Patent ID: 7252452

Claim:
A binder comprising: a binder body including a front cover and a rear cover directly or indirectly pivotally coupled together, said binder body including an inner surface and an outer surface generally opposite said inner surface; and a panel located on said outer surface of said binder body to thereby form a pocket between said panel and said binder body and wherein said pocket is located on said outer surface, said panel having a free edge located adjacent to a mouth of said pocket, said mouth facing an outer edge of said binder body, said free edge of said panel being located a variable distance from said outer edge of said binder body along a length of said free edge such that said pocket has a variable width wherein each of said front and rear covers are generally rectangular and have a rear edge, front edge, top edge and bottom edge, said front and rear covers being directly or indirectly coupled along said rear edges, said front edge of each cover being located generally opposite said rear edge, said top and bottom edges extending between the associated front and rear edges and wherein said mouth is located adjacent to said front edge of at least one of said front or rear covers, wherein said binder is movable between a closed position, wherein said front and rear covers are generally parallel and facing each other, and an open position wherein said front and rear covers are not generally parallel and facing each other, and wherein said binder further includes a closure mechanism for retaining said binder in said closed position, at least part of said closure mechanism being located on said panel, wherein said closure mechanism includes an anchor component fixedly coupled to said panel or one of said covers, and an elastic component shaped to fit around said anchor component, said elastic component being fixedly coupled to the other one of said panel and said one of said covers.