Patent ID: 7461994

Claim:
A “twist lok” binder ring metal comprising: at least one binder ring comprised of a pair of binder ring halves with one end of each ring half being attached to a separate leaf and the other end of the ring halves interfitting with each other when the binder ring is closed; a cover fitting over the leaves and having opposed openings therein through which the ring halves extend, the cover further having an outer surface and an inner surface, and, when the binder ring is closed, the leafs having only a single point of contact with each other and with the inner surface of the cover for the leafs to extend beneath the cover in a substantially flat orientation whereby when a user exerts a twisting force on the respective ring halves to separate the ring halves and open the binder the force exerted on the ring halves causes the leafs to flex and move apart from each other, but the closing force otherwise exerted by the leafs on keeping the binder ring closed for the binder ring not to open when a binder in which the metal is installed is dropped or bumped; and a sleeve fitting over each half of the binder ring.