Abstract:
A storage album for three dimensional memorabilia has an openable top panel, a bottom panel, side panels, and a spine defining an interior volume. The spine is detachably secured to the back ends of two of the side panels so that it is held in place along and defining the spine of the album when the top cover is closed, but is detached and lays flat and coextensive with the top and bottom panels when the top panel is fully opened. This allows the pages or protectors of the album to be turned fully back for viewing three dimensional items stored for display therein.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to storage cases and, more particularly, to an album for storing and displaying three-dimensional items of memorabilia, or the like.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Conventional memorabilia albums are normally constructed like books. Transparent display pages (protectors) are secured to the spine of the album, or held in a stacked array by a ring-binder or clamping device. Albums constructed in this fashion are useful for storing and displaying items that are substantially flat such as photographs, autographs, newspaper articles, etc.  
         [0003]     These conventional memorabilia albums, however, are not suitable for storing and displaying items that not flat, i.e., three-dimensional. Any attempt to store such three-dimensional items would defeat the functionality and appearance of the conventional book-like album.  
         [0004]     The currently known ways in which to store three-dimensional, or bulky, items or memorabilia are shoe boxes, lock boxes, drawers, etc. Other than being aesthetically unattractive and bulky, these storage containers lack the functionality of displaying items stored therein in an organized fashion. Rather, the user must remove the items from such containers and place them on a display surface.  
         [0005]     What is needed is a memorabilia storage and display construction that provides the functionality of a conventional album, yet is capable of storing and displaying three-dimensional items of memorabilia.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention is directed to an album for storing and displaying three-dimensional items of memorabilia; however, the album described herein will find utility in the storage and display of other types of three-dimensional items.  
         [0007]     A first aspect of the present invention is directed to an album that comprises conventional top and bottom covers, each cover having a front edge and a rear edge. A generally rectangular spine hingedly connects the rear edges of the top and bottom covers. Unlike conventional albums, however, the album of the present invention includes opposed end walls and a side wall that extend between the bottom and top covers and that will optimally project upwardly from the bottom cover. As constructed, the top and bottom covers, opposed end walls, side wall, and spine define an inner storage volume. A retainer, such as a ring-binder mechanism, is secured proximate the rear edge of the bottom cover with conventional fasteners or adhesives that are used in the construction of ring-binders.  
         [0008]     Unlike other binders and albums known in the art, the spine of the present invention is releasably attachable to rear portions of the side walls. In a preferred embodiment, magnets, or magnetically attracted elements, are affixed to flanged surfaces that extend inwardly from the rear edges of the end walls and to end portions of the spine. These are easily engaged and released by a user. Alternatively, a closure device such as hook and loop fastening material may be affixed to the flanged surfaces and to the spine.  
         [0009]     To maintain the cover in a closed, secure fashion, a closure flap or flange may be connected to and extend downwardly from the front edge of the top cover. A latch optionally may be affixed to the closure flap and the side wall to further secure the album in a closed configuration. The latch may be in the form of a clasp, snap, hook and loop material, etc. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the memorabilia album of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the memorabilia album of  FIG. 1  showing the album with the front cover opened;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the memorabilia album of  FIG. 1  showing the album with the front cover and spine completely opened; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the memorabilia album of  FIG. 1  illustrating in greater detail the releasably attachable spine of the memorabilia album of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below and illustrated in the attached Figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, which, of course, is limited only by the claims below. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art, and all such alternate embodiments, modifications and improvements are within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0015]     Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention is directed to an album, shown generally as  100 , for storing and displaying three-dimensional items of memorabilia, or the like.  
         [0016]     The album  100  of the present invention comprises a top cover  110 , a bottom cover  120 , a spine  130 , opposed end walls  140 ,  150 , and a side wall  160 . The covers  110 ,  120 , spine  130 , end walls  140 ,  150 , and side wall  160  define a storage volume having a volume that approximates the area of one of the covers  110 ,  120  times the height of an end or side wall.  
         [0017]     As will be appreciated in the art, albums of the type described herein are typically constructed of a semi-rigid or rigid paperboard or cardboard semi-rigid or rigid paper, or a suitable synthetic stock material that is subsequently coated or covered with a thin protective layer  115  of plastic or fabric material for protective and aesthetic purposes.  
         [0018]     The top cover  110  is of a generally planar, rectangular (book-like) shape, having a front edge  112  and a rear edge  116 . The protective layer  115  may optionally have printed or fanciful indicia  117  formed thereon to identify the nature of the album. In one embodiment, a closure flap  119  extends downwardly from the front edge  112  of the top cover  110 . The closure flap  119  may be either hingedly connected to the top cover  110 , or alternatively, may be more rigidly connected to the top cover  110  so that it is generally perpendicular to the surface of the top cover  110 .  
         [0019]     The bottom cover  120  is formed similar to the top cover  110  with similar shape and dimensions. The bottom cover  120  also comprises a front edge  122  and a rear edge  126 . Opposed end walls  140 ,  150  extend between the upper and lower ends of the bottom cover  120  and the top cover  110 . The end walls  140 ,  150  project upwardly a height sufficient for the storage of three-dimensional items of memorabilia. Each end wall further comprises a rear portion  142 ,  152 . A side wall  160  also projects upwardly from the front end of the bottom cover and connects with the end walls  140 ,  150  at corners  160   a ,  160   b . In one embodiment, the end walls  140 ,  150  and side wall  160  extend upwardly from the bottom cover  120 . The manner in which the end walls  140 ,  150  and the side wall  160  are formed and attached is not critical to the present invention; rather, the walls may be formed as a single piece and bent to form the three walls. Further, the walls may be attached to the bottom cover  120  in any of the ways in which notebook type constructions are connected; e.g., adhesives, clips, cover  115 , etc. As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a supplemental lower closure flap  165  may be hingedly connected to the front edge  122  of the bottom cover for cooperating closure with the closure flap  119 . A two piece latch  167 , or clasp, may be affixed to the closure flaps  119 ,  165  for mating engagement when the album  100  is configured for storage. The latch  167  maintains the album  100  in a closed condition. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the latch  167  may comprise any number of known latching or fastening constructions and materials.  
         [0020]     A generally rectangular spine  130  hingedly connects the rear edges  116 ,  126  of the top  110  and bottom  120  covers. The spine has a height that approximates the height of the end walls  140 ,  150 , and the side wall  160  and comprises opposed end portions  130   a ,  130   b . As constructed, top cover  110 , bottom cover  120 , end walls  140 ,  150 , side wall  160 , and spine  130  define a storage volume that approximates the area of the top or bottom cover multiplied by the height of the walls  140 ,  150 ,  160 .  
         [0021]     To secure storage sleeves (such as transparent pockets)  170 , or item protectors, within the volume of the album  100 , a retainer  180  is affixed to the rear portion of the bottom cover  120 . Where the retainer is intended to hold sheets  170 , the retainer  180  is desirably a ring-binder, such as a three ring-binder, or the like. Alternatively, the retainer  180  may be a clamping or clasping device, one or more clips, etc., depending upon the nature of the item holders and the items to be secured within the album  100 .  
         [0022]     Unlike the prior art, the opposed end portions  130   a ,  130   b  of the spine  130  of the album  100  are releasably attachable to the rear portions  142 ,  152  of the opposed end walls  140 ,  150 . Thus, the top cover  110  and the spine  130  are outwardly extensible, as best seen in  FIG. 3 . To enable the spine  130  to be releasably attachable to the end portions  142 ,  152  of the opposed end walls, inwardly extending flanges  144 ,  154  are connected to the end portions  142 ,  152  of the opposed side walls to provide closure surfaces. As best seen in  FIG. 4 , a closure device  190 , typically comprising a two-piece closure  190   a ,  190   b , is affixed to the end portions  130   a ,  130   b  of the spine  130  and to the inwardly extending flanges  144 ,  154 . In one embodiment, the closure device  190  comprises a magnet  190   a  and another magnet or magnetically attractive metallic element  190   b , although these two pieces could be oppositely positioned. As constructed, and for aesthetic reasons, the two pieces of the closure device  190  may be positioned between the cardboard or paper stock and the cover layer  115 , although they may well be visible. In an alternative embodiment, the closure device may comprise hook and loop closure material, such as VELCRO®. In this case, the closure material would be visible and attached to the outside of the flanges  144 ,  154  and the end portions  130   a ,  130   b  of the spine  130 . As constructed, therefore, the spine  130  is releasably attachable to the end walls, but remains attached to the rear edge  126  of the bottom cover  120 , even when extended outwardly for display purposes.  
         [0023]     Starting with the album  100  in the closed position shown in  FIG. 1 , a user will first unlatch the latch  167 , or clasp. The front cover  110  can then be opened upwardly and outwardly. By continuing to extend the front cover  110  outwardly, the spine  130  will detach from the end walls  140 ,  150  so that the spine  130  and top cover  110  are substantially flat against the surface of a table, or the like, for display purposes. The sleeves  170  can then be turned outwardly to display the enclosed items of memorabilia  171 - 175 . When the user has finished viewing the items, the sleeves  170  are one again turned, or folded, inwardly into the volume of the album  100 . The top cover  110  and spine  130  are closed, securing the spine  130  to the end walls  140 ,  150 . Thereafter, the latch  167  is secured and the album  100  is ready for storage.  
         [0024]     Although the present invention has been described with exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.