Patent Abstract:
A bookmark/placesaver in combination with a holder for writing implements is disclosed. The holder portion includes a strip of material with complementary mating elements. The strip of material is wrapped around the front cover of a book and the mating elements are attached. An optional lengthening element allows the device to be used on large books. A bookmark with a placesaver allows the reader to mark a page and passage of a book. An optional magnifier can be included on the placesaver.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a pen/pencil/marker holder in combination with a bookmark/placesaver, which optionally includes a magnifying lens.  
           [0002]    Readers often wish to underline or mark passages or to jot notes in margins. They would value the convenience of having a device to store a pen or highlighter with books they are reading.  
           [0003]    A reader would also find a bookmark useful for marking the page he has finished reading. Even more useful would be a bookmark which acts as a placesaver, indicating the very passage which one has completed.  
           [0004]    A device which combines these functions would be especially useful. Combination pen holders/bookmarks have been disclosed in the prior art, for example, Fred P. Gonot, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,800; Kip H. Dopps, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,995; John R. Knight, U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,846; Linda S. Leake, U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,171; and Douglas E. Rigvey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,434. However, none of these are especially easy to use, and several could damage the spines or pages of the books with which they are used. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,800 discloses a bookmark/holder which functions like a giant rubber band, having slits or openings for a pen. The elastic portion could damage pages, and the pen, which is poorly secured, could easily be lost. None of them disclose a placesaver.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention has a strip of material, with an optional elastic segment, the ends of which are wrapped around the cover of a book and fastened together with complementary Velcro™ strips. An optional telescoping strip with Velcro™ allows the present invention to be used on large books. A pocket for holding one or more pens or markers is mounted on the front section of the strip. A ribbon of material is attached to the front section of the strip. The ribbon is used as a bookmark. Threaded onto the ribbon is a placesaver arrow, which can be used to indicate the passage of the book which the reader last read. An optional magnifier can be mounted onto the arrow.  
           [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a utilitarian, yet attractive, combination pen holder and bookmark/placesaver, which gives a reader easy access to and storage of writing instruments, as well as a device for relocating the page of the book, as well as the last passage, that he has read.  
           [0007]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a combination pen holder and bookmark/placesaver which is easy to install and is easy to use.  
           [0008]    A further object of the invention is to provide a combination pen holder and bookmark/placesaver which is adjustable, depending on the size of the book.  
           [0009]    Other objects of the invention will become obvious when the embodiment is more fully described in the specifications.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the combination pen holder and bookmark/placesaver of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an open book, showing the bookmark/placesaver portion in use.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the combination penholder and bookmark/placesaver of the present invention, showing the elastic portion and also the Velcro™ strips and circles.  
         [0013]    FIGS.  4 A- 4 B are details showing the optional adjustable telescoping Velcro™ strip.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a detail showing the optional magnifier attached to the placesaver arrow.  
         [0015]    FIGS.  6 A- 6 D show the method of using the combination pen holder and bookmark/placesaver of the present invention. In FIG. 6A, the open strip of material has been laid on the inside of a book cover, and the bookmark/placesaver has been inserted to point to a passage in the book. In FIG. 6B, the bookmark ribbon has been pulled down and the book has been closed. In FIG. 6C, the lower portion of the invention has been folded over the front cover of the book. In FIG. 6D, the upper portion of the device has been pulled over and affixed to the lower portion. Two pens have been inserted into the holding pocket, and the flap is ready to be closed. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    Referring to the drawings, the combination pen holder and bookmark/placesaver of the present invention is referred to generally as the device  1 . The device  1  has been wrapped around the cover  2  of a book  3 , and the book  3  has been closed. Two writing instruments  4   a ,  4   b , which can be pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, or other such implements, have been stored in the pocket  5  of the device  1 . A flap  6  which can be closed over the writing instruments  4   a ,  4   b  has been attached to top strap  7 , by sewing or other means. Velcro™ circles  8   a ,  8   b  can be used to keep the flap  6  closed. The pocket  5  is fastened to the bottom strap  9  with Velcro™ strips  10   a  (not shown),  10   b . A ribbon  11 , which functions as a bookmark, is attached to the top strap  7 , by sewing or other means. The device  1  is shown and described in more detail infra.  
         [0017]    The bookmark ribbon  11  and the placesaver arrow  12  are shown in FIG. 2. The ribbon  11  has been inserted through openings  13   a ,  13   b  in the extension  14  of the placesaver arrow  12 . The pointer  15 , the end of the placesaver arrow  12 , is placed next to the portion of the text  16  which the reader wishes to “mark” (i.e., he has just finished the passage or he will return to the passage when he resumes reading). The stiff insert  17  has been pushed into the crease  18  between the pages of the book  3  to keep the placesaver arrow  12  from moving around. The end of the ribbon  11  can be pulled down to dangle past the bottom edge of the book  3 ; the ribbon will move freely through the openings  13   a ,  13   b  of the placesaver arrow  12 .  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 3, the device  1  is assembled in a unitary fashion. The pocket  5 , the flap  6 , the top strap  7 , and the bottom strap  9  are generally made from a fabric material, which can be selected from patterned fabrics for added attractiveness. These pieces can also be made from sturdier materials, such as leather or plastic.  
         [0019]    A piece of flat elastic  19  connects the top strap  7  and the bottom strap  9 , allowing the reader to slightly stretch the elastic strip  19  and thereby snugly attach the device I to a book cover when mating the Velcro™ strips  10   a ,  10   b . A second partitioned pocket  20   a ,  20   b  can be created by adding additional material and sewing a divider seam  21 . The partitioned pocket  20   a ,  20   b  can hold two pens, while the main pocket  5  holds one large writing instrument or other implement.  
         [0020]    The ribbon  11  shown is typically made from fabric material. The placesaver arrow  12  is generally made of the same material as the pocket  5 , the flap  6 , the top strap  7 , the bottom strap  9 , such as fabric, leather or plastic. The stiff insert  17  is made of plastic. The extension  14  and the arrow  12  may be reinforced with additional material or plastic.  
         [0021]    FIGS.  4 A- 4 B show an optional feature to make the device  1  adjustable for use with a larger book. A telescoping strip  22  covered with an additional Velcro™ strip  10   c  can be inserted into a slit  23  formed at the free end of bottom strap  9 . The telescoping strip  22  can be slid out to add length to the Velcro™ strip  10   b  on the bottom flap  9 , thereby allowing improved mating with the Velcro™ strip  10   a  on top strap  7 , particularly when the reader is using the device  1  with a large book.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 shows a optional magnifier, which can be used to enhance the usefulness of the placesaver arrow  12 . A side of a rectangular magnifier  24 , made from plastic or glass, can be attached to the extension  14  of the placesaver arrow  12 , ordinarily by sewing or gluing. A protective flap  25 , comprising a long rectangular piece of material, is also attached to the extension  14 , under the magnifier  24 . The Velcro™ closure  26   a  on the end of the protective flap  25  mates with a Velcro™ closure  26   b  on the extension  14 , allowing the reader to fold the protective flap  25  over the magnifier  24 , to prevent scratching its surface. The reader can pull back the protective flap  25  and use the magnifier  24  to read small type.  
         [0023]    As shown in FIG. 6A, the reader has laid the length of the device  1  over the inside of a book cover  2 . He has used the bookmark ribbon  11  to mark a page and has used the placesaver arrow  12  to mark a place in the text  16 .  
         [0024]    In FIG. 6B, the book  3  has been closed. The bookmark ribbon  11  marks the page.  
         [0025]    In FIG. 6C, the bottom strap  9  has been folded over the front of the book cover  2 .  
         [0026]    In FIG. 6D, the top strap  7 , with the pocket  5 , has been folded over the bottom strap  9 , pulled tight, and secured thereto with Velcro™ strips  10   a  (not shown),  10   b . Pens  4   a ,  4   b  have been inserted into the pocket  5 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 1