HK1114585A - A ring binder mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Ring binder mechanism

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, and more particularly to an improved ring binder mechanism for opening and closing ring members and locking closed ring members together.

Background

The ring binder mechanism holds loose-leaf pages, such as punched pages, in a file or notebook. It has a ring member that retains the pages. The ring members may be selectively opened to add or remove loose-leaf pages or closed to retain loose-leaf pages while allowing movement of the pages along the ring members. The ring members are mounted on two adjacent hinge plates that are connected together about a pivot axis. The elongated housing loosely supports the hinge plates within the housing and holds the hinge plates together so that they can pivot relative to the housing.

The undeformed housing is slightly narrower than the connected hinge plates when the hinge plates are in a coplanar position (180). So that when the hinge plates pivot through this position, they deform the resilient housing and generate a spring force in the housing urging the hinge plates to pivot away from the co-planar position, either opening or closing the ring members. Thus, when the ring members are closed, the spring force resists hinge plate movement and clamps the ring members together. Likewise, when the ring members are open, the spring force holds them apart. An operator can overcome this force, typically by manually pulling the ring members apart or pushing them together. The housing may have a lever at one or both ends for moving the ring members between the open and closed positions. A drawback of these known ring binder mechanisms is that they do not securely lock together when the ring members are closed. Thus, if the mechanism is accidentally dropped, the ring members may be accidentally opened.

Some ring binder mechanisms have been modified to include a locking structure to block the hinge plates from pivoting when the ring members are closed. This blocking structure reliably locks the closed ring members together, preventing inadvertent opening of the ring members should the ring binder mechanism be accidentally dropped. The blocking structure also provides a reduction in housing spring force because a strong spring force is not required to clamp the closed ring members together. Thus, the operator effort required to open and close the ring members of these mechanisms is less than with conventional ring binder mechanisms.

Part of the ring binder mechanism couples the locking structure to a control slide connected to a control rod. The control rod moves the control slide (and its locking structure) to either block pivoting of the hinge plates or allow rotation thereof. However, these mechanisms have the disadvantage that the operator must positively move the lever after closing the ring members to position the locking structure to block the hinge plates and lock the closed ring members. Failure to perform this process will cause the hinge plates to accidentally pivot and open the ring members, especially if the mechanism is accidentally dropped.

Some locking ring binder mechanisms use a spring to move the locking structure into a position blocking the hinge plates when the ring members are closed. Examples of these are found in U.S. patent applications 10/870801(Cheng et al), 10/905606(Cheng) and 11/027550 (Cheng). These mechanisms use separate springs to lock the ring binder mechanism.

The movement of the locking structure is generally linear or translational, but the actuator is moved by pivoting the lever. Thus, only the translational component of the control rod movement needs to be transferred to the locking structure. Solutions have been proposed for this purpose, see for example co-owned U.S. patent application 10/870801. However, there is a need for motion transmission through a structure that is inexpensive to manufacture, simple in overall structure, and reliably repeatable to operate.

Disclosure of Invention

A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages includes a housing and rings for retaining the loose-leaf pages. Each ring includes a first ring member and a second ring member. The first ring member is movable relative to the housing and the second ring member between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the first and second ring members form a substantially continuous, closed loop such that loose-leaf pages retained by the ring may be moved along the ring from one ring member to the other. In the open position, the first and second ring members form a discontinuous, open ring for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings. An actuating system for the ring binder mechanism includes first and second hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting movement relative to the housing, and an actuator mounted to the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause pivoting movement of the hinge plates. The first ring member is mounted on a first hinge plate and is movable between a closed position and an open position in response to pivoting movement of the first hinge plate. The actuator is movable between a first position in which the ring members are in the closed position and a second position in which the ring members are in the open position. The locking system is movable by an actuator between a locked position in which the ring members are retained in the closed position and an unlocked position in which the ring members are movable from the closed position to the open position. The actuation system is adapted to deform upon movement of the actuator from said second position to said first position such that movement of the locking system is delayed relative to pivoting movement of the hinge plates.

In another aspect, a ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages includes a housing, hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting movement relative to the housing, and rings for retaining the loose-leaf pages. Each ring includes a first ring member and a second ring member. The first ring member is mounted on a first hinge plate and is movable relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an open position in response to pivoting movement of the first hinge plate. In the closed position, the two ring members form a substantially continuous, closed loop for allowing loose-leaf pages retained by the ring to be moved along the ring from one ring member to the other. In the open position, the two ring members form a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings. The ring binder mechanism also includes an actuator mounted to the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause pivoting movement of the hinge plates. The actuator includes a pliable first portion and a body. The locking members releasably lock the closed ring members in a locked position and release the closed ring members for movement to an open position in an unlocked position. The locking member is operatively connected to the actuator at the first portion for translational movement therewith. The first part of the actuator is adapted to bend relative to the actuator body during operation of the actuator to close the ring member.

Other features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a notebook incorporating a ring binder mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective of the ring binder mechanism;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the control rod of the mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a top side perspective of the ring binder mechanism in a closed and locked position with the lever in a first relaxed position;

FIG. 5 is a bottom side perspective of the mechanism;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective of the ring binder mechanism of FIG. 4 with a portion of the housing broken away and with ring members removed to show internal construction;

FIG. 7 is a partial side elevational view thereof with the housing and hinge plates removed;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, but with the ring binder mechanism in a closed, unlocked position and the lever in a first deformed position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but with a front portion of the intermediate connector removed, with the ring binder mechanism in the open position and the lever in a second relaxed position;

FIG. 10 is a top side perspective of the ring binder mechanism in an open position;

FIG. 11 is a bottom side perspective thereof;

FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 9, but with the ring binder mechanism in the open position and the lever in the second deformed position, pivoted to move the mechanism to the closed and locked position; and

FIG. 13 is the side view of FIG. 12 showing further pivotal movement of the lever to move the mechanism to the closed and locked position, with the lever still deformed.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-13 illustrate a ring binder mechanism 1 of the present invention. In fig. 1, the mechanism 1 is shown mounted on a notebook 3. Specifically, the illustrated mechanism 1 is mounted on a spine 5 between a front cover 7 and a back cover 9 of a notebook 3, the front cover 7 and the back cover 9 being hingedly mounted to the spine 5. The front and back covers 7, 9 move to selectively cover or expose loose-leaf pages (not shown) held by the mechanism 1 in the notebook 3. Ring binder mechanisms that are mounted on notebooks in other ways, or on surfaces other than notebooks, such as a file, do not depart from the scope of this invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 11 supports three rings (each generally designated 13) and a control rod (broadly referred to as an "actuator," and generally designated 15). The rings 13 retain loose-leaf pages on the ring binder mechanism 1 in the notebook 3, while the levers 15 are operable to open and close the rings so that loose-leaf pages can be added or removed. Referring now to FIG. 2, the housing 11 is in the shape of an elongated rectangle having a uniform, generally arcuate cross-section and having a substantially flat plateau 17 at its center. A first longitudinal end (right side in fig. 2) of the housing 11 is substantially open, while an opposite second longitudinal end is substantially closed. A bent bottom edge 21 (fig. 2 and 5) extends lengthwise along a longitudinal edge of the housing 11 from a first longitudinal end to a second longitudinal end of the housing. Mechanisms having housings of other shapes, including irregular shapes, or housings that are integral with a file folder or notebook do not depart from the scope of this invention.

The three rings 13 of the ring binder mechanism 1 are substantially identical, each being substantially circular (e.g., FIG. 1). As shown in fig. 1 and 2, each ring 13 comprises two generally semi-circular ring members 23a, 23b made of a conventional cylindrical bar of suitable material (e.g., steel). The ring members 23a, 23b include free ends 25a, 25b, respectively, that are formed to prevent lateral misalignment of the ring members (relative to the longitudinal axes of the ring members) when the ring members are closed together (see FIG. 1). The ring 13 may be D-shaped as is known in the art, or other shapes within the scope of the invention. Ring binder mechanisms having ring members made of different materials or having different cross-sectional shapes, such as oval, do not depart from the scope of this invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ring mechanism 1 includes two generally identical hinge plates 27a, 27b that support the ring members 23a, 23b, respectively. Each hinge plate 27a, 27b is generally elongate, flat, rectangular in shape, and is slightly shorter in length than the housing 11. 4 respective cutouts 29a-d are formed in each hinge plate 27a, 27b along the hinge plate inner edge margins. The fingers 31 extend longitudinally away from a first end (right side in FIG. 2) of each hinge plate 27a, 27 b. Each finger 31 is narrower in width than the respective hinge plates 27a, 27b and is positioned with their inner longitudinal edge margins generally aligned with the inner longitudinal edge margins of the hinge plates. The purpose of the notches 29a-d and fingers 31 will be explained below. The lever 15 and hinge plates 27a, 27b may be broadly referred to as an "actuation system".

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the lever 15 includes a handle 33, a body 35 mounted on the handle, and upper and lower lips 36, 37 mounted on the body. The handle 33 is slightly wider than each of the body 35, the upper lip 36, and the lower lip 37 (FIG. 2), facilitating grasping the lever 15 and applying force to move the lever. In the illustrated ring binder mechanism 1, the main body 35 is formed integrally with the handle 33 for subsequent movement therewith. The body 35 may be formed separately from the handle 33 and attached thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

As shown in fig. 3, the flexible connecting arms 38 ("first portion") are connected to the main body 35 of the actuator 15 between the main body and the upper lip 36 ("second portion"). The arm 38 is attached to the main body 35 at its bottom end and projects upwardly therefrom. The arm 38 is generally shaped as an inverted tear drop such that its bottom end, which is connected to the body, is narrower than the free end (when viewed from the side as shown in fig. 3). It is also within the scope of the invention for the connecting arm to be mounted on the main body of the control lever in a different manner. In addition, connecting arms that are shaped differently than illustrated are also within the scope of the invention. The lower lip 37 ("third portion") of the lever 15 is mounted to the body 35 by a flexible bridge 39 (or "living hinge"), the flexible bridge 39 being integral with the body and lower lip. The mechanism by which the bridge portion of the lever is formed separately from the body and/or lower lip portion to connect the body and lower lip portion does not depart from the scope of the present invention. The bridge 39 is generally arcuate and forms an open slot 41 between the lower lip 37 and the body 35. The lower lip 37 extends away from the body 35 at the bridge 39 and slot 41, is aligned substantially parallel to the upper lip 36, and forms a C-shaped space between the body 35 and the lower lip 37. It is conceivable that the control rod 15 is made of resilient plastic, for example by a moulding process. It is within the scope of the invention that the control rod 15 may be made of other materials or other processes. Ring binder mechanisms having levers of different shapes than those illustrated and described herein do not depart from the scope of this invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the ring binder mechanism 1 includes an elongated travel bar 45. The travel bar includes a mounting slot 47 at a first end (right side of fig. 2) and three locking features 49 along a bottom surface. The locking members 49 are spaced longitudinally along the travel bar 45 with one locking member near each longitudinal end of the travel bar and one locking member located near the center of the travel bar. It is within the scope of the present invention for travel bar 45 to have other shapes or a number of locking members 49 greater or less than three. The travel bar and locking member may be broadly referred to as a "locking system".

The locking members 49 of the travel bar 45 are shown as having a generally similar shape, respectively. As shown in fig. 7, each locking member 49 includes a narrow, flat bottom 53, an angled forward edge 55a, a recessed side 55b (only one side is visible), and a rearward extension 56. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking members 49 each have a generally wedge shape. The angled edges 55a of the locking elements 49 may engage the hinge plates 27a, 27b to assist the hinge plates in pivoting downward. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 49 is formed integrally with the travel bar 45, such as by a molding process. The locking member 49 may be formed separately from the travel bar 45 and attached thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, locking members of different shapes, such as block-shaped (i.e., without angled edges or recessed sides), are also within the scope of the present invention.

4-7, the assembled ring binder mechanism 1 will be described with the ring members 23a, 23b of the mechanism shown in the closed position and the lever 15 in the upright position. As shown in FIG. 4, the control lever 15 is pivotally mounted at the open first end of the housing 11 by a lever mount 57, the lever mount 57 being secured to the housing by rivets 58 (see FIG. 2). The mounting arms 59 (only one visible) of the lever socket 57 extend downwardly from the lever socket. A mounting hole 60 (fig. 2) in each mounting arm 59 is aligned with the slot 41 of the lower lip 37. A hinge pin 61 extends through the aligned holes 60 and slot 41 to pivotally mount the lever 15 to the housing 11. The mounting arms 59 are shown as being formed integrally with the lever base 57, but they may be formed separately from and mounted on the lever base without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also within the scope of the invention for the control lever to be mounted directly on the housing, for example the housing of which the mounting arm forms part.

As shown in fig. 6, the travel bar 45 is disposed within the housing 11 behind the housing plateau 17. It extends the length of the housing 11 and is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis LA of the housing (see fig. 2) with the locking elements 49 extending toward the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. Referring to fig. 6 and 7, the travel bar 45 is operatively connected to the control lever 15 by an intermediate connector 67. In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate connector 67 is a wire bent into an elongated, generally rectangular shape (see fig. 2). It is within the scope of the present invention that the intermediate connector 67 may have other shapes or be made of other materials. The intermediate connector 67 is open at a first end and includes two free ends 69a, 69b (see fig. 2) which can be received in holes (only one of which is visible) in the flexible connecting arm 38 of the control lever 15 to form a pivotal connection. The second closed end of the intermediate connector 67 is narrowed and can be elastically deformed so as to be fitted around the protruding piece 71 of the moving rod 45 and positioned in the moving rod mounting groove 47. The tabs 71 prevent the intermediate connector 67 from inadvertently jumping out of the slot 47 of the travel bar 45 and pushing the connector against or pulling it onto the travel bar. The intermediate connector 67 can pivot within the slot 47 relative to the travel bar 45 to accommodate the vertical component of movement of the intermediate connector that occurs when the control lever 15 pivots. Ring binder mechanisms without intermediate connectors (e.g., a travel bar pivotally connected directly to a control bar) do not depart from the scope of this invention.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the hinge plates 27a, 27b are interconnected in a parallel arrangement along their inner longitudinal edge margins, forming a central hinge 75 having a pivot axis. This is done in a conventional manner well known in the art. The hinge plates 27a, 27b may pivot up and down about hinge 75, as described below. The 4 cutouts 29a-d (FIG. 2) in each of the two individual hinge plates 27a, 27b align to form 4 openings, also designated 29a-d (FIG. 5) in the interconnected hinge plates. The housing 11 supports the interconnected hinge plates 27a, 27b within the housing below the travel bar 45. The outer longitudinal edge margins of the hinge plates 27a, 27b loosely seat behind the bent under rims 21 of the housing 11 for allowing them to move within the rims when the hinge plates pivot. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the fingers 31 of the hinge plates 27a, 27b (only one hinge plate 27a is shown) extend into the C-shaped space of the lever 15 between the lower lip 37 and the upper lip 36 so that the lower surfaces of the hinge plates can engage the lower lip and the upper surfaces of the hinge plates 27a, 27b can engage the upper lip.

As shown in FIG. 2, each ring member 23a, 23b is mounted on an upper surface of a respective one of the hinge plates 27a, 27b in a generally opposed manner. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the ring members 23a, 23b pass through respective openings 77 along the sides of the housing 11 so that the free ends 25a, 25b of the ring members can engage over the housing. The ring members 23a, 23b are rigidly connected to the hinge plates 27a, 27b, as is well known in the art, and move with the hinge plates 27a, 27b as they pivot. Although in the illustrated ring binder mechanism 1 the two ring members 23a, 23b of each ring 13 are each mounted on one of the two hinge plates 27a, 27b and move with the pivoting movement of the hinge plates, a mechanism in which each ring has one movable ring member and one fixed ring member does not depart from the scope of this invention (e.g., a mechanism in which only one of the ring members of each ring is mounted on a hinge plate and the other ring member is mounted on a housing, for example).

As shown in FIG. 5, two mounting posts 79a, 79b (see also FIG. 2) are secured to the illustrated ring binder mechanism 1 for mounting the mechanism on, for example, a notebook 3 in any suitable manner. The posts 79a, 79b are attached to the housing 11 at mounting post openings 81a, 81b (FIG. 2) of the plateau 17 at the longitudinal ends of the housing. A first mounting post 79a (on the right in FIG. 5) passes through the intermediate connector 67 and through the mounting post openings 29d of the interconnected hinge plates 27a, 27 b.

The operation of the ring binder mechanism 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4-13. As is known, the hinge plates 27a, 27b pivot downward and upward relative to the housing 11 and move the ring members 23a, 23b mounted thereon between a closed position (e.g., FIGS. 1 and 4-7) and an open position (e.g., FIGS. 9-11). The hinge plates 27a, 27b are wider than the housing 11 when in the co-planar position (180), so that they deform the housing and create a small spring force in the housing as they pivot through the co-planar position. The housing spring force biases the hinge plates 27a, 27b to pivot downward or upward away from the co-planar position. The ring members 23a, 23b close when the hinge plates 27a, 27b pivot downward (i.e., the hinge 75 moves away from the housing 11 (e.g., FIG. 5)). The ring members 23a, 23b open when the hinge plates 27a, 27b pivot upward (i.e., the hinge 75 moves toward the housing 11 (e.g., FIG. 11)).

In FIGS. 4-7, the ring binder mechanism 1 is in a closed and locked position. The hinge plates 27a, 27b hinge downward away from the housing 11, closing the ring members 23a, 23b of each ring 13 together in a continuous ring to retain loose-leaf pages. The lever 15 is vertical relative to the housing 11 and is in a first relaxed position (which is also the position of the lever in FIG. 3) in which the lower lip 37 of the lever engages the lower surfaces of the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. The flexible connecting arms 38 are located adjacent the upper lip 36 (see fig. 7). The locking elements 49 of the travel bar 45 are positioned adjacent the respective locking element openings 29a-c and are generally aligned with the hinge joint 75 above the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. Locking members 49 are not substantially aligned with openings 29 a-c. The flat bottom surface 53 rests on the upper surfaces of the hinge plates 27a, 27b and the rearward extensions 56 pass through each respective opening 29a-c adjacent the forward, downwardly projecting tabs 82 of the hinge plates. In addition, the travel bar 45 and locking elements 49 resist any force that pivots the hinge plates 27a, 27b upward to open the ring members 23a, 23b (i.e., they lock the ring members closed).

To unlock the ring mechanism 1 and open the ring members 23a, 23b, an operator applies force to the handle 33 of the lever 15 and pivots it clockwise (arrow A shown in FIGS. 7 and 8). As shown in FIG. 8, the handle 33, body 35, upper lip 36 and connecting arm 38 of the lever 15 move relative to the lower lip 37, and the lower lip 37 is held stationary by the hinge plates 27a, 27b under the spring force of the housing 11. The intermediate connector 67 is pulled by both the lever connecting arm 38 and the upper lip 36 of the push arm, converting pivotal movement of the lever 15 about the mounting post 79a (not shown) into linear movement of the travel bar 45. The travel bar slides toward the lever 15 and moves the locking elements 49 over and into alignment with the respective locking element openings 29a-c of the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. When the open groove 41 is closed and the main body 35 engages the lower lip 37, the bridge portion 39 between the lever main body 35 and the lever lower lip 37 bends and stretches (fig. 8). The control rod 15 is in the first deformation position. At this point, during the opening motion, if the lever 15 is released before the hinge plates 27a, 27b pivot upward past the co-planar position (i.e., before the ring members 23a, 23b open), the tension in the bridge 39 automatically rebounds (and rotatably pushes) the handle 33 and body 35 to the vertical position, pushing the travel bar 45 and locking elements 49 to the locked position.

The now closed lever slot 41 no longer has the lower lip 37 blocking the pivotal movement of the handle 33, body 35, upper lip 36 and connecting arm. Continued opening movement of the lever 15 causes the body 35 to pivot the lower lip 37 together. The lower lip 37 allows the interconnected hinge plates 27a, 27b to pivot upward past the locking elements 49 at the locking element apertures 29a-c and toward the mounting post 79a of the mounting post opening 29 d. Once the hinge plates 27a, 27b have just passed the co-planar position, the housing spring force pushes them upward, opening the ring members 23a, 23b (FIGS. 9-11). The control lever 15 can be released. The tension in the bridge 39 springs (and pushes) the handle 33, body 35, upper lip 36 and connecting arm 38 back away from the lower lip 37, and the lower lip 37 remains stationary against the lower surfaces of the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. When the slot 41 is open, the travel bar 45 moves slightly away from the control lever 15. In a second relaxed position (e.g., FIG. 3), which is substantially the same as the first relaxed position, the lever is again relaxed and the locking elements 49 are positioned within the respective hinge plate openings 29a-c and are free of any forces tending to move them relative to the housing 11.

To close the ring members 23a, 23B and return the mechanism 1 to the locked position, the operator can pivot the lever 15 upwardly and inwardly (counterclockwise as shown by arrow B in fig. 12) as shown in fig. 12. The upper lip 36 of the lever 15 begins to push down on the hinge plates 27a, 27b, but the spring force of the housing 11 resists the initial hinge plate motion. The connecting arm 38 can begin to move with the upper lip 36 to push the intermediate connector 67 and travel bar 45 forward and cause the front edges 55a of the locking elements 49 to abut the tabs 82 of the hinge plates 27a, 27b (if they are not already abutting). As the control lever 15 continues to pivot, the abutting locking member 49 connects the travel bar 45 to the connecting arm via the intermediate connector 67 against further movement of the connecting arm 38. At this point, the upper lip 36, the handle 33, the main body 35 and the lower lip 37 move relative to the connecting arm 38 as the lever 15 continues to pivot. This relative movement creates a pulling force in the connecting arm 38 and the connecting arm deforms (or bends) away from the upper lip 36 toward the lever body 35. The control rod 15 is now in the second deformation position. At this point, during the closing motion, if the lever 15 is released before the hinge plates 27a, 27b pivot downward past their co-planar position (i.e., before the ring members 23a, 23b close), the tension in the connecting arm 38 automatically springs (and pushes) the lever 15 back to its second, relaxed position.

Continued closing movement of the lever 15 causes the upper lip 36 to pivot the interconnected hinge plates 27a, 27b downward. Once the hinge plates 27a, 27b have just passed through the co-planar position, the spring force of the housing 11 pushes them downward, closing the ring members 23a, 23 b. Pivoting the hinge plates 27a, 27b slightly downward while maintaining the travel bar 45 and locking elements 49 stationary allows the locking elements to subsequently move relative to the hinge plates more easily and avoids jamming the control lever 15. The connecting arm 38 is bent until it engages the main body 35, as shown in fig. 12. Thereafter, the connecting arm 38 moves together with the main body 35, the upper lip 36, and the lower lip 37. The connecting arm 38 pushes the intermediate connector 67, travel bar 45 and locking elements 49 back to their locking position with the locking elements behind the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. Once the locking member 49 is moved out of the openings 29a-29c, the tension in the connecting arm 38 springs back toward the upper lip 36 and pushes the connecting arm back, further pushing the intermediate connector 67, travel bar 45 and locking member 49 into the locked position. The connecting arm 38 returns to its position adjacent the upper lip 36. The lever is again relaxed in the first relaxed position and the locking elements 49 are located behind the hinge plates 27a, 27b, blocking pivoting and again free of any force tending to move them relative to the housing 11.

In the illustrated mechanism 1, the ring members 23a, 23b can also be closed by manually pushing the free ends 25a, 25b of the ring members together.

It should be appreciated that the flexibility of the lever bridge 39 allows the handle 33 and body 35 of the lever 15 to move relative to the lower lip 37 during the opening operation. In addition, the flexibility of the connecting arm 38 causes the upper lip 36, handle 33, body 35 and lower lip 37 to move relative to the travel bar 45 and locking member 49 during a closing operation. These lost motion features move the control lever 15 between a relaxed position (fig. 3-7 and 9-11) and a deformed (broadly, "reset") position (fig. 8, 9, 12 and 13). The deformed position of the lever 15 is an unstable, intermediate position in which the bridge 39 or connecting arm 38 is stretched, always moving the handle 33, body 35, lower lip 37 and upper lip 36 to the relaxed position (i.e., reconfiguring the lever).

When the lever 15 pivots open the ring members 23a, 23b, the travel bar 45 and locking elements 49 move immediately and before the lower lip 37 pivots the hinge plates 27a, 27b upward. The lost motion caused by the open slots 41 causes the locking elements 49 to move into alignment with the locking element openings 29a-c of the hinge plates 27a, 27b prior to pivoting of the hinge plates. They do not interfere with the desired pivoting motion of the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. After the locking elements 49 are moved into alignment with the respective openings 29a-c, the slot 41 is closed and the handle 33, body 35, upper lip 36 and lower lip 37 pivot together to move the hinge plates 27a, 27b upward.

The locking members 49 and travel bar 45 are not forced to move to the locked position except when the ring members 23a, 23b are open and the control lever 15 is released. Thus, when an operator adds or removes loose-leaf pages from the ring members 23a, 23b, the open ring members 23a, 23b are not inadvertently closed under the influence of the lever 15, locking members 49, or travel bar 45.

Similarly, when the ring members 23a, 23b move to the closed position, the flexible connecting arms 38 cause the upper lips 36 to pivot the hinge plates 27a, 27b downward before pushing the travel bar 45 and locking elements 49 to the locked position. Thus, movement of the travel bar 45 and locking elements 49 is delayed relative to movement of the control lever 15 and hinge plates 27a, 27b without interfering with the pivoting movement of the hinge plates 27a, 27 b. In addition, the tension created in the connecting arms 38 during the closing operation ensures that the locking members 49 are moved fully to the locked position after the ring members 23a, 23b are closed by the resilient action of the connecting arms 38, without having to use an additional spring feature.

In addition, the continued engagement between the lever lower lip 37 and the lower surfaces of the hinge plates 27a, 27b during a closing operation ensures that the main body 35 of the lever 15 and the handle 33 move sufficiently to their vertical positions as the hinge plates 27a, 27b pivot downward (and the ring members 23a, 23b close).

Thus, the ring binder mechanism 1 effectively retains loose-leaf pages when the ring members 23a, 23b are closed, and can prevent the closed ring members 23a, 23b from inadvertently opening. The lever 15 positions the travel bar 45 and its locking members 49 in the locked position when the ring members 23a, 23b are closed, eliminating the need to manually move the lever 15 to positively lock the mechanism 1. The ring binder mechanism 1 incorporating the locking lever 15 does not require additional biasing components (e.g., springs) to perform the locking operation and does not require specially formed parts to accommodate these biasing components.

The component parts of the ring binder mechanisms of the embodiments described and illustrated herein are made of a suitable rigid material, such as metal (e.g., steel). Mechanisms having component parts made of non-metallic materials, including in particular plastics, do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

When introducing elements of the present invention, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having," and variations thereof, are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Furthermore, directional terminology, such as "front" and "back", is used for convenience, but no particular orientation of the components is required.

As various changes could be made in the above without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (22)

1. A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising:

a housing;

rings for retaining loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member and a second ring member, the first ring member being movable relative to the housing and the second ring member between a closed position in which the first and second ring members form a generally continuous, closed ring such that pages retained by the rings can be moved along the rings from one ring member to the other, and an open position in which the first and second ring members form a discontinuous, open ring for adding or removing pages from the rings;

an actuation system for moving the ring members between the closed and open positions, the actuation system including first and second hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting movement relative to the housing, the first ring member mounted on the first hinge plate and movable with the pivoting movement of the first hinge plate between the closed and open positions, the actuation system further including an actuator mounted on the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause pivoting movement of the hinge plates, the actuator movable between a first position in which the ring members are in the closed position and a second position in which the ring members are in the open position;

a locking system movable by an actuator between a locked position in which the ring members are retained in the closed position and an unlocked position in which the ring members are movable from the closed position to the open position;

the actuation system is adapted to deform upon movement of the actuator from the second position to the first position such that movement of the locking system is delayed relative to pivoting movement of the hinge plates.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the actuator is adapted to deform when the actuator moves from the second position to the first position.

3. A ring binder mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the actuator includes a first portion connected to the body so as to be bent relative to the body.

4. A ring binder mechanism according to claim 3, characterised in that the first part and the body are formed integrally.

5. A ring binder mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the first portion bends relative to the body when the actuator moves from the second position to the first position.

6. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein the actuator further includes a second portion, the first portion being deformable relative to the second portion when the actuator is moved from the second position to the first position.

7. A ring binder mechanism according to claim 6, characterised in that the first part and the second part are formed in one piece.

8. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein the second portion of the actuator is engageable with the hinge plates to drive the hinge plates to move the ring members from the open position to the closed position.

9. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein the locking system includes a travel bar connected to the actuator for movement therewith, the travel bar effecting pivoting of the hinge plates.

10. The mechanism of claim 9, wherein the actuation system includes an intermediate connector connecting the travel bar to the actuator, the intermediate connector being connected to the actuator at the first portion.

11. The ring binder mechanism of claim 10, wherein the travel bar includes a slot that receives the intermediate connector on the travel bar and a tab that retains the connector on the travel bar.

12. The mechanism of claim 10, wherein the travel bar includes locking elements, the travel bar and locking elements blocking pivoting movement of the hinge plates when the ring members are in the closed position.

13. The mechanism of claim 12, wherein at least one of the hinge plates includes an opening for passing the locking elements through the hinge plate when the ring members are in the open position, the locking elements engaging the at least one hinge plate at the opening when the actuator is moved from the second position to the first position causing the first portion of the actuator to move relative to the body.

14. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein the actuator further includes a third portion and a living hinge connecting the third portion to the actuator body.

15. The mechanism of claim 14, wherein the actuator includes a slot between the third portion of the actuator and the body, the slot having an open configuration when the ring members are in the open position and a closed position, and a closed configuration when the ring members are transitioned from the closed position to the open position.

16. The mechanism of claim 15, wherein the third portion of the actuator is engageable with the hinge plates to drive the hinge plates to move the ring members from the closed position to the open position.

17. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the locking system includes locking elements movable by the actuator between a locked position blocking pivoting movement of the hinge plates and an unlocked position allowing pivoting movement of the hinge plates, the locking elements being free of forces in the locked position that move the locking elements from the locked position to the unlocked position, the locking elements being free of forces in the unlocked position that move the locking elements from the unlocked position to the locked position.

18. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a lever.

19. The ring binder mechanism of claim 1 in combination with a cover, the ring binder mechanism being mounted on the cover, the cover being hinged for movement to selectively cover and expose loose-leaf pages when retained on the ring binder mechanism.

20. A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages, said mechanism comprising:

a housing;

hinge plates supported by the housing for pivotal movement relative thereto;

a ring for retaining loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member mounted on a first hinge plate and movable with the pivoting movement of the first hinge plate relative to a second ring member between a closed position in which the ring members form a generally continuous, closed ring for allowing loose-leaf pages retained by the ring to be moved along the ring from one ring member to the other and an open position in which the ring members form a discontinuous, open ring for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the ring;

an actuator mounted to the housing for movement relative to the housing to cause pivoting movement of the hinge plates, the actuator including a flexible first portion and a body;

a locking member for releasably locking the closed ring members in a locked position and for releasing the closed ring members for movement to an open position in an unlocked position, the locking member being operatively connected to the actuator at the first portion for translational movement therewith;

the first part of the actuator is adapted to bend relative to the actuator body during operation of the actuator to close the ring member.

21. The mechanism of claim 20, further comprising a travel bar movable relative to the hinge plates, the travel bar including locking elements for releasably locking the closed ring members in a locked position and for releasing the closed ring members for movement to an open position in an unlocked position.

22. The mechanism of claim 20, further comprising an intermediate connector connecting the travel bar to the actuator for moving the travel bar between the locked and unlocked positions, the intermediate connector being connected to the actuator at the first portion.