Abstract:
A book assembly including a first cover and a second cover, each cover including at least one paperboard layer and at least one padded layer, a spine, a plurality of pages hinged to the spine, a handle attached to the spine, at least one media storage assembly attached to at least one of the first and second covers, and a zipper for securing the first cover to the second cover and enclosing each of the pages and media storage assembly.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e), U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/848,827, filed Oct. 2, 2006, which application is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to books such as children&#39;s books, and more specifically to a zipper book with a handle and media storage assembly.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     For many years, books have been supplied to the public along with prerecorded material associated with the book. For example, books have been provided in packaging that also includes audio tapes related to the book. These have proved to be a source of great enjoyment to many and a valuable teaching aid to children.  
         [0004]     However, with the advent of newer technologies, the use of storage medium such as Compact Disks, DVDs and other optical and digital storage devices have become favored over the use of tapes as a storage medium because of their high storage capabilities, their small size and thin profile, and their long storage life. As such, more and more books are being sold in conjunction with a CD or DVD, either individually packaged or packaged within the book. For example, the applicant&#39;s co-pending U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0188,283 describes an advantageous book with a CD holder in the book&#39;s cover. However, there is a desire in the art for improved assemblies of books and digital media.  
         [0005]     Furthermore, children&#39;s books are generally sold without handles or other means to permit easy carrying of the book by children with small hands. There is a desire in the art for a means for users, particularly children, to securely carry a book and its corresponding digital media. There is also a need to supply books with closures that protect the pages and other contents, such as digital media, from damage and wear.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a book including an internal digital media holder and a zippered opening for securing the digital media and pages of the book. It is a further object to provide a book with a zippered opening and a handle for carrying the book.  
         [0007]     These and other objectives are achieved by providing a book assembly including a first cover including a media storage holder, a second cover, a spine hingedly connected to at least one edge of each of the first cover and the second cover, a handle extending from an outer face of the spine, a plurality of pages attached to an inner face of the spine, a zipper attached to at least a portion of the second cover and at least a portion of the second cover, and wherein the zipper removeably secures the first cover to the second cover and encloses each of the pages and the media storage holder. In some embodiments, each of the first cover and the second cover includes an outside layer and an inside layer, and the zipper is sewn between the outside layers and the inside layers of each.  
         [0008]     Further provide is a book assembly including a first cover and a second cover, each cover including at least one paperboard layer and at least one padded layer, a spine, a plurality of pages hinged to the spine, a handle attached to the spine, at least one media storage assembly attached to at least one of the first and second covers, and a zipper for securing the first cover to the second cover and enclosing each of the pages and media storage assembly.  
         [0009]     Other objectives of the present invention are achieved by providing a book assembly including a cover including at least one paperboard layer and at least one padded layer, the cover having a front portion, a spine portion, and a back portion, a plurality of pages hinged to the spine portion, a handle attached to the spine portion, at least one media storage assembly attached to the cover, a zipper for securing the front portion to the back portion and enclosing each of the pages and the media storage assembly, wherein each of the front portion, the back portion, and the pages includes a substantially round outer edge, and wherein the zipper is secured about the round outer edge of each of the front portion and the back portion of the cover.  
         [0010]     Other objects, features and advantages according to the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of certain advantageous embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which the same components are identified by the same reference numerals.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a zipper book with a handle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates an outside view of the zipper book shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates an inside view of the zipper book shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4A  illustrates an end view of the zipper book shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 4B  illustrates another end view of the zipper book shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The invention disclosed herein contemplates an apparatus and method for assembling a book with a zippered cover and a media storage assembly. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the  FIGS. 1-3 .  
         [0017]     The book  100  includes a front cover  102  and a back cover  104 . The covers in the exemplary embodiment are substantially circular and have a diameter of approximately six (6) inches. In some embodiments, the covers  102 / 104  are rectangular with rounded corners. Each of the covers includes an interior layer, such as two (2) millimeter paperboard. Each cover further includes a padded layer. For example, the front cover  102  and back cover  104  may include a foam-padded layer over the interior layer. At least one of the covers may include a cut-out or window  108 , e.g., a die-cut window, for displaying a portion of a media storage device  130  enclosed in the book  100 .  
         [0018]     The book  100  also includes a spine  106  or binding. In some embodiments, the front cover  102 , spine  106  and back cover  104  are comprised in one continuous wrap around cover. The spine width may vary depending on the number of pages of the book, but is preferably up to one (1) inch. The book  100  further includes a handle  120  anchored or hinged to the spine  106 . The handle  120  may be any desired shape or size. The handle  120  may be, for example, a fabric handle or a rigid plastic handle. In preferred embodiments, the handle is a flexible and soft fabric to prevent pinching of fingers between a rigid handle and the book&#39;s spine. In some embodiments, the handle  120  is anchored via two holes  122  in the spine  106  or outer layer of the spine. For example, a fabric handle  120  may extend through the holes  122  and be secured with a knot or other means inside, or inboard of, the spine  106 .  
         [0019]     Inside the book  100  is any number of pages  150 . For example, the book  100  may include 20 to 24 thin paperboard pages having a substantially circular or rounded outer edge. In some embodiments, the pages are rectangular with rounded corners. The pages  150  preferably display a story both in words and graphically. Each of the pages  150  are substantially the same size and extend to or inboard of the zipper  110 . The book  100  may further include a media storage assembly  140  for housing a media storage device  130 . In some embodiments, the media storage assembly  140  includes a paperboard pouch having a plurality of tabs. The tabs are inserted into slots on an inside layer of the cover  102  or  104  during assembly of the book  100 . The media storage assembly  140  may also be adhered to an inside layer with adhesive. In some embodiments, the media storage assembly  140  is a plastic clamshell blister.  
         [0020]     The media storage device  130  may be, for example, a CD, a CD-ROM, or a DVD. The media storage device  130  may include any media, such as music related to the story, an interactive CD-ROM media, a digital game or learning exercise, and/or a DVD film of, or related to, the story depicted in the pages  150 .  
         [0021]     As shown in  FIGS. 4A-4B , the book  100  further includes a zipper  110 . The zipper  110  includes a plurality of teeth  112  and fabric tape portions  114 . The zipper  110  is bound to both the front and back covers  102 / 104 . The zipper  110  preferably extends from one end of the spine  106  (e.g., bottom) around each of the covers  102 / 104 , and to the other end of the spine  106  (e.g., top), or vice versa.  
         [0022]     The tape portion  114  of the zipper  110  is sewn down between layers making up inside and outside portions of each of the covers  102 / 104 . In some embodiments, the zipper  110  is sewn between paperboard layers of the covers  102 / 104 . In preferred embodiments, a single line of continuous and/or uninterrupted stitching  116  is used to assemble the covers  102 / 104  and secure the zipper  110  to each. In other preferred embodiments, a continuous line of stitching  116  is used to assemble the front cover  102  and secure the zipper  110  to the front cover  102 , and a second continuous line of stitching  116  is similarly used on the back cover  104 . This means of assembly provides for lower manufacturing costs.  
         [0023]     The zipper  110  encloses the pages  150 , the media storage assembly  140  and media storage device  130 . The width of the zipper  110  is therefore approximately equal to the width of all of the pages  150  and/or the pages and media storage device  130 . Furthermore, other contents may be added to or otherwise enclosed in the book. As such, the book  100  is easily transportable, e.g., by a child, with its pages  150  and other contents secure. The zipper  110  prevents the pages from flapping while the book is carried, prevents the CD or DVD from being lost, and provides a fun for children to open and close the book  100 . The pages  150  and media storage device  130  are also protected from breakage and/or wear by the enclosed padded covers  102 / 104 .  
         [0024]     Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and indeed many modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.