Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an organizer comprising a unique structural configuration to house and store both non-perforated documents and perforated documents. The organizer comprises a ring binder that is associated with an expandable compartment that is arranged peripheral to the ring binder.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to and is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/877,966, filed Sep. 8, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    People are required to manage many pieces of information in the course of a typical day, relating to appointments, errands, projects and responsibilities. In addition, a person has goals and other personal matters which need to be incorporated into the planning of one&#39;s day in order for them to be realized. Besides the recurring and/or ordinary pieces of information an individual must track and record (which can clutter a person&#39;s mind or workplace), it is necessary to make note of new and important ideas lest they be forgotten. In general, having to remember a great many pieces of information tends to make a person feel overwhelmed and therefore, less productive and creative. 
         [0003]    Wire bound or spiral bound notebooks have been on the market for many years. Conventionally, the wire bound notebook includes a pair of separate cover members which include wire receiving holes or perforations along their inner edges and along the inner edges of loose leaf sheets bound into the notebook. The wire is wound helically through the registered perforations of the discrete cover members and those of the pad of paper. Similarly, three-ring binders have been available for years that have a number of binding jaws that open and close to secure loose leaf paper. Both styles of binders require that the document being held must be perforated in order to have the wire or binding jaws engage the document. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,704,006 teaches a ring binder that contains an expandable pocket. Documents may be held in the slits provided in the expandable pocket. The expandable pocket is held in place and restrained by the binder covers and the zip able skirt. 
         [0005]    The inventors have realized a number of new binder configurations that substantially increase storage of documents that must not be perforated and which allow increased efficiency in organizing all types of documents and related samples. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a side perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  with the expandable compartment in an opened position. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows a bottom perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3  with a binder in an opened position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  shows a side perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  with an expandable compartment in an opened position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  shows a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  shows a side perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7  with an expandable compartment in an opened position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  shows a side perspective view of an embodiment that comprises hanging members. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  shows a side perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9  with a compartment flap held in an opened position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  shows a depiction of a hanging member embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  shows a depiction of a hanging member embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  shows a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  shows a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 13  with a binder and an expandable compartment in an open position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  shows a side perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 16  shows a side perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 15 , in an open position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    The inventors have realized that many business and scholastic activities require the organization of both structural information, which has a fixed sequence and a unstructured information which does not have a fixed sequence. A binder is a good tool to keep structured information while a file folder is a good tool to keep unstructured information. According to certain aspects of the present invention, the invention enables the storage and organization of structured and unstructured information securely together in one place. 
         [0023]    According to a first embodiment, the invention pertains to an organizing binder that includes a first planar cover member and a second planar cover member. The first and second planar cover members each include an outer surface, an inner surface, a proximal edge, a distal edge, a top edge and a bottom edge. The embodiment also includes a bridge member that has a planar bridge body portion. The body portion includes a bridge inner surface, a bridge outer surface, a first bridge outer edge and a second bridge outer edge. The first bridge outer edge associates with the first planar cover member proximal edge and the second bridge outer edge associates with the second planar member proximal edge. The term “associate(s)”, or forms thereof, with respect to different elements of an inventive embodiment includes a direct or indirect engagement or integration amongst the elements. The embodiment also includes a binding mechanism associated with the bridge inner surface. The binding mechanism includes a plurality of binding members that move from a released state to binding state. The embodiment also includes an outwardly expanding compartment associated with the first planar cover member outer surface. The expandable compartment includes a first wall portion, a second wall portion, and an optional third wall portion spanning between an compartment outer cover and the first planar cover member outer surface. The first, second, or third wall portions, or a combination thereof, have excess material that enables expansion of the compartment outer cover away from the first planar cover member outer surface. 
         [0024]    In a more specific embodiment, the aforementioned first, second or third wall portions, or combination thereof include a series of folds. In an even more specific embodiment, the expandable compartment includes two or more separate slits into which material may be separately stored. 
         [0025]    With reference to other specific embodiments that have an expandable compartment, the binder further includes a compartment flap that moves from an open position, where material in the expandable compartment may be accessed, to a closed position, where material in said expandable compartment is inaccessible. According to one example, the compartment flap includes a compartment flap first end that is associated with the bridge member and a compartment flap second end that is secured to the compartment outer cover. According to another example, the compartment flap includes a compartment flap first end that is associated with the compartment outer cover and a compartment flap second end that is secured to the second planar member outer surface. In yet another example, the compartment flap includes a compartment flap first end that is associated with the first planar outer surface and a compartment flap second end that is secured to the compartment outer cover. 
         [0026]    According to another embodiment, the binder includes a latching means for securing a compartment flap. The latching means may take several forms and configurations, that will be apparent to those skilled in the art equipped with the teachings herein. In no way intended to be limiting, examples of latching means, include but art not limited to, hook and loop fabric adhered to the compartment flap, a catching member that grabs a stretchable cord, a snap, a button/slit configuration, a clip, a zipper, or a magnet. Depending on the version or example of the inventive binder embodiment, a portion of the latching means will typically be associated with the compartment flap that interacts with another portion of the latching mechanism that is associated with the binder at a separate location. 
         [0027]    According to another embodiment, the invention pertains to a binder that includes an outwardly expanding compartment along with retractable hanging members. The retractable hanging members will support and carry the binder on a support frame, such as those typically found in filing cabinets. The retractable hanging members may include a first set of hanging members that are configured to extend in a first end direction and a second set of hanging members that extend in a second end direction. When the retractable hanging members are in a closed state, they are generally unexposed from the binder and when in an open state, they are exposed and ready for supporting the binder. 
         [0028]    The hanging members can be placed at different selected locations of the binder. For example, one hanging member may be placed on the first planar cover member and another hanging member placed on the second planar cover member, or compartment outer cover. Typically, a set of two or more hanging members are arranged at a first end of the binder and a set of two or more hanging members are arranged at a second end of the binder. In a specific embodiment, the set of hanging members extend out the end of the binder in a parallel fashion. In a specific embodiment, the hanging member includes an elongated body portion, a distal end, a tab at the distal end, and an indention defined at the distal end. The indentation and the tab assist in retaining the binder on a support device. 
         [0029]    Turning now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show a side perspective view of an organizing binder embodiment  5 .  FIG. 2  shows the embodiment  5  with an expandable compartment  30  in an opened position. The organizer  5  includes a ring binder  7  that comprises a first planar cover member  10  with a proximal edge  11 , a first end edge  12 , a distal edge  13 , a second end edge  14 , and a top surface  15 . Associated with the proximal edge  11  of the first planar cover member  10  is a bridge member  40 . The bridge member has an outer surface  41 . The ring binder  7  also includes a second planar cover member  20  having a proximal edge  21 . The second planar cover member  20  is associated with the bridge member  40  at proximal edge  21 . The second planar cover member  20  has a second end edge  24 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows an end view of the embodiment  5  that reveals second planar cover member outer surface  25 .  FIG. 4  shows an end perspective view of the embodiment  5  with the binder  7  in an opened position to reveal a first planar cover member inner surface  16 , a second planar cover member inner surface  26  and a first end edge  22  of the second planar cover member  20 . The bridge member inner surface  42  is revealed in  FIG. 4  as well. Associated on the inner surface  42  of the bridge member  41  is a binder mechanism  50  having a plurality of binding members  52 . The binder members  52  are opened and closed by manipulating actuators  54 . 
         [0031]    Returning to  FIG. 2 , the embodiment  5  also includes an expandable compartment  30  that has a first wall portion  32  and a second wall portion  34 . Associated with the first and second wall portions is a compartment outer cover  35 . As shown, the first and second wall portions  32 ,  34  fold in an accordion-like fashion. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the walls  32 ,  34  may take numerous different configurations and/or made of different materials. For most typical embodiments, it is important for the functionality of the walls that there be a supernumerary amount of material so as to enable expansion of the walls  32 ,  34  that in turn separates at least part of the compartment outer cover  35  away from the second planar cover member outer surface  25 . Associated with the compartment outer cover  35  is a compartment flap  33 . The compartment flap  33  is shown in an open position. As will be discussed in further detail below, the organizer binder  5  may be stored in a file cabinet or similar storage device. Depending on the desires of the user, the organizer can be stored with the compartment flap in an opened position or in a closed position as shown in  FIG. 1 . At an end opposing the compartment flap, the compartment outer cover  35  is associated with a compartment bridge portion  31 . As shown, the compartment bridge portion  31  also associates with the second bridge cover member  20 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 5 &amp; 6  show an alternative embodiment of an organizing binder. The arrangement shows an expandable compartment vertically aligned with respect to the ring binder.  FIGS. 7 &amp; 8  show an alternative embodiment with an expandable compartment aligned horizontally on the ring binder. 
         [0033]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment  90  similar to that shown in  FIG. 1 , which includes hanging members  91 ,  92 , and  93 .  FIG. 10  shows the embodiment of  90  with the compartment flap in an opened position.  FIG. 10  also reveals hanging member  94 . It is noted that the hanging members  91 - 94  are arranged and placed such that they can support the embodiment  90  whether the compartment flap is open or closed. 
         [0034]      FIG. 11  shows a hanging member embodiment  110  attached to a surface  108  of a binder. The hanging member  110  is shown in a retracted position (top) and an extended position (bottom). The hanging member  110  includes an elongated body portion  111  with a tab  113  disposed on a distal end  112  thereof. Defined on the distal end  112  is an indentation  114  to assist in retaining the binder. Defined within the elongated body portion  111  is a slot  115  that slides on a projection  116 . The extended hanging member  110  rests on a rail  117  typically found in a hanging file cabinet. 
         [0035]      FIG. 12  shows a hanging member embodiment  120  attached to a surface  108  of a binder. The hanging member  120  is shown in a retracted position (top) and an extended position (bottom). The hanging member  120  includes an elongated body portion  121  with a tab  123  disposed on a distal end  122  thereof. Defined on the distal end  122  is an indentation  124  to assist in retaining the binder. The hanging member  120  pivots around pin  125 . The extended hanging member  120  rests on a rail  117  typically found in a hanging file cabinet. 
         [0036]    Documents are typically stored on a shelf or in a hanging file folder cabinet. File folder cabinets typically include rails onto which hanging files can be hung. Embodiments of the present invention accommodate both a shelf or in a hanging file folder cabinet. In addition, if a device of the present invention is stored in a file folder cabinet, it can be stored fully closed or with the expandable compartment section open. To achieve this, the hangers are operably attached to a binder embodiment in a fashion that it enables the organizer to stored with the expandable compartment section in either an open position or in a closed position without interfering with the hanging function of the hanging members. The hanging members are configured such that they are secured in a lateral direction on rails of a file folder cabinet. 
         [0037]    An embodiment of a binder  6  presented in  FIGS. 13-14  of the present invention is similar in some respects to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9-10 . As in other specific embodiments that have an expandable compartment, the binder  6  further includes a compartment flap  37  that moves from an open position as shown in  FIG. 14 , where material in the expandable compartment  30  may be accessed, to a closed position as shown in  FIG. 13 , where material in said expandable compartment  30  is inaccessible. In one embodiment, the expandable compartment  30  is formed of a compartment outer cover  35  and a compartment inner cover  36 . The compartment outer cover  35  includes a first end  35   a  and a second end  35   b,  and the compartment inner cover  36  includes a first end  36   a  and a second end  36   b.  The first end of the compartment outer cover  35   a  and the first end of the compartment inner cover  36   a  are secured to a compartment bridge portion  31  which forms the base for the expandable compartment  30 . The expandable compartment  30  includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion, each of the wall portions span between the compartment outer cover and the compartment inner cover. The first and second wall portions, or a combination thereof, comprise supernumerary material so as to allow expansion of the compartment inner cover away from the compartment outer cover. 
         [0038]    According to one example, the compartment flap  37  includes a compartment flap first end  37   a  that is associated with an outer cover bridge member  38  and secured to the compartment outer cover  35  via the outer cover bridge member  38 . When the binder  6  is in a closed position, the outer cover bridge member  38  is situated over the opening of the expandable compartment  30 . 
         [0039]    The compartment flap  37  comprises a compartment flap fold  37   c  of the compartment flap  37  near a compartment flap second end  37   b.  The distance between the compartment flap second end  37   b  and the compartment flap fold  37   c  may vary based on the size of the binder  6 . There may be more than one fold provided in the compartment flap. A portion of or the entire area of the compartment flap  37  between the compartment flap fold  37   c  and the compartment flap second end  37   b  may include a latching means such as Velcro, magnet, snap enclosure, a button/slit configuration, a clip or a zipper, for example, as described above such that it can be removably secured to the compartment bridge portion  31  when the binder is in a closed position as in  FIG. 13 . 
         [0040]    In an embodiment, the compartment bridge portion  31  may also be equipped with a complementary latching means such that when the binder is in a closed position, the portion of the compartment flap  37  between the compartment flap fold  37   c  and the compartment flap second end  37   b  will be removably secured to and superimposed over the compartment bridge portion  31 , and the expandable compartment  30  will be inaccessible. 
         [0041]    The binder also includes a binding mechanism  50  as in some specific embodiments described above complete with binder members  52  which are opened and closed by manipulating actuators  54 . However, in contrast to the embodiments disclosed above, in the binder  6  embodiment, the binding mechanism  50  is disposed on an outer side of the compartment inner cover  36 . In a particular embodiment, the binding mechanism  50  is disposed along a second end  36   b  of the compartment inner cover, such that when the binder  6  is in a closed position as in  FIG. 13 , binding mechanism  50  is also inaccessible. The binding mechanism  50  may alternatively be disposed adjacent to the second end of the compartment inner cover  36   b.  In other embodiments, the binding mechanism  50  may be disposed on the compartment inner cover  36  at a position within half the length of the compartment inner cover  36  from the compartment inner cover second end  36   b,  or it may be disposed at a position within one third of the length of the compartment inner cover  36  from the compartment inner cover second end  36   b.    
         [0042]    The term adjacent as used herein refers to placement directly on or near by in space or position, it also includes adjoining with or without intervening space. Adjacent also includes being contiguous with or having a common boundary. 
         [0043]    The term superimposes, as used herein, includes where for example, a first material is placed or laid over a second material, and includes where the first material completely or partially covers the second material. An embodiment of a binder  8  presented in  FIGS. 15-16  of the present invention is similar in some respects to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-2 . However, instead of providing a binder  7  as in the embodiment  5  of  FIGS. 1-2 , the embodiment  8  provides the first planar cover member  10 ′ which is associated with the second planar cover member  20 ′, wherein openings may be provided in the proximal end of the first planar cover member  10 ′a which align with the openings in the proximal end of the second planar cover member  20 ′a such that a securing member can be used to secure the first planar cover member  10 ′ to the second planar cover member  20 ′. For example, a post  56  or other similar device known in the art may be inserted through the openings of the first planar cover member  10 ′ and the second planar cover member  20 ′ to bind the first and second planar cover members  10 ′,  20 ′ together. The posts  56  can be embodied, for example, as in U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0041783 A1 by Seymour, such that loose leaf papers or other documents with openings which align with the posts can be inserted into and held within the binder embodiment  8  by posts  56 . Each post  56  is fastened to the second planar member  20 ′ and first planar member  10 ′ via a first plate  57  and a second plate  58  (not shown in FIGS). The first planar cover member  10 ′ and the compartment flap  33  can be closed and secured, rendering the binder embodiment  8  in the closed position as is presented in  FIG. 15  and in the embodiment shown and described in  FIGS. 1-2  above. 
         [0044]    While the invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in conjunction with other embodiments, e.g., aspects of one embodiment may be combined with aspects of another embodiment to realize yet other embodiments. 
         [0045]    Further, each independent feature or component of any given assembly may constitute an additional embodiment. Furthermore, each individual component of any given assembly, one or more portions of an individual component of any given assembly, and various combinations of components from one or more embodiments may include one or more ornamental design features.