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An object resembling the cover of a hardbound book comprises two panels connected by a spine. The outside hinge configuration of the invention prevents the spine from collapsing, even if there are no contents between the two panels. The invention lends itself to a wide variety of book-like products

An object resembling the cover of a hardbound book comprises two panels connected by a spine. The outside hinge configuration of the invention prevents the spine from collapsing, even if there are no contents between the two panels. The invention lends itself to a wide variety of book-like products (e.g., a book-like holder for a compact disc and accompanying booklet) where the contents are of changing width (thickness) or where the spine must be of a specific width, irrespective of the width of the contents, and further allows for a binding for a book to be fabricated prior to assembly or insertion of its pages. A hinged cover consistent with the invention comprises a spine and two rigid panels, each panel coupled to the spine and disposed rotatably with respect to the spine, and the spine serves as a hinge stop for each rigid panel, such that each panel, when rotated toward the other panel, is constrained from rotating substantially beyond 90 degrees with respect to the spine. A method of constructing a cover consistent with the invention comprises disposing a rigid front, rear, and spine panel core onto a sheet of pliable material, such that the width of the space between the spine panel core and the other panel cores is based on at least the sum of the thickness of the spine panel core and twice the thickness of the sheet of pliable material.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A hinged cover comprising:a spine having an inner surface; and two rigid panels, each said panel coupled to said spine and disposed rotatably with respect to said spine and having an outer surface; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of

1. A hinged cover comprising:a spine having an inner surface; and two rigid panels, each said panel coupled to said spine and disposed rotatably with respect to said spine and having an outer surface; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the hinged cover is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; wherein said spine serves as a hinge stop for each said rigid panel, such that each said panel, when rotated toward the other said panel, is constrained from rotating substantially beyond 90 degrees with respect to said spine; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 2. A hinged cover as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, disposed between said two rigid panels, at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.3. A hinged cover comprising:a spine having an inner surface; and two rigid panels having outer surfaces, at least one said panel hingeably coupled to said spine, such that the rotation of said panel is substantially limited by a configuration between said panel and said spine wherein said spine serves as a hinge stop for said panels; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the hinged cover is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 4. A hinged cover as claimed in claim 3, further comprising, disposed between said two rigid panels, at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data.5. A hinged cover comprising:a spine having an inner surface and an outside surface; and two rigid panels having outer surfaces, said rigid panels hingeably coupled to said spine, wherein the axis of travel about which at least one said panel rotates is situated on the outside surface of said spine; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the hinged cover is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 6. A hinged cover as claimed in claim 5, further comprising, disposed between said two rigid panels, at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.7. A book cover comprising:a spine panel having an inner surface; and two rigid cover panels having outer surfaces, said rigid cover panels disposed rotatably with respect to said spine panel such that said spine panel serves as a hinge stop for each said rigid cover panel, wherein the endpoint of inward rotation of each said rigid cover panel is independent of the thickness of any contents housed within said book cover; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid cover panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine panel when the book cover is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid cover panel is constrained by contact with said spine panel and independently of contact with any other surface. 8. A book cover as claimed in claim 7, further comprising, disposed between said two rigid cover panels, at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.9. An outside-hinged cover for housing at least one object therein comprising:a spine panel having an inner surface; and front and rear rigid cover panels having outer surfaces, said rigid cover panels disposed rotatably with respect to said spine; wherein said at least one object is disposed between said rigid cover panels; wherein the thickness of said spine panel is greater than the combined thickness of the front panel, all of the objects housed therein, and the rear panel; wherein said spine panel serves as a hinge stop for each said rigid cover panel, such that each said rigid cover panel, when rotated toward the other said rigid cover panel, is constrained from rotating substantially beyond 90 degrees with respect to said spine panel; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid cover panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine panel when the outside-hinted cover is opened to a position in which the rigid cover panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid cover panel is constrained by contact with said spine panel and independently of contact with any other surface. 10. An outside-hinged cover as claimed in claim 9, further comprising, disposed between said two rigid cover panels, at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.11. An outside-hinged cover for housing at least one object therein comprising:a spine panel having an inner surface; and two rigid cover panels having outer surfaces, said rigid cover panels disposed rotatably with respect to said spine; wherein said spine panel and said rigid cover panels are disposed such that each said rigid cover panel, when rotated toward the other said rigid cover panel, is constrained from rotating substantially beyond 90 degrees with respect to said spine panel, independent of whether any of said objects stored therein are attached to the inside of said spine panel; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid cover panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine panel when the outside-hinged cover is opened to a position in which the rigid cover panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid cover panel is constrained by contact with said spine panel and independently of contact with any other surface. 12. An outside-hinged cover as claimed in claim 11, further comprising, disposed between said two rigid cover panels, at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.13. A method of constructing a cover comprising:forming a cover having rigid front, rear and spine panels by disposing a rigid front, rear, and spine panel core onto a sheet of pliable material, such that the width of the space between said spine panel core and said other panel cores is based on at least the sum of the thickness of said spine panel core and twice the thickness of said sheet of pliable material; wherein said spine panel has an inner surface; wherein said rigid front and rear panels are formed so as to have outer surfaces that are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine panel when the cover is opened to a position in which the rigid front and rear panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine panel and independently of contact with any other surface. 14. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising disposing between said front and rear rigid panels at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.15. A method of constructing a cover comprising:hingeably coupling two rigid panels having outer surfaces to a spine having an inner surface, wherein each said panel, when rotated toward the other said panel, is constrained from rotating substantially beyond 90 degrees with respect to said spine based on said spine serving as a hinge stop for each said panel, wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the cover is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other, and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising disposing between said rigid panels at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.17. A method of constructing a book cover comprising:hingeably coupling two rigid panels having outer surfaces to a spine having an inner surface and an outside surface, in a configuration, wherein said spine serves as a hinge stop for each said rigid panel, wherein the axis of travel about which at least one said panel rotates is situated on the outside surface of said spine, and the endpoint of inward rotation of each said panel is independent of the thickness of a plurality of pages housed in said book cover, wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the book cover is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 18. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising disposing between said rigid panels at least one of the following: at least one sheet of paper, a CD, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a tape, a boss for holding a CD or CD-ROM, a device for holding a storage medium for audio, music, video, pictures, software, or data, a stamp collection, a coin collection, a general collection of items, a photograph, a cassette, a scrapbook page, an electronic storage medium.19. A compact disc cover comprising:a spine having an inner surface; two rigid panels, each said panel having an outer surface and being coupled to said spine and disposed rotatably with respect to said spine; a CD holder disposed between said rigid panels; and a plurality of pages disposed between said rigid panels; wherein each said panel, when rotated toward the other said panel, is constrained from rotating substantially beyond 90 degrees with respect to said spine based on said spine serving as a hinge stop for each said rigid panel; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the compact disc cover is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 20. A data storage medium product comprising:a spine having an inner surface and an outside surface; two rigid panels having outer surfaces, said rigid panels hingeably coupled to said spine; a data storage medium; and a plurality of pages disposed between said rigid panels; wherein the axis of travel about which at least one said panel rotates is situated on the outside surface of said spine; wherein the outer surfaces of said rigid panels are essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the data storage medium product is opened to a position in which the rigid panels are disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other; and wherein the inward rotation of each said rigid panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 21. A hinged cover comprising:a spine having an outside edge and an inner surface; at least one panel having an inside edge and a bottom surface, said panel hingeably coupled to said outside edge of said spine, wherein said panel is adapted to interface with said spine, said spine serving as a hinge stop; wherein the sum of the angle of said inside edge of said panel measured relative to said bottom surface of said panel and the angle of said outside edge of said spine measured relative to said bottom surface of said panel is 90 degrees; wherein the bottom surface of said panel is essentially coplanar with the inner surface of said spine when the hinged cover is opened to a position in which said panel and said spine lie in substantially parallel lines; and wherein the inward rotation of each said panel is constrained by contact with said spine and independently of contact with any other surface. 22. A hinged cover comprising:a sheet of pliable material; and rigid front, rear, and spine panel cores coupled to said sheet of pliable material, said front and rear panel cores disposed opposite one another adjacent said spine panel core, said panel cores having substantially trapezoidal cross-sections, the cross-section of said spine panel core having two outside edges and a bottom edge, and the cross-section of said front and rear panel cores having an inside edge and a bottom edge; wherein the sum of the angle of said inside edge of said front or rear panel core measured relative to said bottom edge of said front or rear panel core and the angle of said adjacent outside edge of said spine panel core measured relative to said bottom surface of said spine panel core is 90 degrees.