Photograph album

Abstract

A photograph album (10) with a square spine comprises a cover (12) having a first sheet (17), a second sheet (18), and a central square spine (19) which connects the first sheet (17) to the second sheet, and a plurality of pages (13, 14, 15) bound reciprocally in correspondence to a first side (16a) to define a book body (11), characterized in that the last of said pages (14) is partly connected to the internal surface of said second sheet (18), having a first surface portion (21) solidly associated to the internal surface of said second sheet (18), to define the only connection between said cover (12) and said book body (11), and a second surface portion (22) free and not connected to the internal surface of said second sheet (18), said first surface portion (21) being a part of the last of said pages (14) disposed in proximity to a second side (16b) of said last page (14), opposite said first side (16a).

Claims

1. Photograph album with a square spine, comprising a cover having a first sheet, a second sheet, and a central flat spine having a major axis, and said central flat spine connects the first sheet to the second sheet, and a plurality of pages bound to each other along a common first side to define a book body, characterized in that said common first side of said book body being parallel to the major axis of said central flat spine; a cover element, a portion of said cover element being disposed over said common first side of said pages and another portion of said cover element being disposed between a last page of said plurality of pages and said internal surface of said second sheet, said last page having first and second surface portions; such that said first surface portion is affixed to the internal surface of said second sheet such that said second surface portion of said last page is free of said internal surface of said second sheet and said first surface portion is the sole connection between said book body and said cover.

2. Photograph album as in claim 1, characterized in that said first surface portion of the last page extends parallel to the major axis of said central flat spine and for the entire length of said second side when said photo album is open.

3. Photograph album as in claim 1, characterized in that the last of said pages is defined entirely by said first surface portion of said last page and by said second surface portion of said last page.

4. Photograph album as in claim 1, characterized in that a line of intended folding is made between said first surface portion of said last page and said second portion of said last page.

5. Photograph album as in claim 1, characterized in that said second portion of said last page is contiguous with said first side of said last page.

6. Photograph album as in claim 1, characterized in that the first surface portion of said last page extends transversely to the first side of said last page for a length (H), the ratio of which, with respect to the width (L) of the last page , is comprised between 0.5 and 0.75.

7. Photograph album as in claim 1, characterized in that said pages are configured from two four page folders, said folders being bound to each other along their creases.

8. Photograph album as in claim 7, characterized in that a two-sided sheet is interposed between said two four page folders.

9. Method to make a photograph album with a square spine, comprising: making of a cover having a first sheet and a second sheet, which are connected by a central square spine, making of a book body using a plurality of pages bound together along a common first side thereof, said plurality of pages having last page, said last page having a first portion disposed away from said common first side and a second portion disposed between said first portion and said common first side, connecting a first portion of a last page of said book body to said second sheet forming said book body's only connection to said cover, such that a second portion of said last page is free of said second sheet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some forms of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a photograph album according to the present invention in a first condition;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 in a second condition;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 in a third condition;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 in a fourth condition;

(6) FIG. 5 is a front view of a detail in FIG. 3;

(7) FIGS. 6-9 are schematic representations of the steps of opening a page of the album according to the present invention.

(8) To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) With reference to FIGS. 1-4, a photograph album with a square spine is indicated in its entirely by the reference number 10 and comprises a book body 11 which is associated, as will be described hereafter, with a cover 12.

(10) The book body 11 is formed by pages 13, 14, 15 bound with respect to each other along a binding direction Z, around which the pages are pivoted, in order to turn the pages and leaf through the album 10. In particular the book body 11 is provided with a first page 13 and a last page 14 between which a plurality of further intermediate pages 15 are interposed.

(11) The first page 13, the last page 14 and the intermediate pages 15 are made of stiff or semi-stiff cardboard and are reciprocally joined to each other in proximity to a first side 16a thereof, parallel to the binding direction Z, to define the book body 11.

(12) The pages 13, 14 and 15 also have a second side 16b which is opposite and parallel to the first side 16a.

(13) The cover 12 (FIG. 5) comprises a first sheet, or front plate 17, formed by a front cover and inside front cover 17a, 17b respectively, a second sheet or back plate 18, formed by an inside back cover and a back cover 18a, 18b respectively, and a square central spine 19 interposed between the front plate 17 and the back plate 18 and with a width substantially equal to the thickness of the book body 11, greater than the thickness of the two front and back plates 17 and 18.

(14) The front plate 17, the back plate 18 and the spine 19, in this case, have a thickness and therefore a rigidity that are greater than the pages 13, 14, 15.

(15) The front plate 17, the back plate 18 and the spine 19 are reciprocally connected to each other, in a known way, in order to fold them reciprocally.

(16) For example, in some forms of embodiment, the front plate 17, back plate 18 and spine 19 connected to each other to form the cover 12, can be made of different material and/or thicknesses, from cardboard to wood, metal, plastic, for example held together by an external cover which can be partial or total, and by a possible internal covering, also partial or total, so as to join the front plate 17, back plate 18 and spine 19 and create a single component with two articulations, in correspondence to the discontinuities, which defines the cover 12. In other words the spine 19 can be articulated between front plate 17 and back plate 18.

(17) The last page 14 (FIG. 4) of the book body 11 comprises a first surface portion 21 and a second surface portion 22. The first surface portion 21 is a part of the last page 14, it is at a greater distance from the first side 16a, with respect to the second surface portion 22, and is disposed in proximity to the second side 16b. In particular, the first surface portion 21 affects a longitudinal strip which extends for a length equal to the length of the second side 16b.

(18) The first surface portion 21 is solidly attached to the inside back cover 18a of the back plate 18 of the cover 12, typically using glue for example. In this way, the last page 14 is only partly connected to the back plate 18 by means of the first surface portion 21, while another part of the last page 14 is unconstrained or free from the back plate 18.

(19) In particular, a second surface portion 22 of the last page 14 and adjacent to the first side 16a, is instead uncoupled, or free from and not connected to the back plate 18 of the cover 12.

(20) Between the first 21 and the second surface portion 22 a line of intended folding 23 is made (FIGS. 4 and 5), obtained for example by means of pre-creasing or similar process, which facilitates the reciprocal folding of the first surface portion 21 with respect to the second surface portion 22.

(21) The last page 14, as well as the other pages 13 and 15, have a determinate width L (FIG. 4).

(22) The first surface portion 21 of the last page 14 extends for a length H which is comprised between 0.5 and 0.75 of the width L of pages 13, 14, 15, proportionally to the thickness of the spine.

(23) The second surface portion 22 of the last page 14 extends for a length given by the difference L-H which is comprised between 0.25 and 0.5 of the width L of the pages 13, 14, 15.

(24) A cover element 25 is associated to the last page 14 on the side of the latter facing toward the cover 12 and for at least a surface equal to that affected by the second surface portion 22.

(25) The cover element 25 also surrounds the thickness of the book body 11 and for a determinate segment also surrounds the first page 13.

(26) The cover element 25 can have an esthetic and protective function, surrounding and covering the overall gluing zone of the pages, and possibly giving greater resistance to the reciprocal connection of the pages.

(27) The cover element 25 has also an esthetic function and can use materials deriving from paper, fabric, leather or other. Each page 15 (FIG. 5) is associated solidly to the page 15 which follows and page 15 which precedes it. In particular, each page 15 comprises two four page folders 26 and a two-sided sheet 27, or central core, which is interposed and glued between the two four page folders 26. Considering one of the pages 15 of the book body 11, each four page folder 26 constitutes one side of the page 15 considered and one side of the page 15 which precedes it or which follows it, so that, when the book body 11 is open, the two consecutive pages are continuous with respect to each other and substantially flat. In substance a coupling is achieved by gluing two four page folders 26 to the two-sided sheet 27, which makes up the central core.

(28) This particular conformation allows to print, on one side of the four page folder 26, the desired photographs or representations which, in this way, can also involve two consecutive sides of two adjacent pages without interruptions or discontinuities between one page and the other.

(29) Moreover, in this way the effect of bulging in proximity to the intermediate zone of the book body 11 is limited, which would prevent users from seeing the prints made on the four page folder 26.

(30) The two-sided sheet 27, which is interposed between two four page folders 26, has a width which is less than the length L of each of the pages 15 in order to facilitate the turning of the pages 15.

(31) Each of the four page folders 26 is folded back on itself in proximity to the center line, and in particular preferential folding lines can be made, which allow to turn the pages 15 easily.

(32) Each page 15 of the book body 11 is therefore solidly associated to the page 15 which precedes and the page 15 which follows, so that it is not necessary to provide suitable binding actions.

(33) For the gluing operations, artificial glues may be used such as vinyl or thermofusion or polyurethaned glues or also natural glues.

(34) In some forms of embodiment, the gluing operations between the four page folders and the two sided sheet are carried out with animal glues which quickly adapt to environmental conditions inasmuch as they contain very little water which they yield very quickly to the environment, so that a good adhesive power is almost immediate. In particular the rapid adaption to environmental conditions allows to prevent the formation of creases or undulations in the paper, in particular in the working steps as well as when using ecological glues.

(35) This gluing technique between the four page folders 26 and the two-sided sheet 27, associated to the weave of the fibers, which are always one-directional, and which swell but do not lengthen in the presence of water, allows to guarantee a greater dimensional stability to the pages 15 compared to traditional albums, guaranteeing planarity even in adverse conditions such as sudden changes in humidity or temperature.

(36) Merely by way of example, the first page 13, the last page 14 and the intermediate pages 15 have a thickness varying from 0.8 mm to 4 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 3 mm.

(37) The front plate 17, the back plate 18 and the spine 19 have a thickness comprised between 2 mm and 6 mm, preferably between 3 mm and 5 mm.

(38) The photograph album 10 according to the present invention, when it is closed, has the cover 12 which surrounds the book body 11.

(39) When the cover 12 is open (FIG. 1), the front plate 17 and the spine 19 are disposed on the resting plane on which the album 10 is resting, given that the front plate 17 and the spine 19 are disassociated from the book body 11.

(40) In this condition the first of said pages 15 of the book body 11 is left on view, which, because of its weight, rests on the inside back cover 18a of the back plate 18.

(41) As the pages 15 are turned (FIG. 2), and as far as the center line of the book body 11, the pages 15 which have been turned rest one upon the other. Given the rigidity of the pages 15, the first of said page 15 will be disposed in contact only with its second side 16b against the inside front cover 17b.

(42) When the center line of the book body 11 has been reached (FIG. 3), the first page 13 and the last page 14 are completely resting on the inside front cover 17b and the inside back cover 18a.

(43) As the pages 15 continue to turn (FIG. 6), the group of pages 15 disposed upstream, that is, on the side of the front plate 17 of the cover 12, are disposed in contact due to their own weight on the inside front cover 17b and on the spine 19, while the group of pages 15 disposed downstream, due to their overall lesser weight, are lifted from the inside back cover 18a and remain resting on the latter only with the second side 16b of the penultimate page.

(44) The lifting of the pages 15 disposed downstream of the book body 11 is also determined in relation to the thickness and the rigidity of the pages 15. As one page 15 is turned and disposed beyond the center line of the book body 11, the group of pages which are disposed upstream turn on the spine 19 and on the front plate 17 of the cover 12, thus allowing an easier rotation of the page.

(45) In particular, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, turning one page 15 disposed toward the group of pages disposed downstream determines a vertical movement of the latter, and the group of pages disposed upstream move toward the outermost edge of the front plate 17.

(46) Once the page 15 (FIG. 9) has been rotated by an angle greater than 90, an inversion is determined of the movement of the group of pages disposed upstream toward the back plate 18.

(47) In this case therefore a vertical movement occurs of the first sides 16a of the group of pages 15 disposed downstream, and a transverse movement along the plane of the cover 12 of the group of pages 15 disposed upstream of the page considered.

(48) These movements of the groups of pages are due to the fact that the last page 14 is associated to the cover only for the first surface portion 21, allowing a freedom of movement of the book body 11.

(49) During the rotation of a page, the position of the pivoting point of the page is varied according to a circular trajectory, which therefore facilitates the movement of the pages 15.

(50) Consequently, the present invention, having the first surface portion 21 of the last page 14 partly connected to the back plate 18, allows to open the album flatly at 180, and possibly even more, without stresses which would damage the album, avoiding deformations of the spine. This differs from the provisions of CH-A-365,702, which as well as being a paperback book and not a photograph album with pages coupled to each other, also provides that all the surface of the part of the lower half of the flyleaf is completely glued to the cover, which prevents, therefore, opening the book flat at 180, without causing damaging stresses, and even the breaking or detachment of the flyleaf, and which can, with use, cause deformations of the spine.

(51) It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the photograph album as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

(52) It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of photograph album, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.