Patent ID: 7665926

Claim:
A ring mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising: a housing having a longitudinal axis, a central top portion and an open bottom generally opposed to the central top portion; hinge plates each having an upper surface and a lower surface, the hinge plates being supported by the housing for pivoting movement relative to the housing with an upper surface of each hinge plate facing the housing; rings for holding 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 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 open position the two ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings; a thin, flat travel bar supported for movement between a locked position in which the hinge plates are locked from pivoting from the closed position to the open position and an unlocked position in which the hinge plates are free to pivot from the closed position to the open position, the travel bar including a major surface lying generally in a plane parallel to or co-planar with a plane including the longitudinal axis of the housing, the plane including the major surface of the travel bar intersecting the central top portion and open bottom of the housing; and at least one locking element mounted on the travel bar for movement therewith, the locking element being adapted to block movement of the hinge plates in the locked position of the travel bar, wherein the travel bar is formed by a piece of sheet material and is free of bends, and the locking element engages an upper surface of at least one of the hinge plates when the travel bar is in the locked position.