Patent Publication Number: US-6669392-B2

Title: Device for binding sheets and bound sheets

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/IT99/00385, filed Nov. 24, 1999. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a device for binding sheets in a pack, and to a bound bundle. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     As is known, packed sheets with holes along one edge of the pack are bound using substantially tubular binding devices comprising an elongated, substantially C-section spine portion, and a number of curved tongues formed integrally with the spine portion and spaced to form an elastic comblike structure. Each tongue is inserted inside a respective (preferably rectangular) hole in the pack and through the pack so that a respective end portion rests on an inner surface of the spine portion to firmly connect and bind the sheets into a bundle. 
     Known binding devices of the above type have a number of drawbacks, including the following: 
     the elongated spine portion projects frontwards and laterally from the bundle, so that the bundle is often difficult to shelve or place alongside other bound bundles; 
     binding devices of different sizes, in particular with elongated spine portions of different shape and width, are required for binding bundles of different thickness; 
     writing or printing is not normally possible on the spine of the bound bundle, by the spine being defined by the outer surface of the spine portion, which is curved and made of plastic material; 
     the binding device (being made of plastic material) must be detached from the packed sheets when disposing of, e.g. burning, the bundle. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for binding packed sheets, designed to eliminate the drawbacks of known devices. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a binding device of the type described in claim  1 . 
     The present invention also relates to a bound bundle of the type described in claim  16 . 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A non-limiting embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a view in perspective of a binding device in accordance with the teaching of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows a larger-scale view in perspective of a portion of the FIG. 1 binding device; 
     FIG. 3 shows a variation of the FIG. 2 binding device; 
     FIG. 4 shows a section along line IV—IV in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 shows a view in perspective of a first stage in the use of the binding device; 
     FIG. 6 shows a view in perspective of a second stage in the use of the binding device; 
     FIG. 7 shows a view in perspective of a third stage in the use of the binding device; 
     FIG. 8 shows a view in perspective of a bound bundle formed using the FIG. 1 binding device. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Number  1  in FIG. 1 indicates as a whole a binding device comprising a rectangular flat sheet element  3  having a number of flexible tongues  7  arranged combfashion along a straight major side  3   a.  Tongues  7  are preferably die-cut integrally with flat sheet element  3 . 
     Flat sheet element  3  may be formed by die-cutting a sheet of cardboard, a sheet of plastic material (e.g. transparent plastic material), or a sheet of metal (e.g. a flexible sheet of aluminium). That is, flat sheet element  3  may be made of various materials, providing sufficient flexibility of tongues  7  is ensured. 
     Tongues  7  are equally spaced with spacing D (FIGS. 2 and 3) along straight major side  3   a,  and are all of the same length L; and each tongue  7  extends perpendicularly to side  3   a,  and is rectangular with a rounded minor-side free end  7   e.    
     Binding device  1  also comprises a strip-shaped closing element  10  extending along the whole of straight major side  3   a  of flat element  3 , and preferably made of the same material as flat element  3 . More specifically, closing strip  10  is rectangular, and comprises a first straight major edge portion  10   a  (FIG. 4) glued to flat sheet element  3  along straight major side  3   a;  and two minor edges  10   c,    10   d  (FIG. 1) aligned with the minor sides  3   c,    3   d  of rectangular flat element  3 . 
     Closing strip  10  has an application surface  13  facing tongues  7 , and a surface  14  facing away from tongues  7 . 
     Application surface  13  has an adhesive strip  17  extending along a second straight major edge portion  10   b  of strip  10 . Adhesive strip  17  comprises a removable cover strip  20 , and is preferably defined by a biadhesive strip along straight major edge lob of closing strip  10 . 
     Adhesive strip  17  may also be normally solid and formable thermally; in which case, cover strip  20  may be dispensed with. 
     Closing strip  10  (FIG. 4) has a useful width F (measured between second edge portion  10   b  and side  3   a ) greater than the length L of each tongue  7 , so that the end portion  7   e  of each tongue faces application surface  13  when strip  10  is undeformed and substantially flat. Closing strip  10  may also be made of cloth. 
     Closing strip  10  also has a preferential bend line  21   a  (FIG. 2) extending the whole length of the closing strip and parallel to major edges  10   a  and  10   b  of strip  10  and to side  3   a  of flat sheet element  3 . Preferential bend line  21   a  extends along a portion of surface  13  not covered with adhesive. 
     A larger number of bend lines may be provided, e.g. two (or more) as shown in FIG. 3, which shows two preferential bend lines  21   a,    21   b  extending parallel to major edges  10   a  and  10   b  of strip  10  and therefore parallel to side  3   a  of flat sheet element  3 . Both preferential bend lines  21   a,    21   b  extend along a portion of surface  13  not covered with adhesive. 
     To use the device according to the present invention, a pack  30  (FIGS. 1 and 5) is prepared of rectangular sheets  31  having a series of rectangular-section holes  33  extending along a straight major edge  30   e  of pack  30 . Pack  30  is defined, on opposite faces, by flat end elements  30   a,    30   b  preferably defined by a sheet and by a semirigid element (e.g. cardboard, as shown in FIG.  1 ). In FIGS. 5 and 1, flat element  30   b  is shown detached from the other parts of pack  30  for the sake of clarity. 
     According to the present invention, each tongue  7  is inserted through a respective hole  33  in pack  30  so that each end  7   e  projects from hole  33  (FIGS.  5  and  6 ). This may be done manually (FIGS. 5 and 6) by placing flat sheet element  3  vertically with tongues  7  facing upwards, placing pack  30  horizontally and perpendicular to tongues  7 , and at the same time moving pack  30  towards tongues  7  so as to insert the tongues inside respective holes  33  (FIG.  6 ). At this point, flat sheet element  3  is folded (arrow P) onto a first face of pack  30 . More specifically, flat element  3  is folded onto flat end element  30   a  of pack  30 , with tongues  7  still inserted inside holes  33  and with pack  30  in the preceding position (for instance still horizontal), so as to bend tongues  7  at their respective bases. 
     The ends of tongues  7  projecting from pack  30  are then bent (arrow B) onto flat end element  30   b  (preferably made of semirigid material) defining a second face of pack  30 . 
     Cover strip  20  is removed (FIG. 6) and closing strip  10  is gripped and folded into a C (arrow K, FIGS. 6 and 7) so that the peripheral portion of closing strip  10  adjacent to edge lob is superimposed on flat end element  30   b  defining the second face of pack  30 , and adhesive strip  17 , with cover strip  20  removed, adheres firmly to the portion of flat element  30   b  close to holes  33 , and to the underlying portions of tongues  7 . As stated, flat element  30   b  defining the second face of pack  30  is preferably made of sufficiently rigid material, e.g. cardboard or plastic. Adhesive strip  17  thus provides for firmly connecting strip  10  and flat element  30   b,  and so ensuring connection of flat element  30   b  and flat element  3 , while the sheets of pack  30  are retained firmly between flat element  30   b  and flat sheet element  3 , which respectively define the rear and front cover of a bound bundle (FIG.  8 ). 
     The advantages of the present invention will be clear from the foregoing description: 
     closing strip  10  does not project with respect to the thickness of the bundle, which, being substantially parallelepipedal with no projecting parts, is therefore easy to shelve or place alongside other bound bundles; 
     since a portion of each tongue  7  need simply project from the pack of sheets, device  1  may be used for binding packs of sheets of different thicknesses; 
     writing or printing may be applied to strip  10 , the central portion of surface  14  of which defines the spine of the bound bundle; 
     writing or printing may also be applied to flat sheet element  3  which, depending on the arrangement of the sheets in the bundle, defines the front or rear cover of the bound bundle; 
     the binding device may be made of recyclable (e.g. paper) material to avoid the necessity of removing the device when disposing of, e.g. burning, the bundle. 
     Moreover, binding device  1  may be made by simply die-cutting and gluing readily available materials, and is therefore cheap and easy to produce. 
     The binding device may also be used for security purposes, to prevent sheets from being replaced or added to the bundle, by, for example, initialling or applying a SEAL to the overlapping portion of closing strip  10  and flat end element  30   b  (FIG.  8 ). In the event the bundle is opened, closing strip  10  is detached from flat end element  30   b,  thus destroying or altering the initialling or the SEAL. 
     Clearly, changes may be made to the binding device as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention.