Nestable binder ring assembly

A binder ring assembly for a ring binder comprising:

• a plurality of binder rings spaced apart from each other;
• a user operable mechanism to which the rings are attached for opening and closing the rings to open and close the binder;
• and,
• a shield covering the mechanism and through which the binder rings protrude, a recess being formed in the shield at each location on the shield where a binder ring is located with each recess extending on both sides of the binder ring location so that during shipment of binder ring assemblies in which one layer of assemblies is placed in a container and another layer of assemblies is inverted and placed over the first said layer with respective binder rings on one assembly substantially abutting against the binder rings on the other assembly to one side of the corresponding binder ring or the other, the binder rings on each assembly are received in a corresponding recess in the shield on the other assembly with the depth of each recess being such that a distal end of the binder ring of the interfitting assemblies fits in the recess and does not rub against the non-recessed portion of the shield which, if scratched or blemished, renders the assembly unusable.

A method of shipping binder ring assemblies comprising:

• placing a first layer of assemblies in a shipping container, each assembly including a plurality of spaced binder rings and an elongate shield from which the binder rings protrude;
• placing a second layer of similarly formed assemblies in the container over the first layer thereof, the assemblies comprising the second layer being inverted so the assemblies in the respective layers interfit with the binder rings protruding from the shields of the respective assemblies in the two layers extending toward the shield of the assembly in the other layer with respective binder rings on the one assembly substantially abutting against the binder rings on the other assembly to one side of the corresponding binder ring or the other;
• and,
• forming a recess in the shield of each assembly shield at the location on the shield where each binder ring is located with each recess extending on both sides of the binder ring location, so that the binder rings on each assembly are received in a corresponding recess in the shield on the other assembly with the depth of each recess being such that a distal end of the binder ring of the interfitting assemblies does not rub against the non-recessed portion of the shield which, if scratched or blemished, renders the assembly unusable.