Binder

Abstract

 A binder comprises a spine (1) with front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) hingedly attached thereto, in which at least the front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) consist of a reinforcement board (6) accommodated in a cover made of layers of film material (4, 5), and also a binding element for fixing sheets, the reinforcement boards and binding element being removable. The film material (4, 5) situated at the position of the spine (1) is wedged between two supporting strips (7, 8). which strips (7, 8; 13, 14) also hold the layers of film material (4, 5) of front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) respectively pressed together.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a binder, comprising a spine with front leaf and back leaf hingedly attached thereto, in which at least the front leaf and back leaf consist of a reinforcement board accommodated in a cover made of layers of film material, and also a binding element for fixing sheets, the reinforcement boards and binding element being removable. Such binders are known from EP-A-439708, and are widely used in, inter alia, schools and offices. Depending on the extent of use, these binders have a service life which can lie between roughly 1 and 10 years.

[0002] Plastic is used for the cover of these binders, in particular on account of the excellent weldability of that material. The binding element can be made of metal or of a plastic, while the reinforcement boards can be made of cardboard. On account of the fact that these elements are made of different materials, recycling these binders gives rise to great problems. This is because it must be possible to process or re-use all elements of the binders, such as the plastic covers, the binding elements etc., separately from the other elements, which is found to be almost impossible to achieve in practice, on account of the problems which occur in taking the binders apart.

[0003] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a binder of the type described above which is actually easy to recycle or re-use. This object is achieved through the fact that the film material situated at the position of the spine is wedged between two supporting strips, which strips also hold the layers of film material of front leaf and back leaf respectively pressed together. With such a construction of the binder, all elements can be taken apart in a relatively simple way, with the result that the various materials such as plastic, metal and cardboard are easy to separate from one another.

[0004] The supporting strip situated on the outside of the spine can be provided with an edge all the way round, within which the other supporting strip situated on the inside is accommodated, together with the film material of the spine and of the front leaf and back leaf adjacent thereto. This design of the spine is fairly strong and rigid.

[0005] An embodiment which is easy to assemble can be obtained if the ring mechanism is snapped into a corresponding recess in the outside supporting strip by means of at least two pins, each provided with resilient legs with barbed projections. In this case the ring mechanism can have a base part which is fixed by means of the pins, in such a way that the base part forms the inside supporting strip.

[0006] Taking the binder apart can be achieved in a simple way in an embodiment in which each recess in the outside supporting strip is covered by a covering cap, and each covering cap bears legs resting against the resilient legs of the pins, in such a way that when the covering cap is pressed inwards into the outside supporting strip the legs of the pin in question are forced into the release position, for the purpose of removing the pin from the outside supporting strip.

[0007] The legs of each covering cap are provided with projections which are snapped behind a shoulder on the outside supporting strip. The covering caps are also easy to fit and, in addition, they make it easier to remove the binding element and take apart the supporting strips.

[0008] However, the supporting strips can also be connected to each other in other ways. According to a first alternative embodiment, the supporting strips can be hingedly attached to each other at one of their end faces, and can be detachably attached to each other at least at their other end face. When the supporting strips are being attached to each other, the cover parts are pressed firmly together, in such a way that the reinforcement boards are held in a well confined manner.

[0009] According to a second alternative embodiment, the outside supporting strip comprises two longitudinal halves which are each hingedly attached to the inside supporting strip near the centre thereof, which longitudinal halves are fixed against the inside supporting strip, clamping a cover part. Such a spine in one piece can very easily be injection moulded; the hinged connections can be film hinges.

[0010] According to a second possibility, spine, front leaf and back leaf can be hingedly connected to each other, front leaf and back leaf each being accommodated in a double-walled cover part, and the spine being covered by a single-walled cover part.

[0011] According to a third possibility, the reinforcement boards are each accommodated in a cover part which is provided with a tear-off edge at the side facing the spine. However, such a tear-off edge can also be provided along one of the other edges of front leaf or back leaf.

[0012] Another sturdy construction can be obtained if the inside supporting strip is provided with projections, which by way of recesses in the film material of the spine are wedged in recesses in the outside supporting strip. If a different colour from that for the outside supporting strip is selected for the inside supporting strip, and thus for the projections, a large number of attractive colour patterns can be obtained.

[0013] The binder can be provided in a known manner with a cover made of two layers of film material which are welded together along the outer perimeter of the binder, which cover extends in one piece not only over the spine, but also over the front leaf and the back leaf. However, according to an alternative embodiment, the front leaf and the back leaf can also have separate loose cover parts, each consisting of two layers of film material which are welded together along their outer perimeter and are fixed to a rigid supporting strip determining the spine.

[0014] The layers of film material are preferably not attached to each other at the edges of front leaf and back leaf facing the spine, and are provided there with means for shutting off the layers relative to each other. In normal use this ensures that the binder stays together while, on the other hand, taking it apart is not very difficult when the shutoff means have been removed.

[0015] The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to a number of examples of embodiments shown in the figures.

[0016] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a binder according to the invention, a partial view, taken apart and in perspective.

[0017] Figure 2 shows a section of the binder according to Figure 1.

[0018] Figure 3 shows a second embodiment, in perspective.

[0019] Figure 4 shows an end view of a third embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 shows a section of a partially taken apart fourth embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 shows a partial end view of a fifth embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 shows a sixth embodiment, in perspective.

[0023] Figure 8 shows a variant of the first embodiment.

[0024] The binder shown partially in Figure 1 comprises a plastic cover with spine 1, a front leaf 2 and a back leaf 3. Both the front leaf 2 and the back leaf 3 consist of a cover made of two layers of film material 4, 5, which layers are welded together at the outer perimeter of front leaf and back leaf respectively. A reinforcement board 6, for example of cardboard, lies between the layers of film material 4, 5. At the edges of front leaf and back leaf facing the spine 1, the layers of film material 4, 5 are not welded together, so that the reinforcement boards 6 can be inserted or removed there.

[0025] Said binder also comprises an outside supporting strip 7 and an inside supporting strip 8. A ring mechanism (shown in Figure 2) is attached to said inside supporting strip 8, for binding loose sheets. The outside supporting strip 7 has a raised edge 9 in which the spine 1 is placed. The edges 10 of the layers of film material 4, 5 also go inside this raised edge 9.

[0026] The inside supporting strip 8 is then pressed into the spine 1 placed in this way. As shown in Figure 2, said inside supporting strip 8 lies at the same level as the raised edge 9. In this way it clamps the edges 10 of the layers of film material 4, 5 against the raised edge 9, with the result that they are well shut off. The reinforcement boards 6 are consequently well confined in the layers of film material 4, 5 during normal use.

[0027] Holes 11 are also provided in the spine 1. Projections 48 are inserted into these holes 11, and are then wedged in the holes 12 of the outside supporting strip 7. All this is shown in greater detail in Figure 2.

[0028] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, two supporting strips 13, 14, hingedly attached to each other at their one end face 15, are used. At their other end face, they have fixing means 16 for, for example, snapping said supporting strips 13, 14 together. A plastic cover, for example of PVC, consisting of a spine 1, front leaf 2 and back leaf 3, as described with reference to Figure 1, can be used between said supporting strips. The holes 11 in the spine 1 can be omitted in this case.

[0029] The edges 10 now lie within the width of the strips 13, 14. As soon as said strips 13, 14 are attached to each other, said edges 10 are held closed in a reliable way, in such a way that the reinforcement boards 6 are well confined.

[0030] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, a front leaf 17, a back leaf 18 and a spine part 19, consisting of separate parts, are used. Front leaf 17 and back leaf 18 again consist of layers of film material welded to each other at the outside edges and containing a reinforcement board 22. However, these layers 20 and 21 are not attached to each other at the edges 23.

[0031] The spine 19 comprises an inside supporting strip 24, to which two longitudinal halves 25, 26 are hingedly attached. These longitudinal halves can be hingedly connected to the inside supporting strip 24 by means of a film hinge 27.

[0032] The longitudinal halves 25, 26 also have at their ends barbed edges 28 which can be snapped into recesses 29 along the inside supporting strip 24.

[0033] For assembling the binder shown in Figure 4, the edges 23 are placed between the inside supporting strip and the corresponding longitudinal half 25, 26. The connection between the longitudinal halves and the inside supporting strip 24 is then made by snapping them into each other in such a way that the edges 23 are pressed together. The finished binder can be seen in the right half of Figure 4.

[0034] The embodiment shown in Figure 5 has reinforcement boards 30 which are hingedly connected to a supporting strip 32 by means of film hinges 31. A ring mechanism 33 is situated on said supporting strip 32.

[0035] The cover here in each case consists of two layers of film material 34, 35 which are welded together at the outer perimeter, but are open near the spine part 36. The reinforcement boards 30 can be inserted through the opening into the cover parts formed by the layers 34, 35. After said reinforcement boards 30 have been fully inserted, the binder can be folded shut.

[0036] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the binding element consists of strips 37, 38 to which sleeves 39 and pins 40 respectively are fixed. In Figure 6 the pins 40 are inserted into the sleeves 39. The front leaf 41 and the back leaf 42 are again made up of two layers of film material 43, 44 welded together at the outer perimeter, but these layers are loose at one side, and their loose edges 45 are wedged between the strips 37, 38 and spine support 46. Said loose edges 45 are provided with holes 47, through which the sleeves 39 are inserted.

[0037] The binder shown in Figure 7 has a front leaf 48, spine part 49, and back leaf 50. A tear strip 51, bounded by nominal tear lines 52, is disposed in leaves 48, 50. Welded to one end of strip 51 is an eye 53, which can be gripped for the purpose of removing the tear strip 51. After the tear strip 51 has been removed, the reinforcement board 54 can be taken out of the cover. The reinforcement strip 56 in the cover of the spine part 49 can also be removed through the slit 55 present there. Said slit 55 is made accessible by removing the ring mechanism (not shown) from spine part 49.

[0038] In the variant of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 shown in Fig. 8, the spine of the binder is again wedged between the outside supporting strip 7 and the inside supporting strip 8. The ring mechanism 57 is fixed in the outside supporting strip 7 by means of a number of pins 58 with elastically resilient legs 59. The head 60 of each pin 58 rests here on the base 61 of the ring mechanism 57, in such a way that the inside supporting strip 8 is pressed firmly into the outside supporting strip 7. The projections 62 in this case engage upon the underside of the outside supporting strip 7.

[0039] Opening out on the outside of supporting strip 7 are covering caps 63, which by means of projections 65 are snapped behind a shoulder 66 on supporting strip 7. The legs 64 on which said projections 65 are situated in turn rest against the legs 59 of the pin 58. When the covering cap 63 is pressed inwards, the legs 59 of pin 58 are now pressed inwards, so that the pin 58 can be removed and the whole unit can be taken apart. Of course, both the pins 58 and the covering caps 63 can be removed from the spine of the binder formed by the supporting strips 7 and 8.

Claims

1. Binder, comprising a spine (1) with front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) hingedly attached thereto, in which at least the front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) consist of a reinforcement board (6) accommodated in a cover made of layers of film material (4, 5), and also a binding element for fixing sheets, the reinforcement boards and binding element being removable, characterized in that the film material (4, 5) situated at the position of the spine (1) is wedged between two supporting strips (7, 8), which strips (7, 8; 13, 14) also hold the layers of film material (4, 5) of front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) respectively pressed together.

2. Binder according to Claim 1, in which the supporting strip (7) situated on the outside of the spine (1) is provided with an edge (9) all the way round, within which the other supporting strip (8) situated on the inside is accommodated, together with the film material (4, 5) of the spine and of the front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) adjacent thereto.

3. Binder according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the supporting strips (7, 8) are connected to each other by means of a snap connection (28, 29; 62).

4. Binder according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the ring mechanism (57) is snapped into a corresponding recess in the outside supporting strip (7) by means of at least two pins (58), each provided with resilient legs (59) with barbed projections (62).

5. Binder according to Claim 4, in which the ring mechanism (57) has a base part (61) which is fixed by means of the pins (58).

6. Binder according to Claim 5, in which the base part (61) forms the inside supporting strip (8).

7. Binder according to Claim 4, 5 or 6, in which each recess in the outside supporting strip (7) is covered by a covering cap (63), and each covering cap (63) bears legs (64) resting against the resilient legs (59) of the pins (58), in such a way that when the covering cap (63) is pressed inwards into the outside supporting strip (7) the legs (59) of the pin (58) in question are forced into the release position, for the purpose of removing the pin (58) from the outside supporting strip (7).

8. Binder according to Claim 4, 5, 6 or 7, in which the legs (64) of each covering cap (63) are provided with projections (65) which are snapped behind a shoulder (66) on the outside supporting strip (7).

9. Binder according to Claim 1, in which the supporting strips (13, 14) are hingedly attached to each other at one of their end faces (15) and are detachably attached to each other at least at their other end face (16).

10. Binder according to Claim 1, in which the outside supporting strip comprises two longitudinal halves (25, 26) which are each hingedly attached to the inside supporting strip (24) near the centre thereof, which longitudinal halves (25, 26) are fixed against the inside supporting strip (24), clamping a cover part (20, 21).

11. Binder according to one of the preceding claims, in which spine (32), front leaf (30) and back leaf (30) are hingedly connected to each other, front leaf (30) and back leaf (30) are each accommodated in a double-walled cover part (34, 35), and the spine (32) is covered by a single-walled cover part (36).

12. Binder according to one of the preceding claims, in which the reinforcement boards (54) are each accommodated in a cover part which is provided with a tear-off edge (51) at the side facing the spine.

13. Binder according to Claim 1, in which the inside supporting strip (8) is provided with projections (48), which by way of recesses (11) in the film material of the spine are wedged in recesses (12) in the outside supporting strip (7).

14. Binder according to one of the preceding claims, in which the cover is made of two layers of film material (4, 5) which are welded together along the outer perimeter of the binder, which cover extends in one piece not only over the spine (1), but also over the front leaf (2) and the back leaf (3).

15. Binder according to one of the preceding Claims 1 - 13, in which the front leaf (2) and the back leaf (3) have separate loose cover parts, each consisting of two layers of film material which are welded together along their outer perimeter and are fixed to rigid supporting strips (8, 9) determining the spine (1).

16. Binder according to Claim 14 or 15, in which the layers of film material (4, 5) are not attached to each other at the edges of front leaf (2) and back leaf (3) facing the spine (1), and are provided there with means (7, 8; 24, 25, 26; 51) for shutting off the layers (4, 5; 20, 21) relative to each other.

17. Binder according to one of the preceding claims, in which the binding element is a ring mechanism.

18. Binder according to one of the preceding claims, in which the binding element comprises two strips (37, 38) with pins (40) and sleeves (39) respectively facing each other and accommodated inside one another, and the cover parts near front leaf and back leaf have holes through which the pins (40) and sleeves (39) respectively project.

Drawing