Ergonomic binding system for large format images

Abstract

A binding system (30H) having separate page images (81), (82), and (84) each of which present a portion of a complete map or image. The page images are printed within binding system (30H) which comprises three or more main pages (80a), (80b), and (80c) bonded to a main spine (21), and one or more secondary pages (86a) mounted on secondary spine (23a). main spine (21) and secondary spine (23a) are substantially perpendicular to each other and bisect each other. Thereby allowing pages to be turned both vertically and horizontally without significantly altering the binding systems overall dimensions when open.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This utility application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/567,274, filed on Dec. 6, 2011, titled: “Ergonomic Binding System For Large Format Images”.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The field of this invention relates to sheet binding methods such as for a book or booklet and more specifically to binding methods that comprise both horizontal and vertical spines.

2. Prior Art

Several attempts have been made to improve the use of large format images, such as maps and blueprints without requiring a large table to lay them out on. The prior art seems to fall into two general categories: 1) 23boarder border images 51 through 59 in FIG. 2) between page images, such as, brightening or dulling the colors in the overlap images, changing the color of the background in the overlap images, making lines thicker in the overlap image, changing the background to gray in the overlap images, etc. Also, many combinations of vertical and horizontal pages are possible and only a few are shown in this document. The reader should realize that the number of secondary pages between any given two main pages is selectable depending on the desired size and shape of the large format image. The disclosed binding method allows essentially an unlimited number of main pages (externally bound pages), and the number of secondary pages bound between these main pages limited only by the ability of the sheet material to fold along the main pages fold line. Thus, the scope of this invention should not be limited to the above examples, but should be determined from the following claims:

Claims

1. A binding system for printed material, comprising:

a) a main spine with at least three main pages of printable material bound at one edge to the main spine, wherein to allow the main spine allows the binding system at least three main pages to open and close the main pages like a standard book and/or magazine;

b) one or more secondary spines extending across two adjacent main pages and substantially perpendicular to the main spine, each with secondary spine being foldable at the main spine and having one or more secondary sheets of printable material bound at one edge to one of the one or more secondary spine(s); spines, wherein each secondary sheet comprises one or more secondary pages and each secondary page can be opened in alignment with a respective secondary spine and the main spine;

c) wherein the one or more secondary spines are each defined across two adjacent main pages and substantially perpendicular to the main spine; wherein each of the one or more secondary spines comprises a bonding area that is zone defined on the surfaces of its respective two adjacent main pages, wherein each bonding area zone binds a single edge of each a corresponding secondary sheet to its respective secondary spine; wherein each secondary page can be opened in either direction around its respective secondary spine when the binding system is open to the two adjacent main pages where that respective secondary spine is defined, and

d) wherein the one or more secondary spines are each foldable at the main spine;

e) d) wherein the at least three main pages and the one or more secondary pages form a multiplicity of unique page views within the binding system, wherein and a large format image is printed across the multiplicity of unique page views, and further including one or more overlap boarder boarder images printed on the a periphery of two or more page images of the multiplicity of unique page views;

f) e) wherein the each overlap boarder images border image on a particular page view of the multiplicity of unique page views define provides one or both of east and/or and west boarder overlap border images and or one or both of north and/or and south overlap boarder border images, wherein:

i) an overlap boarder border image on the a right edge of the particular page view appears again is duplicated on the a left edge of an adjacent page view when the a page on the a right side of the particular page view is turned from right to left,

ii) an overlap boarder border image on the a left edge of the particular page view appears again is duplicated on the a right edge of an adjacent page view when the a page on the a left side of the particular page view is turned from left to right,

iii) an overlap boarder border image on the a top edge of the particular page view appears again is duplicated on the a bottom edge of an adjacent page view when the a page on the a top of the particular page view is turned from top to bottom, and/or

iv) an overlap boarder border image on the a bottom edge of the particular page view appears again is duplicated on the a top edge of an adjacent page view when the a page on the a bottom of the particular page view is turned from bottom to top,

g) f) wherein at least one of the one or more overlap border images and its duplicate overlap border image are provides an overlap corner image printed on at least four two different printable surfaces of the physical sheets of printable material, wherein the physical sheets of printable material comprises main pages and/or secondary pages, one or more secondary sheets; and

h) g) wherein each unique page image comprises view includes a printed map guide for displaying to a user the identifying a location of the unique page image in the main map image view relative to the large format image, and

i) wherein the printed map guide graphically identifies for the user what unique page image view is located in the left, right, up or down directions from the a present unique page image view when turning the left, right, top or bottom pages, respectively.

2. The binding system in claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more secondary page and/or pages and the at least three main pages comprises a single sheet of printable material that is printed on both sides.

3. The binding system in claim 1, wherein the main spine and the one or more secondary spines substantially bisect each other at their respective midpoints, whereby pages can be turned both vertically and horizontally without significantly altering the binding system's overall dimensions of the binding system when open.

4. The binding system in claim 1, wherein a the large format image is divided into a multiplicity of page images that form a grid of rows and columns, wherein each page image is printed on one unique page view of the multiplicity of unique page views,

wherein turning one of the at least three main page pages from left to right changes a user's given page image one column to the left in the large format image,

wherein turning one of the at least three main pages from right to left changes the user's given page image one column to the right,

wherein turning one of the one or more secondary pages from top to bottom changes the user's given page image up one row in the large format image, and

wherein turning one of the one or more secondary page from bottom to top changes the user's given page image down one row in the large format image, whereby the a user can turn pages the given page both horizontally and vertically to view adjacent page images in the large format image that are in that direction in respective directions on the grid of rows and columns.

5. The binding system in claim 4, further includes an overlap boarder border image positioned on at least one boarder border of each page view, wherein adjacent page views have common overlap boarder border images, whereby the user can identify a printed object in the overlap border image near an edge of one page view and then turn that page edge and see the printed object in a substantially similar overlap border image on that adjacent page view.

6. The binding system in claim 1, further includes an overlap boarder border image positioned on at least one boarder border of each page view, wherein adjacent page views have common overlap border images, whereby the user can identify a printed object in the overlap border image near an edge of one page view and then turn that page edge and see the printed object in a substantially similar overlap border image on that adjacent page view.

7. The binding system in claim 6, wherein at least one portion of a particular overlap border image is printed on three adjacent unique page views.

8. The binding system in claim 6, wherein at least one portion of a particular overlap border corner image is printed on four adjacent unique page views.

9. The binding system in claim 1, wherein the large format image is divided into a plurality of page images that form a grid of rows and columns, wherein and each page image is printed on one unique page view of the binding system multiplicity of unique page views, wherein each unique page image comprises a printed map guide for displaying to the user the present page image's relative location in the map image, wherein the printed map guide graphically identifies for the user what page image in the right, left, up or down directions from the present page image when turning the left, right, top or bottom pages respectively and wherein one or more tabs are attached to an outer edge of one or more of the at least three main pages, whereby a user can easily select a particular main page to turn to by grabbing a particular tab of the one or more tabs.

10. The binding system in claim 1, wherein one or more tabs are attached to an outer edge of one or more of the at least three main pages, whereby a user can easily select a particular main page to turn to by grabbing a particular tab of the one or more tabs.

11. The binding system in claim 1, wherein, when the main spine is opened, the binding system has substantially exhibits the same overall dimensions once the main spine is opened, whereby further while flipping of the at least three main pages and/or or the one or more secondary pages does not substantially change the viewable area of the binding system.

12. The binding system in claim 1, wherein the main spine is oriented horizontally relative to the large format image.

13. The binding system in claim 1, wherein the main spine is oriented vertically relative to the large format image.

14. The binding system in claim 1, wherein the large format image is selected from the group consisting of a geographical map, a schematic drawing, a blueprint, and a photograph.

15. The binding system in claim 1, wherein the one or more secondary sheets are bound at one edge to the one or more secondary spines.

16. The binding system in claim 1, wherein the one or more secondary sheets are bound at one folded edge to the one or more secondary spines.

17. The binding system in claim 10, wherein one or more secondary tabs are attached to an outer edge of at least one of the one or more secondary pages whereby the user can select a particular secondary page to turn to by grabbing a particular secondary tab of the one or more secondary tabs.

18. The binding system in claim 1, wherein a notch is defined in the one or more secondary pages at an intersection of an associated secondary spine and the main spine, and wherein the one or more secondary pages are configured to expand into the notch upon being cross folded.

19. A binding system for printed material, comprising:

a) a main spine with at least three main pages of printable material bound at one edge to the main spine to allow the at least three main pages to open and close;

b) one or more secondary spines extending across two adjacent main pages and substantially perpendicular to the main spine, each secondary spine being foldable at the main spine and having one or more secondary sheets of printable material bound to one of the one or more secondary spines, wherein each secondary sheet comprises one or more secondary pages and each secondary page can be opened in alignment with a respective secondary spine and the main spine;

c) a notch defined in the one or more secondary pages at an intersection of an associated secondary spine and the main spine, wherein a portion of the one or more secondary pages is expandable into the notch upon being cross folded;

d) wherein each of the one or more secondary spines comprises a bonding zone defined on surfaces of its respective two adjacent main pages, wherein each bonding zone binds a corresponding secondary sheet to its respective secondary spine;

e) wherein the at least three main pages and the one or more secondary pages form a multiplicity of unique page views and a large format image is printed across the multiplicity of unique page views, and further including one or more overlap border images printed on a periphery of two or more page images of the multiplicity of unique page views;

f) wherein each overlap border image on a particular page view of the multiplicity of unique page views provides one or both of east and west overlap border images or one or both of north and south overlap border images, wherein:

i) an overlap border image on a right edge of the particular page view is duplicated on a left edge of an adjacent page view when a page on a right side of the particular page view is turned from right to left,

ii) an overlap border image on a left edge of the particular page view is duplicated on a right edge of an adjacent page view when a page on a left side of the particular page view is turned from left to right,

iii) an overlap border image on a top edge of the particular page view is duplicated on a bottom edge of an adjacent page view when a page on a top of the particular page view is turned from top to bottom, and/or

iv) an overlap border image on a bottom edge of the particular page view is duplicated on a top edge of an adjacent page view when a page on a bottom of the particular page view is turned from bottom to top,

g) wherein at least one of the one or more overlap border images provides an overlap corner image printed on at least two different printable surfaces of the one or more secondary sheets; and

h) wherein each unique page view includes a printed map guide for identifying a location of the unique page view relative to the large format image, and wherein the printed map guide identifies what unique page view is located in left, right, up or down directions from a present unique page view when turning left, right, top or bottom pages, respectively.