Ring binder mechanism

A ring mechanism for retaining loose leaf pages, the mechanism comprising:

• an elongate housing having a central portion and sides extending down from the central portion;
• first and second hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting motion relative to the housing;
• rings for holding the loose-leaf pages, each ring including a first ring member and a second ring member, the first ring member moveable with the pivoting motion of the first hinge plate relative to the second ring member between a closed position and an open position, in the closed position the two ring members forming a substantially 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 open position the two ring members forming a discontinuous, open loop for adding or removing loose-leaf pages from the rings;
• an actuator mounted on the housing for pivoting movement relative to the housing for causing pivoting motion of the hinge plates to open the rings;
• a travel bar having a locking portion having a plurality of locking elements thereon moveable between a locking position in which the locking elements block movement of the hinge plates to open the rings and a non-locking position in which the locking elements do not block pivoting movement of the hinge plates to open the rings;
• and
• an intermediate connector connecting the locking portion of the travel bar to the actuator,
• wherein the intermediate connector comprises first and second arcuate portions on opposite sides of an opening in the intermediate connector, the first and second arcuate portions being configured to bow away from one another in opposite directions such that the first and second arcuate portions are deformed during pivoting movement of the actuator.