Abstract:
A bookmark includes a seamless elastic band which is stretchable to loop around a group of pages in a book and around a cover of the book in order to identify a page place in the book. The band includes a slider thereon which has a front surface are that receives an image which is on one side of a sticker. When a bookmark is placed on a book, the slide is moveable along the elastic band while the elastic band is stationary, so that the slider can be placed at different locations on the cover of the book.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to bookmarks, and more particularly, the present invention relates to bookmarks with indicia thereon.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Most modern books have relatively rigid covers and backs. This is true of even paperback books in which the covers are generally stiffer than the pages. Bookmarks in the form of elastic bands have evolved because the typical bookmark can slip out of a book while elastic bands remain in place. However, elastic band bookmarks have not achieved a wide degree of public acceptance even though they enable a reader to more securely mark a page of a book.  
         [0003]     In view of the aforementioned considerations, there is a need for bookmarks employing endless elastic bands which achieve a greater degree of public acceptance.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention is directed to a bookmark comprising a flat, seamless elastic band configured as a loop, the loop having a relaxed diameter less than the height of the book and being elastically expandable to a diameter greater than the height of the book so that the elastic band encompasses a front or back cover of the book and a selected number of pages when expanded with a portion of it&#39;s length disposed within the book. The band has a display element slidably disposed thereon which has an outwardly facing surface including display substrate. A selected display panel having a first side with an image thereon and a second side with adhesive thereon is the mounted on the display substrate.  
         [0005]     In a further aspect of the invention, a pair of wings extend laterally from the display substrate, the wings having flanges that form a tube around the band to enclose the band.  
         [0006]     In still a further aspect of the invention, the flanges each have side edges that are opposed in spaced relation to one another to define gaps therebetween, wherein the elastic band is insertable edgewise through the gaps to secure the elastic band to a slider.  
         [0007]     In still a further aspect of the invention, the display substrate is circular and the selected display panel is circular. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bookmark, configured in accordance with the present invention, shown marking a page in a book;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the bookmark used in  FIG. 1 , but detached from the book and showing an imaged sticker detached from the bookmark, the sticker having an imaged face and an adhesive face (shown in dotted lines);  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  but showing the inside surface of the elastic band and a rear surface of the slider;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the slider and a portion of the elastic band shown in dotted lines;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a view of the slider detached from the elastic band, and  FIG. 6  is a view of a kit including components of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     Referring now to  FIG. 1  there is shown a book  10  having a relatively stiff front cover  12  and a relatively stiff back cover  14  between which are disposed relatively flexible pages  16  that are attached to one another along a binding  18 . A bookmark  20 , configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, is used to separate a first group of pages  16 a from a second group of pages  16 b in order to readily identify one or two pages of interest facing a gap  21  between the groups of pages.  
         [0015]     The bookmark  20  is comprised of an elastic band  24  which is both seamless and flat, having a width “W” substantially greater than it&#39;s thickness “T.” The seamless elastic band  24  has a relaxed length shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  that is less than its expanded length shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 1  the elastic band  24  is stretched to extend over the book cover  12  and through the gap  21  between the groups of pages  16 a and  16 b. The stretched elastic band  24  frictionally engages the cover  12  of the book, the top and bottom edges of the cover and the pages facing one another in the gap  21  so as to be securely mounted on the book  10 . When the book  10  is opened, the bookmark  20  remains in place until affirmatively removed by the person handling the book and does not drop out, as is the case with conventional bookmarks.  
         [0016]     As is seen in  FIG. 1-3 , a slider  30 , preferably made of metal, is mounted on the elastic band  24 . The slider  30  has indicia  32  thereon, which indicia can be any selective image and may include, for example, written information and/or a pictorial image. When the elastic band  24  is stretched as in  FIG. 1 , the slider  30  is readily slid along the elastic band. This is because when the elastic band  24  is stretched, its width W and thickness T are reduced. There are however sufficient frictional forces between the elastic band  24 , slider  30  and surface  31  of the book cover  12  to keep the slider  30  positioned in a selected position on the book cover until the slider is pushed either toward the top edge  33  or bottom edge  34  of the cover.  
         [0017]     As is seen in  FIG. 2 , the slider  30  has an image support area  38  on which the image  32  is placed. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image  32  is in the form of a sticker  40  which has a front side  42  bearing the image  32 . The image  32  is preferably covered with a transparent plastic layer  43  which preferably has the diameter of the front side  42  of the sticker  40 . The sticker  40  has a rear side  44  which is coated with adhesive  45 . The adhesive  45  on rear side  44  adheres to the surface of the image support area  38  of the slider  30 . Preferably, the adhesive  45  is a permanent adhesive so that the sticker  40  is difficult to remove. Alternatively, the adhesive is placed on the image support area  38  of the slider  30 . In order to center the sticker  40 , there is a rim  46  surrounding the image support area  38 , within which rim the sticker  40  is positioned. While it is preferable that the support area  38  is circular as illustrated in each of the figures, the support area  38  in other embodiments may have other shapes such as square, rectangular, oval or any shape compatible with the principles of this invention. The sticker  40  may also have shapes other than circular.  
         [0018]     The slider  30  has first and second wings  50  and  52 , respectively, which extend laterally from the image support area  38 . As is seen in  FIGS. 3-5 , the wing  50  has a pair of flanges  54  and  56  which are folded over to form a tubular portion  58  with a rectangular cross section. The tubular portion  58  has a depth defined by side walls  60  and  62  of the wing  50  which extend transverse, and preferably normal to a front wall  61  ( FIG. 2 ) of the wing  50 .  
         [0019]     The second wing  52  has a pair of flanges  70  and  72  which as seen in  FIG. 3  are folded over to form a tube  74  with a rectangular cross section. The tube  74  has a width defined by side walls  76  and  78  which extend transverse and preferably normal to a front wall  80  ( FIG. 2 ) of the wing  52 .  
         [0020]     As is seen in  FIG. 3 , the flanges  54  and  56  on the tube  58  are separated by a gap  84  and the flanges  70  and  72  of the tube  74  are separated by a gap  86 . The gaps  84  and  86  are both slightly narrower than the thickness T of the elastic band  24 , while the distance between the side walls  60  and  62  of the tube  58  and side walls  76  and  78  of the tube  74  are preferably slightly less than the width W of the elastic band  24 . Consequently, until the elastic band  24  is stretched so as to decrease both it&#39;s width W and thickness T, the slider  30  is frictionally held relatively tightly in place on the elastic band. As has been previously discussed, when the elastic band  24  is stretched it becomes both narrower and thinner thus allowing the slider  30  to more readily slide along the elastic band  24 . As is apparent in  FIG. 3 , the elastic band  24  has portion  24   a  which is disposed adjacent to the back surface  38   a  of the image display area  38 . The portion  24   a  is frictionally engageable with the outer surface  31  of the book cover  12  (see  FIG. 1 ).  
         [0021]     In order to make it easier to insert the band  24  through the slots  84  and  86  in the tubes  58  and  74 , the flanges  54  and  56  and the flanges  70  and  72  each have curved corners  90  so that the corners of the flanges do not bite into the surface of the elastic band  24  as the slider  30  is slid thereon. In addition, the curved corners  90  facilitate insertion of the elastic band  24  through the slots  84  and  86 , again because the curved corners  90  do not bite into the elastic band.  
         [0022]     Preferably, the image support area  38  has a circular indentation  100  therein defined by an inwardly facing ridge  102  extending to the rim  46 . The rim  46  has a front surface  104  which is flush with front surfaces  106  and  108  of the wings  50  and  52 , respectively.  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is shown a kit  120  comprising the elastic band  24 , three sliders  30 ,  30 ′ and  30 ″ and a sticker  40 . The slider  30 ′ has no sticker attached, and the slider  30 ″ is shown from the back. The sticker  40 ′ is shown as a medallion separate from the slider. These components when assembled provide customized bookmarks  20  ( FIG. 1 ) wherein the retail customer or the retailer can select many different images  32  and different elastic bands of different colors and designs. While only one elastic band  24 , one separate sticker and three sliders  30 ,  30 ′ and  30 ″ are shown, the kit  120  preferably comprises numerous elastic bands, stickers and sliders.  
         [0024]     From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing form the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.