Device at a binder

The present invention relates to a device at a binder, which comprises a binder spine and a binder front as well as a binder back pairwise connectable with the same, and a mechanism for retention in said binder.

Normally, binders are assembled from a separate binder spine, which receives a mechanism for the retention of documents in the intended completed binder, having a binder front and a binder back, the parts being fastened together by riveting, e.g., by cold-heading of plastic rivets, welding or agglutination, or by binding together using a fabric or another adhesive joint. This entails a manually time-consuming and expensive handling as well as that expensive machine tools have to be used.

JP 2003312177 relates to a binder formed of assemblable binder sides and a binder spine. The connection is accomplish by gluing together the different parts. In doing so, however, no detachable connection of the binder sides to a common binder spine is possible, but the binder sides are permanently held by the glue.

GB 2252938 Al relates to a loosenable binding device for sheets in a common cover folded in two. The binding together is provided by means of snap-in male and female coupling parts similar to a rivet joint although loosenable. The entire package including the cover and sheets is connected at a common stage and by common rivets through the holes in the cover and the sheets. However, it is not about any binder and the detachable connection thereof of binder parts.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is primarily to solve, by simple and well working means,

among other things, the above-mentioned problems in an efficient and time-economical way.

Said object is attained by means of a device according to the present invention, which substantially is char- acterized in that coupling members are arranged on the binder spine and the two binder sides for detachable connection of the binder sides to said binder spine, and that said coupling members are formed of snap- in members and mating receiving holes, the snap-in members being formed of thickenings arranged in side flanges of the binder spine and which extend in a common direction from the binder spine, and that receiving holes, congruent with said thickenings, are arranged along an edge side of the respective binder side connectable to said binder spine, or vice versa, as well as that the binder spine has a plurality of slit-shaped recesses distributed along the side flanges thereof, that on the inside of the respective binder side there are couplings at the edge sides thereof connectable to the binder spine and that are formed of a shaft portion having an externally positioned thickening, and that said couplings, with the shaft portion thereof, are arranged to be inserted into the respective recess upon connection of the spine with the binder sides, the thickening retaining the binder sides to the spine side flanges and subsequent connection of said paired coupling members . Binders have most often a label attached to the binder spine. The label is most often fixedly mounted, e.g., by rivets. There are also solutions to allow substitution of labels. This procedure has been troublesome and cumbersome, and not suitable to be carried out by the user primarily. A additional object of the invention is to replace all riveted label holders by a label holder being fix- able in a simpler and hidden manner to a device at a binder that comprises a binder spine and a binder front as well as a binder

back pairwise connectable with the same, and a mechanism for retention in said binder.

Said additional object is attained by means of a device according to the present invention. In the following, the invention will be described in the form of a number of preferred embodiment examples, reference being made to the appended drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows in perspective a binder according to the present invention, Figs. 2-3 show a part of said binder during the mounting of the front to the binder spine,

Fig. 4 shows ready-mounted binder sides,

Figs. 5-5A show examples of different patterns of the coupling members between the binder spine and the binder sides,

Figs. 6-7 show examples of the shape of the coupling members on the binder spine,

Fig. 8 shows a label holder in perspective, and

Figs. 9-11 show different mounting stages for the label holder.

A device 1 intended for a binder 2 comprising a binder spine 3, and a binder front 4 and a binder back 5, respectively, pairwise connectable with said binder spine 3 as well as a mechanism, not shown, for the retention of documents and other things in said binder 2, comprises means for detachable composition of the binder 2, 102 and the various parts thereof included. In that connection, coupling members 6, 106; 7, 107 are arranged on the binder spine 3, 103 and on the two binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105 for detachable connection of the binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105 to said binder spine 3, 103. Said coupling members are then formed of snap- in members 6; 106 and congruent receiving holes 7; 107 mating to the same.

The new solution allows, among other things, that the binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105 can be fastened and locked to a spine piece by manual fastening, without the help of tools or the like. The side and spine are provided with a connection device. An example of additional fastening may be a T-slot in the side and a corresponding slot in the spine or vice versa. Other types of couplings may also be used. Machines and tools do not need to be used. Possibility of substituting/replacing parts afterwards is attained. Mounting can easily be carried out by the user.

Said snap-in members 6; 106 may be formed of a plurality of thickenings arranged in the binder spine 3; 103 viz . in the paired side flanges 8, 9; 108, 109 extending in a common direction. Receiving holes or slots 7; 107 congruent with said thickenings 6; 106 are arranged along an edge side 10, 11; 110, 111 connectable to said binder spine 3; 103 or that the snap-in members and the holes are arranged vice versa or by a combination of mixed snap-in members and holes.

Said thickenings 6; 106 and receiving holes 7 ; 107 are elongate, quadrangular and/or round or have any other desired shape. They are distributed evenly or in patterns, e.g., along the entire or parts of the edge sides 10, 11; 110, 111 of said binder spine 103 and binder sides 104; 105 in the height extension H thereof, or are only arranged at the upper and lower portions 12, 13 of said binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105.

Said receiving holes 7; 107 are arranged to extend entirely through the edge side 10, 11; 110, 111 of the respective binder side.

Known binders are normally composed of a spine piece in one part and binder sides in still other parts and that are assembled, the pivot joint of the binder sides being found in the spine piece.

According to a preferred embodiment example, the respective binder side is provided with one pivot joint 14, 15; 114, 115, which entails that the spine piece only needs to be provided with one pivot joint 40; 140, which makes that the product becomes simplified since each detail only needs to comprise one pivot joint each.

Previously, it is known to produce binders and magazine files and other storage boxes as individual units. Alternatively, now the binder spine 3, 103 may be arranged to be stiffly connected to said coupling members 6, 7; 106, 107 to allow detachable shifting of the binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105 between the binder spine 3; 103 and a box-like stiff unit entirely closed or open in one end but in other respects closed, which unit has congruent coupling members along the paired sides thereof, fitting to be connected with the binder spine 3; 103 in a similar way as the binder sides according to the above are connected with the binder spine.

This new solution gives the possibility of substituting the binder sides by a locker, e.g., a container for magazines, a so-called magazine file. The sides of such a locker is denominated and also works as binder sides.

Thereby, the spine including the collection mechanism can easily be coupled to different media agents and this makes it possible to attach a magazine file or the like to the spine. In that connection, the spine has no pivot joints at the coupling portions thereof and thereby becomes a stiff unit united to said magazine file, detachably connectable. Then, the mechanism for the retention of sheets of paper, etc., is lacking or is not used. In order to provide reliable retention of the binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105 to the binder spine 3, 103, chute- shaped receiving portions 16, 17 are arranged on the upper and lower end-edge faces 12, 13 of the same, e.g., having a U-shaped

cross-section profile and that are arranged to be capable grasping the end-edge faces 12, 13 of said binder spine 4, 5; 104, 105. These can co-operate with each other thereby providing an efficient bonding of the outer edge portions 18, 19 of the binder sides to the outer edge portions 20, 21 of the binder spine. The binder spine 3, 103 has a plurality of slit-shaped recesses 22 distributed along the side flanges 8, 9; 108, 109 thereof. On the inside of the respective binder side, at the edge sides 10, 11 thereof connectable to the binder spine 3, 103, there are couplings 23 formed of a shaft portion 24 having an externally positioned thickening 25, e.g., the cross section may be T-shaped, L-shaped or in another suitable way.

Said couplings are brought with the shaft portion 24 thereof into the respective recess 22 upon connection of the spine 3; 103 with the sides 4, 5; 104, 105, the thickening 25 retaining the sides 4, 5; 104, 105 to the spine side flanges 8, 9; 108, 109. Said connection is followed by the above-mentioned pairwise co-operation of the coupling members 6, 7; 106, 107 at the same time as said edge retention is accomplished, with con- nection of the portions 16, 17 and the end-edge faces 12, 13 to each other.

At least the side portions 8, 9; 10, 11 of the binder spine and binder sides connectable to each other consist of plastic material . In that connection, a pivot joint 40; 140 is arranged in the binder spine 3; 103, preferably in the form of a scoring that extends along the entire height extension H of the binder spine 3; 103. Thereby, the binder spine is allowed to be folded around said pivot joint 40; 140 when the binder is in the opened position.

It is previously known that binders most often have a label attached to the spine. The label is most often fixedly mounted, but there are also solutions for substituting

labels. When substitution is carried out, it is to a similar label.

The present invention intends to solve said problems and comprises a device at a binder comprising a binder spine and a binder front as well as a binder back pairwise con- nectable with the same, and a mechanism for the retention of documents in said binder as well as holder for label retention on said binder spine .

According to the present invention, a binder spine has barbs that lock a label by the fact that it is inserted into a slot. The slot follows the division of the spine and side, and labels of a desired format are inserted therebetween, and are locked by means of the barbs of the spine and the recesses of the label. Machines and tools do not need to be used. There is a possibility of substituting/replacing parts afterwards, and mounting can easily be carried out by the user. More precisely, as is shown in Figs. 8-11, between said binder spine 3; 103 and binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105, there are co-operating retention members 50, 53 arranged having a snap-in func- tion for the co-operation with a straight or arched label holder 52, preferably in the form of a plurality of projections 50 projecting from the binder spine and the side flanges 8, 9; 108, 109 thereof extending at a mutual distance from each other and in a common direction. Before the insertion, the label holder is preferably straight, but after the insertion and in the attached position, it is arc-shaped, mating to the binder's external shape of the spine. By the fact that the label holder 52 has side flanges 51, 55 extending in a common direction and situated at a mutual distance from each other as well as receiving holes 53, or vice versa, for the pairwise receipt of projections in the respective receiving hole, retention of the label holder 52 to the binder spine is accomplished, and pulling off of the label holder 52 in the direction along 54 said binder sides 4, 5

is prevented, as long as the binder sides 4, 5; 104, 105 are connected with the binder spine 3; 103.

Said label holder 52 may function as a translucent embracing part for a separate label insertable therein or consist of a separately printed or written label .

The function of the invention should have been clear from what has been mentioned above, and the invention is naturally not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are feasible, particularly as for the nature of the different parts, or by using an equivalent technique, without departing from the protection area of the invention, such as it is defined in the claims .