Patent Publication Number: US-6666641-B2

Title: Laminated book cover

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to using lamination on both sides of soft book covers to improve the durability of the book covers and a method of facilitating the attachment of said book covers when hot glue is used in the process of bookbinding. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Soft book covers now in use are made of heavy and expensive paper which covers may be plastic coated. These book covers are easily dog-eared, bent or torn in use. 
     It is well known in the bookbinding process to form a book spine by flowing hot glue into bindings that tie book leaves together therein permanently protecting the bindings and permanently securing the leaves into a book spine. 
     Plastic lamination on both sides of the covers makes soft covers stronger without adding significantly to book weight but lamination on both sides has not been used because most book binders use hot glue in the bookbinding process and the hot glue used will not bond with the lamination of the covers. 
     It is the object of this invention to provide a durable and inexpensive cover laminated on both cover sides that is secured to book bindings with hot glue used in forming the book spine. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This objective is achieved by laminating a soft book cover with plastic and securing the cover spine to the book spine with hot glue used in the bookbinding process. Because that hot glue does not adhere well to laminated covers, a strip is attached to the cover binder between the cover spine and the book spine. The bookbinding hot glue then attaches to the strip to secure the laminated cover to the book bindings as the hot glue flows into the bindings to form the book spine. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an end view of showing the laminated book covers. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the laminated book covers showing two flat panels separated by a cover spine. 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic system flow showing the steps of producing the book cover and attachment of the book cover to the body of the book when hot glue is used in the bookbinding machines. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The use of soft book covers that are laminated with plastic on both sides is discouraged by book binders because most book binders use hot glue that does not bind to plastic laminate in the binding process. Therefore most soft book covers are made of heavy and expensive paper in an effort to try to achieve a durable cover. This invention facilitates the use of soft book covers that are laminated with plastic on both sides to provide a more durable and low cost soft book cover when hot glue is used in the process of book binding that does not bond with the laminated book covers. 
     Referring to FIG. 1 the book cover  11  covered on both sides with plastic laminate  10  comprises front and back panels  8  separated by cover spine  9 . As shown in FIG. 2, a strip of paper  12  the width and length of the spine of the book is bonded at the cover spine  9  on the inside of the book cover with an adhesive  13  that will bond to the laminate  10  and the paper strip  12 . The hot glue will bond with the paper strip  12  in the attachment of the assembled book cover  14  shown in FIG. 1 during the process of the bookbinding. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the assembly of the book cover begins with the printed book cover sheet  11  inserted into a commercial laminating machine  15  that laminates both sides with laminate  10  that is trimmed if required before the paper strip  12  is bonded to the spine area completing the assembled book cover  14 . The assembled book cover  14  is inserted into a commercial bookbinding machine  16  along with the body of the book  17  where the hot glue used in the commercial book binding machine  16  binds the book spine  17  to the book cover at the cover spine  9 , pressing the strip to the book spine as book binding glue is applied to the book spine, the book binding glue flowing into the book spine bindings and also applying to the strip  12  therein attaching the cover to the book spine to produce the assembled book  18  having the cover spine hot-glued to the book bindings of the book spine with the cover front and back panels folded in face-to-face contiguous contact with first and last leaves of the book.