U.S. patent number 3,797,152 [Application Number 05/211,252] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-19 for photograph album page.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Polaroid Corporation. Invention is credited to Edison R. Brandt.
United States Patent |
3,797,152 |
Brandt |
March 19, 1974 |
PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM PAGE
Abstract
An album page for photographs formed of a single folded plastic
sheet containing a plurality of picture cut-outs on either side.
Photographs are inserted on the inside of the page behind the
respective cut-outs which conform to the size of the film format.
The photographs are releasably retained in pockets formed above and
below each cutout on the interior of the page. The page is folded
in half and, in a preferred embodiment, may be held closed by
tucking the front of the page underneath a folded portion of the
back of the page with the mounted photographs facing outwardly.
Inventors: |
Brandt; Edison R. (Cohasset,
MA) |
Assignee: |
Polaroid Corporation
(Cambridge, MA)
|
Family
ID: |
22786144 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/211,252 |
Filed: |
December 23, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
40/774; D19/26;
40/404; 402/79 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B42F
5/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B42F
5/00 (20060101); G09f 001/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;40/158,158B,159,104.18,104.19 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Michell; Robert W.
Assistant Examiner: Contreras; Wenceslao J.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A photograph album page for use with photographs of the type
including a flattened pod at one end thereof, said photographic
album page comprising: a single sheet of stiff opaque material
folded to provide
front and rear portions of substantially the same size, said front
and rear portions including means defining apertures through which
photographs mounted behind said apertures may be viewed, said
apertures having a size generally corresponding to the image area
of the photographs; and
means defining pocket strips attached to an inner surface of said
folded sheet to form individual three-sided pockets having openings
on a fourth side thereof for releasably retaining the photographs
on said inner surface of said sheet, said pockets being formed
above each aperture for releasably receiving and retaining one end
of the photograph by frictional engagement therewith and below each
aperture for releasably retaining the photograph by frictional
engagement of a portion of the flattened pod at the other end of
the photograph, said openings of said pockets located above and
below each said aperture being spaced apart a distance less than
the corresponding distance between the ends of a photograph whereby
the photograph is adapted to be readily received by or removed from
said pockets by flexing the photograph.
2. The photograph album page according to claim 1 in which said
page additionally includes tab means integrally formed as a portion
of said sheet for releasably holding said front and rear portions
of said folded sheet together, said tab means being formed as a
creased lip extension of one lateral edge of said folded sheet.
3. The photograph album page according to claim 2 in which said tab
means is formed as a creased extension of said front portion of
said single folded sheet material, said tab means being folded
behind said front portion for releasably retaining said rear
portion when said sheet is closed.
4. The photograph album page according to claim 2 in which said tab
means is formed as a creased extension of said rear portion of said
single folded sheet material, said tab means being folded in front
of said rear portion for releasably retaining said front portion
when said sheet is closed.
Description
The construction and manufacture of albums and album pages is not
new in the photographic field. The majority of the commercially
available albums, however, do not retain a photograph in a most
aesthetically pleasing manner. These album pages commonly use a
paste-down corner tab at each of the photograph's four corners.
Although they permit viewing of the full photographic image, the
corner tabs do not present a clean looking holding arrangement for
the photograph.
Another of the commonly used album page is the variety formed of a
clear plastic sheet with photograph sized pockets formed therein.
These albums generally have no means for securing the photograph
within the pocket, resulting in a disorientated looking collage.
Additionally, the photograph must be viewee through the plastic
sheet thereby detracting from the photographic image quality.
The present invention is addressed to an album page, adapted to be
incorporated within a photographic album, which allows a full
unencumbered view of a photographic image while remaining
aesthetically pleasing. The album page is formed of a single folded
plastic sheet containing a plurality of picture cut-outs on either
side. Photographs are inserted on the inside of the page behind the
respective cut-outs which conform to the size of the film format.
The photographs are held in place by socket strips with no covering
on the film display side of the photograph. The page is folded in
half and, in a preferred embodiment, held closed by tucking the
front of the page underneath a folded portion of the back of the
page with the mounted photographs facing outwardly. Thus, each
album sheet is suitable for displaying photographs on both sides of
the page when it is incorporated in a ring binder or the like.
One feature and object of the present invention is to provide an
album page for retaining a plurality of photographs in an
aesthetically pleasing manner.
Another feature and object of the present invention is to provide
an album page which retains photographs in position with provision
for the latter's easy removal and replacement.
Another feature and object of the present invention is to provide
an album page formed of a single sheet of material having the
capability of retaining photographs on either or both sides.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in
part appear within the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing
features, techniques and properties which are exemplified in the
description to follow.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the
invention, reference should be made to the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention in an opened
status in which it is ready to receive a photograph;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention in a closed
state;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention as may be seen by
the album user;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the present invention
taken through the section 4--4 as seen in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the present invention
taken through the section 5--5 as seen in FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an album page
10 according to the present invention. Page 10 is in an opened
status ready to accept a photograph for mounting. Page 10 is formed
of a single sheet of synthetic plastic opaque material (colored or
not) having two creases 12 and 14 formed therein. Page 10 is opaque
in the sense that it hides all of the photograph exclusive of the
print image itself. Once folded, page 10 has two showing surfaces
16 and 18, two inner mounting surfaces 20 and 22 and a fold-over
tab 23 formed along crease 14. Disposed within each side are four
apertures 24 having a size corresponding with the image size of the
photograph to be mounted.
Formed on inner mounting surfaces 20 and 22 are pocket strips shown
generally at 26. Pocket strips 26 are fixedly attached to inner
mounting surfaces 20 and 22 along cross hatched areas 25 by any
suitable method. In the preferred embodiment shown, this is
accomplished by heat sealing. When properly attached, socket strips
26 are divided into two individual pockets 28 and 30 located at the
top and bottom of an aperture 24. Positioned as shown, pockets 28
and 30 provide supporting and retaining structure for both the top
and bottom of a mounted photograph. Pocket 28 is formed with a
smaller depth than pocket 30. The reason for this difference will
be made more apparent below.
In another embodiment (not shown) pockets 28 and 30 may be replaced
by strips of heat sealed plastic into which the photograph may be
slid.
In its preferred embodiment, album page 10 is specifically adapted
for use with a film unit 32 of the self-developing variety.
Described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,644 by Edwin H. Land, entitled
"Novel Photographic Products and Processes" issued Dec. 10, 1968,
film unit 32 is characterized in having a non-removable pod unit 34
which had previously contained processing liquid. Film unit 32 is
further identified by a transparent layer (not shown) which
provides a protective covering for the photographic image contained
upon unit 32, thereby alleviating any need for a protective plastic
layer over aperture 24.
Film unit 32 is mounted within album page 10 when the album page is
in an opened status as shown in FIG. 1. An exposed film unit is
placed over an unoccupied aperture 24 with its image side facing
downwardly. When in this position, the user next inserts one edge
of the unit into pocket 30 or 28 respectively. When this has been
accomplished, the user flexes the film unit 32 into a position in
which the opposite edge of the unit may be inserted into its
respective pocket. The separation between pockets 28 and 30 is
large enough to permit film unit 32 to lie in a flat position just
above aperture 24.
When the film units have been inserted, the user closes page 10 and
lifts flap 23 over the edge of surface 16 thereby preventing page
10 from reopening. Surface 16 is somewhat shorter in length than
surface 18 in order to facilitate the folding over of flap 23. Page
10 is then inserted into an album by any suitable means; by holes
36 in the preferred embodiment. It should be noted in this regard
that page 10 may be incorporated into an album in which the page
may not be extracted. In such a case, page 10 would be secured to
the album along crease 14 thereby permitting surface 16 to be
lifted for the insertion of photographs.
Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a second embodiment of the
present invention. As previously mentioned, film unit 32 contains a
pod 34 which is not removed from the unit as a whole. When unit 32
has been processed, pod 34 is flattened, thereby providing space on
the portion covering pod 34 for notes or captions pertinent to the
film unit to which it is attached. Should such captions be
incorporated by the user, cut-outs 38 may be provided for
permitting the user to view the captions when the photograph is
inserted within page 10. Cut-outs 38 are positioned below aperture
24 in such a manner that the front portion of the pod contained
within pocket 30 may be viewed from viewing surfaces 16 and 18.
It should be noted that page 10 is not limited to use with
photographs of the self-developing variety. If desired, the
apertures 24 and pockets 28 and 30 may be enlarged or reduced to
accommodate any small size print. Page 10 may also include a
transparent protective layer if the print to be mounted does not
have one.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that album page 10 is an
inexpensive and easily constructed unit which provides for both
easy insertion and removal of a photograph without reliance upon
adhesives. Page 10 also permits double sided viewing with an
unencumbered full view of the mounted photographs without any
portion of the image being hidden. Therefore, a clean looking and
aesthetically pleasing mounting holder for photographs may be
obtained which is easily produced with small expense to the general
consumer.
This invention may be practiced or embodied in still other ways
without departing from the spirit and essential character thereof.
The preferred embodiment described herein is therefore illustrative
and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by
the appended claims and all variations which come within the
meaning of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
* * * * *