Ring binder with dual angle ring metal

In a ring binder for holding hole punched sheets of paper, the binder including a center spine section and end covers extending from opposite sides of said spine, a dual angle ring metal secured to said spine and comprising:

• a pair of leaves hingedly connected to each other for relative movement therebetween;
• a plurality of binder rings spaced along the length of said ring metal, each binder ring being formed of a pair of ring halves one end of each ring half being attached to a separate one of the leaves for movement of said leaves relative to each other to move the ring halves to open and close the ring binder;
• and,
• release levers located at each end of said ring metal and operable by a user of said ring binder to move said leaves to open and close the binder, said leaves, when said ring binder is closed, forming a predetermined angle with respect to a reference, and each of said leaves having at least one segment by which a second angle is formed with respect to said reference, said second angle being such that surfaces of said leaves where said second angle is formed contact each other to prevent binder ring opening movement which would otherwise occur due to movement of paper stored in the binder from one side of the binder to the other, but said leaves are otherwise readily movable to open said binder when a user moves one of the release levers to open the binder.

A dual angle ring metal for use with a ring binder comprising:

• a pair of leaves hingedly connected to each other for relative movement therebetween;
• a plurality of binder rings spaced along the length of said ring metal, each binder ring being formed of a pair of ring halves one end of each ring half being attached to a separate one of the leaves for movement of said leaves relative to each other to move the ring halves to open and close the ring binder;
• a cover fitting over said leaves and having spaced openings formed therein along the opposites thereof for the respective binder ring halves to extend through said cover;
• release levers located at each end of said ring metal and operable by a user of said ring binder to move said leaves to open and close the binder;
• and,
• said leaves, when said ring binder is closed, forming a predetermined angle with respect to a reference, and each of said leaves having at least one segment by which a second angle is formed with respect to said reference, said second angle being such that surfaces of said leaves where said second angle is formed contact each other to prevent binder ring opening movement which would otherwise occur due to movement of paper stored in the binder from one side of the binder to the other, but said leaves are otherwise readily movable to open said binder when a user moves one of the release levers to open the binder.

A method of preventing the inadvertent opening of a ring binder metal due to pressure exerted on a binder ring half comprising:

• spacing a plurality of binder rings along the length of said ring binder metal, each binder ring being formed of a pair of ring halves;
• separately attaching one end of each ring half to one leaf of a pair of leaves;
• hingedly connecting said pair of leaves to each other for relative movement therebetween, movement of said leaves relative to each other in one direction moving the ring halves to open the ring binder metal and in the opposite direction to close the ring binder metal, said leaves, when said ring binder is closed, forming a predetermined angle with respect to a reference;
• and,
• forming on each of said leaves at least one segment by which a second angle is formed between the leaves with respect to said reference, said second angle being such that surfaces of said leaves where said second angle is formed contact each other to prevent binder ring opening movement which would otherwise occur due to movement of paper stored in the binder from one side of the binder to the other, but said leaves are otherwise readily movable to open said ring binder metal when a user so desires.