Patent Publication Number: US-2018043722-A1

Title: Page remembering bookmark

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application claims the priority of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/494,503, filed Aug. 12, 2016, titled “Page number remembering bookmark”, inventor Janine Liu. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning bookmarks. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various bookmarks are known. However generally when a bookmark falls out of a book, a person will lose his or her place in the book and may need to start again. There is a need for a device which remembers the book page, even if the book mark falls out of the book. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In at least one embodiment, the present invention provides a bookmark with indices assembled on it, which can lead to the readers to the book page of the last reading. The readers may turn the indices assembled on the bookmark to remember the page number at the end of the last reading. In the possibility that the reader&#39;s bookmark is accidentally removed or dropped off, one or more embodiments of the current invention are helpful when a person fails to recollect where they left off. 
     In at least one embodiment, an apparatus is provided which includes a bookmark comprising a first substantially circular disk having digits 1 through 9 and 0 shown on a top surface of the first substantially circular disk; and a member having a first opening configured to allow one of the digits 1 through 9 and 0 on the top surface of the first substantially circular disk to show through the first opening while the other digits of the first substantially circular disk are blocked from being seen by the member. 
     The member may have a length, a width, and depth, such that the depth is substantially less than the width and the length. The first substantially circular disk may have a diameter and a thickness, wherein the diameter of the first substantially circular disk is substantially greater than the thickness of the first substantially circular disk. 
     The bookmark may be further comprised of a first attachment device for attaching the first substantially circular disk to the member so that the thickness of the first substantially circular disk is parallel to the depth of the member, and the first substantially circular disk can rotate with respect to the member to change which digit of the digits on the top surface of the first substantially circular disk shows through the first opening of the member. 
     The apparatus may further include a book having a total thickness based on a number of pages, a front cover, and a back cover. The bookmark may have a total thickness based on the depth of the member, the thickness of the first substantially circular disk, and a thickness added by the attachment device. In at least one embodiment, when the book is closed with the bookmark placed in between pages of the book, and with the total thickness of the bookmark parallel to the total thickness of the book, the bookmark does not substantially add to the total thickness of the book. 
     In at least one embodiment, the bookmark may be further comprised of a second substantially circular disk having digits 1 through 9 and 0 shown on a top surface of the second substantially circular disk. The member may have a second opening configured to allow one of the digits 1 through 9 and 0 on the top surface of the second substantially circular disk to show through the second opening while the other digits of the second substantially circular disk are blocked from being seen by the member. The second substantially circular disk may have a diameter and a thickness, wherein the diameter of the second substantially circular disk is substantially greater than the thickness of the second substantially circular disk. 
     The bookmark may further include a second attachment device for attaching the second substantially circular disk to the member so that the thickness of the second substantially circular disk is parallel to the depth of the member, and the second substantially circular disk can rotate with respect to the member to change which digit of the digits on the top surface of the second substantially circular disk shows through the second opening of the member. 
     The bookmark further include a third substantially circular disk having digits 1 through 9 and 0 shown on a top surface of the third substantially circular disk; wherein the member has a third opening configured to allow one of the digits 1 through 9 and 0 on the top surface of the third substantially circular disk to show through the third opening while the other digits of the third substantially circular disk are blocked from being seen by the member. 
     The third substantially circular disk may have a diameter and a thickness, wherein the diameter of the third substantially circular disk is substantially greater than the thickness of the third substantially circular disk. 
     The bookmark may further include a third attachment device for attaching the third substantially circular disk to the member so that the thickness of the third substantially circular disk is parallel to the depth of the member, and the third substantially circular disk can rotate with respect to the member to change which digit of the digits on the top surface of the third substantially circular disk shows through the third opening of the member. 
     In at least one embodiment a method is provide including the steps of inserting a bookmark in between the pages of a book; and closing the book; wherein the bookmark may be as previously described and the book may be as previously described. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a top view of a bookmark in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with the bookmark of  FIG. 1  shown in an assembled state; 
         FIG. 2  shows a top view of the bookmark of  FIG. 1  shown in a disassembled state; 
         FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of part of the bookmark of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of the bookmark of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a top view of a bookmark  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with the bookmark  10  of  FIG. 1  shown in an assembled state.  FIG. 2  shows a top view of the bookmark  10  of  FIG. 1  shown in a disassembled state.  FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of part of the bookmark  10  of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of the bookmark  10  of  FIG. 1 . 
     The bookmark  10  includes disks or wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16 , plate or member  18 , pins  20 ,  22 , and  24 , shown in  FIG. 1 , and plate or member  26 , shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the disks or wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  have top surfaces  12   a ,  14   a , and  16   a , rear surfaces  12   b ,  14   b , and  16   b , and central openings  12   c ,  14   c , and  16   c , respectively. 
     The pins  20 ,  22 , and  24  may be inserted through the openings  18   f ,  18   g , and  18   h  in the plate or member  18 , shown in  FIG. 1 , through the openings  12   c ,  14   c , and  16   c  of the disks  12 ,  14 , and  16 , shown in  FIG. 2 , and through the openings  26   a ,  26   b , and  26   c  of the member or plate  26 , shown in  FIG. 4 , to thereby fasten or fix the wheels or disks  12 ,  14 , and  16  sandwiched between the plates or members  18  and  26  as in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 . 
     The disks or wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  include images of digits or numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0 printed or otherwise fixed on the top surfaces  12   a ,  14   a , and  16   a , of the disks or wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     The member  18  has rectangular openings  18   c ,  18   d , and  18   e  as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
     The members  18  and  26 , disks  12 ,  14 , and  16  may be make of a flat thin material such as a flat thin paper, cardboard, or plastic. The pins  20 ,  22 , and  24  may be made of metal or of any other suitable fastener material. 
     When in the assembled form of  FIG. 1 , the disks  12 ,  14 , and  16  can rotate about pins  20 ,  22 , and  24 , respectively, to make one of the digits or numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0 appear through each of the openings  18   c ,  18   d , and  18   e . For example, in  FIG. 1 , the digit 1 appears through opening  18   c , the digit 1 appears through opening  18   d , and the digit 1 appears through opening  18   e . The words “hundreds”, “tens”, and “ones” are shown printed on the surface  18   a  of the member  18 . This signifies that the number appearing through opening  18   c  indicates hundreds, the number appearing through opening  18   d  indicates tens, and the number appearing through opening  18   e  indicates ones, such that the number shown through openings  18   c - 18   e  in  FIG. 1  is read “111” for page 111 of a book or other reading material. 
     In at least one embodiment, the function of this bookmark  10  is to indicate to the reader the page number of their last reading. In the possibility that the reader&#39;s bookmark is accidentally removed from the page, the page remembering bookmark  10  will be helpful in recollecting the placement of the most recent page number. The adjustable circular indices or wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  are labelled with numbers 1-9 and 0, allowing the reader to keep track of their page up to page 999. 
     Three index wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  are installed on the bookmark body or members  18  and  26  to create three adjustable dials. The three indices  16 ,  14 , and  12 , represent ones, tens, and hundreds respectively. The bookmark  10  can track page numbers from 0 to 999; the reader is able to adjust the wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  by rotating them about their pin  20 ,  22 , and  24 , respectively, in accordance with their respective number windows  18   c - 18   e , at the end of the reading period. As an example shown in  FIG. 1 , the reader turns the index wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  to label the termination of their last reading at page number 111. 
     For readers who read books with pages above 999, a bookmark with the fourth index wheel representing thousands may be provided. 
     Additionally, bookmarks featured with customized designs, colors, and themes may be provided in one or more embodiment. An objective is to create product in which novel functions involving reading are combined with various artistic changes and substitutions without departing from the original scope and spirit of the invention. 
     The pins  20 ,  22 , and  24  may be or may be replaced by suitable fasteners which may be hardware devices that mechanically affixes two or more objects together. 
     The index wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  may be secure enough to not displace page numbers by accidental movements, but will be able to be turned smoothly by the reader. 
     The number windows  18   e ,  18   d , and  18   c  reveal the specific ones, tens, and hundreds digits that the reader desires to record. These windows  18   e - c  are cut into member  18  of the bookmark body. The windows  18   e - c  should be made to properly indicate only one full digit. Depending on the shape, theme, or design of the bookmark body, including members  18  and  26 , the number windows  18   e - c  can be adjusted accordingly. 
     Before the readers insert the bookmark  10  into a book to mark a page, the reader turns the index wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16 , as desired, to reveal the desired page numbers through the number windows  18   e - c.    
     As an example in  FIG. 1 , the reader stops reading at page 111 of a book. He turns the index wheels  12 ,  14 , and  16  to show 1 in the number window  18   c  representing hundreds, 1 in the number window  18   d  representing tens, and 1 in the number window  18   e  representing ones. 
     If the page number is  45 , the reader can turn the index wheel  12  to show 0 in the number window  18   c  representing hundreds, 4 in the number window  18   d  representing tens, and 5 in the number window  18   e  representing ones. 
     If the page number is below 10, e.g. 6, the reader can turn the index wheel  18   e  representing ones to show 6, and 0 in the number windows  18   c  and  18   d  representing hundreds and tens. 
     Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention&#39;s contribution to the art.