Patent ID: 7922207

Claim:
A mechanism, comprising: a spine clamp in a media binder; and an external spine clamp activation mechanism that includes: a back plate, the back plate configured with a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge wherein the back plate is substantially planar; a first side plate disposed along the first lateral edge wherein the first side plate is substantially perpendicular to the back plate; a second side plate disposed along the second lateral edge wherein the second side plate is substantially perpendicular to the back plate such that the back plate, the first side plate, and the second side plate define a cavity that receives a back edge of the media binder such that the spine clamp opens only when the external spine clamp activation mechanism is engaged with the back edge; and wherein the first and second side plates are spaced apart from one another by a first distance when the back edge of the media binder is received within the cavity and the external spine clamp activation mechanism is engaged with the back edge of the media binder to render the spine clamp operative for opening, and wherein the first and second side plates are spaced apart from one another by a second distance greater than the first distance to provide the external spine clamp activation mechanism in a state which permits the external spine clamp activation mechanism to receive the back edge of the media binder within the cavity and to engage the back edge of the media binder.