BACKGROUND AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject looseleaf notebooks embody refinements and new innovations for the looseleaf books described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 063,863, filed of even date herewith. The features of the looseleaf books therein described can also be employed in the subject looseleaf notebooks. Accordingly, the disclosure of said copending application is incorpo¬ rated herein by reference as if it had been set forth in its entirety.

The subject looseleaf notebooks are designed principally as notebooks for students of all ages, from grammar or elementary school through college or univer¬ sity. The covers and/or spine may be plain or textured and may or may not have indicia-bearing molded inserts in shallow cavities molded into the front face of the front cover panel and/or the rear face of the spine. The additional features herein disclosed for the looseleaf notebooks with an integrally molded spine and front and rear cover panels with living hinge con¬ nections to the spine include a shallow, rectangular cavity in the inner face of one or both panels, for holding instructions, labels, decals, cards, etc.; one or more snap-on pockets for holding a variety of articles, and pairs of snap-in ribs to hold pencils, rulers, etc.; handles for carrying the notebook integrally molded on the spine remote edge of said cover panels; and inte- grally molded, page marker strips hingedly mounted on the rear cover panel.

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PRIOR ART

The prior art listed in my copending appli¬ cation is for the most part apropos herein. However, no prior art is known which discloses the aforesaid features.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, wherein: IN THE DRAWINGS: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inside parts of a notebook, with the cover panels in partially open position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail view of one of the snap-in ribs used in the notebook of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside parts of another notebook, with the cover panels laid flat; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a molded button used to fasten the snap-on pocket to the inside face of a cover panel.

Referring to the drawings, the notebook 10 comprises an integrally molded combination of a front cover panel 12, a rear cover panel 14, and a spine 16. The panels 12 and 14 are hingedly connected to respective longitudinal edges of the spine 16 by living hinges 17 and 19, which are molecularly oriented, integrally molded, narrow necks which flex and function as hinges. As more fully described in my copending application, the rear, outer face of the spine 16 has a shallow cavity (not shown) in which the transversely rounded, spine insert 18 is mounted. The front, inner face of the spine also has a shallow cavity 20 in which the snap-ring assembly 22, having three snap rings 21, is mounted. Suitable and preferred, old and new styles of snap-ring assemblies are set forth in more detail in my copending application.

The inner face 24 of the front cover panel 12 has a shallow, rectangular cavity or recess 26 in which may be placed by the student or the retail store or the

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manufacturer of the notebooks items such as I.D. cards, instructions, labels, decals, cards, etc. The inner fac 24 also has a removable, snap-on pocket 28 made of plastic or other suitable material and comprising opposite, vertical side walls 30 and 32, a front wall 34 parallel with the face 24 and spaced therefrom, a bottom wall 36, and flanges or flaps 38, 40 extending outwardly from the respective inner longitudinal edges of the side walls 30, 32. Each flange or flap has two holes, grommets or female snap components which mate with the four buttons 42 which are integrally molded on the inner face 24. The preferred buttons 42 (FIG. 4) used with holes or grommets comprise a substantially conical head 44 having a rounded base 46. A tapered section 48 below the base 46 connects the base with the neck 50.

The inner face 56 of the rear cover panel 14 has integrally molded thereon several pairs of opposed ribs 52, 54 having lower, transversely concave, opposed faces merging with outer, transversely convex, opposed lips 60. The ribs can flex to a limited degree, and the ribs of each pair are spaced to receive and releasably grip pencils and/or pens 62 and a ruler 64, two sets of rib pairs being used for each item. The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1. Where applicable, like reference numerals designate like parts. The spine 16a in FIG. 3 is a flat spine without a spine insert 18, an optional feature in the subject invention. The chief differences between the notenooks of FIGS. 1 and 3 are the two plastic handles 66, 70 molded integrally on the outer, longitudinal edges 68, 72 of the cover panels 12, 14 and the two page marker, integrally molded strips 76, 78 on the top edge of the rear cover panel 14. The strips 76, 78 preferably are connected to the panel 14 by

living hinges 80, 82. They can be laid flat against the inner face 56 of the rear cover panel when not in use. When used, each strip can be laid across a loose¬ leaf page mounted on the snap-rings 21 to serve as a 5 marker for the particular page.

When the notebook 10a of FIG. 3 is closed, the two handles 66, 70 meet and together serve as the handle by which the notebook 10a is carried by hand with its spine 16a facing downwardly.

10 The handle 100 of FIGS. 5-7 comprises a

U-shaped first side 102 and a mating, U-shaped second side 104, which together form the overall handle 100. The first side 102 is molded integrally with the spine- remote side of the panel 12 while the second side 104

15 is molded integrally with the spine-remote side of the panel 14. They are joined by living hinges 106 and 108 which allow each half side 102 and 104 to swing 180° into parallel relationship with the panel 12 or 14 (as shown in phantom in FIG. 5) .

20 The opposed faces of the half sides 102 and

104 have horizontal, alternating ribs 110 and 116 and grooves 112 and 114. The ribs are slightly rounded beads whose heads define slightly narrower necks at the entrant sides of the grooves. When pressed together,

25. the ribs 110 interlock in grooves 114 and the ribs 116 interlock in grooves 112 to hold the two sides of the handle together and to keep the book or portfolio closed. When not in use, the half sides 102 and 104 are swung 180° about the living hinges 106, 108 into

30 parallel relationship with the panels 12, 14 and can be locked in this position by mating, tongue and groove inserts in the panels 12, 14.

It will be noted from FIG. 6 that the edges of panels 12, 14 abut when the handle sides are locked

35 together. This would br typical of looseleaf notebooks

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of the type described in my copending application Ser. No. 063,863, and those herein. The disclosure of said application is incorporated by reference as if it had been set forth in its entirety.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the invention herein can take many forms other than the preferred forms shown in the drawings and that the invention as herein claimed is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.