Abstract:
The present invention discloses a variety of pockets associated with a binder. In one embodiment, a ruler pocket that is formed from a mesh is sewn to the spine of a binder. Another embodiment discloses a mesh pocket formed over a VELCRO flap which is designed to strap the binder closed. There are two VELCRO closures involved with the flap, one VELCRO closer serving to close the pocket, and the other VELCRO pair serving to hold the two binder covers together. Yet another embodiment discloses a pocket inside of the binder where the front side of the pocket is made of fabric, the back side is made of mesh, with a center divider forming two pockets. Each pocket may be securely closed by a VELCRO book and loop system or a zipper mechanism to open and close the pockets.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates generally to binders with associated flexible pockets. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Binders are used to hold a variety of items, such as papers, pencils, cards, and similar objects. The carrying capacity of the binder however is limited to the space between the front and back covers of the binder. Also, once the covers are closed, a user cannot tell if a particular item is inside the binder or not. To verify whether these items are present, the covers must be opened to see if the particular item is inside the binder or not. For example, many users carry credit cards or even key chains in their binders. However, users sometimes forget to check the inside of their binders and leave home without them, and this may mean locking themselves out of their homes or not being able to purchase anything without their credit cards. 
     Furthermore, carrying accessories inside a binder takes up valuable carrying space within the binder. Indeed, carrying items such as credit cards and key chains inside the binder means less space for other items, such as papers and pens. Also, binders are generally designed to hold papers, but not a ruler, for example. That is, most binders have 12 inches of exterior height but the interior vertical height is slightly less than 12 inches, so that a 12 inch ruler does not quite fit vertically inside the binder. Instead, the ruler is diagonally placed to compensate for the slight extension of the ruler. In other words, the binder lacks an appropriate place to conveniently carry a  12  inch ruler. 
     Yet another shortcoming with today&#39;s binders is that the space between the covers is not economically utilized. That is, once the covers of the binder are closed there is generally a void between the front cover and the papers being held by the three ring holder mechanism. The void exists because the three ring holder mechanism generally protrudes out from the spine or the back cover so that the papers slope down against the back cover, and the negative slope of the papers forms a void or space between the paper and the front cover. Some binders do have interior pockets on the inside of the covers, but these pockets do not take full advantage of the void, because the interior pockets do not bulge or expand to take advantage of the void. That is, the pockets are attached to the cover around all of the edges so that the pockets are held close to the cover and cannot bulge or expand into the void. 
     Accordingly, there still is a need for a binder that can carry accessories and larger items such as a ruler conveniently without taking up valuable space within the binder, so that a user can tell if the items are being carried by the binder or not; and to provide a configuration that takes advantage of the void left between the cover and the papers held in the three ring binder mechanism. 
     OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A general object of the present invention is to provide a binder that has at least one pocket, preferably a mesh pocket, for conveniently carrying a ruler and other personal items which can be seen through the carrying pocket so that a user will know whether the item is being carried by the binder or not. Another aspect of the present invention is that it utilizes the void left between the cover and the papers held in the three ring mechanism. These and other objectives are accomplished by providing a front cover; a back cover; a spine coupling the front and back covers along a front fold line and a back fold line, respectively, forming a binder; a ruler pocket having outer edges substantially coextensive with the spine of the binder, wherein the outer edges of the ruler pocket are coupled to the spine, except at one edge to form an opening; wherein the ruler pocket is flexible to readily receive or remove a ruler through the opening of the ruler pocket. 
     Another objective of the present invention is accomplished by providing a front cover; a back cover; a spine coupling the front and back covers along a front fold line and a back fold line, respectively, forming a binder; wherein the binder has an exterior surface when the binder is in a closed position; and a mesh pocket coupled to the exterior surface of the binder. 
     Yet another objective of the present invention is accomplished by providing a front cover; a back cover; a spine coupling the front and back covers along a front fold line and a back fold line, respectively, forming a binder; and a plurality of mesh pockets coupled to the binder. 
    
    
     The above described features of the present invention and many other of its attendant advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of an exemplary binder in an open position with exemplary mesh pockets associated with the exemplary binder; 
     FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an exemplary binder in a closed position with exemplary mesh pockets associated with the binder; 
     FIG. 2B is a perspective view of an upper portion of the binder shown in FIG. 2A, with the addition of an exemplary zipper to open and close a mesh pocket associated with a spine of the exemplary binder, 
     FIG. 2C is a perspective view of an upper portion of the binder of FIG. 2A, with an additional flap to close the mesh pocket associated with a spine of the binder; 
     FIG. 3A is a view of an exemplary binder in an open position illustrating the positioning of a pocket in a location spaced outward from the ring mechanism of the binder; 
     FIG. 3B is a view of an exemplary binder in an open position illustrating the pocket shown in FIG. 3A rotated toward the ring mechanism of the binder; and 
     FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the pocket illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, showing the double pocket configuration of the pocket. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Disclosed herein is a detailed description of a best presently known modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. The section titles and overall organization of the present detailed description are for the purpose of convenience only and are not intended to limit the present invention. 
     As illustrated for example in FIG. 1, a binder  10  is shown, which is constructed to hold standard size sheets of 8½ by 11 inches, or A-4 size paper. The binder  10  includes a spine  12 , a front cover  14 , and a back cover  16  connected to the opposite edges of the spine  12 , along fold lines  18  and  20 , respectively. The front and back covers and the spine define the outer edges of the binder  10 , i.e., a front edge  22 , back edge  24 , top edge  26 , and bottom edge  28 . The front and back covers  14 , 16  have a preferred width of about eleven inches and height of about thirteen inches. The binder  10  may also be sized to accommodate paper sheets larger or smaller than 8½ by 11 inches. For example, typical carry-type organizers and calendars are usually about 5 inches by 7 inches, while binders for photo albums can be about 12 inches by 15 inches. 
     The front and back covers and the spine each has an inner base (not shown) to give the respective covers and the spine a body with the dimensions as discussed above. The respective inner bases provide structural support, yet they are somewhat flexible so that the covers are able to contour around the items being held with some resistance. The inner base is preferably made of suitable paper board or other suitable material. The respective inner bases are also enclosed by a suitable material that is known to one who is ordinarily skilled in the art to form an outer covering; preferably a fabric, nylon or plastic sheet material is used to enclosed the inner bases. Still further, a thin foam layer (not shown) may be provided between the inner base and the enclosed fabric to give the binder a softer feel. 
     As illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1 through 2C, the binder  10  has at least one mesh pocket on the exposed side of the binder. The mesh pocket or pockets adds additional carrying capacity to the binder and allows a user to visually check quickly to determine if a particular item is being carried by the binder, rather than opening the binder to check. In particular, a pocket  30  substantially covers the spine  12  of the binder  10 , and is coupled to the spine  12  along three of the four edges, with an opening along one of the edges. Preferably, the pocket  30  is coupled to the spine  12  along the fold lines  18  and  20 , and bottom edge  28  between the fold lines  18  and  20 , leaving an opening  34  along the top edge  26  between the fold lines  18  and  20 . The pocket  30  is preferably flexible and resilient so that items such as an exemplary ruler  32  may be easily inserted through the opening  34  and held within the pocket, and conversely easily taken out of the pocket through the opening  34 . Alternatively, the pocket  30  may be coupled to the outer surface of the binder covers along any position or angle. That is, the placement of the pocket  30  is not limited to the spine as illustrated in FIGS. 1-2C. 
     FIGS. 1 through 2C also illustrate by way of example a flap  50  with a first end  52  and a second end  54 . The first end is coupled to the edge of the back cover  16  and the second end is adapted to releasably couple to the edge of the front cover  14 . Once the covers are closed, the flap may be releasably coupled to the front cover to securely hold the covers closed. Preferably, the flap  50  releasably couples to the front cover of the binder by a VELCRO hook and loop system  56  and  56 ′. More specifically, the mating side of the flap  50  and the mating edge on the front binder are adapted with the VELCRO hook and loop system  56  and  56 ′ to releasably couple to each other. FIG. 2A illustrates best the VELCRO system securely holding the binder in the closed position. 
     Furthermore, a second pocket  60  substantially covers the flap  50 , and is coupled to the flap  50  along three of the four edges, with an opening along one of the edges. Preferably, the second pocket has an opening  62  with a closure mechanism  64  coupled adjacent to the opening  62 . Preferably, the second pocket  50  is flexible and resilient so that items such as a credit card or key chain may be easily inserted through the opening  62  and held within the second pocket, and conversely easily taken out of the second pocket through the opening  62 . To securely hold the items within the second pocket  60 , the closure mechanism  64  is preferably adapted with a VELCRO hook and loop system to releasably seal the opening  62 . Alternatively, a zipper mechanism (not shown) may be coupled to the opening to open and close the opening  62 . 
     As another alternative, the opening  62  and closure mechanism  64  may be near the edge  54  rather than the edge  52 . 
     FIGS. 3A through 3C illustrate by way of example still another embodiment of the present invention, showing a pocket assembly including a pair of pockets  74  and  76  coupled to the inside of one of the binder covers. The pocket assembly  74 ,  76  is divided by a divider  72  forming the pockets  74  and  76 . With the ruler pocket  30  and the second (closure) pocket  60 , the pocket assembly  74 ,  76  constitutes a third mesh pocket in the binder assembly; and with the divider  72 , this assembly provides third and fourth pockets. The divider, third and fourth pockets are coupled along three of the four edges, leaving openings  78  and  78 ′ on one of the edges, as illustrated most clearly in FIG.  3 C. Preferably, one of the coupled edges of the pair of pockets is coupled to the inside of the binder cover. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the opposite edge  80  relative to the openings is preferably coupled to the inside of the front cover approximately  1  to  4  inches left from the fold line  18  so that as the front cover is closed the pair of pockets  74 ,  76  are juxtaposed to the papers held by the three ring mechanism and not over the three ring mechanism. As such, the pockets  74  and  76  may bulge out as they are filled because only the edge  80  is coupled to the front cover so that other three edges are not restricted from expanding outwardly. Accordingly, the pockets may be overstuffed so that the void left between the front cover and the papers in the three ring mechanism when the binder is closed can be fully utilized by the overstuffed pockets. Alternatively, the pockets  74 ,  76  may be coupled to the front or back covers. Also, the pair of pockets may be coupled to the cover along any of the edges and have an opening along any of the edges. 
     Preferably, the third pocket  74  is made of mesh material so that a user can see the items being held within the third pocket  74 . Additionally, the divider and the fourth pocket are preferably made of non-transparent materials so that personal or embarrassing items may be secretly stored in the fourth pocket  76 . For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, when the third pocket is facing the user, the fourth pocket is not noticeable, so that a non-user is not even aware of the fourth pocket, and thus a user may more securely place sensitive items in the fourth pocket with some assurance that these items will not be discovered. Furthermore, to hold the pockets  74 ,  76  in place as shown in FIG. 3A, preferably a VELCRO hook and loop system  82 ,  82 ′ is adapted to the back side of the fourth pocket, as illustrated by way of example in FIG.  3 B. Also, the openings  78 ,  78 ′ may be provided with a closure mechanism such as a VELCRO system or a zipper mechanism to securely hold the items in the pockets. 
     With regard to material, the pockets should be flexible and may be of resilient or expandable material to contour around the shapes of the items being held, yet the material should be elastic enough to return to its original shape once the items are removed. Furthermore, the material may be transparent or opaque so that a user can see whether a particular item is within the pocket. Further, the pockets are preferably treated with UV coating to protect against harmful effects of the ultra violet rays from the sun. In this regard, the pockets may be made of fabric, polyester, and polyvinyl chloride, with Nylon being the preferred material, or they may be made from other materials exhibiting the qualities discussed above that are known to one ordinarily skilled in the art. Still further, the pockets should preferably be mesh pockets or made of net pattern so that they are transparent, so that a user will know whether a particular item of importance is carried by the binder or not. 
     To have an aesthetically pleasing appearance, for example, the pocket  30  may be coupled to the spine along the fold lines  18  and  20 , and the bottom edge  28  between the fold lines  18  and  20 . Preferably a liner (thin strip)  36  is used to contour around where the pocket is coupled to the spine and is sewn together, to provide a smooth high quality finish around the edges of the pocket. Likewise, the same high quality finish may be provided to other pockets. 
     FIG. 2C illustrates by way of example another embodiment of the present invention, showing a closure mechanism  38  that is coupled adjacent to the opening  34 . In this embodiment the closure mechanism is attached along the top edge of the spine  12 . The flap  38  is releasably coupled to the spine in the closed position to securely hold the item held within the pocket  30 , such as a ruler. Preferably, the closure mechanism  38  only opens when a user intentionally opens the flap. In this regard, the flap  38  in the closed position is preferably coupled to the spine via a VELCRO hook and loop system. 
     FIG. 2B illustrates by way of example yet another embodiment of the present invention, showing a zipper  40  coupled to the opening  34  to open and close the pocket. In this embodiment the zipper  40  is coupled along the top edge of the spine  12 . 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments above, numerous modifications or additions to the above-described preferred embodiments would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. Thus, by way of example and not of limitation, the opening  34  may be along the fold lines  18  or  20 . The material for the pocket may also be non-transparent. Also, the pocket  30  may be formed along a variety of binders such as a typical carry-type organizers which are usually about five inches by seven inches, while binders for photo albums can be about twelve inches by fifteen inches. Lastly, it is within the scope of the present invention to have any combination of the pockets disclosed here in the application coupled to a binder. For example, only one of the pockets such as the first, second, third, or fourth pocket may be coupled to a binder; or any combination thereof, such as the first and second pockets but not the third or fourth. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described hereinabove. With respect to the claims, it is applicant&#39;s intention that the claims not be interpreted in accordance with the sixth paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112 unless the term “means” is used followed by a functional statement.