Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR BINDING AND POSTING ARTICLES
2 Description
3 Background of the Invention
4 Wherever articles such as documents, papers or photos exist, there exists
a need to
bind to both bind articles together for storage and to post articles onto
bulletin boards.
6 One of the most common methods for binding articles is the paperclip. The
most
7 common method for posting articles is the push-pin. Each of these devices
requires
8 that the typical user incorporate two hands to use either of these
devices. Single
9 handed use of either the paperclip or push pin requires significant
digital dexterity.
Individuals, with impaired use of their hands, find that standard paperclips
and push-
11 pins are prohibitively difficult, if not impossible, to use. In a busy
work setting, people
12 often multitask resulting in one of their hands being occupied at the
same time they may
13 need to bind or post articles.
14 The object of this invention is to provide a method to bind and post
articles with one
hand and reduced effort.
16 Prior Art
17 The standard gem paperclip is the most popular paperclip design due to
its simplicity,
18 low manufacturing costs and efficiency. For the purpose of this patent,
the gem paper
19 clip is best described as being made of resilient wire, with a plurality
of bends, and
having three sections. The first and second sections both have a top side and
a bottom
21 side and are comprised of two legs connected together by a U shaped
loop. The third
22 section connects one leg of the first section to one leg of the second
section by way a U
23 shaped loop. The third section has a spring property that urges the
first and second
24 sections together. The first section is slightly smaller and does not
protrude as far out
as the second section. The first section is designed to nest inside of the
second section
26 with its legs adjacent to the legs of the second section. The user
forces the first and
27 second sections away from each other in order to create a gap into which
an article can
28 be inserted. Once an article is inserted between the first and second
sections, the gem
29 paperclip then relies on the resilient force of the wire to hold the
article(s) in place.
The spirit of this patent envisions the use of paperclip designs that vary
from the
31 standard gem paperclip.
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1 The difficulty with gem paperclip design is that the gem paperclip's
natural rest position
2 does not provide a gap for inserting articles. The user is required to
force the first and
3 second sections apart from each other in order to provide a suitable gap
into which the
4 article(s) can be inserted. That can be very difficult or impossible for
individuals with
finger dexterity impairment. Even if the user has pre-deformed the gem
paperclip to
6 provide a gap for receiving the article(s), the user typically requires
the use of one hand
7 to hold the articles and one hand to apply the paperclip. The gem
paperclip is therefore
8 impractical for one-handed application.
9 Prior art provides a vast array of variations on the paperclip. However,
with a few
exceptions, all of the paperclip designs require either the use of two hands
or
11 extraordinary finger dexterity to successfully bind articles. Prior art
designs for one-
12 handed use routinely involve a plastic or metal "U" shaped binder clip.
The
13 aforementioned designs rely on the elasticity of the material in the "U"
bend of the
14 material to provide the gripping force. The present invention is
distinguishable from
those designs in that it incorporates the use of a wire paperclip to act as
the gripping
16 force. As a result, the present invention can be manufactured with
considerably less
17 material. The bulk and weight of many "U" shaped binder clips make them
impractical
18 for of binding and storing articles a file folder or binder. The present
invention is
19 considerably more compact and weighs much less than a "U" type binder
clips and is
suitable for binding and storing articles.
21 US patent 5870802 incorporates a band of material wrapped around the
loops of a
22 standard paperclip thus providing a guiding surface for receiving
articles. While US
23 patent 5870802 does provide a gripping receptacle that can accept
articles without the
24 need to manipulate the device, its primary purpose is to provide a
paperclip with a
suitable surface for displaying printed material onto the paperclip.
Furthermore, the
26 claims presented in US patent 5870802 require that the band material be
folded around
27 the paperclip's loops. That requirement significantly restricts the
types of material
28 suitable for that invention. The present invention is distinguishable
from US patent
29 5870802 in that the guiding mat is affixed to a loop of the paperclip
without the need for
folding. It is further distinguishable in that the present invention's guiding
mat protrudes
31 past the gripping receptacle to facilitate ease of inserting articles
into the gripping
32 receptacle. Furthermore, US patent 5870802 does not incorporate any
means to
33 secure itself in order to resist lateral movement of the device that
would naturally occur
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1 when the user attempts to insert articles into the gripping receptacle.
Therefore, US
2 patent 5870802 is not suitable for one handed use. Finally, US patent
5870802 does
3 not incorporate any means for posting articles to a bulletin board.
4 US patent 5507459 incorporates a gem paperclip with an attached pointed
mounting
member for attaching itself to cork bulletin boards or other suitable
surfaces. US patent
6 5507459 does not incorporate a guiding surface and many of the
aforementioned
7 drawbacks of the gem paperclip are not addressed. Furthermore, US patent
5507459
8 claims are restricted to the use of an attached pointed mounting member
as its
9 mounting device. Although one embodiment of the present invention does
incorporate
one or more pointed mounting members as the mounting device, other embodiments
11 incorporate the use of other mounting devices such as "hook and loop"
material,
12 magnets, adhesives and electrostatic attraction.
13 Summary of the Invention
14 The invention is an ergonomically designed paperclip in combination with
a removable
mounting device used to secure the clip to a stationary surface. The invention
has, at
16 its core, a gem paperclip that provides the gripping force to bind
articles within the clip.
17 The first improvement to the gem paperclip is the addition of a guiding
mat designed to
18 significantly reduce the amount of finger dexterity required for the
user to insert articles
19 into the clip.
The guiding mat is a piece of flat material with a top side and a bottom side.
The
21 guiding mat is attached to the first section by either affixing the
bottom side of the
22 guiding mat to the top side of the paperclip's first section or by
embedding the
23 paperclip's first section into the material of the guiding mat. The
bottom side of
24 paperclip's second section rests flush on the top side of the guiding
mat to create the
gripping receptacle. Created in the gripping receptacle is the formation of a
gap
26 suitable for accepting articles into the gripping receptacle.
27 In two of the proposed embodiments, the gap in the gripping receptacle
is created by
28 the user applying force onto a guiding mat made of flexible and/or
compressible
29 material. In two other embodiments, the gap is manufactured into the
guiding mat by
tapering the guiding mat downward at the loop end of the paperclip's first
section. Once
31 the article is placed within the gap created in the gripping receptacle,
the article is slid
32 further into the gripping receptacle. Once the article is fully in the
gripping receptacle,
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1 the resilient force of the paperclip's third section effectively clamps
the article between
2 the bottom side of the paperclip's second section and the top side of the
guiding mat.
3 The guiding mat also distributes the clips binding force over the area of
the guiding mat
4 thereby reducing damage caused by the focused gripping surface of the gem
paperclip.
The invention is further improved with the addition of a mounting device. The
mounting
6 device is attached to the bottom side of the either the guiding mat or
the paperclip's first
7 section. Without the mounting device, the user requires one hand to hold
the invention
8 and one hand to slide the articles into the gripping receptacle (or vice-
versa). The
9 mounting device secures the invention to a stationary surface thereby
freeing one hand.
Once the invention is secured, the user can insert articles into the gripping
receptacle
11 using one hand and with a further reduced need for finger dexterity. If
the mounting
12 device is releasable and reasonably thin, the user can remove the
invention from the
13 surface and the invention serves as a paperclip and can be used with in
a file folder.
14 Furthermore, the invention serves as method for securing the article(s)
to a bulletin
board, clip-type board or other surface by using one hand and with a reduced
need for
16 finger dexterity.
17
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1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 The following drawings demonstrate certain aspects of the invention. They
are to
3 provide illustration by way of example and not be considered as
limitations to the
4 generality of the claims. The drawings depicted are to scale unless
otherwise noted.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one of the embodiments.
6 FIG. 2a, 2b and 2c are illustrations of the prior art gem paperclip.
7 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another of the embodiments.
8 FIG. 4 is the top view of FIG. 3.
9 FIG. 5 is the side view of another of the embodiments.
FIG. 6 is the side view of FIG. 3.
11 FIG. 7 is a side view of another of the embodiments.
12 FIG. 8 is a side view of another of the embodiments.
13 FIG. 9 is a close up view of FIG 6 with article and force depiction.
14 FIG. 10 is a close up view of FIG 5 with article and force depiction.
FIG. 11 is a side view of FIG 1, as attached to a stationary surface, with
article
16 and force depiction.
17
18
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1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
2 The core of this invention is the use of the gem paperclip to provide the
resilient force
3 required to grip articles. The three sections of the gem paperclip are
illustrated in FIG.
4 2a, 2b and 2c as follows:
1. FIG. 2a illustrates how the first section of the paperclip 1 is comprised
of two legs
6 1a and lc. These legs are connected together by a U shaped loop lb. The
leg
7 1 c becomes leg 3c in FIG 2c.
8 2. FIG. 2b illustrates how the second section of the paperclip 2 is
comprised of two
9 legs 2a and 2c. These legs are connected together by a U shaped loop 2b.
The
leg 2b becomes leg 3b in FIG 2c.
11 3. FIG. 2c illustrates how the third section of the paperclip 3 is
comprised of two
12 legs 3a and 3c. These legs are connected together by a U shaped loop 3b.
The
13 leg 3b is an extension of leg 2b in FIG 2b. The leg 3c is an extension
of leg 1c in
14 FIG 2a. This third section 3 provides the torsion distributed through
the U shaped
loop 3b that forces the first section 1 towards the second section 2 thereby
16 creating a gripping receptacle.
17 Because of its simplicity and functionality, the gem paperclip is the
preferred method for
18 providing the resilient force required to grip the article. However, the
spirit of the
19 invention envisions any other method that involves a resilient wire,
which is bent into
three afore-mentioned sections, thereby providing the required gripping force.
In the
21 embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 6 and FIG. 9, the guiding
mat 5 is
22 attached to the top side of the paperclip's first section 1. The
paperclip's second section
23 2 is shown pressed flush against the top side of the guiding mat 5. As
with all
24 embodiments, the gripping receptacle is the area where the paperclip's
second section
2 touches the guiding mat 5. The mounting device 4 is shown attached to the
bottom of
26 the paperclip's second section 2. This embodiment has the advantage of
being
27 relatively uncomplicated to manufacture. The guiding mat 5 and the
mounting device 4
28 are attached to the paperclip's first section 1 by way of an adhesive.
The paperclip's
29 first section 1 creates a natural reservoir to contain the adhesive
during the setting
process. The preferred method for the mounting device 4 is "hook and loop"
material.
31 "Hook and loop" material has the advantage of being readily available,
robust, low cost,
32 light weight and slim design. All of the drawings depict the use of
"hook and loop"
33 material as the mounting device 4. Specifically, the mounting device 4
is comprised of
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1 "hook" material. However, the spirit of the invention envisions the
possible use of "loop"
2 material as the mounting device. For the purpose of illustration, the
"hooks" and "loops"
3 are exaggerated in size and are not to scale. Other potential methods for
mounting
4 devices can include pointed member(s), ferromagnetic attraction, chemical
adhesives
and/or electrostatic attraction.
6 FIG. 9 illustrates the function of the above-mentioned embodiment. In
this embodiment,
7 the guiding mat 5 is made of a flexible material such as foam, vinyl,
rubber or leather.
8 The user places the article 7 on the top of the guiding mat 5 just in
front of the
9 paperclip's second section 2. The user then applies a perpendicular force
Fl to the
article thereby forcing the guiding mat 5 to bend about the pivot point
created by the
11 paperclip's first section 1. The force Fl creates a receiving gap 6
suitable for inserting
12 the article 7.
13 In the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 10, the paperclip's
first section 1 is
14 embedded into the guiding mat 5. The paperclip's second section 2 is
shown pressed
flush against the top side of the guiding mat 5. The mounting device 4 is
shown
16 attached to the bottom of the guiding mat 5. This embodiment has the
advantage of
17 being relatively slim and compact thus making it more suitable for use
as a paperclip.
18 The mounting device 4 is attached to the bottom side of the guiding mat
5.
19 FIG. 10 illustrates the function of the embodiment mentioned in the
previous paragraph.
The guiding mat 5 is made of a compressible material such as foam. The user
places
21 the article 7 on the top of the guiding mat 5 just in front of the
paperclip's second section
22 2. The user then applies a perpendicular force Fl to the article thereby
forcing the
23 guiding mat 5 to compress the guiding mat 5 to create a receiving gap 6
suitable for
24 inserting the article 7.
The invention is further improved by tapering the guiding mat 5, from the top
side to the
26 bottom side, thereby creating a receiving gap 6 without the need of
applying any
27 perpendicular force to the guiding mat 5 or article 7. FIG. 7
illustrates the use of the
28 tapered guiding mat 5 to create a receiving gap 6 in the embodiment
where the
29 paperclip's first section 1 is embedded into the guiding mat 5. FIG. 8
illustrated the use
of the tapered guiding mat 5 to create a receiving gap 6 in the embodiment
where the
31 bottom side of the guiding mat 5 is attached to the top side of the
paperclip's first
32 section 1. If a tapered guiding mat 5 is used, it is not necessary to
manufacture the
33 guiding mat 5 from either flexible or compressible material.
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1 FIG. 11 illustrates how the mounting device 4 is used to facilitate one
handed use of the
2 invention. This illustration depicts the mounting device 4 as "hook and
loop" material.
3 In this illustration, the mounting device 4 is made of "hook" material.
"Loop" material 8
4 is affixed to a stationary surface 9. The user requires one hand to mount
the invention
to the stationary surface 9. Once the invention is mounted, the user's one
hand is then
6 free to take hold of the article 7 and slide said article 7 into the
inventions receiving gap
7 6 with a lateral force F2. Without the mounting device, the lateral force
F2 puts the
8 invention in motion, in the direction of F2, causing it to slide across
the stationary
9 surface 9 without fully inserting the article 7 into the gripping
receptacle. With the
improvement of the mounting device 4 and by attaching the invention to the
stationary
11 surface 9, the invention remains stationary notwithstanding the lateral
force F2. A
12 resulting resistive force F3 is created that is equal and opposite to
the lateral force F2.
13 With the invention held stationary by the mounting device 4, the user
requires only the
14 one hand to provide the lateral force F2 to the article 7 and the
article can be inserted
into the receiving gap 6 and further along so that the article is fully
inserted between the
16 top side of the guiding mat 5 and the bottom side of the paperclip's
second section 2.
17 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the
invention. As
18 illustrated, the paperclips first section 1 (not seen) is embedded into
the tapered guiding
19 mat 5. The "hook" material mounting device 4 is attached to the bottom
side of the
guiding mat 5. The bottom side of paperclips second section 2 is pressed flush
against
21 the top side of the guiding mat 5.
22
23
24
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