Expandable capacity pocket divider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9555658-B2
Application number	US-201414150932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2014
Priority date	Jan 9, 2013
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A pocket divider including a major panel including a plurality of binding holes formed therein and a pocket panel coupled to the major panel and defining a pocket therewith. The pocket panel includes at least one binding hole formed therein. The pocket divider further includes a binding mechanism extending through the binding holes of the major panel and the at least one binding hole of the pocket panel. The at least one binding hole of the pocket panel is elongated to provide expansion capacity to the pocket.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pocket divider comprising:
a major panel including a plurality of binding holes;
a pocket panel coupled to said major panel and defining a pocket therewith, said pocket panel including at least one binding hole; and
a binding mechanism extending through said binding holes of said major panel and said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel, wherein said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel is elongated to provide expansion capacity to said pocket, and wherein said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel directly overlies and is aligned with a selected one of said plurality of binding holes of said major panel, and wherein said selected one of said plurality of binding holes of said major panel includes a lateral width that is less than a lateral width of said at least one hole of said pocket panel to enable said pocket panel to move relative to said major panel to increase a capacity of said pocket.

2. The divider of claim 1 wherein said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel has a width extending along its longest dimension that is longer than a height thereof extending generally perpendicular to said longest dimension.

3. The divider of claim 1 wherein the binding mechanism has a central axis and the at least one binding hole of the pocket panel has a width extending along its greatest dimension which is generally perpendicular to said central axis.

4. The divider of claim 1 wherein said pocket panel includes a plurality of binding holes, each receiving part of said binding mechanism therethrough.

5. The divider of claim 4 wherein each binding hole of said pocket panel is elongated.

6. The divider of claim 1 wherein the binding mechanism includes a plurality of turns, each turn being received through a binding hole of the major panel, wherein the at least one binding hole of the pocket panel has a width extending generally perpendicular to a central axis of the binding mechanism, the width being at least five times greater than a thickness of the associated turn of the binding mechanism.

7. The divider of claim 1 wherein the binding mechanism is a spiral wire binding mechanism or a twin wire binding mechanism.

8. The divider of claim 1 wherein the major panel and pocket panel are made from a single unitary piece of material separated by a pocket fold line, and wherein said pocket panel is generally parallel with and facing said major panel to define said pocket.

9. The divider of claim 1 wherein the pocket panel has a surface area less than a surface area of the major panel.

10. The divider of claim 1 further comprising a supplemental major panel including a plurality of binding holes and a supplemental pocket panel coupled to said supplemental major panel and defining a supplemental pocket therewith, said supplemental pocket panel including at least one binding hole, said supplemental major panel being coupled to said major panel along a major fold line, said supplemental pocket panel being coupled to said pocket panel along a minor fold line, and wherein said binding mechanism extends through said binding holes of said supplemental major panel and said at least one binding hole of said supplemental pocket panel, wherein said at least one of said binding hole of said supplemental pocket panel is elongated to provide increased expansion capacity to said supplemental pocket.

11. The divider of claim 1 wherein the binding mechanism has a central axis and said at least one binding hole of the pocket panel has a width extending along its greatest dimension, and wherein said greatest dimension is positioned at a non-perpendicular angle relative to said central axis.

12. The divider of claim 11 wherein said non-perpendicular angle is between about 5 and about 40 degrees.

13. The divider of claim 1 wherein said pocket includes a cutout at an edge thereof positioned adjacent to said binding mechanism to provide increased expansion capacity to said pocket.

14. The divider of claim 13 wherein said cutout is positioned in said pocket panel and positioned along a lower edge thereof.

15. The divider of claim 14 wherein said cutout includes a portion extending generally parallel to an axis of said binding mechanism.

16. The divider of claim 14 wherein said cutout includes a portion extending at an angle relative to an axis of said binding mechanism.

17. The divider of claim 1 wherein said pocket includes a cutout at an edge thereof positioned laterally opposite to said binding mechanism to provide increase expansion capacity to said pocket.

18. The divider of claim 17 wherein said cutout is positioned in a corner of said pocket.

19. The divider of claim 1 wherein said binding mechanism includes a central axis, and wherein said major panel has a width extending in a direction generally perpendicular to said central axis that is less than a width of said pocket panel.

20. The divider of claim 1 wherein said pocket panel includes a slot or cutout positioned adjacent to said at least one hole of said pocket panel, said slot or cutout having a height dimension, extending generally parallel to an axis of said binding mechanism, that is greater than a height dimension of said at least one hole of said pocket panel.

21. The divider of claim 1 wherein said at least one hole of said pocket panel takes the form of a slot or cutout having a height dimension extending generally parallel to an axis of said binding mechanism.

22. The divider of claim 1 wherein said pocket panel has a lateral width in a direction of said elongation of said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel that is greater than a lateral width of said main panel.

23. A pocket divider comprising:
a major panel including a plurality of binding holes;
a pocket panel coupled to said major panel and defining a pocket therewith, said pocket panel including at least one binding hole directly overlying and aligned with a selected one of said plurality of binding holes of said major panel; and
a binding mechanism extending through said binding holes of said major panel and said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel, wherein said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel has a greater lateral width compared to a lateral width of said selected one of said plurality of binding holes of said major panel to enable said pocket panel to move laterally relative to said major panel to increase a capacity of said pocket.

24. The divider of claim 23 wherein said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel is elongated.

25. The divider of claim 23 wherein said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel has a width extending along its longest dimension that is longer than a height thereof extending generally perpendicular to said longest dimension.

26. The divider of claim 23 wherein the binding mechanism is a spiral wire binding mechanism or a twin wire binding mechanism or a ring binding mechanism.

27. The divider of claim 23 wherein said at least one binding hole of said pocket panel takes the form of a slot or cutout having a height dimension extending generally parallel to an axis of said binding mechanism.

28. The divider of claim 23 wherein said pocket panel includes a plurality of binding holes, each hole of said pocket panel being aligned with an associated binding hole of said major panel and receiving a turn of said b

Assignees

• Acco Brands Corp

Inventors

• Busam Edward P

Classifications

• B42D1/007 Primary

  Sheets or sheet blocks combined with other articles · CPC title

• B42D1/06

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

• B42F7/02

  {Filing appliances comprising only one pocket or compartment, e.g.} single gussetted pockets · CPC title