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.

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.

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.