Binder

Claim 2

A durable binder for holding papers and the like, said binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sheet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other along their respective peripheries and being foldable together to define relatively rigid panels separated by at least one flexible hinge panel, said hinge panel being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said cover sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being connected by heat sealing in said depressed areas; and means for releasably retaining said pages between said panels.

Claim 3

The binder of claim 1 wherein: said panels comprise a front panel, a back panel and a spine panel; and there are at least two of said hinge panels, each of which separates said spine panel from said front panel or said back panel.

Claim 4

The binder of claim 2 further comprising a flexible closure panel defined by said cover sheets, at least a portion of said closure panel being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said cover sheets connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being joined by heat sealing in said depressed areas.

Claim 5

The binder of claim 3 wherein said closure panel extends from said back panel, said binder further comprising securement means for releasably securing said closure panel to said front panel.

Claim 6

The binder of claim 1 wherein said depressed areas are of varying depth.

Claim 7

The binder of claim 1 further comprising a stiffening sheet disposed between said cover sheets.

Claim 8

The binder of claim 1 further comprising a pocket sheet overlying said interior cover sheet and attached to said interior cover sheet along its periphery and in said depressed areas, said pocket sheet having at least one opening therein to provide access to a pocket defined between said pocket sheet and said interior cover sheet.

Claim 9

The binder of claim 1 wherein said depressed areas are geometric and form a repeating pattern.

Claim 10

A durable binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sheet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other along their respective peripheries and being foldable together to define relatively rigid front, back and spine panels, and flexible hinge panels separating said spine panel from said front and back panels, said hinge panels being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said sheets are connected, said depressed areas being of varying depth and shallowest nearest said spine panels, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being connected by heat sealing in said depressed areas; and means for releasably retaining said pages between said front and back panels.

Claim 11

A durable binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sheet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other along their respective peripheries and being foldable together to define relatively rigid front, back and spine panels, and flexible hinge panels separating said spine panel from said front and back panels, said hinge panels being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said sheets are connected, said depressed areas being of varying depth and shallowest nearest said spine panels, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being connected by heat sealing in said depressed areas; and means for releasably retaining said pages between said front and back panels.

Claim 12

The binder of claim 9 wherein said depressed areas are geometric and form a repeating pattern.

Claim 13

The binder of claim 9 further comprising a flexible closure panel defined by said cover sheets, at least a portion of said closure panel being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said cover sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being connected by heat sealing in said depressed areas.

Claim 14

The binder of claim 11 wherein said depressed areas of said hinge panels and said closure panels form a repeating geometric pattern.

Claim 15

The binder of claim 9 further comprising a stiffening sheet disposed between said cover sheets.

Claim 16

The binder of claim 9 further comprising a pocket sheet overlying said interior cover sheet and attached to said interior cover sheet along its periphery and in said depressed areas, said pocket sheet having at least one opening therein to provides access to a pocket defined between said pocket sheet and said interior cover sheet.

Claim 17

A durable binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sheet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other along their respective peripheries and being foldable together to define relatively rigid front, back and spine panels, and flexible hinge panels separating said spine panel from said front and back panels, said hinge panels being characterized by a multitude of minute separate depressed areas in which said cover sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being conencted by heat sealing in said depressed areas; a sleeve defined by said depressed areas for retaining a writing instrument; and means for releasably retaining said pages between said front and back panels.

Claim 18

A durable binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sheet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other along their respective peripheries and being foldable together to define relatively rigid front, back and spine panels, and flexible hinge panels separating said spine panel from said front and back panels, said hinge panels being characterized by a multitude of minute separate depressed areas in which said cover sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being conencted by heat sealing in said depressed areas; a sleeve defined by said depressed areas for retaining a writing instrument; and means for releasably retaining said pages between said front and back panels.

Claim 19

The binder of claim 15 further comprising a pocket sheet attached to said interior cover sheet in said depressed areas, said sleeve being formed between said interior cover sheet and said pocket sheet.

Claim 20

The binder of claim 15 wherein said sleeve is in the shape of a writing instrument and includes a transverse slit adjacent its lower most portion, said slit defining a separate compartment therebelow to receive a pointed end of said writing instrument.

Claim 21

A double binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sehet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other along their respective peripheries and being foldable together to define relatively rigid front, back and spine panels, flexible hinge panels separating said spine panel form said front and back panels, a closure panel extending from said back panel, at least a portion of said hinge panels and a portion of said closure panel being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being connected by heat sealing in said depressed areas; a sleeve in the shape of a writing instrument defined by said depressed areas and having an opening in the area of said closure panel for the insertion of said writing instrument in said sleeve; and means for releasably retaining said pages between said front and back panels.

Claim 22

A double binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sehet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other along their respective peripheries and being foldable together to define relatively rigid front, back and spine panels, flexible hinge panels separating said spine panel form said front and back panels, a closure panel extending from said back panel, at least a portion of said hinge panels and a portion of said closure panel being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas, said cover sheets being connected by heat sealing in said depressed areas; a sleeve in the shape of a writing instrument defined by said depressed areas and having an opening in the area of said closure panel for the insertion of said writing instrument in said sleeve; and means for releasably retaining said pages between said front and back panels.

Claim 23

The binder of claim 18 further comprising a pocket sheet attached to said interior cover sheet in said depressed areas, said sleeve being formed between said interior cover sheet and said pocket sheet.

Claim 24

The binder of claim 18 wherein said sleeve is in the shape of a writing instrument and includes a transverse slit adjacent its lower most portion, said slit defining a separate compartment therebelow to receive a pointed end of said writing instrument.

Claim 25

A durable binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sheet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other and being foldable together to define relatively rigid panels separated by at least one flexible hinge panel, said hinge panel being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said cover sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas; and means for releasably retaining said paper between said panels.

Claim 26

A durable binder comprising: an exterior plastic cover sheet; an interior plastic cover sheet overlying at least a portion of said exterior cover sheet, said cover sheets being attached to each other and being foldable together to define relatively rigid panels separated by at least one flexible hinge panel, said hinge panel being characterized by a multitude of minute separated depressed areas in which said cover sheets are connected, said depressed areas being surrounded by intersecting raised areas; and means for releasably retaining said paper between said panels.

Claim 27

The binder of claim 21 further comprising: a sheet pocket disposed between said interior and exterior sheets and connected to said interior and exterior sheets in said depressed areas; and a sleeve formed between said interior sheet and said pocket sheet and defined by said depressed areas, an opening being formed in said pocket sheet for the insertion of an instrument in said sleeve.

Claim 28

The binder of claim 21 wherein said depressed areas are of varying depth.