Patent Publication Number: US-6334403-B1

Title: Page clamp with integral cover clip

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/120,011, filed Feb. 11, 1999, entitled “Page Clamp with Integral Bookmark Holder”. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to page clamps and, more particularly, to page clamps that can be clamped to a cover of a book without extending substantially outside the periphery of the cover. 
     2. BACKGROUND ART 
     Page clamps are utilized to secure pages of a book on pages and a cover of a book together in a manner known in the art to facilitate reading of the book. A problem with prior art page clamps is that they cannot readily be clamped to the cover of a closed book when not in use. Moreover, even if clamped to the cover of a closed book, the prior art page clamps typically extend a substantial distance outside the periphery of the cover thus rendering it difficult to store the book with page clamp attached. Because of these problems, page clamps are typically disassociated from the book during storage and have to be found for subsequent use. However, when separated from the book, the prior art page clamps are often lost or not retrieved for subsequent reading of the book. 
     Moreover, a bookmark is often placed between pages to mark the location in a book where subsequent reading should commence. However, bookmarks are typically disassociated from the book during reading or after the conclusion of reading and have to subsequently be found for subsequent use. However, when separated from the book, bookmarks are often best or not retrieved for subsequent use. 
     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems and others by providing a page clamp that can be attached to a cover of a book substantially within the periphery of the cover. It is an object of the present invention to provide a page clamp which includes an integral bookmark holder. Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, I have invented a page clamp having a first blade and a second blade connected in opposition. Each blade has a first end and a second end. A biasing means biases the second ends of the blades toward each other. A clip has a clip body disposed in space relation to a face of the second blade opposite the first blade. The clip body has first end connected to the face of the second blade opposite the first blade. The clip body extends toward and terminates at a second end between the first and second ends of the second blade. 
     A pivoting means pivotally connects the blades together and the biasing means can bias the pivoting means. The pivoting means can include a pair of arms extending from each blade toward the other blade. The pair of arms of the first blade overlap the pair of arms of the second blade and at least one pivot is projected through the overlapping pair of arms. The biasing means can include a spring biased between an arm of the first blade and an arm of the second blade. The first end of the clip can be connected to the one end of the second blade or between the ends of the second blade. 
     The face of the first blade opposite the second blade can include a plurality of tabs which define with the face a plurality of gaps. The plurality of gaps can be configured to receive an edge of a bookmark therein when the bookmark is received on the face. The first blade can include a rim which extends between two or more of the tabs and normal to the face. 
     The bookmark can be formed at least in part of magnetic material. The first blade can include magnetic material for magnetically attracting the bookmark to the first blade. The first blade can include a face on a side thereof opposite the second blade. The face of the first blade can include the magnetic material and the bookmark can be positioned on the face of the first blade and held thereto by magnetic attraction. The magnetic material of the first blade can include one or more magnets and the magnetic material of the bookmark can include one or more magnets. 
     Preferably, the clip is formed from a material having a spring memory that enables the second end of the clip to more away from the face of the second blade when a cover of a book is inserted therebetween and to return to a position adjacent to or touching the face of the second blade when the cover of the book is extracted from therebetween. 
     I have also invented an apparatus for securing pages of a book together. The apparatus includes a clamp having a first end, a second end and first and second members positioned in opposition and converging from the first end to the second end. A biasing means biases the first and second members toward each other at the second end of the clamp. The apparatus includes a clip having a first end fixedly connected to a face of the second member opposite the first member and a clip body which extends in spaced relation with the face of the second member toward the one end of the clamp and terminating in a second end between the first end of the clip and the second end of the clamp. 
     The clip body can include adjacent a second end thereof a laterally extending tab which extends beyond a periphery of the second member. The first member can include magnetic material that attracts a bookmark that includes magnetic material. 
     Lastly, I have invented a page clamp for securing the pages of a book. The page clamp includes a clamp having a pair of outward facing faces and a pair of opposed faces defined by a pair of sides which converges adjacent one end of the clamp. A clip is positioned in spaced relation with one of the outward facing faces. The clip has one end connected to the one outward facing face and a second end bias by the clip toward the one outward facing face. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1 a - 1   d  are front elevational, side elevational, back elevational and top views of a page clamp in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b  are side elevational and back elevational views of a page clamp in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 a  is a front elevational view of a page clamp including tabs and a rim for receiving a bookmark; and 
     FIG. 3 b  is a sectional view taken along line IIIb—IIIb in FIG. 3 a.   
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 a - 1   d , a page clamp  2  includes a first member or blade  4  having a first end  6  and a second end  8 , and a second member or blade  10  having a first end  12  and a second end  14 . First and second members  4  and  10  include faces  20  and  22  positioned in opposition and external faces  24  and  26  which face away from each other. 
     A pivoting means  30  pivotally connects first member  4  and second member  10 . Preferably, pivoting means  30  includes a pair of spaced arms  32  which extend normal to face  20  of first member  4  and a pair of spaced arms  34  which extend normal to face  22  of second member  10  and overlap spaced arms  32 . The ends of arms  32  and  34  opposite face  20  and  22 , respectively, are pivotally connected together by one or more pivots  36  which are projected through overlapping arms  32  and  34 . 
     A biasing means or spring  38  is biased between one arm  32  of first member  4  and one arm  34  of second member  10 . Pivoting means  30  and pivot  36  coact so that first member  4  and second member  10  converge toward each other from the first ends  6  and  12  thereof to the second ends  8  and  14  thereof. Biasing means  38  contacts with the pivoting means  30  to coact to bias the second ends  8  and  14  of first member  4  and second member  10  toward each other. 
     A clip  40  has a clip body  42  disposed in spaced relation with external face  26  of second member  10 . The clip body  42  has a first end  44  connected to external face  26 . The clip body  42  extends toward second end  14  of second member  10  and terminates in a second end  46  between the first end  44  of clip  40  and the second end  14  of second member  10 . In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 a - 1   d , the first end  44  of clip  40  is connected between first end  12  and second end  14  of second member  10 . However, as shown in FIGS. 2 a  and  2   b , first end  44  of clip  40  can be connected to first end  12  of second member  10 . 
     With continuing reference to FIGS. 1 a - 1   d , clip  40  can include adjacent second end  46  thereof a tab  48  which extends laterally from the periphery of clip body  42  and which extends beyond a side of second member  10 . Tab  48  facilitates application of a force for separating second end  46  of clip  40  from external face  26  of second member  10 . 
     Clip  40  is formed from a material having a spring memory that biases second end  46  to a position adjacent or touching external face  26  of second member  10 . This spring memory enables second end  46  of clip  40  to move away from external face  26  of second member  10  when a cover of a book is inserted therebetween. Moreover, this spring memory enables the second end  46  of clip  40  to return to the position adjacent to or touching the external face  26  of second member  10  when the cover of the book is extracted from therebetween. 
     With reference to FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b , and with ongoing reference to FIGS. 1 a - 2   b , preferably first member  4  includes a plurality of L-shaped tabs  50  which define with external face  24  of first member  4  a plurality of gaps  52  that are configured to receive an edge of a bookmark  54  therein. When bookmark  54  is received on external face  24  of first member  4 , the plurality of tabs  50  are positioned and oriented on first member  4  to receive the edge of bookmark  54  in the plurality of gaps  52  thereby retaining bookmark  54  adjacent external face  24  of first member  4 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 a , the plurality of tabs  50  are disposed around a periphery of external face  24  of first member  4 . A rim  56  can extend normal to external face  24  of first member  4  substantially around the periphery thereof to receive the edge of bookmark  54  therein. Rim  56  can include a gap  58 , preferably adjacent first end  6  of first member  4  to facilitate sliding insertion and/or sliding removal of the edge of bookmark  54  into and out of gaps  52  and the boundary formed by rim  56 . 
     Bookmark  54  can be formed from or can include magnetic material and first member  4  can be formed from or can include magnetic material which attracts the magnetic material of bookmark  54  to secure bookmark  54  to external face  24  of first member  4 . For example, bookmark  54  can be formed at least in part of magnetically susceptible material and first member  4  can be formed from or can include magnetic material, such as one or more permanent magnets, for a magnetically attracting bookmark  54  to first member  4 . In another example, bookmark  54  can be formed at least in part from magnetic material and first member  4  can include magnetically susceptible material which is magnetically attracted to the magnetic material of the bookmark  54 . In this embodiment, external face  24  of first member  4  can include the magnetically susceptible material and bookmark  54  can include one or more magnets affixed thereto. The magnetic material can be utilized with the first member  4  and the bookmark  54 , either alone or in combination, with the tabs  50  and/or the rim  56 . 
     In use, a compressive force can be applied to first ends  6  and  12  of first member  4  and second member  10  to cause second ends  8  and  14  to more apart against the bias of biasing means  38  for receiving the pages and/or cover of a book therebetween. Thereafter, the compressive force can be released to enable the biasing means  38  to bias the second ends  8  and  14  together thereby clamping the pages and/or cover of the book. 
     Upon completion of reading, bookmark  54  is separated from external face  24  of first member  4  and inserted at a desired location in the book. Thereafter, the pages and/or cover of the book are removed from between second ends  8  and  14 . Next, the cover of the book is slid between second end  46  of clip  40  and external face  26  of second member  10  toward first end  44  of clip  40  thereby securing page clamp  2  to the cover of the book. Since first end  44  of clip  40  connected on or adjacent first end of second member  10 , clamp  2  substantially withers?? the periphery of the cover of the book. When it is desired to read the book again, the cover is extracted from between second end  46  of clip  40  and external face  26  of second member  10 . Thereafter, the pages and/or cover of the book is clamped between the second ends  8  and  14  of first and second members  4  and  10  in the manner described above. Next, bookmark  54  is secured to the external face  24  of first member  24  by magnetic attraction and/or by sliding the edge of bookmark  54  into the gaps  52  formed between the tabs  58  and the external face of first member  24 . 
     The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obvious modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. For example, external face  24  can include an artistic design or an artistic form, e.g., a molded figure, in place of the attached bookmark. Moreover, first member  4  can include an aperture  60  therethrough adjacent first end  6  to facilitate removal of bookmark  54  out of gaps  52  and the boundary formed by rim  56 . It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of appended claims or the equivalents thereof.