Abstract:
A display binder having a spine, a first cover connected to the spine, and a second cover also connected to the spine. A support clip is removably attached to the first cover and the second cover. In a preferred embodiment, the support clip has a first ear and a second ear. The ears function to provide a compressive force to the first cover and second cover, thereby attaching the support clip to the first and second covers. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the support clip is attached to the first and second covers along their bottom edges.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Books and notebooks have been known in the prior art for several hundred years. More specifically, a book is a set of written, printed, or blank pages fastened along one side and encased between protective covers. A notebook is a book with blank pages normally used for recording notes or memoranda. Notebooks and books may be permanently bound or their pages may be contained within a binder that allows for the addition or removal of paper. For example, a loose-leaf binder is a type of a binder that has a backbone and page holders that may be opened for adding, arranging, or removing pages. The ring binder is a loose-leaf binder in which split metal rings attached to a metal back hold perforated sheets of paper. Ring binders are used extensively in the education system from the earliest of grade levels through graduate school. They are found in abundance in classrooms throughout the world. Ring binders are most often used to contain paper pages of a particular subject matter, but they are sometimes used to display information.  
           [0002]    Although notebooks and books are commonly used to store paper as described above, if their protective covers are sufficiently rigid and if they are properly supported they can also function to a display information, such as presenting photographs, signs, posters, lesson plans and other information. In this use, a binder, book or notebook is sometimes referred to as a display easel or a display binder. Currently, however, teachers find it difficult to properly support the binders in a convenient, acceptable fashion.  
           [0003]    What is needed is a better way to support display binders.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention provides a display binder having a spine, a first cover connected to the spine, and a second cover also connected to the spine. A support clip is removably attached to the first cover and the second cover. In a preferred embodiment, the support clip has a first ear and a second ear. The ears function to provide a compressive force to the first cover and second cover, thereby attaching the support clip to the first and second covers. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the support clip is attached to the first and second covers along their bottom edges. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 shows a side exploded view of the first preferred embodiment.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 3 shows a side view of the first preferred embodiment.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4 shows a side view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 5 shows a preferred support clip of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 6 shows a side view of the third preferred embodiment.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 7 shows stacked display binders.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 8 and 9 show a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 10 shows a side view of a preferred support clip.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 11 shows a top view of the preferred support clip of FIG. 10.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 12 shows a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 13 shows a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 14 shows a preferred die.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 15 shows extruded PVC.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 16 shows cut lines on the extruded PVC of FIG. 15.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 17 shows a side view of a preferred support clip.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 18 shows a top view of a preferred support clip.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 19 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 20 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 21 shows a top view of preferred support clip.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 22 shows a side view of the preferred support clip of FIG. 21.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 23 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]    A detailed description preferred embodiments of the present invention can be seen by reference to FIGS.  1 - 23 .  
       First Preferred Embodiment  
       [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view and FIG. 3 shows a side view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a standard three-ring binder having covers  3  and  5 , spine  22  and three ring clips  10  is converted into a display binder with the use of novel support clip  4 . Sheet  2  has been taped to rigid cover  3  and displays the message “Work Station”. Removable support clip  4  has been pressed onto the bottom edges of covers  3  and  5 . While attached to covers  3  and  5 , support clip  4  maintains binder  1  in a position roughly similar to that of an upside down “V”. This is a preferred position of a display binder and allows for a good display of the message “Work Station” on sheet  2 . When finished utilizing binder  1  as a display binder, a user can easily pull support clip  4  away from covers  3  and  5 . Support clip  4  can then later be reattached to binder  1  to once again use it as a display binder, or, similarly, it can be attached to another book or notebook to create a display binder.  
       Support Clip  
       [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 shows a side view of binder  1  positioned over a preferred support clip  4 . Support clip  4  is preferably fabricated from extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Preferably, support clip  4  is approximately 0.10 inch thick, 6¼ inches long and 2 inches wide.  
         [0030]    As explained above, support clip  4  is attached to binder  1  by pressing it onto the bottom edges of covers  3  and  5 . Preferably, support clip  4  has flexible ears  6  and  7 . In the preferred embodiment, flexible ear  6  is separated from corner  8  by approximately 0.07 inches. Likewise, flexible ear  7  is also separated from corner  9  by approximately 0.07 inches. Preferably, flexible covers  3  and  5  are each approximately 0.10 inches thick. Therefore, when support clip  4  is pressed onto the bottom edges of flexible covers  3  and  5 , flexible ears  6  and  7  bend outward to accommodate flexible covers  3  and  5 , as shown in FIG. 3. The bottom edge of flexible cover  5  is squeezed between flexible ear  6  and corner  8  and the bottom edge of flexible cover  3  is squeezed between flexible ear  7  and corner  9 . In this manner, support clip  4  is attached to binder  1 .  
         [0031]    As stated above, to remove support clip  4  from binder  1  the user pulls support clip  4  away from covers  3  and  5 , overcoming the compressive force exerted on the bottom edges of covers  3  and  5  by flexible ears  6  and  7 .  
       Method of Making Support Clip  
       [0032]    In the first preferred embodiment, support clip  4  is cut in 2 inch wide segments from extruded PVC. FIG. 14 shows a side view of die  30  with opening  31 . FIG. 15 shows a top view of extruded PVC section  32  being extruded through die  30 . As shown in FIG. 16, extruded PVC section  32  is cut along lines  33  with a saw blade to create support clip  4 . FIG. 17 shows a side view of support clip  4  and FIG. 18 shows a top view of support clip  4 .  
       Second Preferred Embodiment  
       [0033]    In the second preferred embodiment (FIG. 4), support clip  4  has been attached to binder  1  as in the first preferred embodiment. However, rings  10  are now on the inside of binder  1 , as opposed to the outside, as shown in FIG. 3.  
       Third Preferred Embodiment  
       [0034]    A third preferred embodiment is described by reference to FIGS.  5 - 7 . FIG. 5 shows support clip  11 . Support clip  11  has a higher apex  12  that extends up high inside binder  1  so that it comes in close contact to rings  10  (FIG. 6). The utilization of support clip  11  allows for easy stacking of binders  11 , as shown in FIG. 7.  
       Fourth Preferred Embodiment  
       [0035]    A fourth preferred embodiment is seen by reference to FIGS.  8 - 11 . In the fourth preferred embodiment support clip  13  is attached to the side of binder  1 , as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 10 shows a side view and FIG. 11 shows a top view of support clip  13 . Edges  14  and  15  are at an angled to point inward at their top end to conform to the upside down “V” shape of binder  1 . Support clip  13  is removed and attached in a fashion similar to that described above in reference to earlier preferred embodiments.  
       Fifth Preferred Embodiment  
       [0036]    A fifth preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 12. In the fifth preferred embodiment, binder  14  is a book having pages  15  bound to side  16 .  
       Sixth Preferred Embodiment  
       [0037]    A sixth preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 13. The sixth preferred embodiment shows support clip  4  attached to the bottom edges of covers  17  and  18  of folder  21 . In the sixth preferred embodiment, no pages are bound between covers  17  and  18 . Because no pages are bound between covers  17  and  18 , spine  23  can be made much smaller than spine  22  (FIG. 1). Folder  21  preferably has pockets  19  and  20  for storage of paper, pencils, pens, erasers, calculators, and the like.  
         [0038]    Although the above-preferred embodiments have been described with specificity, persons skilled in this art will recognize that many changes to the specific embodiments disclosed above could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although specific preferred dimensions and materials were discussed in regards to support clip  4 , it would be possible to fabricate support clip  4  out of a variety of materials and it would be possible for support clip  4  to have a variety of dimensions. For example, in addition to PVC, support clip  4  could be fabricated from other types of materials such as plastics, composites, metals and wood. For example, FIG. 19 shows a side view of support clip  34 . Support clip  34  is preferably made by bending a section of a {fraction (1/16)} inch diameter coat hanger wire. Also, FIG. 20 shows binder  1  inserted into wood support clip  35 . Support clip  35  has grooves  36  to receive binder  1 . Sections  37  of support clip  35  are an example of a non-flexible ear. FIG. 21 shows a top view of support clip  35  and FIG. 22 shows a side view of support clip  35 . Also, although it was stated that support clip  4  is preferably extruded through die  30  (FIGS. 14 and 15), support clip  4  can be made utilizing other methods. For example, in another preferred embodiment, support clip  4  is heat formed. Also, in another preferred embodiment, injection molding is used to make support clip  4 . Also, support clip  4  can be made having different lengths, widths and thicknesses than was discussed above. Also, although flexible ears  6  and  7  were described as being flexible, it would also be possible to make ears  6  and  7  substantially rigid so that they do not bend when binder  1  is inserted into support clip  4 . As with the flexible ears, the non-flexible ears would preferably squeeze the covers of the binder as the binder is inserted into the support clip. However, it would also be possible to have ears that do not squeeze or exert a substantial compressive force onto the covers. For example, FIG. 23 shows binder  1  inserted into support clip  38 . Support clip  38  has ears  39  that do not squeeze or exert a substantial compressive force on the covers of binder  1 . Therefore, the attached claims and their legal equivalents should determine the scope of the invention.