bound edge tabs for notebook

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596845-B2
Application number	US-201113265886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2011
Priority date	May 28, 2010
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A tab is provided for notebooks and binders. The tab is placed within the space otherwise occupied by a binding, and thus is protected from wear and does not appreciably increase the overall size of the notebook or binder. The tab may be located at a corner of the binding or at an intermediate point along the binding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bound assembly comprising:
a plurality of sheets, each sheet having a bound edge, an inner edge, at least part of which is recessed relative to the bound edge to define a sheet cutaway along an inner portion of each sheet, and an outer edge parallel to said bound edge and positioned on an opposite side of the sheet, wherein the inner edge of each sheet is parallel to said bound edge of the sheet;
a divider comprising a bound edge, an outer edge parallel to said bound edge and positioned on an opposite side of the divider, and a tab portion, wherein the divider has an inner edge parallel to and recessed relative to the bound edge of the divider; and
a binding coupling the bound edge of each sheet and the bound edge of the divider, wherein an outer circumference of the binding defines an approximately cylindrical volume extending along and beyond the binding along an axis oriented generally parallel to said bound edges of said plurality of sheets, wherein at least part of the tab portion of the divider is positioned within the approximately cylindrical volume, and wherein in top plan view, the tab portion of the divider is at least partially positioned within or aligned within the sheet cutaway of each of the plurality of sheets.

2. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein the divider has an inner edge parallel to and recessed relative to the bound edge of the divider, wherein said binding does not extend across said tab portion, and wherein the inner edge of the divider is positioned between the bound edge of the divider and the outer edge of the divider and wherein the bound edge of the divider is longer than the inner edge of the divider.

3. The bound assembly of claim 1 further comprising a tab strap connected at a first end to said tab portion and connected at a second end to or adjacent to an unbound edge of said divider, wherein said tab strap is configured such that a force exerted on said tab portion within a plane of said tab portion is transferred to said second end of said tab strap by said tab strap to cause warping of at least one of said divider or said second end.

4. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of sheets includes three ring holes spaced away from said binding and said bound edge, wherein said three ring holes are spaced to receive rings of a ring binder.

5. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of sheets has an uppermost corner and a lowermost corner on a binding-proximate side thereof, and wherein the inner edge of each of the plurality of sheets is coextensive with the uppermost corner or the lowermost corner of the binding-proximate side of the respective sheet.

6. The bound assembly of claim 1 further comprising a supplemental divider having a bound edge, an inner edge parallel to and recessed relative to the bound edge of the supplemental divider, and a tab portion, and wherein in top plan view, the tab portion of the supplemental divider is at least partially aligned within the sheet cutaway of each of the plurality of sheets and at least partially offset from the tab portion of the divider.

7. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein the tab portion of the divider extends from the inner edge of the divider entirely to the bound edge of the divider.

8. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein the bound edge of each sheet extends a majority of a length of the bound assembly in a direction parallel to said binding.

9. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of sheets has only one sheet cutaway.

10. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein an inner edge of the divider is positioned outside of the approximately cylindrical volume.

11. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein at least another part of the tab portion of the divider is positioned outside of the approximately cylindrical volume.

12. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein in top plan view, the bound edge of the divider is aligned with the bound edges of the plurality of sheets and the inner edge of the divider is aligned with the inner edges of the plurality of sheets.

13. The bound assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of sheets are the same size and shape in top plan view.

14. A bound assembly comprising:
a plurality of sheets, each sheet having a bound edge, an inner edge, at least part of which is recessed relative to the bound edge to define a sheet cutaway along an inner portion of each sheet, and an outer edge parallel to said bound edge and positioned on an opposite side of the sheet;
a divider comprising a bound edge, an outer edge parallel to said bound edge and positioned on an opposite side of the divider, and a tab portion; and
a binding coupling the bound edge of each sheet and the bound edge of the divider, wherein an outer circumference of the binding defines an approximately cylindrical volume extending along and beyond the binding along an axis oriented generally parallel to said bound edges of said plurality of sheets, wherein at least part of the tab portion of the divider is positioned within the approximately cylindrical volume, wherein in top plan view, the tab portion of the divider is at least partially positioned within or aligned within the sheet cutaway of each of the plurality of sheets, and wherein the divider and each of the plurality of sheets are generally the same size and shape in top plan view, except for the sheet cutaway of the plurality of sheets and an inner edge and the tab portion of the divider.

15. A bound assembly comprising:
a plurality of sheets, each sheet having a bound edge, an inner edge, at least part of which is recessed relative to the bound edge to define a sheet cutaway along an inner portion of each sheet, and an outer edge parallel to said bound edge and positioned on an opposite side of the sheet;
a divider comprising a bound edge, an outer edge parallel to said bound edge and positioned on an opposite side of the divider, and a tab portion; and
a binding coupling the bound edge of each sheet and the bound edge of the divider, wherein an outer circumference of the binding defines an approximately cylindrical volume extending along and beyond said binding along an axis oriented generally parallel to said bound edges of said plurality of sheets, wherein at least part of the tab portion of the divider is positioned within the approximately cylindrical volume, wherein in top plan view, the tab portion of the divider is at least partially positioned within or aligned within the sheet cutaway of each of the plurality of sheets, and wherein the sheet cutaway is positioned at an outer corner of each sheet.

16. A bound assembly comprising:
a plurality of sheets, each sheet having a side thereof with a bound edge and a recessed edge relative to said bound edge, thereby defining a sheet cutaway in each of the plurality of sheets;
a first divider having a bound edge, an outer edge parallel to and spaced away from the bound edge of the first divider, and a tab portion;
a second divider having a bound edge an outer edge parallel to and spaced away from the bound edge of the second divider, and a tab portion; and
a binding oriented generally parallel to the bound edges of said sheets and binding the sheets and said first and second dividers together along their respective bound edges, wherein said tab portions of said first and second dividers are positioned within or aligned within said sheet cutaways, and wherein said tab portion of the first divider is at least partially offset from said tab portion of the second divider such that when said bound assembly is in a closed c

Assignees

• Busam Edward P
• Richied Kenneth P
• Garg Bhavpreeta
• Haas Chad
• Worden Ross
• Bauer Donald G
• Acco Brands Corp

Inventors

• Busam Edward P
• Richied Kenneth P
• Garg Bhavpreeta
• Haas Chad
• Worden Ross
• Bauer Donald G

Classifications

• B42D3/12

  combined with other articles {(loose leaf-binders combined with other articles B42F13/40)} · CPC title

• B42D1/06

  in which the fillings and covers are united by other means · CPC title

• B42D1/004

  Perforated or punched sheets · CPC title

• B42D13/00 Primary

  Loose leaves modified for binding; Inserts (loose leaves modified for temporary attachment B42F3/00; indexing features B42F21/00) · CPC title

• B42F21/12

  Sheets, papers, or cards having edges cut away to facilitate indexing, e.g. thumb cuts on books · CPC title