Patent Publication Number: US-2010129179-A1

Title: Self-binding system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/116,723, filed on Nov. 21, 2008, and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a self-binding system, and more specifically to a self-binding system for paper sheets that utilizes tabs cut into the sheets to avoid the need for conventional binding materials such as looped wire, staples, tape, thread or cloth. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A variety of different techniques are known for binding sheets of paper or other materials together to form books, notebooks and the like. For example, individual sheets of paper may be bound directly to the inside of the spine of a cardboard cover using a hot-melt adhesive. Sheets of paper may also be conventionally bound with various materials, such as thread, tape, wire or staples, depending upon the application. For example, most notebooks are bound with a metal, plastic, or wire binding that is inserted or looped through holes in the sheets of paper. 
     As another example, traditional books, especially hardcover books, are often bound using the cloth binding technique. Cloth binding involves a complex sequence of first folding and stitching sets of pages, joining these sets together with tape, glued cloth or additional stitching, and then gluing end sheets and covers. While such bindings are generally effective, they are relatively difficult to manufacture, as separate machinery may be needed for each of the different joining procedures. 
     Moreover, the above types of notebooks and books are made from more than one material. For example, the pages, binding and cover are typically different materials, e.g., paper, cloth, wire, staples or tape, which creates relatively high material and manufacturing costs. Significantly, notebooks that are made with a metal, plastic, or wire binding are not easily recyclable as the various pieces such as the cover, binding, and pages have to be first separated and then individually recycled. 
     In view of the above, a need exists for a self-binding system in which the binding and paper sheets to be bound are a single material. An additional need exists for a single material, self-binding system that may be easily recycled. 
     With the forgoing concerns and needs in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a single material, self-binding system to reduce manufacturing and recycling costs and provide an ease of manufacture not presently known in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-binding system. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a self-binding system that reduces costs associated with the manufacture of bound paper products. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a self-binding system that provides an ease of manufacture presently unknown in the art. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a self-binding system that reduces the costs and difficulty associated with recycling bound paper products. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a self-binding system that provides a reduced cost, an ease of manufacture and reduced recycling costs through the use of a binding and paper sheets that are manufactured from a single material. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a self-binding system that allows for addition of sheets to the book without disassembly of the existing binding or sheets. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention, and their preferred embodiments, shall become clear by consideration of the specification taken as a whole. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an orthogonal view of the typical inner page portion of a self-binding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the typical inner page portion of the self-binding system of  FIG. 1  folded to depict a series of extended tabs. 
         FIG. 3  is an orthogonal view of the cover and first page portion of a self-binding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the cover and first page portion of the self-binding system of  FIG. 3  folded to depict the back surface. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an assembly of the cover and first page portion and a typical inner page portion of the self-binding system of  FIGS. 2 and 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an assembly of the cover and first page portion and a typical inner page portion of the self-binding system of  FIGS. 2 and 4  folded to depict the back face of the typical inner page portion. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an assembly of any subsequent typical page portions of the self-binding system  FIGS. 2 and 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a front cover of the assembly of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a portion of a self-binding system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is an orthogonal view of a second portion of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an assembly of the portions of  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a rear surface of the assembly of  FIG. 11  depicting tabs folded over sheets of the inventive assembly. 
         FIG. 13  is an orthogonal view of a folded front cover of  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of the inventive self-binding assembly is depicted in  FIGS. 1-8 . The assembly is generally comprised of a plurality of sheets that are folded in half about a fold line  20  to form two individual leaves  10 ,  12  meeting at a fold edge  22 . This folded sheet is referred to as a bifolio. Each bifolio will constitute four pages of a book, notebook, or the like when bound. One bifolio is set aside to make a cover sheet  40 , which will comprise the cover page  42  and first page  44  of a book, notebook or the like. This cover sheet  40 , in unfolded and folded form, is best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , respectively. As shown in  FIG. 4 , in folded form, the cover sheet  40  has a fold edge  24 . Importantly, the folded cover sheet  40  does not have cut tabs along its fold edge  24  ( FIG. 3 ) and therefore forms a blank book face ( FIG. 8 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the leaves  10 ,  12  of all of the other folded sheets are opened flat. These folded sheets are formed with at least one tab  30  and, preferably, a plurality of tabs  30  cut against the left hand side of the fold line  20 .  FIG. 1  shows one possible configuration of tabs  30  cut out of the left hand leaf  10  against the fold line  20 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , when the left hand leaf  10  is folded about the fold line  20  in the direction of (A), the tabs  30  protrude in a comb formation along the fold edge  22  to form a tabbed bifolio  4 . While the tabs are shown as being on the left side of the fold line  20  or fold edge  22 , it will be readily appreciated that the tabs may also be formed to the right of the fold line  20  or fold edge  22 . Moreover, while the tabs are shown as being semi-circular in shape, any shape tabs such as square, rectangular, ovular and the like may also be used, so long as there is sufficient surface area to effect an adhering or otherwise affixing of the tab, as described in detail below. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , to assemble the pages the cover sheet  40  and a tabbed bifolio  4  are placed adjacent one another so that the cover sheet fold edge  24  and fold edge  22  of the tabbed bifolio  4  face in opposing directions. In this orientation, the tabs  30  of the tabbed bifolio  4  extend past the cover sheet fold edge  24  and at least partially overlap the first page  44  of the cover sheet  40 . The tabs  30  are then brought into registration with the back of the first leaf  44  and affixed thereto to form a secure binding. In the preferred embodiment, the tabs  30  are affixed to the back of the first leaf  44  by applying an adhesive, such as a glue, to either the tabs  30  or the back of the first page  44  adjacent the cover sheet fold edge  24  prior to bringing the tabs  30  and the back of the first page  44  into contact with one another. Pressing contact, heat, light or other means known in the art, depending on the type of adhesive used, will then cure the adhesive to form a secure attachment between the cover sheet  40  and tabbed bifolio  4 . It will be readily appreciated, however, that any affixing means known in the art may also be used to form the binding. 
     Once the tabs  30  are affixed to the first page  44  of the cover sheet  40 , the tabbed bifolio  4  is then folded in the direction of (B), as shown in  FIG. 5 , so that the cover sheet  40  and tabbed bifolio  4  are in stacked relationship. The resulting assembly is best shown in  FIG. 6 . The assembly is now ready for the attachment of subsequent tabbed bifolios  4  in a manner similar to that described above. During subsequent assembly, the tabs  30  of each tabbed bifolio  4  are individually glued to the blank back of the preceding tabbed bifolio along its fold edge ( FIG. 7 ) until a desired number of pages have been included. A finished assembly is shown in  FIG. 8 . As will be readily appreciated, the cover and the back page have blank faces so that the tabs, cutout portions and any adhering means are not exposed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , a finished assembly  2  comprises at a cover sheet  40  having a cover sheet fold edge  24  defining a cover page  42  and a first page  44 , and at least one tabbed bifolio  4  having a first leaf  10 , a second leaf  12 , a fold edge  22  and at least one tab  30  protruding in a comb formation along the fold edge  22 , wherein the tab or tabs of the first tabbed bifolio  4  are affixed to the back of the first page  44  of the cover sheet  40 . In this simple arrangement the assembly  2  will have a cover sheet (having a front and back) and six pages. As described above, additional tabbed bifolios  4  may be added to the assembly  2  to create a book, notebook or the like having as many pages as desired. As each tabbed bifolio  4  has two leaves,  10 ,  12  each leaf making up two pages, each subsequent tabbed bifolio  4  will add four pages to the assembly. 
     Preferably, each of the sheets of the assembly  2  are made of a recyclable material, although any material known in the art may be used. In the preferred embodiment the sheets are made of paper or paperboard. The fact that the binding and sheets are manufactured from a single material, i.e., from sheets of paper, is an important aspect of the present invention. The use of a single material allows for an ease of manufacture presently unknown in the art. That is, no special equipment is required to, for example, manufacture and insert a looped wire binding into stacked sheets of paper. Moreover, the use of a single material facilitates the recycling of paper or books that are bound using the method of the present invention, as a separate wire binding, for example, does not have to be removed prior to recycling as is common in the art. 
     As will be readily appreciated, the preferred embodiment of the inventive self-binding system is modular in that it allows for the addition of sheets to the book without disassembly of the existing binding/sheets, i.e., it is customizable. This is another important aspect of the present invention as it provides a versatility and flexibility heretofore unavailable with known bindings. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 9-13 , an alternative embodiment of inventive self-binding assembly  100  is depicted. In this embodiment, a plurality of sheets  110  that feature a series of slots  130  about a common fold line  120  are joined together by a separate anchor sheet  140 . This plurality of nested sheets  110  folded in half along a common fold line  120  is known as a “section”  112 . As will be readily appreciated the last sheet in the stack of nested sheets, as shown in  FIG. 9 , will form the front page and the back page of the finished assembly when folded, thereby defining a front face and a back face of the assembly, respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the anchor sheet  140  features a plurality of tabs  150  that correspond in location and dimension to the slots  130 . This allows for the tabs  150  to be inserted into the slots  130  to form the inventive binding. The insertion of the tabs  150  of the anchor sheet  140  into the complimentary slots  130  is depicted in  FIG. 11 . Preferably, the anchor sheet  140  is substantially the same size as an individual sheet  110  so that a uniform outer edge can be achieved. 
     Once the tabs  150  have been inserted into the slots  130 , they are folded over and glued to the front and back faces of the outermost sheets  110  that form the front and back covers of a book bound with the inventive system. As shown, it is preferable to alternate the faces to which the tabs are glued so that no consecutive tab is glued to the same surface. This configuration creates a ladder-like arrangement on the front and back covers. As will be appreciated, the size and shape of the tabs  150  may be varied in dependence upon the quantity of sheets to be secured, i.e., longer tabs for greater numbers of sheets, and for aesthetic reasons. 
     With respect to aesthetics, it is noted that the tabs are visible on the front and back covers of an assembled book. As such, it may be desirable for the tabs to be colored or patterned to stand apart from or contrast with the covers. In particular, the color and shape of the tabs may be varied to market books bound with the inventive system to various consumer groups. 
     As will be readily appreciated, the type of books bound with the inventive system may vary. While it is envisioned that the inventive system will be used with blank note books and the like, the system may be used to bind virtually any kind of book including conventional books featuring text, illustrations and pictures. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various obvious changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof, without departing from the essential scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.