Notebook system

• US 5,749,667 A
• Filed: 08/14/1996
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JACK FELDMAN AND SHIRLEY CZUKERBERG TBE, Michael Olsher, Shirja LLC, Steve Rose
• Original Assignee: Rollabind LLC
• Inventors: Feldman, Jacobo, Czukerberg, Shirley
• Primary Examiner(s): Fridie, Jr., Willmon
• Application Number:
  US08/696,390
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 402/70, 402/73, 402/80 R, 402/79, 281/29, 281/37, 281/38
• US Class Current: 402/79
• CPC Class Codes: B42B 5/08 by finger, claw or ring-like elements passing through the sheets, quires or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 5/003 Note-pads
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 3/003 Perforated or punched sheets

Abstract

A notebook system wherein a stack of sheets is bound together using a plurality of disk fastening members insertable into openings of the stack of sheets to retain the sheets in the stack. The disk members have a substantially flat disk-like central surface portion and an enlarged continuous rim portion which extends around the periphery of the central surface portion of the disks. The rim portion extends outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the flat central portions of the disks, and the central surface portion has a radius which is larger than the thickness of a stack of sheets to be bound thereby. Covers for the notebook comprise a front cover and a rear cover which are arranged to have a stack of sheets therebetween. The rear cover has a closure member integrally formed therewith, the closure member being a cut-out member which is partly cut-out from the rear cover member and which is bendable around the edge of the rear cover so as to extend over the front cover, and is attachable to an outer surface of the front cover to serve as a closure for a notebook.

Claims

1. A plurality of refill sheets for use in a notebook system, the refill sheets comprising:

a plurality of sheets arranged in a stack;

each sheet of said stack having a plurality of openings therein, which openings are spaced apart along an edge of the sheets, the respective openings of each sheet in the stack being aligned with each other;

each opening having;

a generally mushroom-shape configuration with a bulbous opening portion and a stem opening portion which connects said bulbous opening portion to an open edge of said sheet, said bulbous opening portion defined by an arcuate surface having opposite ends and a substantially flat bearing surface having opposite ends which are substantially coincident with the opposite ends of said arcuate surface;

and said stem opening portion being defined by a narrow channel opening having a width smaller than a width of said flat bearing surface and connecting the open edge of said sheet to said flat bearing surface, and wherein said narrow channel opening of said stem opening portion is defined by opposite, substantially flat surfaces; and

wherein a plurality of disk-like fastening members are insertable in respective openings of said stack of sheets to retain said sheets in said stack.

2. The plurality of refill sheets according to claim 1, wherein said arcuate surface is substantially coincident with said substantially flat bearing surfaces at substantially sharp corners.

3. A notebook system comprising:

a front cover having a binding edge and an opposite free edge;

a rear cover having a binding edge and an opposite free edge;

said front and rear covers being arranged to receive a plurality of sheets therebetween;

a plurality of disk-like binding elements coupled to binding edge portions of said front and rear covers for binding together said front cover at said binding edge thereof, and said rear cover at said binding edge thereof so that said front and rear covers are turnable relative to each other;

at least one of said front and rear covers having a closure member integrally formed therefrom, said closure member comprising a cut-out member which is partly cut-out from said at least one of said front and rear covers at a cut-out portion thereof, and being bendable around an edge of the notebook and over the other of said front and rear covers, said cut-out member being bendably secured to said at least one of said front and rear covers at an edge of said cut-out portion which is spaced from the opposite free edge of said at least one of said front and rear covers.

4. The notebook system of claim 3, wherein said closure member comprises four bend lines formed therein, one of said bend lines being at a position where said closure member integrally extends from said edge of said cut-out portion of said at least one of said front and rear covers.

5. A notebook system of claim 3, wherein said binding edge portions of each of said front and rear covers have a plurality of spaced apart openings therein, each opening being adapted to receive a disk-like binding element therein, each opening having:

a generally mushroom-shape configuration with a bulbous opening portion and a stem opening portion which connects said bulbous opening portion to an open edge of a binding edge portion, said bulbous opening portion defined by an arcuate surface having opposite ends and a substantially flat bearing surface having opposite ends which are substantially coincident with the opposite ends of said arcuate surface;

and said stem opening portion being defined by a narrow channel opening having a width smaller than a width of said flat bearing surface and connecting the open edge of said binding edge portion to said flat bearing surface; and

wherein a plurality of disk-like fastening members are insertable in respective openings for binding together said front and rear covers.

6. The notebook system of claim 5, wherein said narrow channel opening of said stem opening portion is defined by opposite, substantially flat surfaces.

7. The notebook system of claim 6, wherein said arcuate surface is substantially coincident with said substantially flat bearing surfaces at substantially sharp corners.

8. The notebook system of claim 5, wherein said arcuate surface is substantially coincident with said substantially flat bearing surfaces at substantially sharp corners.

9. A plurality of refill sheets for use in a notebook system, the refill sheets comprising:

a plurality of sheets arranged in a stack;

each sheet of said stack having a plurality of openings therein, which openings are spaced apart along an edge of the sheets, the respective openings of each sheet in the stack being aligned with each other;

each opening having;

a generally mushroom-shape configuration with a bulbous opening portion and a stem opening portion which connects said bulbous opening portion to an open edge of said sheet, said bulbous opening portion defined by an arcuate surface having opposite ends and a substantially flat bearing surface having opposite ends which are substantially coincident with the opposite ends of said arcuate surface;

wherein said arcuate surface is substantially coincident with said substantially flat bearing surfaces at substantially sharp corners;

and said stem opening portion being defined by a narrow channel opening having a width smaller than a width of said flat bearing surface and connecting the open edge of said sheet to said flat bearing surface, and

wherein a plurality of disk-like fastening members are insertable in respective openings of said stack of sheets to retain said sheets in said stack.