PUNCH FILE

The present invention relates to a holder within a ring binder and a method of storing sheets on a ring binder of a holder.

Folders comprising ring binders are well known. Typically the folders store paper sheets on two arches. Each arch has a generally straight and static prong that extends away from the folder and a movable hook. The hook is movable by operating a lever to pivot each hook towards or away from the static prongs. When pivoted away from the prongs the ring binder is in an open position and paper may be loaded onto the static prongs. When the hooks are pivoted towards the prongs, the end of the hooks locate on the ends of the prongs to form two enclosed arches. As such the ring binder is in a closed position wherein the paper is secured to the folder.

In order to load paper onto the ring binder, each leaf of paper is required to be punched or cut to include two spaced holes to correspond to the static prongs. Paper that does not come with ready made holes requires the holes to be made by the operators. Paper hole punches for these purposes are widely available. Typically, hole punches include two parallel punching rods that are movable in a lateral direction towards and away from a die surface. The die surface includes two holes that the punching rods may penetrate. When paper sheets are inserted between the punching rods and die surface, a lever may be operated in order to move the punching rods towards the die surface. The punching rods penetrate the holes to shear discs of paper from the sheets.

Known paper hole punches tend to be large, bulky and heavy due to the desire for durability. As such known paper hole punches are not easily transportable. Furthermore, it is often desired to load paper into the folder when away from the office for example when travelling or at lectures. Consequently, users often find themselves needing to create holes without a punch to hand or users transport the loose leaf paper until they are in a position to use a hole punch. This risks the paper becoming lost, damaged or mis-sequenced.

It is an object of the present invention to attempt to overcome at least one of the above or other disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a holder comprising a support and a built in mechanism, the mechanism comprising a ring binder and a hole punch.

The mechanism may be made from plastic or metal and the support may be made from cardboard or plastic coated cardboard.

As the mechanism includes a built in hole punch it is not necessary to transport a separate paper hole punch along side the holder. Moreover, it is not possible to lose or mislay the hole punch relative to the storage apparatus.

Preferably the support may comprise a folder that provides protection to any sheets stored by the apparatus. The folder may comprise a folded sheet. The sheet may include at least two folds. The mechanism may be attached to the folder between an end of the sheet and a first fold. The

first fold may be the nearest fold to the end of the sheet .

The ring binder and the hole punch may be movable between an open and closed position and may be so movable by operating means which operating means may be common to both the hole punch and the ring binder.

Preferably the operating means comprises a lever. The lever may pivot about a hinge. The hinge may be formed along a front edge of the hole punch.

Preferably the ring binder comprises at least two laterally spaced arches. Each arch may include a static part and a movable part. The moveable parts may be movable between an open position, wherein an end of each part is spaced from an end of each respective static part, and a closed position, wherein the end of each part is located adjacent to the end of each respective static part. The moveable part may be moved by the lever.

Preferably the hole punch comprises at least two laterally spaced punching rods . Each punching rod may be constrained to move laterally and may be so movable in a first direction, away from the point at which the mechanism is attached to the support and a second direction towards the point at which the mechanism is attached to the support. Movement of each punching rod in one direction may open the hole punch. Movement of each punching rod in another direction may close the hole punch. Each punching rod may be constrained to move simultaneously. Each punching rod may be moved by the lever .

Preferably the hole punch includes a support plate. The support plate may be spaced from the support to create an opening. The opening may be sized so as to restrict the number or thickness of sheets that may fit in to the hole punch. The size may restrict the number of sheets to less than 15, or alternatively to less than 10. Preferably though, the opening restricts the amount of sheets to less than 5. By restricting the number of sheets, the support plate ensures that only a small number of sheets may fit in the hole punch thus the size and robustness of the hole punch may be reduced. Accordingly, the overall size and durability of the hole punch and folder are minimised which aids the transportability of the folder. The support plate may restrict the punching rods to constrain their movement.

Preferably, for each punching rod, the hole punch includes a corresponding die hole. The hole punch may include a die plate and the die holes may be formed therein. The support plate may be attached to the die plate by a back plate. The back plate may act as a paper stop. As such the depth of the punched hole relative to the paper may be controlled.

Preferably, the support includes at least one aperture. The aperture may be arranged to communicate with each die hole. There may be at least one aperture for each die hole. Preferably each aperture is closable. Each aperture may be closable by a plug. Each plug may be resilient .

Preferably each hook is fast with or integrally formed with each punching rod. The lever may open and close the hole punch and ring binder simultaneously. The hooks may be constrained to move laterally in the first and second directions.

Alternatively, each hook may be separate from each punching rod. The lever may open and close the hole punch and ring binder simultaneously. Distal ends of each punching rod may slide relative to the lever. Each hook may be attached to the lever. The hooks may be moveable by pivoting about a hinge of the lever.

Preferably, the hole punch and ring binder may be biased towards the open positions. Alternatively and additionally, each punching rod may be biased towards the open position.

Preferably, the hole punch includes a top member that is hingeably moveable. The top member may be biased to hinge towards the open position. The punching rods may cooperate with the top member. Said co-operation may cause the punching rods to move. A part of the ring binder may be attached fast to the top member. The top member may be moveable by a lever. The lever may pivot about a pivot point that is fixed in relation to the mechanism. A part of the lever may moveably co-operate with the top member in order to move the top member. The part may co-operate with the top member such as by sliding or rotatable cooperation. The part may lock the top member in at least one position. The part of the lever that co-operates with the top member may be arranged to be positioned in an over centre position whereby the part has moved from one side

of a line from the lever pivot to the bias acting to urge the hinge towards the open position to the other side.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of storing sheets on a holder that comprises a support and a built-in mechanism, wherein the mechanism includes a hole punch and a ring binder, the method comprising punching the sheets with the built-in hole punch and loading the punched paper on to the ring binder.

Preferably the method comprises operating a storage apparatus wherein the storage apparatus is in accordance with the first aspect of this invention.

Preferably the apparatus and method of the first and second aspects respectfully, may be substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings .

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following figures, in which :

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a storage apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a mechanism of the storage apparatus in an open position.

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the mechanism in a closed position.

Figure 4 is a side view of a mechanism in the open position .

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a mechanism, according to a second embodiment, in a closed position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the mechanism in an open position.

Figure 7 is a view of an underside of the storage apparatus .

Figure 8 is a view of Figure 7 showing a pair of plugs removed from the storage apparatus.

Figure 1 shows a storage apparatus 1 comprising a folder 2 and a mechanism 3. The mechanism is permanently attached to the folder 2 by any suitable method, for instance by adhesive or rivets. The mechanism comprises a ring binder 4, 9 hole punch 5 and a lever 7. The lever 7 is operable by moving its handle 37 towards and away from the folder 2. Movement of the lever 7 initiates movement of the ring binder 4 and hole punch 5 between open and closed positions. Raising the lever 7, i.e., moving the handle 37 away from the folder 2, moves the ring binder 4 and hole punch 5 to the open positions.

When the ring binder is in the open position, punched leafs of paper may be loaded on to the ring binder 4. When the hole punch 5 is in the open position un-punched leafs of paper may be inserted into the hole punch. Lowering the lever 7, i.e. moving the handle 37 towards

the folder 2, closes the ring binder 4 and operates the hole punch 5.

In the closed position the ring binder 4 is closed, thereby restricting any loaded sheets of paper from being removed from the ring binder 4. Closing the hole punch 5 causes any sheets inserted in the hole punch 5 to be punched. Opening the hole punch 5 allows the punched paper to be removed. Punched paper may then be loaded on to the ring binder 4 before closing the ring binder 4 and transporting the folder.

The various parts will now be described in more detail.

The folder 2 comprises a rectangular sheet folded along two parallel fold lines 10, 11. The fold lines are generally perpendicular to the edge of the sheet. The sheet is folded to form a base 13, spine 14 and top 15 of the folder 2. The folder 2 provides protection to the stored sheets of paper and also carries the mechanism 3. As such it is required to be reasonably stiff and may be made from any suitable material for instance cardboard, plastic coated paper and even thin metal.

The mechanism 3 is attached to the base 13 of the folder 2 by adhesive, rivets or any other suitable permanent means (not shown) .

The ring binder 4 comprises two arches 17,18. As shown in Figure 2, each arch includes a static prong 19 and a movable hook 21. The static prongs may be integral to the hole punch 4 (as shown in Figure 1) or alternatively the static prongs 19 may be separate to the lever 7 and hole

punch 4 and permanently attached to the folder (as shown in Figure 2) . In either case the static prongs 19 do not move relative to the folder 2 and extend away or upwardly from the folder 2. The movable hooks 21 are moveable by the lever 7 between an open position (as shown in Figure 2) and a closed position (as shown in Figure 3) . In the closed position a free end of the hooks 21 locates adjacent to a free end of the static prong 19.

The hole punch 5 comprises a die plate 23, a support plate 25, and two punching rods 27. The die plate 23 is permanently attached to the base 3 of the folder 2. Two die holes 29 are formed in the die plate 23. The support plate 25 is arranged spaced from and parallel to the die plate 23. The spacing is sufficient to fit a plurality of paper sheets between the die plate 23 and support plate 25. So that the mechanism 3 (and consequently the folder 2) does not become overly bulky or large, the spacing of the support plate 25 from the die plate 23 it is preferably arranged to enable up to 5 sheets of paper to fit in the hole punch. Alternatively the support plate may be arranged to fit up to 10 or up to 15 sheets of paper. The support plate is attached to the die plate via a back plate 31. The back plate 31 acts as a stop when paper is inserted into the hole punch 5 such that the holes punched in the paper are consistently and correctly spaced from the edge of the paper.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the folder 3 includes two apertures 80 positioned beneath the die holes 29. The apertures are the same size as or larger than the die holes 29. A pair of plugs 82, locate within the apertures 80 such that the plugs seal the apertures and do not

become dislodged during normal use. For instance, the plugs 82 may be fabricated from a resilient material such as rubber and may locate within the aperture in a compressed state. In use, the plugs 82 can be removed by pulling them from the apertures 80. As such, any punched material may be ejected from the underside of the folder. This avoids the mechanism becoming jammed up with punched waste .

The punching rods 27 are arranged to move laterally within two holes formed through the support plate 25. The support plate 25 ensures the punching rods 27 move laterally. Each punching rod 27 includes a cutting end, which may be shaped to give the cutting end some sharpness. For instance, the cutting end may have a concave profile. The cutting end is sized so as to fit snugly within the die holes 29 in order to create the desired shearing affects. The punching rods 27 are movable between an open and closed position as shown in Figures 2 and 3 respectively.

The lever 7 is hinged along a top edge 33 of the support plate. The lever 7 is biased away from the support plate such that the lever moves the ring binder and hole punch to the open position. The handle 37 is formed extending away from the mechanism 3 to assist the movement of the lever 7.

In figures 2 and 3, the hooks 21 are attached directly to or are formed integrally with the punching rods 27. As such the hooks 21 are constrained to move laterally. The axes of each punching rod 27 is coincident with the axis of each hook 21. The integral punching rods 27 and hooks

21 co-operate with the lever 7, such that as the lever 7 hinges towards and away from the support plate 25, the integral punching rods and hooks move laterally up and down .

For instance, the lever 7 may include slots (not shown) within which each integral punching rod 27 and hook 21 is able to move. Each integral punching rod and hook cooperates with the lever 7 such that a contact point between the lever 7 and integral punching rods and hooks remain constant relative to the integral punching rods and hooks but moves relative to the lever 7 towards and away from the hinge 33. The co-operation may be due to stops

(not shown) formed on the integral rods and hooks just above and just below the lever 7 so that the integral punching rods 27 and hooks 21 are constrained to move up and down with the lever 7. The integral punching rods and hooks are positioned between the hinge 33 and handle 37 and are preferably close to the hinge in order to increase the lever affect.

In Figure 4 the hooks 21 are shown attached to the lever 7 with the punching rods 27 separate to the hooks 21. As such, the hooks 21 move by pivoting about the hinge axis 33. The punching rods are biased (as described below) upwardly against an underside of the lever 7. As the lever 7 moves up and down abutment between the distal ends of the punching rods 27 and underside of the lever forces the punching rods to also move. During movement, the distal ends of the punching rods 27 slide against the underside of the lever.

As shown in Figure 4, the lever 7 may be biased towards the open position by a leaf spring 39, which acts between the lever 7 and support plate 25. Alternatively, each punching rod 27 may be biased by a coil spring (not shown) in any well-known manner towards the open position thereby biasing the lever 7 open.

The mechanism 3 includes a lock (not shown) to lock the lever 7 in the closed position.

Figures 5 and 6 show an alternative embodiment, wherein a lever 40 pivots about a pivot point 42, which is fixed in relation to the folder 2. The lever is bent at an elbow 44 that is arranged towards the pivot connection 42. At the elbow 42, a bearing 46 is provided. The bearing comprises a stub axle that extends from the lever and a follower, such as a rubber sleeve, arranged about the stub axle. The distal end of the lever includes two further bends 48,50 which enable a user to easily operate the lever.

The ring binder 4 and hole punch 5 are as herein described. The moveable hooks 21 are connected to a top plate 52 of the hole punch. Springs (not shown) that act on the underside of the plate 52 bias the hole punch and ring binder towards the open position.

In use, the bearing 46 contact 5 the upper surface of the plate 52. As shown in Figure 6, when the lever 40 is pivoted upwardly, the bearing moves away from the hole punch allowing the hole punch and therefore also the ring binder to open. When paper is loaded into the hole punch or ring binder, the lever 40 can be pivoted downwardly.

Consequently, the bearing follows an arcuate path, about the pivot point 42, moving towards the hole punch. The bearing co-operates with the plate 52 and forces it downwards toward the closed position and against the biasing of the springs. When the hole punch and ring binder are closed the elbow 44 carrying the bearing is positioned underneath or slightly past the pivot 42. Consequently, a lock is not needed since the position of the bearing relative to the pivot prevents the hole punch and ring binder from opening under the action of the spings . Lifting the lever 40 so as to pivot it about the pivot point 42 releases the hole punch and ring binder, which move towards the open position as the lever is pivoted due to the action of the springs. The folder is used as herein described.

The mechanism is advantageous over prior art ring binder mechanisms as it incorporates a hole punch. Thus there is no need to carry an additional hole punch and the hole punch is always available. Also, the hole punch does not require an extendible guide to position the paper. This is because the paper may be positioned by aligning it to the paper already stored on the ring binder, or the base 13 of the folder 2 may include markings to assist the positioning of the paper in the hole punch.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification

(including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s) . The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.