Abstract:
A book jacket includes a thin, foldable transparent or translucent material. The jacket includes a generally rectangular body which is free of adhesive, and a plurality of flaps, extending from the body, the flaps having adhesive material. The jacket is fitted around a book by laying the book against the body, and folding the flaps onto the interior surfaces of the book covers so as to engage such surfaces adhesively. Thus, the book jacket is permanently affixed, by adhesive, the affixation being accomplished only by the flaps, and only at the interior surfaces of the book covers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Priority is claimed from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/823,835, filed Aug. 29, 2006, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to book jackets and dust covers that can be placed around books, and, more particularly, to book jackets and dust covers that can protect the cover of a book without obscuring the design or information contained on the outer surface of the cover. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Book jackets or dust covers of various types for the protection of books are well known in the art. The jackets can have a broad variety of shapes, e.g. a plain rectangular paper folded around the outer, front and back covers of the book to be protected and affixed with tape or the like. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,595,002 to Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 2,145,099 to Sharp, U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,187 to Forrest, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,401 to Arntzen. These exemplary book jackets are generally cumbersome to apply, particularly when the jacket has a decorative display that needs to overlay the outer front book cover, and thus requires careful alignment to obtain a proper fit. 
         [0004]    Other book jackets and dust covers are known, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 713,176, 2,311,153, 4,259,799, 4,715,619, 4,856,656, 4,863,191, 5,013,068, 5,087,078, 5,092,630, 5,183,295, 5,429,238, 5,470,109, 5,472,237, 6,340,530, 6,435,559, and 6,666,641. All of the patents cited above are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0005]    As a consequence, there has been a long-felt need for a book jacket that is easy to assemble to the outer cover of a book, that is substantially permanent, and that allows for viewing of the information or design located on the covered surface of the book. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a permanent or semi-permanent protective book cover or jacket that is adhered to the covers of a book so that the information or design located on the covered surface of the book is visible. 
         [0007]    The book jacket of the present invention includes a sheet of transparent or translucent foldable material. The sheet includes a generally rectangular body which is free of any adhesive, and a plurality of flaps extending from the body, the flaps containing an adhesive material. Thus, the flaps are the only portions of the book jacket which have adhesive. The flaps preferably have release strips which protect the adhesive until the jacket is to be applied to a book. 
         [0008]    The flaps are intended to be folded over, such that they adhesively engage the interior surfaces of the covers of the book. Thus, when the jacket of the present invention is applied to a book, the engagement is solely by adhesion between the flaps and the interior surfaces of the covers, and the outer surfaces of the book covers are not adhered to the jacket. Moreover, the spine of the book is not adhered to the jacket by any adhesive material. 
         [0009]    The invention also includes the combination of the book jacket and a book, with the jacket applied to the book as described above. 
         [0010]    The invention also includes the method of attaching a book jacket to a book. The method includes placing the book over a sheet of material, the sheet including a rectangular body having no adhesive, and a plurality of flaps having adhesive. The flaps are then folded over and adhered to the interior surfaces of the covers of the book. Thus, the exterior surfaces of the covers of the book are not affixed to the jacket by any adhesive. 
         [0011]    The invention therefore has the object of providing a protective cover or jacket for a book. 
         [0012]    The invention has the further object of providing a protective cover which permits the viewing of indicia contained on the exterior surfaces of the covers of the book. 
         [0013]    The invention has the further object of providing a protective cover or jacket for a book, wherein the jacket is not affixed by any adhesive to the exterior surfaces of the covers of the book, or to the spine of the book. 
         [0014]    The invention has the further object of simplifying the process of affixing a protective jacket to a book. 
         [0015]    The invention has the further object of making it unnecessary to squeeze out air pockets or bubbles from the region between a transparent or translucent book jacket and the underlying surface of the book. 
         [0016]    The invention has the further object of providing a book cover or jacket which is permanently and adhesively fastened to a book. 
         [0017]    The reader skilled in the art will recognize other objects and advantages of the present invention, from a reading of the following brief description of the drawings, the detailed description of the invention, and the appended claims. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of a book jacket formed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  provides an elevational plan view of the book jacket shown in  FIG. 1 , with paper strips covering the adhesive surfaces of the flaps. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  provides a perspective view of the book jacket shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with a book located on the jacket&#39;s inner surface ready for covering. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 4-7  provide perspective views, in series, of the book jacket shown in  FIGS. 1-3  being applied to a book located on its inner surface. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  provides a perspective view of a book covered by the book jacket of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    This description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. In the description, relative terms such as “upwardly”, “top”, and “bottom”, as well as derivatives thereof, should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and normally are not intended to require a particular orientation. Terms including “inwardly” versus “outwardly”, “longitudinal” versus “lateral” and the like are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a book jacket  2  may be formed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention that comprises a thin, foldable and flexible sheet  4 , that is often rectangular in peripheral shape. Sheet  4  includes a front-covering segment  6  and a rear-covering segment  8  that are separated by a centrally disposed spine-covering segment  10 . Sheet  4  is often formed from a transparent polymer, e.g. any of the sheet polyesters or sheet polypropylenes, sheet vinyls, or other flexible and transparent or translucent polymers known in the art. 
         [0025]    Front-covering segment  6  includes a top-edge  14   a  and a bottom-edge  14   b  that are often substantially parallel to one another. An end-edge  16  extends from top-edge  14   a  to bottom edge  14   b  in spaced relation to centrally disposed spine-covering segment  10 . Rear covering segment  8  includes a top-edge  18   a  and a bottom-edge  18   b  that are also often substantially parallel to one another. An end-edge  20  extends from top-edge  18   a  to bottom-edge  18   b  in spaced relation to centrally disposed spine-covering segment  10  and end-edge  16  of front-covering segment  6 . 
         [0026]    A top flap  22   a  projects outwardly from top-edge  14   a  and a bottom-flap  22   b  projects outwardly from bottom-edge  14   b.  Each of top flap  22   a  and bottom-flap  22   b  extend from centrally disposed spine-covering segment  10  to end edge  16 , and are foldable about the lines that are defined by top-edge  14   a  and bottom-edge  14   b,  respectively. Top flap  22   a  includes an adhesive covered interior surface  25   a  and bottom flap  22   b  includes an adhesive covered interior surface  25   b.  A strip  26   a  of release paper or the like is removably disposed over the top of adhesive covered interior surface  25   a,  and a strip  26   b  of release paper or the like is removably disposed over the top of adhesive covered interior surface  25   b  ( FIG. 2 ). 
         [0027]    Similarly, a top flap  28   a  projects outwardly from top-edge  18   a  and a bottom-flap  28   b  projects outwardly from bottom-edge  18   b.  Each of top flap  28   a  and bottom-flap  28   b  extend from centrally disposed spine-covering segment  10  to end edge  20 , and are foldable about the lines that are defined by top-edge  18   a  and bottom-edge  18   b,  respectively. Top-flap  28   a  includes an adhesive covered interior surface  30   a  and bottom-flap  28   b  includes an adhesive covered interior surface  30   b.  A strip  31   a  of release paper or the like is removably disposed over the top of adhesive covered interior surface  28   a,  and a strip  31   b  of release paper or the like is removably disposed over the top of adhesive covered interior surface  28   b  ( FIG. 2 ). 
         [0028]    An end-flap  32   a  projects outwardly from end edge  16  of front-covering segment  6  and a second end-flap  32   b  projects outwardly from end edge  20  of rear-covering segment  8 . End-flap  32   a  extends from top-edge  14   a  to bottom-edge  14   b,  and is foldable about the line defined by end-edge  16 . Likewise, second end-flap  32   b  extends from top-edge  18   a  to bottom-edge  18   b,  and is foldable about the line defined by end-edge  20 . End-flap  32   a  includes an adhesive covered interior surface  35   a  and second end-flap  32   b  includes an adhesive covered interior surface  35   b.  A strip  36   a  of release paper or the like is removably disposed over the top of adhesive covered interior surface  35   a,  and a strip  36   b  of release paper or the like is removably disposed over the top of adhesive covered interior surface  35   b.  As a result of this construction, centrally disposed spine-covering segment  10  extends from top-edge  14   a  to bottom-edge  14   b,  and from top-edge  18   a  to bottom-edge  18   b  so that a gap  38   a  is defined between the inner edges of top-flap  22   a  and top-flap  28   a.  Also, a gap  38   b  is defined by the inner edges of bottom-flap  22   b  and bottom-flap  28   b.  Additionally, the portions of sheet  4  that extend between top-edge  14   a,  bottom-edge  14   b,  top-edge  18   a,  bottom-edge  18   b,  and end-edge  16 , end-edge  20  define an interior surface  50  that is transparent or at least translucent. 
         [0029]    As used in this specification, the term “body” refers to the portion of the sheet  4  which does not include the flaps. More specifically, the body of the sheet includes the generally rectangular portion which does not include the top and bottom flaps or the end flaps. Thus, the body plus the flaps together comprise the sheet  4 . 
         [0030]    The body is therefore the portion of the book jacket which is intended to abut the exterior front and back covers of the book, as well as the spine of the book. 
         [0031]    It is a feature of the present invention that the body of the sheet has no adhesive. The only adhesive in the book jacket of the present invention is the adhesive provided on the top and bottom and end flaps, as described above. Thus, when a book is laid over a portion of the body, the book is not adhesively affixed to the body. Instead, the sheet is affixed to the book by the adhesive provided on the flaps. The body is free of adhesive material. 
         [0032]    In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the flaps are generally trapezoidal in configuration. This shape facilitates manipulation of the flaps during application of the jacket to a book. Other shapes could be used, within the scope of the invention. 
         [0033]    Sheet  4 , before it is used, is a generally planar structure. Thus, the sheet (or a stack of such sheets) can be stored easily by stacking them. The figures, such as  FIG. 2 , for example, show that before the sheet has been used, the body and the flaps lie in substantially the same plane. 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIGS. 3-8 , book jacket  2  is assembled to a book  60  in the following manner. Book jacket  2  is laid upon a flat surface so that interior surface  50  is facing upwardly. Once in this position, book  60  is placed onto interior surface  50  of book jacket  2  so that the book&#39;s spine is disposed in parallel contacting relation to spine-covering segment  10 . When book  60  is properly arranged on interior surface  50  of book jacket  2 , the edges of the book&#39;s front cover  65  or back cover  68  abut to top-edge  14   a,  bottom-edge  14   b,  top-edge  18   a,  bottom-edge  18   b  and either end-edge  16  or end-edge  20 . As a result, top flap  22   a  and top flap  28   a  project outwardly away from the corresponding top edges of book  60 , while bottom-flap  22   b  and bottom-flap  28   b  project outwardly away from the corresponding bottom edges of book  60 . Additionally, either end-flap  32   a  or second end-flap  32   b  projects outwardly away from the corresponding end edge of book  60  ( FIG. 3 ). 
         [0035]    Since the book, as shown in  FIG. 3 , overlies a portion of the body of sheet  4 , and not any of the flaps, the book is, so far, not adhered to the sheet. That is, there is, so far, no adhesion between the interior surface  50  and the book jacket. 
         [0036]    With book  60  in position on interior surface  50  of book jacket  2 , the strips  31   a,    31   b  may be removed from top-flap  28   a  and bottom-flap  28   b,  respectively ( FIGS. 4-7 ). Once in the arrangement, top-flap  28   a  and bottom-flap  28   b  may be folded over onto the inner surface of book cover  68  along top-edge  18   a  and bottom-edge  18   b  so that adhesive surfaces  30   a  and  30   b  engage and adhere to the inner surface of book cover  68 . Similarly, top-flap  22   a  and bottom-flap  22   b  may be folded over onto the inner surface of book cover  65  along top-edge  14   a  and bottom-edge  14   b  so that adhesive surfaces  25   a  and  25   b  engage and adhere to the inner surface of book cover  65  ( FIGS. 5-6 ). 
         [0037]    Once top-flaps  22   a,    28   a  and bottom-flaps  22   b,    28   b  are adhered to the inner surfaces of their respective book covers  65 ,  68 , end-flap  32   a  and second end-flap  32   b  may be engaged. More particularly, strip  36   b  is first removed from interior surface  35   b  so as to expose the underlying adhesive. End-flap  32   a  is then folded over onto the inner surface of book cover  68  that extends parallel to end-edge  20  of sheet  4  so that adhesive surface  35   b  engages and adheres to the inner surface of book cover  68 . 
         [0038]    At this point, the book is adhered to the sheet, but only through the adhesive provided on the flaps which have been folded over. 
         [0039]    Likewise, strip  36   a  is first removed from interior surface  35   a  so as to expose the underlying adhesive. End-flap  32   a  is then folded over onto the inner surface of book cover  65  that extends parallel to end-edge  16  of sheet  4  so that adhesive surface  35   a  engages and adheres to the inner surface of book cover  65  ( FIG. 7 ). 
         [0040]    As a result of this construction, book  60  comprises a permanent jacket that is transparent or at least translucent so that the outer surfaces of the underlying book are visible ( FIG. 8 ). 
         [0041]    Because the book jacket is adhered to the book, through the adhesive provided on the flaps, the book jacket is not re-usable. The book jacket of the present invention is intended to be permanently affixed to the book. 
         [0042]    By providing adhesive only on the flaps, one avoids the inconvenience of having to remove air pockets from the spaces between the book jacket and a surface of the book. There is no adhesion between the body of the sheet forming the jacket, and the outer surfaces of the book. Indeed, the only adhesion occurs at the inner surfaces of the book covers, because those are the only locations where the adhesive flaps can be affixed. 
         [0043]    The book jacket of the present invention can be made to fit books of various thicknesses. The jacket is preferably pre-cut to fit a book having the thickness of a thick magazine, whose spine is, say, 0.25 inches thick. If the user wants to apply the same book jacket to cover a much thicker book, say, a book having a two-inch spine, the user would simply trim the top and bottom flaps, in the locations immediately adjacent to the spine, so as to accommodate the book having the thicker spine. Thus, the book jacket of the present invention can be used to cover relatively thin magazines, as well as very thick books. 
         [0044]    In summary, the present invention provides a book jacket which is permanently affixed to a book by an adhesive, but in which neither the spine nor the front cover nor the back cover is adhered to the jacket. The book jacket contains adhesive only on its flaps and not on its body. The book jacket is transparent or translucent, allowing the user to view the indicia contained on the front and back covers of the book. 
         [0045]    The book jacket of the present invention is very simple to install. Once the sheet  4  has been formed, no cutting is required of the user (except when the user wants to adapt the jacket to a much thicker book). Only simple folding operations (plus removal of the protective strips from the adhesive) are required. Because it is not necessary to use adhesive on the front and back covers, there is no need to squeeze out air bubbles or pockets. 
         [0046]    The book jacket of the present invention also does not include any pockets or envelopes into which the covers of the book are inserted. Unlike prior art book jackets in which the jacket is held onto the book because of the insertion of a book cover into a pocket, the book jacket of the present invention is permanently affixed by adhesion of the flaps to the interior surfaces of the book covers. 
         [0047]    The sheet  4  forming the book jacket of the present invention may be a unitary piece of material. That is, the flaps can be integral with the sheet. The latter is the preferred embodiment. But the sheet could also be constructed by forming the body and the flaps separately, and by joining the flaps to the body. 
         [0048]    It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limited only to the particular constructions herein disclosed and shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the claims.