Acco Brands Corporation

Meadwestvaco Corporation

Michael D Rowe

Edward P Busam

Bobby G James, Jr

Scot B Herbst

Peter M Bartlett

Megan C Lapointe

Paul E Olvera

Thomas Joseph Africa

Ellisa A Stone

Abbey Blundell

Elizabeth M Lacher

Sherry Lynn Jones

Kevin W Witter

Michael Anthony Lorenz

Jason Michael Kramer

Kenneth P Richied

James C Matchett

Keith D McGoldrick

Ming Leung

Trisha Maurer

Bryan Povish

Juli Hallas

Kyley Reed

Harlan Peden

Amy Bryant

Elizabeth Taylor

Pocket with surface indicia

Systems and methods for extracting information from a sheet of material to facilitate organization of information from paper, and other physical writing surfaces are provided. An example system includes a sheet of material and a device for scanning the sheet with an optical sensor. The sheet of material includes an indication region. The indication region allows for indictors to be marked corresponding with at least one a corresponding subregion to be extracted. The sheet of material further includes at least one fiducial mark for identifying a boundary of the sheet. The device includes a processor operably coupled to the optical sensor for causing the optical sensor to scan the sheet and detect a boundary thereof using the fiducial marks and further identify a designated subregion of the sheet. Upon identification of the designated subregion, the processor is configured to extract information contained in the designated subregion for organization of information.

System and method to facilitate extraction and organization of information from paper, and other physical writing surfaces

A binding mechanism including a body portion having a flange opening extending therethrough. The body portion further includes or at least partially defines a body portion opening positioned adjacent a base end of the flange. The binding mechanism has a manually deflectable flange coupled to the body portion. At least part of the flange is insertable through the flange opening from a first side of the body portion to at least partially form a loop on the first side of the body portion. The at least part of the flange is alternatively insertable through the flange opening from a second side of the body portion opposite the first side to at least partially form a loop on the second side of the body portion. The body portion opening is configured to receive the flange therethrough to enable the flange to be positioned on either the first side or the second side of the body portion.

Flexible binding mechanism

A filer is disclosed which has front panel and rear panel defining a storage compartment therebetween, the storage compartment having a width. The filer includes a cover coupled to the rear panel and releasably attachable to the front panel to generally cover or seal the storage compartment. A distal portion of the cover has a width that is about equal to or smaller than the width of the storage compartment to allow the distal portion of the front cover to be received in the storage compartment.

Filer with insertable cover

A backpack including a body having a back surface configured to be positioned adjacent to a back of a wearer when the backpack is worn. The body further includes a front surface at least partially spaced away from the back surface to at least partially define an inner cavity therebetween. The backpack has a storage component positioned within the inner cavity and at least one shoulder strap coupled to the body and positionable over a shoulder of a wearer. The backpack further has a releasable fastener that is movable to an open position to provide access to the inner cavity and movable to a closed position to block access to the inner cavity. The back surface includes a hinge about which the back surface is predisposed to bend, and the backpack is configured such that when the releasable fastener is in the open position at least part of the back surface is pivotable about the hinge to provide access to the inner cavity. The hinge is positioned below the storage component.

Backpack with hinged back panel

A backpack including a body having a back surface configured to be positioned adjacent to a back of a wearer when the backpack is worn. The body further includes a front surface at least partially spaced away from the back surface to define an inner cavity therebetween. The body has a pair of opposed side surfaces, each side surface extending between the back surface and the front surface. The backpack includes at least one shoulder strap coupled to the body and positionable over a shoulder of a wearer and a releasable fastener that is openable to provide access to the inner cavity or closable to block access to the inner cavity. The fastener extends at least partially across the front surface and both side surfaces. At least part of the releasable fastener on the side surfaces, at a position away from an outer perimeter of each side surface, extends at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the back surface. The body includes a hinge line about which the body is predetermined to bend, and the backpack is configured such that when the releasable fastener is opened the backpack includes a cover at least partially defined by the releasable fastener which is hingedly movable about the hinge line.

Backpack with improved access opening

A component including a body having an outer edge, a first slit/opening formed or pre-formed therein and a second slit/opening formed or pre-formed therein. The component further includes a tab coupled to the body such that the tab is movable between a retracted position wherein the tab does not protrude beyond the outer edge, and an extended position wherein the tab extends through the first slit/opening, extends through the second slit/opening and protrudes beyond the outer edge.

Component with selectively deployable tabs

A device with a retractable stand including a device body and a stand panel slidably coupled to the device body. The stand panel is slidably movable between a retracted configuration, wherein the stand panel is generally flat and planar, and an extended configuration wherein the stand panel is not generally flat and planar. When said stand panel is in the extended configuration the stand panel forms a stand to support the device body in an upright position.

Device with slidable retractable stand

A bound system including a plurality of pages and a cover/divider bound to the plurality of pages and having at least one free edge. The cover/divider includes a tab secured to a body of the cover/divider such that the tab is movable between an extended position wherein at least part of the tab protrudes beyond the free edge and a refracted position wherein the at least part of the tab does not protrude beyond the free edge. The cover/divider has a slit/opening formed or pre-formed therein and positioned adjacent to the tab and spaced away from the free edge. The slit/opening is positioned such that at least part of the tab is receivable through the slit/opening when the tab is in the extended position.

Bound component with selectively deployable tabs

A bound component including a first panel and a second panel pivotally coupled together along a hinge. Each panel includes an outer covering and a substrate positioned in the outer covering, wherein the outer covering of the first panel is directly coupled to the outer covering of the second panel to form the hinge. The substrates of the first and second panels are not directly coupled together. The bound component further includes a reinforcement extending over or forming at least part of the hinge.

Binder with reinforced spine

Folder with spine and flap features

Folder with spine features

Folder with flap features

Growing community of inventors

Medway, OH, United States of America

Michael D Rowe