Abstract:
A page indicator of the present invention marks a page of a book or the like. The page indicator is received on a free corner of the page and facilitates grasping the page from either of the adjacent page edge margins at the corner. The page indicator is capable of presenting promotional or other information in a position which is readily observed by the reader upon opening to the page marked.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to bookmarks and more particularly to a page indicator for marking a page in a book or other publication.  
         [0002]     Readers of books or other publications frequently use a bookmark to indicate the last page read during a reading session and the proper page to start during a subsequent reading session. Also, users of reference publications such as dictionaries or encyclopedias frequently use a bookmark to mark a page of the publication that has important information requiring frequent reference. It is important that such bookmarks be securely fastened to the page so that the reader&#39;s place in the book or publication is not lost by the bookmark inadvertently falling out of the book. Also, the bookmark should be readily visible to the user to indicate the proper page being indicated. The bookmark should be easy to grasp so that the book or other publication can quickly be turned to the proper page without the bookmark becoming detached from the page.  
         [0003]     Various bookmarks exist that are designed to attach to the top edge margin or side edge margin of a page. Some conventional bookmarks are designed to attach to a top edge margin or a side edge margin of the page. These existing designs are difficult to grasp and are not easily seen by a user. Further, the page of a book may be easily and quickly turned by grasping the page near the free edge or corner, rather than the top or side edge margin of the page. Existing bookmark designs do not clearly indicate the corner of the page being marked so that the reader may quickly grasp the corner of the desired page to turn the book to the desired location.  
         [0004]     Other bookmarks may be mounted near the corner of a book. However, these existing designs do not clearly mark the edge margin of the corner of the page and are not securely attached to the page to prevent the bookmark from coming loose and the proper page indication being lost. Therefore, a need exists for a page indicator for a book or other publication that can be securely attached to a page of the book to clearly indicate to a user the corner of the desired page so that the place in the book can be quickly and easily located.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a page indicator that can be securely attached to a corner of a page; the provision of such an indicator that clearly identifies a page; and the provision of such an indicator which can overlay a portion of the page to provide a display area visible to a reader of the page.  
         [0006]     A page indicator of the present invention identifies a page having generally perpendicular first and second free edge margins forming a corner of the page. The page indicator generally comprises a panel having a front surface and a back surface. A flap is connected to the panel and moveable between a first position wherein the flap is substantially coplanar with the panel and a page receiving position wherein the flap is pivoted away from the panel to provide an opening for receiving the corner of the page. The panel has a first edge margin and a second edge margin that are substantially perpendicular. The first and second edge margins of the panel are shaped and arranged relative to the flap such that when the flap receives the page corner, the first panel edge margin projects from and is generally parallel to the first free edge margin of the page and the second panel edge margin projects from and is generally parallel to the second free edge margin of the page whereby the page indicator may be engaged adjacent either free edge margin of the page for opening to the page.  
         [0007]     In another aspect of the invention, the page indicator comprises a panel having a front surface and a back surface and a first edge margin and a second edge margin. A flap is connected to the panel and moveable between a first position wherein the flap is substantially coplanar with the panel and a page receiving position wherein the flap is pivoted away from the panel to provide an opening for receiving the corner of the page. The flap having a hinge axis for movement of the flap away from the panel and a centerline passing through the hinge axis. The flap is arranged relative to the first and second edge margins of the panel such that the centerline of the flap is non-perpendicular to the first and second edge margins of the panel.  
         [0008]     Other objects and features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective of a page indicator of the present invention shown attached to a page of a book;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front plan view of the page indicator removed from the book;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a back perspective of the page indicator;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a front plan view of the page indicator removed from the page of the book prior to attachment of the indicator;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a detail view of the page indicator attached to the page; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a back plan view of the page indicator attached to the page; 
     
    
       [0015]     Corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference numbers throughout the drawings.  
       DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a page indicator of the present invention is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral  1 . The indicator is shown attached to a page P of a book B to remind a reader of the location of a page of interest in the book such as a starting page in subsequent reading session or a page that may contain important information requiring ready-reference by the user. In one embodiment, the page indicator  1  is used for identifying a page having a perpendicular first (top) free edge margin M 1  and second (side) free edge margin M 2  that meet at a top corner C 1  of the page P. Alternatively, the page indicator  1  of the present invention could be attached to a bottom corner C 2  of the page P without departing from the scope of this invention. Further, it will be understood that the page indicator  1  can be used on pages of publications other than books (e.g., magazines, brochures, catalogs, or other written works) without departing from the scope of this invention.  
         [0017]     In the illustrated embodiment, the page indicator  1  comprises a generally planar panel  11  having a front surface  15  and a back surface  19  and a five-sided irregular polygon shape. The panel  11  is shown as solid, but may be apertured. It will be understood that the panel  11  may have various other regular or irregular shapes without departing from the scope of the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the panel  11  includes a first edge margin  23  and a second edge margin  25  that are substantially perpendicular to form a 90-degree corner  27  of the panel that is generally adjacent the corner C 1  ( FIG. 1 ) of the page P. A third edge margin  31  and fourth edge margin  33  of the panel  11  intersect respective first and second edge margins  23 ,  25  at obtuse angles to form respective corners  37 ,  39  of the page indicator  1 . The fifth edge margin  45  is substantially parallel to the first edge margin  23  and intersects the third edge margin  31  and fourth edge margin  33  at respective corners  47 ,  49  to form the closed polygonal shape of the panel  11 .  
         [0018]     In the illustrated embodiment, the page indicator  1  has a flap, generally indicated  55 , connected to the panel  11  that is moveable between a first position ( FIG. 2 ) where the flap is substantially coplanar with the panel and a second (page receiving) position ( FIG. 3 ) where the flap is pivoted away from the panel to provide an opening  59  for receiving the corner C 1  of the page P. The flap  55  is generally rectangular and is separated from the panel  11  by a notch or slit such that the panel and the flap have opposed edge margins. It is to be understood that the flap  55  may have shapes other than rectangular, and need not be a solid piece.  
         [0019]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flap  55  is disposed within a periphery of the panel  11  and has first and second parallel edge margins, designated  67  and  69 , respectively, and a third edge margin  71  substantially perpendicular to the first and second edge margins. The panel  11  has three corresponding edge margins  75 ,  77 ,  79  that are generally adjacent and spaced apart from respective flap edge margins  67 ,  69 ,  71 . The opposed edge margins of the panel  11  and flap  55  are joined at two junctions  85  between the panel and the flap. The junctions  85  are formed generally adjacent the ends of the first and second parallel edge margins  67 ,  69  of the flap  55 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the junctions  85  are substantially aligned along a hinge axis  89  of the flap. The hinge axis  89  and the first, second and third edge margins  67 ,  69 ,  71  of the flap  55  define the four sides of the generally rectangular flap. The hinge axis  89  defines a pivot axis between the flap  55  and the panel  11  allowing the flap to pivot downward to the page receiving position ( FIG. 3 ) where the flap is out of planar registration with the panel to create the opening  59  in the panel for receiving the corner C 1  of the page P. Alternatively, the flap  55  could pivot upward relative to the panel  11  to create the opening  59  between the flap and the panel for receiving the corner C 1  ( FIG. 1 ) of the page P without departing from the scope of this invention.  
         [0020]     As seen in  FIG. 2 , the flap  55  has a centerline  93  that is generally perpendicular to the hinge axis  89  and passes through the hinge axis to intersect the first edge margin  23  and second edge margin  25  of the panel  11  at the corner  27  of the indicator  1 . The centerline  93  generally bisects the flap  55  in the illustrated embodiment. The flap  55  is arranged such that the centerline  93  is generally parallel to the first edge margin  67  and second edge margin  69  of the flap and is non-perpendicular to the first edge margin  23  and second edge margin  25  of the panel  11 . In the illustrated embodiment, the centerline  93  of the flap  55  is aligned to intersect the corner  27  of the panel  11  to form acute (45°) angles with respect to the first and second edge margins  23 ,  25 . It will be understood that the flap  55  may be offset from the corner  27  of the panel  11  such that the centerline  93  of the flap  55  intersects one or the other of the first and second edge margins  23 ,  25  of the panel. Also, although less preferred, the centerline  93  of the flap  55  and the first and second edge margins  23 ,  25  of the panel  11  may be oriented such that the intersecting angle of the flap centerline with one or both of the edge margins is obtuse rather than acute.  
         [0021]     In use, the indicator  1  is mounted on a page P such that the corner C 1  of the page is received through the opening  59  between the flap  55  and the panel  11 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the indicator  1  is positioned near the corner C 1  of the page P and the flap  55  is pivoted downward to a page receiving position so that the opening  59  between the flap and the panel  11  is positioned for receiving the corner of the page. The indicator  1  is moved in the direction of arrow A to position the indicator on the page P so that the corner C 1  of the page is received through the opening  59  between the flap  55  and the panel  11 . The indicator  1  is secured on the page P by moving the indicator in the direction of arrow A until each free edge margin M 1 , M 2  of the page contacts a respective junction  85  between the opposed edge margins  67 ,  75  and  69 ,  77  of the flap  55  and the panel  11 . The wedging action of the page P at the junctions  85  between the flap  55  and the panel  11  creates a page holding force that tends to keep the indicator  1  attached to the page. Upon attachment of the indicator  1  to the page P, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the corner  27  of the indicator is generally aligned with a diagonal line DL of the page passing through the corner C 1  of the page.  
         [0022]     In the illustrated embodiment, the first edge margin  23  and second edge margin  25  of the panel  11  are shaped and arranged relative to the flap  55  such that when the flap receives the page corner C 1 , the first panel edge margin projects from and is generally parallel to the first free edge margin M 1  of the page P and the second panel edge margin projects from and is generally parallel to the second free edge margin M 2  of the page. As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first and second panel edge margins  23 ,  25  extend from respective page free edge margins M 1 , M 2  by at least a distance D so that the indicator  1  can be easily identified when the book B is closed. Further, the page indicator  1  may be engaged for opening the book B by grasping either of the first and second panel edge margins  23 ,  25  that project past the first and second free edge margin M 1 , M 2  of the page P. In one embodiment the distance D is at least about ⅛ of an inch to facilitate grasping of the panel edge margins  23 ,  25 . It will be understood that the indicator  1  may be configured such that the panel edge margins  23 ,  25  project outward from the page P by more or less than ⅛ of an inch without departing from the scope of this invention.  
         [0023]     In the attached position of the indicator  1 , the corner C 1  of the page P is spaced in from the corner  27  of the indicator and the back surface of the page generally near the page corner is in contact with the front surface of the flap  55  so that the portion of the front surface of the page near the page corner is exposed to the reader of the book B. The back surface  19  of the panel  11  at the lower portion of the panel contacts the front surface of the page P such the lower portion of the panel overlays the page and the lower portion of the panel is visible to the reader of the book B. The visibility of the lower portion of the panel  11  makes the indicator of the present invention useful in displaying advertising, generally indicated  95 , on the front surface  15  of the lower portion of the panel that is frequently viewed by a reader of the book. The advertising  95  could be any information such as a logo or slogan of a company that is desired to be frequently seen by a reader of the book. Also, the advertising  95  could be otherwise located on the indicator  1  (e.g., on the panel  55 ) for viewing by a reader of the book, or the advertising  95  could be omitted from the indicator without departing from the scope of this invention.  
         [0024]     When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.  
         [0025]     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.  
         [0026]     As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.