Patent Publication Number: US-2006006638-A1

Title: Fold oriented album page, and fabrication

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates generally to improvements in albums, as for example photograph albums, and more particularly to improvements to pages of albums that facilitate folding or turning of the pages which typically mount and/or display photographs and/or memoranda elements.  
      There is continual need for improvements in such albums and/or album pages, to assist, or enhance, ease of their usage. For example there is need for ways to easily and rapidly mount photographs on album pages, and to enable removal of mounted photographs without damage either to album pages or to the photographs during their removal. This is in turn facilitated by easy folding of the successive pages, in the album.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus meeting the above needs.  
      The improved and preferred album page configured in accordance with the invention includes: 
          a) first, second, third and fourth layers each less than 1/16 inch thick, and extending in substantially parallel relation,     b) the first and second layers extending in superposed relation and defining a through opening or openings to receive an album post or posts,     c) the third and fourth layers extending in generally superposed relation, in offset relation to the first and second layers, and defining a pocket to receive an album photo or other graphic sheet,     d) the second and fourth layers interconnected at a single layer that defines a flexible page folding locus, between the first and third layers.        

      As will be seen, the second and fourth layers are configured on a common sheet of flexible plastic material. In this regard, each of the layers typically consists of flexible plastic material, whereby the locally effectively relevant thickness of the page at the defined single layer provides a preferred folding or foldable locus between the first and third layers.  
      Another object is to provide a layer extension between said second and fourth layers, to provide said folding locus.  
      A further object is to provide two primary rows of connections interconnecting said first and second layers, the through opening or openings located between said two primary rows, whereby the first and second layers are locally stiffened against folding, as at the post hole locations. Also, a secondary row of connectors is typically provided to interconnect the third and fourth layers which are locally stiffened against folding.  
      An added object is to provide multiple album pages as referred to, which become stacked with the through openings in alignment, and the folding loci in alignment. Such loci may comprise narrow bands of layer extension material, and of widths between ⅞ and ⅝ inch.  
      These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: 
    
    
     DRAWING DESCRIPTION  
       FIG. 1  is a representation of an album, opened to show the front side of an album page and the rear side of the next album page;  
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a corner section of the album page;  
       FIG. 3  is an edge view taken on lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a view like  FIG. 3 , but showing a modification; and  
       FIG. 5  shows a modification. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      In  FIG. 1 , an opened album  10  has front and back covers  11  and  12 , and metallic posts  13  and  14  extend through edge portions  15  of album page  16 .  
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show construction of a representative page  16 , in enlarged views. The page includes multiple plastic sheet layers, including: 
          a) first, second, third and fourth layers  17 - 20 , each typically less than 1/16 inch thick, and extending in substantially parallel relation,     b) the first and second layers  17  and  18  extending in superposed relation, and defining a through opening or openings  21  to receive an album post or posts  13 ,     c) the third and fourth layers  19  and  20  also extending in generally superposed relation, in sidewardly offset relation to the first and second layers  17  and  18 , and also defining a pocket  23  to receive a photo or other graphic sheet, indicated at  40 ,     d) and the second and fourth layers  18  and  20  interconnected at a layer  26 , as in the form of an extension of  18  or  20 , that defines a flexible page folding preferred locus  25 , between the first and third layers  17  and  19 .        
       FIG. 4  shows another form of the device, wherein layers  17  and  18  are unitary at  30 ; layers  19  and  20  are unitary at  31 ; and extension  32  between  30  and  31  is unitary with  30  and  31 , and of lesser thickness than each of  30  and  31 , to provide the preferred folding locus.  
      In  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the second and fourth layers  18  and  20  are configured as a common sheet of flexible plastic material.  
      Also provided are two primary rows of connections interconnecting said first and second layers, the through opening or openings located between said two primary rows, whereby the first and second layers are locally stiffened to resist folding, as at the post hole locations. See for example the two rows  35  and  36  of connectors  35 ′ and  36 ′, which may be provided by local heat joining of thermoplastic layers  17  and  18 . Further, a secondary row  38  of such interconnections may be provided to join layers  19  and  20 . The result is the provision of stiffening of layers  17  and  18  against bending and of layers  19  and  20  against bending, to the extent that preferred page folding is relegated to the locus of the narrow extension or band  26 . This tends to keep the pocket  23  between layers  19  and  20  in straight and flat condition, and the layers  17  and  18  in unfolded, or lesser folded condition, as during page turning, to facilitate such turning, away from the album posts and the photo pocket, enhancing ease and efficiency of usage of the album.  
      Further features include multiple album pages as referred to which can be stacked, with through openings in successive pages being in alignment, and the folding zones  26  in superposed alignment. Also, the reduced thickness extensions  26  on successive pages at which folding preferably occurs, are left offset from the album posts, and are kept aligned in superposed relation, ready for localized folding.  
       FIG. 5  shows a modification, like  FIG. 2 , but in which the extension  26 ′ is reduced in width to a very narrow band, or line.  
      In  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  5 , the layers  17  and  18  are shown as interconnected at edge fold  45 . Extension  26  is typically between about ⅜ and ⅝ inch wide.