Ring for ring binder mechanism

A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising a housing and a plurality of rings for holding the 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 and an opened position, in the closed position the first and second ring members forming a 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 opened position the first and second ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings, a pair of hinge plates supported by the housing for pivotal motion of the hinge plates with respect to the housing, the hinge plates having an upper surface facing the housing and a lower surface facing away from the housing, the first and second ring members being mounted on respective hinge plates and moveable with pivoting motion of the hinge plates between the opened and closed positions, the first and second ring members being mirror images of each other, each of said ring members having a middle segment extending vertically upward from the housing and being adapted to receive a stack of loose-leaf pages, wherein each middle segment slopes inward toward the other as the middle segments extend away from the housing in the closed position, and wherein each middle segment has a non-infinite radius of curvature greater than 2 inches;

• wherein the rings have a lower segment and when the ring members are in the closed position the lower segments of the ring members extend outward beyond opposite sides of the housing to a respective bend where the lower segments are joined with the respective middle segments, the bends being at a location where the rings have a maximum width, each bend being positioned on a plane containing the hinge plate for the respective ring member.

A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising a housing and a plurality of rings for holding the 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 and an opened position, in the closed position the first and second ring members forming a 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 opened position the first and second ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings, a pair of hinge plates supported by the housing for pivotal motion of the hinge plates with respect to the housing, the hinge plates having an upper surface facing the housing and a lower surface facing away from the housing, the first and second ring members being mounted on respective hinge plates and moveable with pivoting motion of the hinge plates between the opened and closed positions, the ring members extending from the lower surface of the hinge plates laterally outward beyond opposite sides of the housing, the first and second ring members each being shaped so that in the closed position they cooperatively define a straight top section of the ring opposite the housing and so segments of the ring members corresponding to a location where the rings have a maximum width in the closed position are positioned no higher than a top of the housing, wherein each ring member comprises a middle segment having a non-infinite radius of curvature greater than 2 inches.

A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising a housing and a plurality of rings for holding the 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 and an opened position, in the closed position the first and second ring members forming a 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 opened position the first and second ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings, the first and second ring members being mirror images of each other, each of said ring members comprising a first segment having a first radius of curvature, a second segment having a second radius of curvature, and a third segment disposed between the first and second segments and having a third, non-infinite radius of curvature greater than said first radius of curvature and said second radius of curvature, said first segment being disposed below an upper extent of the housing, wherein the second radius of curvature is different from the first radius of curvature, and wherein the rings have a maximum width at a location having an elevation no higher than a top of the housing, the third radius of curvature being greater than 2 inches.

A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising a housing and a plurality of rings for holding the 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 and an opened position, in the closed position the first and second ring members forming a 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 opened position the first and second ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings, the first and second ring members being mirror images of each other, each of said ring members comprising a first segment having a first radius of curvature, a second segment having a second radius of curvature, and a third segment disposed between the first and second segments and having a third, non-infinite radius of curvature greater than said first radius of curvature and said second radius of curvature, said first segment being disposed below an upper extent of the housing, wherein the second radius of curvature is no more than about 0.5 inches and the first radius of curvature is less than the second radius of curvature, and wherein the rings have a maximum width at a location having an elevation no higher than a top of the housing, the third radius of curvature being greater than 2 inches.

A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages, the mechanism comprising a housing and a plurality of rings for holding the 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 and an opened position, in the closed position the first and second ring members forming a 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 opened position the first and second ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings, the first and second ring members being mirror images of each other, each of said ring members comprising a first segment having a first radius of curvature, a second segment having a second radius of curvature, and a third segment having a third, non-infinite radius of curvature greater than said first radius of curvature and said second radius of curvature, said first segment being disposed below an upper extent of the housing, wherein the third segment extends between and interconnects the first and second segments and the first radius of curvature is no more than about 0.1 inches, and wherein the rings have a maximum width at a location having an elevation no higher than a top of the housing, the third radius of curvature being greater than 2 inches.