Patent ID: 9616700
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: B42F

Claim:
1. A ring binder mechanism comprising: at least two half-ring pairs, which are arranged spaced apart from one another, and which each comprise two half-rings, and an elongated housing which is C-shaped or U-shaped in cross section, has a central housing wall, has two housing flanks bent back laterally relative to the central housing wall forming bearing grooves, and has two elongated carrier rails arranged in the housing, wherein the half-rings of a first group and the half-rings of a second group are rigidly connected to one another in a grouped manner in the region of their roots and thereby kept apart from one another, said half-rings complementing one another in pairs to form the half-ring pairs, and being able to be pivoted together relative to the respective other group between an open position opening up an insert gap between their free ends and a closed position, complementing one another to form one respective closed ring, wherein at the ends of the half-rings of at least one of the half-ring pairs mutually complementary locking bar elements are arranged, said locking bar elements being locked together in the closed position to prevent pivoting of the half-rings, wherein at the start of an opening procedure at least one of the half-rings of the half-ring pairs is able to be moved relative to the other half-ring by initiating an unlocking procedure between a locked position and a released position of the associated locking bar elements, wherein during the course of a locking procedure at least one of the half-rings of the half-ring pairs is able to be moved relative to the other half-ring between the released position and the locked position of the associated locking bar elements, wherein in the locked position the half-rings associated with one another in pairs span a common radial plane and the locking bar elements thereof are positively coupled together at least in the opening direction of the half-rings, wherein in the released position, the half-rings associated with one another in pairs, span a common radial plane and the locking bar elements thereof are radially spaced apart from one another, wherein in the locked position, the locking bar elements are positively coupled together in all directions within the tangential plane of the rings which is perpendicular to the radial plane and which intersects the locking bar elements, wherein said carrier rails are operatively connected to controllers arranged between the longitudinal edges, forming a joint mechanism in the region of their longitudinal edges facing one another and with their outer longitudinal edges remote from one another engage in the bearing grooves, wherein the half-rings of one of the half-ring groups are rigidly arranged on each carrier rail, wherein in each case two pairs of half-rings associated with one another within the half-ring groups, on the outside of the housing, form half-ring pairs complementing one another in the closed position to form a ring, wherein the carrier rails are pivotable to a limited extent relative to one another via the joint mechanism along a pivoting path by driving the half-rings between the open position and the closed position, wherein at least one of the carrier rails is able to be moved relative to the other carrier rail by initiating an unlocking procedure along an unlocking path between a locked position and a released position of the associated locking bar elements, and wherein the at least one carrier rail is able to be moved relative to the other carrier rail by initiating a locking procedure along a locking path between the released position and the locked position of the associated locking bar elements.