Patent Publication Number: US-2016236501-A1

Title: Disk-bound notebook system with sheets and sheets therefor

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This non-provisional application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/117,148 filed on Feb. 17, 2015, entitled Disk-Bound Notebook System With Reinforced Sheets And Reinforced Sheets Therefor, the entire disclosure of that provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
     Not Applicable 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to notebook systems and more particularly to notebook systems having removable pages. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Notebook systems making use of a stack of sheets is bound together using a plurality of disks are commercially available from various sources, including Continental Accessory, Corp., the assignee of the subject invention. Those notebook systems include a front cover, a rear cover, a plurality of disks and a stack of sheets, e.g., paper sheets. Each of the sheets and the covers include a plurality of mushroom-like shaped slots along one marginal edge thereof. Each of the slots is arranged to receive a respective disk to bind all of the sheets and covers together, so that the notebook serves as a binder with removable sheets. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,959 (Feldman et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,667 (Feldman et al.) disclose notebook systems like the foregoing. In particular, the Feldman et al. systems make use of a stack of sheets is bound together between a front and rear cover using a plurality of disks that are inserted into mushroom shaped slots in the edge of each of the sheets of the stack and each of the covers. Each of the plural disks has a substantially flat disk-like central surface portion and an enlarged continuous rim portion which extends around the periphery of the central surface portion. The rim portion extends outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the flat central portions of the disks, and the central surface portion has a radius which is larger than the thickness of a stack of sheets to be bound thereby. 
     While such prior art notebook systems are generally suitable for their intended purposes, they leave something to be desired from the standpoint of susceptibility of the pages to become damaged upon repeated insertions in the notebook and removals from the notebook. Thus, a need exists for a notebook system having pages that are resistant to damage upon repeated insertion in the notebook and removal from the notebook. The subject invention addresses that need. 
     All references cited and/or identified herein are specifically incorporated by reference herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of this invention a sheet for use in a notebook system is provided. The notebook system comprises a pair of covers and a plurality of disks. Each of the disks is circular and has a generally planar central section and an enlarged peripheral rim. The sheet comprises a web of material having an inner edge portion. The inner edge portion includes an inner edge and a plurality of slots spaced along the inner edge. Each of the slots comprises an entryway channel extending inward from the inner edge and terminating at an enlarged opening. The inner edge portion is reinforced by a reinforcing strip of material extending along the inner edge. The slots extend into the reinforcing strip. 
     In accordance with one preferred embodiment of one aspect of this invention the strip of material is fixedly secured to one surface of the associated sheet at its inner edge portion. 
     In accordance with another aspect of this invention a notebook system is provided. The notebook system comprises a pair of covers, a stack of plural sheets and a plurality of disks. Each of the disks is circular and has a generally planar central section and an enlarged peripheral rim. Each of the sheets of the stack comprises a web of material having an inner edge portion. The inner edge portion includes an inner edge and a plurality of slots spaced along the inner edge. Each of the slots comprises an entryway channel extending inward from the inner edge and terminating at an enlarged opening. The inner edge portion is reinforced by a reinforcing strip of material extending along the inner edge. The slots extend into the reinforcing strip. 
     In accordance with another aspect of this invention a sheet for forming a page of a notebook system is provided. The notebook system comprises a pair of covers and a plurality of disks, each of the disks being circular and having a generally planar central section and an enlarged peripheral rim. The sheet comprising a web of material having an inner edge portion including an inner edge and a plurality of slots spaced along the inner edge, Each of the slots comprises an entryway channel extending inward from the inner edge and terminating at an enlarged opening. The channel extends inward from the inner edge generally perpendicular to the inner edge and wherein each of the enlarged openings comprises an inner end which is arcuate. The inner end has a pair of ends, each of which is generally linear and extends parallel to the channel to thereby form a slot which is somewhat mushroom-like in shape. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is top plan view of one exemplary embodiment of a sheet for use in a disk-bound notebook system constructed in accordance with this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a reduced isometric view of a disk-bound notebook system making use of a stack of sheets constructed in accordance with this invention and like shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of the portion of the sheet shown within the broken line circle designated by the reference number  5  in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the various figures of the drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown at  20  in  FIG. 1  one exemplary embodiment of a single sheet of a stack of sheets  22  ( FIG. 4 ) making up a portion of a notebook system  10  ( FIG. 4 ) constructed in accordance with this invention. The notebook system includes a top cover member  24 , a bottom cover member  26  and a plurality of disks  28  releasably securing the stack of sheets  22  between the covers members  24  and  26 . The sheets  20  will be described in more detail later. Suffice it for now to state that each sheet is formed of a web of any suitable material, e.g., paper, and includes a marginal edge portion having a plurality of generally mushroom-like shaped slots  30  equidistantly located therealong. The cover members  24  and  26  are each generally planar members formed of any suitable material, e.g., cardboard, leather, polypropylene, etc. Like the sheets  20 , the covers also include a marginal edge portion having a plurality of generally mushroom-like shaped slots  30  equidistantly located therealong. Each of the slots of the covers and each of the slots of the sheets  20  of the stack  22  interposed between the covers are arranged to receive a respective one of the plurality of disks  28  to bind the covers and the sheets together to form a notebook with replaceable/removable pages. To that end, after the assembly of the notebook, the sheets  20  can be turned or flipped individually or in groups relative to the notebook. 
     The slots  30  are best seen in  FIG. 5  and basically each comprises an entryway or channel  30 A which extends inward from the edge  32  of the sheet  20  and is perpendicular to that inner edge. Each channel  30 A terminates at an enlarged opening  30 B. The opening  30 B has an inner end  30 C which is arcuate, with each end  30 D of the inner end being generally linear and extending parallel to the channel  30 A to thereby form a slot which is somewhat mushroom-like in shape. 
     As mentioned above each of the disks  28  is arranged to be received in a respective slot  30 . Thus, the disks  28  are circular and are of a cross-section which is shaped to mate with the slots. In particular, the periphery of each disk comprises an enlarged continuous rim portion extending around the entire periphery of the disk member, with the rim portion having shape corresponding to the shape of the opening  30 B of the slot  30 . The central section of each disk is planar and is of a thickness slightly less than the width of the channel  30 A so that it can be received within the channel, when the rim of the disk is within the associated enlarged opening  30 B. 
     As can be seen clearly in  FIGS. 1-3  the marginal edge of each of the sheets  20  encompassing the slots  30  is reinforced to ensure that the sheet is resistant to damage when it is inserted into the notebook or removed from the notebook. To that end, each sheet  20  includes a strip of reinforcement  34  secured to the sheet contiguous with the inner edge  32 . In the exemplary embodiment shown herein the reinforcement strip  34  is a thin layer of a plastic material, such as but not limited to a liquid lamination coating, a thin layer of Mylar, foil, paper, metal or fiberglass, which is fixedly secured to the upper surface  20 A of the sheet. Preferably the plastic material is transparent, but could be opaque and/or colored in the interest of aesthetics. In any case, it should be noted that the foregoing arrangement of the reinforcing strip is merely exemplary. Thus, it is contemplated that the strip  34  may be on the lower surface of the sheet or on both surfaces. Moreover, the reinforcing strip  34  may be formed of other materials than the exemplary plastic material. 
     It should also be pointed out that the sheets and the covers need not be shaped like that shown herein, provided that the edge of the sheet making up the slots is reinforced. For example, any or all of the sheets  20  of the stack can be constructed to include an edge portion having slots that are reinforced in accordance with this invention, and a portion adjacent that edge portion in the form of a pocket for receipt of some item therein. To that end, the sheets may be constructed of a transparent material forming a pocket into which an item, such as a letter, a stamp, or any other flat, “keep-sake” item can be disposed, so that the notebook system can be used a scrap-book or a means for organizing and filing of papers. Other types of sheets may be constructed in accordance with this invention, providing that they are reinforced along the edge at which the mounting slots  30  are located. 
     Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, adopt the same for use under various conditions of service.