Patent ID: 7654764

Claim:
A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising: a housing; a driving mechanism supported by the housing for movement relative to the housing; rings for holding the 0 loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member and a second ring member, the first ring member being operatively connected to the driving mechanism for movement relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an opened position of said ring members, in the closed position the two ring members forming a substantially continuous, closed loop for allowing loose-leaf pages retained by the rings to be moved along the rings from one ring member to the other, and in the opened position the two ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings; a ring actuator positionable relative to the housing and operatively connected to the driving mechanism for moving the ring members between their closed and opened positions; a first blocking structure for blocking the ring members in their closed position against movement to their open position, the first blocking structure being positionable relative to the housing between a blocking position in which movement of the ring members toward their opened position is inhibited by the first blocking structure and an unblocking position in which the first blocking structure allows the ring members to move to their opened position, said first blocking structure being operatively connected to the ring actuator so the ring actuator moves the first blocking structure between its blocking and unblocking positions when the ring actuator is used to move the ring members between their closed and opened positions; and a blocking device including a second blocking structure for blocking the ring members in their closed position against movement to their opened position, the second blocking structure being positionable relative to the housing between a blocking position in which the ring members are inhibited by the second blocking structure against movement toward their opened position and an unblocking position in which the second blocking structure allows the ring members to be moved from their closed position to their opened position by positioning of the actuator, said second blocking device being operable independent of the ring actuator.