Patent ID: 7404685

Claim:
A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising: a housing; hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting motion relative to the housing; rings for holding the loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member and a second ring member, the first ring member being mounted on a first hinge plate and moveable with the pivoting motion of the first hinge plate relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the two ring members form 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 open position the two ring members form a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings; a control structure supported by the housing and moveable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position for use in controlling the pivoting motion of the hinge plates, the control structure including an actuator and a hinge pin pivotally connecting the actuator to the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause movement of the control structure between said first and second positions; and a spring received on the hinge pin engageable with the actuator for urging the control structure toward said first position; the actuator comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the housing and the control structure further comprising a travel bar operatively connected to the lever such that pivoting movement of the lever causes movement of the travel bar in translation relative to the housing from the first position in which the control structure locks the hinge plates in the closed position to the second position in which the hinge plates are free to pivot to the open position.