Binder with reinforced spine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346312-B2
Application number	US-201213606697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2012
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A bound component including a first panel and a second panel pivotally coupled together along a hinge. Each panel includes an outer covering and a substrate positioned in the outer covering, wherein the outer covering of the first panel is directly coupled to the outer covering of the second panel to form the hinge. The substrates of the first and second panels are not directly coupled together. The bound component further includes a reinforcement extending over or forming at least part of the hinge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bound component comprising:
a first panel and a second panel pivotally coupled together along a hinge, wherein each panel includes an outer covering and a substrate positioned in the outer covering, wherein the outer covering of the first panel is directly coupled to the outer covering of the second panel to form the hinge, and wherein the substrates of the first and second panels are not directly coupled together; and
a one-piece reinforcement extending over or forming at least part of the hinge, wherein the one-piece reinforcement is a separate and discrete piece of material from each outer covering and each substrate, and wherein the reinforcement includes a first portion directly coupled to the first panel and a second portion directly coupled to the second panel, wherein the first and second panels each include a free edge positioned generally perpendicular to the hinge, an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the reinforcement extends from the inner surface of at least one of said panels, over the free edge of the at least one panel, to the outer surface of the at least one panel, and wherein said reinforcement is an outer-most component of said bound component.

2. The bound component of claim 1 wherein said hinge includes a pair of ends, and wherein the reinforcement is positioned only at one or both ends of said hinge.

3. The bound component of claim 1 wherein at least one panel includes a free edge extending generally perpendicular to the hinge, and wherein the reinforcement extends along less than about 15% of a length of the free edge.

4. The bound component of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement extends from the inner surface of each panel, over the free edge, to the outer surface of each panel.

5. The bound component of claim 4 wherein the reinforcement is generally “U” shaped in cross section.

6. The bound component of claim 4 wherein the reinforcement is coupled to both the inner surface and the outer surface of the first and second panels.

7. The bound component of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement extends generally perpendicular to the hinge.

8. The bound component of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement is directly coupled to the substrate.

9. The bound component of claim 1 wherein each substrate has a surface area equal to at least about 90% of the surface area of the associated panel.

10. The bound component of claim 1 wherein each substrate is entirely covered on all surfaces thereof by the associated outer covering.

11. The bound component of claim 1 further comprising a third panel pivotally coupled to the first panel along a supplemental hinge extending generally parallel to the hinge, wherein the third panel includes an outer covering and a substrate positioned in the outer covering, wherein the outer covering of the third panel is directly coupled to the outer covering of the first panel to form the supplemental hinge, and wherein the substrates of the first and third panels are not directly coupled together.

12. The bound component of claim 11 wherein the reinforcement extends over at least part of the supplemental hinge.

13. The bound component of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement extends for less than the entire length of the free edge of one of the panels.

14. The bound component of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement has a width extending perpendicular to the free edge, and wherein the reinforcement has a length extending parallel to the free edge, and wherein the width of the reinforcement is uniform along an entire length thereof.

15. The bound component of claim 14 wherein said width extends an entire dimension of the reinforcement from the inner surface of the least one of the inner panels, over the free edge of the at least one panel, to the outer surface of the at least one panel.

16. The bound component of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement extends over only a single free edge of each of the first and second panels.

17. The bound component of claim 1 wherein the first panel and the second panel each have a height dimension extending parallel to the hinge and wherein the reinforcement extends less than the height dimension of each of the panels.

18. The bound component of claim 1 wherein said first panel takes the form of a front or rear cover, and said second panel takes the form of a spine, and wherein the bound component further includes a third panel pivotally coupled to said spine, said third panel having generally the same size and shape as said first panel.

19. The bound component of claim 18 wherein said reinforcement extends along only part of the free edge of the first panel, along an entirety of the free edge of the second panel, and along only part of a free edge of the third panel.

20. A bound component comprising:
a first panel and a second panel pivotally coupled together along a hinge, the first panel and the second panel each having a height dimension extending parallel to the hinge and a free edge positioned generally perpendicular to the hinge, wherein the first and second panels each further include an inner surface and an outer surface; and
a one-piece reinforcement coupled to the first and second panels, the one-piece reinforcement extending over or forming at least part of the hinge, the reinforcement extending for less than an entire length of the free edge of at least one of the panels and extending in a direction parallel to the hinge less than the associated height dimension, wherein the reinforcement extends from an inner surface of each panel, over the free edge, to the outer surface of the associated panel, and wherein said reinforcement is an outer-most component of said bound component.

21. The bound component of claim 20 wherein each panel includes an outer covering and a substrate positioned in the outer covering, wherein the outer covering of the first panel is directly coupled to the outer covering of the second panel to form the hinge, and wherein the substrates of the first and second panels are not directly coupled together.

22. The bound component of claim 20 wherein the reinforcement is a separate and discrete piece of material from each outer covering and each substrate.

23. The bound component of claim 20 wherein the reinforcement extends along less than about 15% of a length of the free edge of at least one of the first or second panels.

24. The bound component of claim 20 wherein the reinforcement extends over only a single free edge of each panel.

25. A bound component comprising:
a first panel and a second panel pivotally coupled together along a hinge, wherein each panel includes an outer covering and a substrate positioned in the outer covering, wherein the outer covering of the first panel is directly coupled to the outer covering of the second panel to form the hinge, and wherein the substrates of the first and second panels are not directly coupled together; and
a one-piece reinforcement extending over or forming at least part of the hinge, wherein the one-piece reinforcement is a separate and discrete piece of material from each outer covering and each substrate, and wherein the reinforcement includes a first portion directly coupled to the first panel and a second portion directly coupled to the second panel, wherein the first and second panels each include a free edge positioned generally perpendicular to the hinge, an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the reinforcement extend

Assignees

• Busam Edward P
• Rowe Michael D
• Matchett James C
• Mcgoldrick Keith D
• Kramer Jason M
• Acco Brands Corp

Inventors

• Busam Edward P
• Rowe Michael D
• Matchett James C
• Mcgoldrick Keith D
• Kramer Jason M

Classifications

• B42F13/004

  Devices for protecting or reinforcing covers, e.g. edges or corners (attaching said devices B42C7/007) · CPC title

• B42D3/06

  with hinges {(covers of loose-leaf binders with hinges B42F13/002)} · CPC title

• B42F13/002

  with hinges · CPC title

• B42F13/006

  applied on the back of file covers · CPC title

• B42D3/002

  Covers or strips provided with adhesive for binding · CPC title