Plastic looseleaf binder ring assembly
OwnerJohn Thomseninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The looseleaf binder ring assembly disclosed herein consists of a one-piece backbone formed of a resilient plastic material, which backbone has a plurality of pairs of cooperating fingers formed thereon. The fingers of each pair face one another and are movable between open and closed positions with respect to each other. A slidably mounted actuator bar is provided in the backbone and has cam surfaces formed thereon for respectively opening and closing the fingers when the slide bar is moved between first and second positions. The cam surfaces respectively hold their associated spring fingers in their opened or closed position in accordance with the position of the slide bar.
Claims7
A looseleaf binder ring assembly comprising a one-piece backbone formed of a resilient plastic material;
- said backbone having a bight portion defining upper and lower surfaces, a plurality of apertures formed in its bight portion, and a plurality of pairs of cooperating fingers formed integrally therewith and extending through said apertures, the fingers of each pair facing one another and being pivotally connected to the backbone by integral flexible webs;
- said fingers having upper looseleaf holding portions extending from said opening above the upper surface of the backbone and lower end portions extending generally vertically downwardly through said openings to positions below said lower surface;
- said fingers being pivotable between open and closed positions of said looseleaf holding portions, a relatively flat slide bar slidably mounted for movement between first and second positions with respect to said backbone, said positions corresponding respectively to the open and closed positions of said fingers;
- said slide bar having a plurality of finger moving members formed integrally therewith and respectively associated with the lower end of each of said fingers;
- said finger moving members each having an upwardly opening recess formed therein and generally diagonally opposed cam surfaces on opposite sides of the recesses in substantially the same horizontal plane with respect to the generally vertically extending lower end portions of their associated fingers, said cam surfaces extending angularly in said horizontal plane with respect to the direction of sliding movement of said bar;
- said lower end portions of said fingers extending into said recesses and with opposite sides thereof being respectively engaged by the generally diagonally opposed cam surfaces associated therewith in the first and second positions of the slide bar, one of said cam surfaces engaging one side of its associated finger and holding it in its open position when the side bar is in its first position and the other of said cam surfaces engaging another side of its associated finger and holding it in its closed position when said slide bar is in its second position
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.