Patent Publication Number: US-10759216-B1

Title: Adjustable ring and ring binders using the same

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to improved rings and binders using such improved rings. More particularly, the invention relates to adjustable rings, which provide customized capacity for loose-leaf sheets and sheet-like materials, and binders using the same. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Various types of ring binders with rings of fixed capacity have been developed to hold loose-leaf sheet or sheet-like materials. For example, paper, boards, slides, transparencies, photographs, plastic holders for disks, and business cards may be stored in ring binders. The binders come in various sizes, shapes, and configurations. 
     As exemplified in  FIG. 1 , a simple binder  1  comprises four main parts: one or more rings  2 , a front cover  3 , a rear cover  4 , and a spine  5 . The spine  5  serves to connect the front and rear covers. One or more rings  2  are fastened to the rear cover  4 , adjacent to the spine  5 . The front cover  3  and the rear cover  4  can rotate relative to each other so that the binder can alternate between a fully closed position (shown in  FIG. 1 ) and a fully open position. When the binder is in the fully closed position, the end portion of the front cover  3  that is nearest the spine  5  (the proximal end portion) rests on top of the one or more rings  2 , and the end portion of the front cover  3  that is farthest from the spine  5  (the distal end portion) tapers down to meet the distal end portion of the rear cover  4 . 
     Conventional designs of rings are fixed in capacity and size. When more capacity is desired, the user must transfer all the material to a new binder with a larger ring to increase the capacity. When less capacity is desired, the user also must transfer all the material to a new binder with a smaller ring to avoid leaving a significant amount of empty space in the binder. 
     Having a binder with an adjustable ring would appeal to many users because the entire binder can be utilized in many different size configurations with improved convenience and efficiency. Therefore, there exists a need for a binder, with one or more adjustable rings, that can conform to different amounts of material. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to an adjustable ring, and a binder containing one or more of such adjustable rings. 
     According to a first embodiment of the invention, an adjustable ring in accordance with the present invention is an upside-down U-shaped ring comprising a pair of telescoping arms with a curved section placed on top of, and connected to, each telescoping arm. Each curved section has a proximal end for connecting to the top of the corresponding telescoping arm, and a distal end for facing and releasably connecting with the distal end of the other curved section. The telescoping arms either share a ground plate, or each is attached to a separate ground plate. The ground plate(s) attach the ring to a backing material of a binder. 
     In additional embodiments of the invention, an adjustable ring is provided according to the first embodiment, wherein the telescoping arm on each side of the ring is replaced by a telescoping structure that is known in the art, such as ones described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,298,140 titled “Telescopic Extensible Antenna,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,739 titled “Antenna Device for an Automobile,” or U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,552 titled “Backscratcher with a Telescopically Adjustable Shaft and with a Plurality of Screw-on Attachment End Pieces.” The disclosure of these three patents is incorporated in this application in their entirety. 
     In additional embodiments of the invention, a binder constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a front cover, a rear cover, a spine connecting the both covers, and one or more adjustable rings attached to the rear cover. Other binder constructions can be used in conjunction with one or more of the adjustable rings of the invention, such as the binder designs described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,246, the entirety of which is incorporated in this application. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be understood more readily from the following detailed description of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a binder having one or more rings of conventional designs. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an adjustable ring in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, wherein the ring is in a fully collapsed state. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the distal ends of the curved sections  11  in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the adjustable ring is in a fully collapsed state. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an assembly of three adjustable rings in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the rings are in a fully collapsed state, and are installed parallel to each other on to a backing material (e.g., the proximal end portion of the rear cover). 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an assemblies of three adjustable rings in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the rings are in a fully collapsed state. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of one symmetrical half of the adjustable ring along the direction of  6 - 6  in  FIGS. 2, 4 and 5  in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of an adjustable ring in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, wherein the adjustable ring is in a fully extended state. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of an assembly of three adjustable rings in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the adjustable rings are in a fully extended state, and are installed parallel to each other on to a backing material (e.g., the proximal end portion of the rear cover). 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an assembly of three adjustable rings in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the rings are in a fully extended state. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of one symmetrical half of the adjustable ring in a fully extended position along the direction of  10 - 10  in  FIGS. 7, 8 and 9  in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of one symmetrical half of the adjustable ring along the direction of  10 - 10  in  FIGS. 7, 8 and 9  after moving the ring into an intermediate state. 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of an adjustable ring in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, wherein a half of the ring is at a raised position in relation to the other half, creating a gap for adding or removing sheet or sheet-like materials. 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of the ring binder using the adjustable ring in accordance with the first embodiment, wherein the binder is in a fully open state. 
         FIG. 14  is a side view of a binder along the direction of  14 - 14  in  FIG. 13  after moving the binder covers into a fully closed state, with the rings in a fully extended state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is explained in connection with the following exemplary embodiments. They are provided as examples to facilitate the description of the invention and should not be regarded as exclusive embodiments. As discussed below, multiple variations can be made to the design of the ring binder without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. 
     The adjustable ring  10  in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 2-12 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an adjustable ring  10  in a fully collapsed state. Each adjustable ring  10  is generally in an upside-down U configuration, and comprises a pair of curved sections  11 , and a pair of telescoping tube assemblies  12 . The pair of curved sections  11  and the pair of telescoping tube assemblies  12  are arranged as symmetrical halves, wherein each half comprises a curved section  11  placed on top of, and connected to, the top of a telescoping tube assembly  12 . In  FIG. 2 , the left half is encased in dotted rectangle  6 - 6  for purposes of indicating a cross-sectional view in  FIG. 6 . The symmetrical halves have identical structures arranged as mirror image relative to one another. Each combination of curved section  11  and telescoping tube assembly  12  can have its own base plate  150 , or both combinations can share a single base plate  150 . 
     The curved section  11  preferably has a circular cross section, although other cross sections, such as an oval, a rectangle or a square, are contemplated. The curved section  11  has a proximal end  11   a  and a distal end  11   b . The proximal end  11   a  of each curved section  11  is attached to the top of the corresponding telescoping tube assembly  12 . The distal ends  11   b  of both curved sections  11  are arranged to face each other with a releasable connection. The curved section  11  can be made as a solid piece, or hollow inside. 
     The releasable connection is intended to prevent or minimize unwanted motions with the adjustable ring. One unwanted motion is the rotational motion in which the curved section  11  rotates in one or the other direction about the axis  12 A of the telescoping tube assembly  12 , causing the distal end  11   b  of the curved section  11  to move out of or into the two-dimensional plane in  FIG. 2 . The releasable connection can be achieved using any means in which the opposing surfaces of the distal ends  11   b  of both curved sections  11  can interact with each other in a non-permanent fashion. For example, one of the opposing surfaces of the distal ends  11   b  has a magnetic material, and the other opposing surface has a paramagnetic material (e.g., iron, nickel, cobalt, gadolinium, dysprosium and alloys such as steel that also contain specific ferromagnetic metals such as iron or nickel). Alternatively, the opposing surfaces of the distal ends  11   b  can both have magnetic materials with opposite polarities facing each other. As an alternative to, or in addition to using magnetism, the opposing surfaces of the distal ends  11   b  can have uneven surfaces with matching features that effectively lock with each other to prevent unwanted motions, such as those described in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 3 , gaps are shown between the surfaces of the distal ends  11   b  to better illustrate the surface features. In reality, when the distal ends  11   b  are releasably connected, there are minimal or no gaps between the opposing surfaces of the distal ends  11   b.    
     For clarity, the surfaces of the distal ends  11   b  are present as complimentary surfaces to prevent unwanted motion about the axis  12 A described in  FIG. 2 , but the surfaces of the distal ends do not prevent vertical motion, which would subsequently prevent the extending and collapsing of the adjustable rings. As a solution to unwanted vertical motion between the curved sections  11 , the surfaces of the distal ends  11   b  may have magnetic materials, as described above. 
     The telescoping tube assembly  12  has two or more tubes configured in a telescoping relationship so that the telescoping tube assembly  12  can extend or collapse in length as needed. The telescoping tube assembly  12  preferably has a circular cross section, although other cross sections, such as an oval, a rectangle or a square, are contemplated. 
     In the fully collapsed state, only the outermost tube ( 14 ) of the telescoping tube assembly  12  is visible. The top of the outermost tube  14  ends in an edge  14 T, which preferably tapers in the direction toward the curved section  11 . The bottom of the outermost tube  14  is connected to a base plate  150 , which in turn is connected to a ground plate  160 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of three adjustable rings  10  situated parallel to each other to hold three-hole punched materials. In an alternative design, only two adjustable rings  10  are provided so that the binder can contain two-hole punched materials. Other number of adjustable rings  10 , such as one, three, or more, can be used in additional alternative designs. Preferably, adjustable rings  10  are in equal distance from each other. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the design shown in  FIG. 4  including additional details that were omitted in  FIG. 4  for simplicity.  FIG. 5  shows a base plate  150  under, and connected to, each outermost tube  14  with one or more (four shown in  FIG. 5  as an example) elements  150   a  for connecting the base plate  150  to a ground plate  160 . Element  150   a  is an opening in the base plate  150  that can receive a rivet or other fastener. The ground plate  160  has one or more (four shown in  FIG. 5  as an example) elements  160   a  for connecting the ground plate  160  to the rear cover of a binder. Element  160   a  is an opening in the ground plate  160  that can receive a rivet or other fastener. The ground plate  160  is optional, because the base plate  150  can be directly attached to the rear cover. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the cross-sectional view of a curved section  11 , telescoping tube assembly  12  and a base plate  150 , wherein the cross section is taken along the line  6 - 6  in  FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 . In  FIG. 6 , the telescoping assembly  12  comprises three tubes ( 14 ,  15  and  16 ) in a telescoping arrangement. Of course, a telescoping assembly with two tubes, or four or more tubes are contemplated as well. 
     All tubes in the telescoping tube assembly  12  have the same cross-sectional shape, which is preferably a circle, although other cross sections, such as an oval, a rectangle or a square, are contemplated. The tubes are preferably coaxial, meaning that they share the same central axis. 
     The tubes are designed to have increasing diameters (or an appropriate cross-sectional dimension in the event that the tubes do not have a circular cross section) going from inside to outside in a radial manner. For example, in  FIG. 6 , the innermost tube  16  is located within the intermediate tube  15 , which in turn is located in the outermost tube  14 . The diameters increase in going from tube  16 , to tube  15 , and finally to tube  14 . 
     However, if desired, the tubes that construct a telescoping tube assembly  12  may have tubes that have decreasing diameters (or an appropriate cross-sectional dimension in the event that the tubes do not have a circular cross section) going from inside to outside in a radial manner. This design incorporates the same auxiliary features as the described adjustable rings, such as the edges  14 F and  15 F, except they are oriented in such a fashion that they provide the similar effect of stabilizing a difference in diameters (which is explained in further detail below). This design effectively flips the telescoping tube assembly  12  in  FIG. 6  upside down, and has the proximal end of the curved section  11  connected to the outermost tube  14 . 
     The curved section  11  is attached to the top of the innermost tube, which in the case of  FIG. 6 , is the innermost tube  16 . The curved section  11  and the innermost tube  16  can be made into a unitary structure. The curved section  11  preferably has the same diameter with the innermost tube  16 , although differing dimensions can be used. 
     The tubes are designed so that they can glide along the central axis  12 A in relation to each other between a fully extended state and a fully collapsed state. Stopping members are provided to prevent the tubes from extending beyond the fully extended state so that the tubes do not become disengaged from each other. 
     The stopping members for preventing the outermost tube  14  from disengaging from the intermediate tube  15  are a combination of lips  14 T and  15 B. The lip  14 T originates from the inside surface of the outermost tube  14  at its top, and extends radially inward toward, and eventually abuts, the outside surface of the intermediate tube  15 . The lip  14 T is in the form of a plate with a hole in its center, wherein the hole matches the outside circumference of the intermediate tube  15 , and the outer perimeter of the lip  14 T matches the inside circumference of the outermost tube  14 . The lip  14 T can also have material that extends in a longitudinal manner of the telescoping tube assembly  12  (i.e., along the central axis  12 A), imparting a thickness to the plate. In one case, the lip  15 B originates from the outside surface of the intermediate tube  15  at its bottom, and extends radially outward toward, and eventually abuts, the inside surface of the outermost tube  14 . In this case, the lip  15 B is in the form of a plate with a hole in its center, wherein the hole matches the outside circumference of the intermediate tube  15 , and the outer perimeter of the lip  15 B matches the inside circumference of the outermost tube  14 . In another case, the lip  15 B can be a plate without a hole, which runs across the entire inside diameter of the outermost tube  14  and attached, at its top surface, to the bottom of the intermediate tube  15 . In either case, the lip  15 B can also have material that extends in a longitudinal manner of the telescoping tube assembly  12  (i.e., along the central axis  12 A), imparting a thickness to the plate. 
     In a similar fashion, the stopping members for preventing the intermediate tube  15  from disengaging from the innermost tube  16  are a combination of lips  15 T and  16 B. The lip  15 T originates from the inside surface of the intermediate tube  15  at its top, and extends radially inward toward, and eventually abuts, the outside surface of the innermost tube  16 . The lip  15 T is in the form of a plate with a hole in its center, wherein the hole matches the outside circumference of the innermost tube  16 , and the outer perimeter of the lip  15 T matches the inner circumference of the intermediate tube  15 . The lip  15 T can also have material that extends in a longitudinal manner of the telescoping tube assembly  12  (i.e., along the central axis  12 A), imparting a thickness to the plate. In one case, the lip  16 B originates from the outside surface of the innermost tube  16  at its bottom, and extends radially outward toward, and eventually abuts, the inside surface of the intermediate tube  15 . In this case, the lip  16 B is in the form of a plate with a hole in its center, wherein the hole matches the outside circumference of the innermost tube  16 , and the outer perimeter of the lip  16 B matches the inside circumference of the intermediate tube  15 . In another case, the lip  16 B can be a plate without a hole, which runs across the entire inside diameter of the intermediate tube  15  and attached, at its top surface, to the bottom of the innermost tube  16 . In either case, the lip  16 B can also have material that extends in a longitudinal manner of the telescoping tube assembly (i.e., along the central axis  12 A), imparting a thickness to the plate. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , edges  14 F and  15 F are preferably provided to stabilize the telescoping tube assembly  12 . Edge  14 F is preferably provided as the top of the outermost tube  14 . The edge  14 F is preferably in the shape of a hollowed-out frustum, which has a constant inside diameter (or another cross-sectional dimension in the event that the outermost tube  14  is not cylindrical) and an outer diameter (or another cross-sectional dimension in the event that the outermost tube  14  is not cylindrical) that tapers as the edge  14 F extends upward. Alternatively, the edge  14 F can be a cylindrical structure so that there is no tapering on the outside. Other shapes can be used for the edge  14 F, including one with a rounded top. In a like manner, an edge  15 F is preferably provided as the top of the intermediate tube  15 . Edge  14 F provides additional surface for the outer surface of the intermediate tube  15  to engage with the outermost tube  14 . Similarly, edge  15 F provides additional surface for the outer surface of the innermost tube  16  to engage with the intermediate tube  15 . Such engagement improves the stability of the telescoping tube assembly  12  by reducing flop or wobble. Such engagement also allows material placed on the rings to slide more easily from a smaller tube to a larger tube. 
     Lip  14 T is fixedly attached to the inner surface of the outermost tube  14  and/or the under surface of the edge  14 F. Similarly, lip  15 T is fixedly attached to the inner surface of the intermediate tube  15  and/or the under surface of the edge  15 F. Such fixed attachment can be in the form known in the art, such as through the use of a glue or an adhesive. Alternatively, lip  14 T can be made as an appendage to, and an integral part of, the outermost tube  14 . Similarly, lip  15 T can be made as an appendage to, and an integral part of, the intermediate tube  15 . 
     In a fully collapsed state, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the intermediate tube  15  reaches its lowest position with the lip  15 B being close to or resting on the top surface of the ground plate  150 . Similarly, the innermost tube  16  reaches its lowest position with the lip  16 B being at its closest position toward (and possibly resting on) the lip  15 B. 
     When the telescoping tube assembly  12  moves from a fully collapsed state toward a fully extended state, the lip  15 B glides along the inner surface of the outermost tube  14 , and/or the lip  16 B glides along the inner surface of the intermediate tube  15 . 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of an adjustable ring  10  in a fully extended state. In the fully extended state, the intermediate tube  15  is above and sits on top of the outermost tube  14 , and the innermost tube  16  is above and sits on top of the intermediate tube  15 .  FIGS. 8 and 9  are top and perspective views of three adjustable rings in a fully extended state, respectively. 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of a curved section  11 , telescoping tube assembly  12  and a base plate  150 , in a fully extended state, wherein the cross section is taken along the line  10 - 10  in  FIGS. 7-9 . In  FIG. 10 , the intermediate tube  15  is extended to the uppermost position in relation to the outermost tube  14 , at which point, the lip  15 B engages with the lip  14 T, preventing further upward movement of the intermediate tube  15 . Similarly, the innermost tube  16  is extended to the uppermost position in relation to the intermediate tube  15 , at which point, the lip  16 B engages with the lip  15 T preventing further upward movement of the innermost tube  16 . 
     In addition to the fully collapsed state and the fully extended state, the telescoping tube assembly  12  can be in any number of intermediate states. In these intermediate states, such as the one illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the lip  15 B of the intermediate tube  15 , and/or the lip  16 B of the innermost tube  16 , are situated away from and in between the uppermost and lowermost positions. The capacity of the ring is determined by the degree of extension of the telescoping tube assembly  12 . 
     The outermost tube  16  and any intermediate tube, such as  15  in the figures, should be hollow to accommodate internal structures. The innermost tube  16  and the curved section  11  can have a hollow inside or be made as a solid piece. 
     The tubes  14 ,  15  and  16  and the curved section  11  can be constructed of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, steel, iron, aluminum, copper, bronze, plastic, etc. The lips  14 T,  15 T,  15 B and  16 B can be made using any of the same materials in the preceding sentence, or other materials, such as an elastomeric material (e.g., rubber). 
     The adjustable ring  10  can be designed such that the tubes  14 ,  15  and  16  can move up and down in relation to each other with or without friction between two adjacent tubes. 
     If no friction between the parts of the tube assembly  12  is present, the capacity of the ring is determined by how much material is placed on the ring. The ring will collapse with the force of gravity until it reaches the lowest point, which is the top of material on the ring or the fully closed state, whichever is higher. 
     Friction allows the tubes to stay in an intermediate state on their own, which facilitates the insertion of papers into the binder. Without friction, the adjustable ring  10  will automatically collapse with the force of gravity to the most collapsed state that is permitted by existing material in the binder. 
     Various methods can be used to impart desirable friction between the tubes. In one method, the tubes and/or lips are dimensioned such that an inner part fits tightly within an outer part, creating friction through compressive forces between the mating surfaces of the parts. In another method, one or both of the mating surfaces (i.e., the inner surface of an outer tube and the outer surface of an inner lip) are provided with a coating or surface layer that imparts or adjusts friction. Examples of suitable coating includes a polymeric coating, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,496, which is incorporated in its entirety into the instant specification. Examples of suitable surface layer includes a rubber, a suede, or another material with a coarse surface. In yet another method, one or more lips (especially those made of rubber or another elastomeric material) can be dimensioned such that they are wider than the internal voids of the corresponding outer tubes when they are in their natural, uncompressed state, but can fit inside such internal voids under compression. The compression required to insert the lips into the corresponding outer tubes leads to the creation of friction between these parts. 
     Other known mechanisms can be provided to releasably lock two adjacent tubes in a specific position. For example, a ball retention mechanism as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US20030170074 can be used to releasably lock the outermost tube  14  in relation to the intermediate tube  15 , and/or the intermediate tube  15  in relation to the innermost tube  16 . The disclosure of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US20030170074 is incorporated in its entirety in the instant application. Such lock allows a user to add or remove materials to the ring without worrying about the telescoping arm(s) collapsing under the effect of gravity, and the lock can be readily broken once the addition or removal has been accomplished. 
     In additional embodiments, telescoping assemblies with known designs can be used for purposes of this invention. For example, in these additional embodiments, the telescoping arm  12  is replaced by a telescoping structure that is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,298,140 titled “Telescopic Extensible Antenna,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,739 titled “Antenna Device for an Automobile,” or U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,552 titled “Backscratcher with a Telescopically Adjustable Shaft and with a Plurality of Screw-on Attachment End Pieces.” The disclosure of these three patents is incorporated in this application in their entirety. The design illustrated in FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,552 is particularly advantageous because it reduces or eliminates the unwanted rotation between the tubes. 
       FIG. 12  shows the state of the adjustable ring  10  when a user adds or removes a sheet or sheet-like material. When a user wishes to add material into the adjustable ring, the user can raise either half of the adjustable ring (right half shown in  FIG. 12 ) to create a gap between the distal ends  11   a  of the curved sections  11 . If needed, the user can also lower the other half of the adjustable ring. Then the user can add or remove material through the gap. Once the user has finished adding or removing material, the user can adjust one or both halves of the curved section  11  so that the distal ends  11   b  of the curved sections  11  can lock onto each other, maintaining a closed upside-down U loop. The locking between the distal ends is the result of the interactions between the opposing surfaces, the friction built into the tubes/lips, other locking mechanisms or preferably, a combination of two or more of the above. 
       FIGS. 13-14  illustrate a binder incorporating the adjustable ring described in  FIGS. 1-12 . The binder  101  comprises a pair of superimposed sheets  103 - 1  and  103 - 2 , and three rigid, spaced-apart, stiffener panels  105 - 1 ,  105 - 2  and  105 - 3 . Stiffener panels  105 - 1  through  105 - 3 , which are appropriately sized to provide support to the rear cover, spine and front cover, respectively, of binder  101 , are sandwiched between sheets  103 - 1  and  103 - 2 . Sheets  103 - 1  and  103 - 2  are heat-sealed to one another around their respective peripheries and on either side of panel  105 - 2  to define the rear cover  107 - 1 , spine  107 - 2 , and front cover  107 - 3 , respectively, of binder  101 , spine  107 - 2  being joined to rear cover  107 - 1  and to front cover  107 - 3  by hinge lines  109 - 1  and  109 - 2 , respectively. One or more adjustable rings  10  (three shown in  FIG. 13 ) are riveted or otherwise fastened to rear cover  107 - 1  through the base plate  150  and optionally, the ground plate  160 . Spine  107 - 2  is free to pivot away from adjustable rings  10  in the direction indicated by arrow  22  to provide convenient access to adjustable rings  10 . The width of spine  107 - 2  is great enough to enable covers  107 - 1  and  107 - 3  to clear the adjustable rings  10  at the ring&#39;s fully extended state. 
     Stiffener panels  105 - 1 ,  105 - 2  and  105 - 3  are preferably made from a rigid material, such as chipboard, cardboard, paperboard, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, low density polyethylene, thermoplastic rubber, ethylene-ethyl acrylate, ethylene-butylene copolymer, polybutylene and copolymers thereof, ethylene-propylene copolymers, chlorinated propylene, chlorinated polybutylene or mixtures of those, polyurethane elastomeric materials, polyester elastomeric materials, polyamide elastomeric materials, copolymers of isobutylene and isoprene, aluminum, steel, copper, iron, brass, and other materials of the like. 
     In other embodiments, the adjustable ring  10  of the invention is used in conjunction with a binder that is known in the art, such as any of the various embodiments of binders described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,246, which is incorporated in its entirety into the instant specification. Embodiments reflecting such use are considered embodiments of this invention. For example, a binder constructed according to the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,246 comprises (i) a front cover stiffener panel, said front cover stiffener panel preferably having an inside and outside sheet, and preferably being secured between said inside and said outside surface sheets, (ii) a rear cover stiffener panel, said rear cover stiffener panel being spaced apart from said front cover stiffener panel in opposing relation thereto and preferably having an inside and outside sheet, and preferably being secured between said inside and said outside surface sheets, (iii) one or more adjustable rings secured to said front cover stiffener panel and said rear cover stiffener panel, whereby said adjustable rings are in accordance with the first embodiment, (iv) a plurality of stiffener strips which are secured to each other, wherein said stiffener strips form a flexible spine which is connected to the front cover stiffener panel at one end, and connected to the rear cover stiffener panel at the opposing end, (v) whereby said front and said rear cover stiffener panels, and said stiffener strips cooperatively define a binder cover having front and rear covers interconnected by a flexible spine, said flexible spine being conformable about said one or more adjustable rings. The use of flexible backing is advantageous because it conforms to a larger or smaller range of material, in terms of thickness. 
     Although the invention has been described in conjunction with examples thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that additions, modifications, substitutions, and deletions may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.