Book

• US 6,247,730 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Top That Publication PLC
• Original Assignee: Top That Publication PLC
• Inventors: Couchman, Simon Peter, Henderson, Barrie John
• Primary Examiner(s): Wellington, A. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henderson, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US09/512,195
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 283/117, 283/63, 281/15.1, 281/17, 281/34, 281/51, 446/72, 446/73, 446/74, 446/369, 446/327, 446/329, 446/372, 446/395, D21/483
• US Class Current: 281/51
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/38 Picture books with additional toy effects, e.g. pop-up or slide displays picture books B42D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 3/08 Ornamented covers
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 3/10 with locks or closures covers of loose-leaf binders with locks or closures B42F13/0006

Abstract

A book has two covers and a set of book pages contained between the covers. The covers close to form a shape which has an external appearance resembling the head of a creature, with two eyes and a mouth. The two covers are joined to one another along a minor portion of the circumference, and are connected along the remaining portion of the said circumference by a releasable fastener such as a zip such that the fastener (the zip) forms the mouth. The pages of the book can be accessed by releasing the fastener and hinging open the two covers about the minor portion of the circumference.

Claims

1. A book comprising a plurality of pages and two covers, the covers each having a periphery separating an interior portion from an exterior portion of each of the covers, each of the covers being operatively connected to the other along a minor portion of its periphery in a manner such that the covers can be pivoted between open and closed positions relative to each other, the pages being permanently secured to the covers and being positioned where they will be sandwiched between the covers when the covers are in the closed position and where the pages can be turned when the covers are in the open position, the exterior portions of the covers being configured in a form of a head of a creature having a mouth, the mouth having a border formed by at least a portion of the periphery of each of the covers such that the mouth appears to be open when the covers are in the open position and appears to be closed when the covers are in the closed position.

2. The book of claim 1, further comprising a releasable fastener, the fastener being positioned on the book where it can releasably hold the covers in the closed position.

3. The book of claim 1, further comprising a loop sewn to the external portion of at least one of the covers, the loop having sufficient strength to support the book from an external member when such an external member is passed through the loop.

4. The book of claim 1, further comprising a means for attaching the book to an external loop of another object.

5. The book of claim 1, wherein the pages have a shape similar to the periphery of the covers.

6. The book of claim 1, further comprising at least one appendage relevant to the creature being portrayed, the at least one appendage extending from the exterior portion of at least one of the covers.

7. The book of claim 1, wherein the covers are shaped such that the book is generally spherical when the covers are in the closed position.

8. The book of claim 1, wherein the covers have a volume and the pages have a volume, the volume of the pages of the book being significantly less than the volume of the covers.

9. The book of claim 1, wherein each of the covers is faced in fabric and filled with a resiliently compressible filling.

10. The book of claim 1, wherein the pages of the book are concealed from view when the covers of the book are in the closed position.

11. The book of claim 2, wherein the fastener extends along substantially all of the portion of the periphery of each of the covers that forms the border of the mouth.

12. The book of claim 4, further comprising a releasable fastener, the fastener being positioned on the book where it can releasably hold the covers in the closed position.

13. The book of claim 4, wherein the fastener is a zipper that extends along substantially all of the potion of the periphery of each of the covers that forms the border of the mouth, the zipper having a zipper slider for releasably holding the covers in the closed position and the means for attaching the book to an external loop of another object being a lanyard clip attached to the zipper slider.

14. The book of claim 5, further comprising a means for attaching the book to an external loop of another object.

15. The book of claim 5, further comprising a releasable fastener, the fastener being positioned on the book where it can releasably hold the covers in the closed position.

16. The book of claim 15, further comprising a means for attaching the book to an external loop of another object.

17. A book comprising a plurality of pages and two covers, the covers each having a periphery separating an interior portion from an exterior portion of each of the covers, each of the covers being operatively connected to the other along a minor portion of its periphery in a manner such that the covers can be pivoted between open and closed positions relative to each other, the pages being positioned where they will be sandwiched between the covers when the covers are in the closed position and where the pages can be turned when the covers are in the open position, the exterior portions of the covers being configured in a form of a head of a creature having a mouth, the mouth having a border formed by at least a portion of the periphery of each of the covers such that the mouth appears to be open when the covers are in the open position and appears to be closed when the covers are in the closed position.

18. The book of claim 17, further comprising a releasable fastener, the fastener extending along substantially all of the portion of the periphery of each of the covers that forms the border of the mouth and being positioned on the book where it can releasably hold the covers in the closed position.

19. The book of claim 17, wherein the pages have a shape similar to the periphery of the covers.

20. The book of claim 17, wherein the pages are removably attached to the covers of the book.