BACKGROUND 
   Students and other users often use backpacks, bags, and other storage devices to carry various loose materials, such as books, notebooks, school supplies, writing instruments, etc. However, backpacks and bags may not provide quick and convenient access to the stored contents. Furthermore, with increased security concerns at schools and other locations, use of backpacks, bags and other similar storage devices may be discouraged. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device for storing loose materials. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present invention is a binding wrapper shaped to fit around or loop around loose materials to thereby grip the loose materials. The binding wrapper and loose materials can then be carried as a packaged stack of materials. 
   In one embodiment, the invention is a binding wrapper including a first generally stiff end component, a second generally stiff end component spaced apart from the first end component, and a connecting component extending between the first and second end components. The connecting component includes at least a portion of elastic material, and the first and second end components are releasably attachable together such that the wrapper is formable into a closed loop. 
   Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 


   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the binding wrapper of the present invention, shown in its open (flat) position; 
       FIG. 2  is a back perspective view of the binding wrapper of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the binding wrapper of  FIG. 2 , shown in its closed (looped) position; 
       FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the binding wrapper of  FIG. 3  storing books therein; and 
       FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the binding wrapper of the present invention. 
   


   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1–3 , in one embodiment the binding wrapper  10  may include a generally elongate or rectangular body  12 . The binding wrapper  10  may include a backing component  14  generally centrally located in the body  12  of the binding wrapper  10 . The binding wrapper  10  may include a first generally stretchable or elastic component  16  coupled to and extending from a first side of the backing component  14 , and a second generally stretchable or elastic component  18  coupled to and extending from a second opposed side of the backing component  12 . The binding wrapper  10  may also include a first end component  20  coupled to the first elastic component  16  and a second end component  22  coupled to the second elastic component  18 . In one embodiment, the backing component  14  and elastic components  16 ,  18  may collectively be termed the “connecting component” which extends between and/or connects the end components  20 ,  22 . Each of the elastic components  16 ,  18  may be generally elastic, flexible or pliable and may include a fabric covering  31  at its outer edges to protect the exposed edges. 
   Each of the backing  14  and end  20 ,  22  components (each of which may be generically designated a “support” component) may be generally stiff and generally planar. The backing component  14  and end components  20 ,  22  may be sufficiently stiff to support the weight of a typical stack of school supplies or other loose components (i.e., up to several pounds) while remaining generally planar. Alternately, the support components  14 ,  20 ,  22  may simply be stiffer than the elastic components  16 ,  18 . Each of the backing  12  and end  20 ,  22  components, as well as the elastic components  16 ,  18 , may include substantially identical widths such that the binding wrapper  10  is generally rectangular when laid flat (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The binding wrapper  10  may have a width A greater than about 1 inch, further preferably greater than about 4 inches, and in one embodiment has a width of about 6 inches. Each of the end components  20 ,  22  and/or the backing component  14  may include a tactile or frictional gripping surface, such as a roughened rubber-like surface located on an inner surface thereof (that is, the surfaces of the components  20 ,  22 ,  14  visible in  FIG. 2 ). 
   The binding wrapper  10  may include an attachment mechanism  27  for releasably coupling the ends of the binding wrapper  10  together, and/or for releasably coupling the end components  20 ,  22  together. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the attachment mechanism  27  may include a first patch  24  of hook and loop fastening material (such as VELCRO®) located on an outer surface of the end component  20  ( FIG. 1 ), and a corresponding, complementary patch  26  of hook and loop fastening material located on an inner surface of the end component  22  (See  FIG. 2 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the patches of hook and loop fastening  24 ,  26  material extend along substantially the entire length of the corresponding end components  20 ,  22 . Furthermore, a wide variety of attachment mechanisms, besides the hook and loop fastening system illustrated herein, may be used to couple the ends or end components  20 ,  22  together without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, a wide variety of hooks, clasps, zippers, interengaging geometries, cords, ties, straps and the like may be used. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the binding wrapper  10  may be moved from its open position ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) wherein the binding wrapper  10  is laid generally flat to its closed position ( FIG. 3 ) wherein the ends of the binding wrapper  10  are attached together to form the binding wrapper  10  into a generally closed loop. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, in order to move the binding wrapper  10  from its open to its closed position, the binding wrapper  10  is laid flat in its open position and on its outer surface ( FIG. 2 ). Each of the end components  20 ,  22  are then pivoted generally inwardly over the backing component  12  such that each end component  20 ,  22  overlaps with each other, or is located above the end component  14 . The patch of hook and loop fastening material  26  of end component  22  may then be pressed into engagement with the corresponding patch of hook and loop fastening material  24  located on end component  20  to releasably couple the end components  20 ,  22  together. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the binding wrapper  10  may include a label pocket  30  having a clear window such that a tag which identifies the contents of the binding wrapper  10  may be inserted into the label pocket  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the label pocket  30  is located on the elastic component  18  although the label pocket  30  can be located on nearly surface of the binding wrapper  10  (preferably on an outer surface so that the label pocket  30  remains visible when the binding wrapper  10  is closed). Furthermore, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the binding wrapper  10  may include a storage pocket  32  located thereon for storing loose materials, such as pens, pencils and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the storage pocket  32  includes a zipper  34  or other closure mechanism for controlling access to the pocket  32 . The pocket  32  is illustrated as being located on an outer surface of the end component  22 , although the storage pocket  32  can be located on nearly any surface of the binding wrapper  10 . Furthermore, various other storage components, such as pen/pencil storage loops  36  ( FIG. 4 ) and the like may be located on the binding wrapper  10 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , in another embodiment the binding wrapper (designated  10 ′) may include or be part of a binder, generally designated  50 . In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the backing component  14  may include or be part of a cover  52  of the binder  50 . The elastic component  16  may be coupled to the front cover  52  along connection line  60 , and the elastic component  18  may be coupled to the front cover  52  along another similar connection line (not shown). The binder  50  may include a front cover  52 , a spine  54  and a rear cover  56 , and the front  52  and rear covers  56  may be pivotally coupled to the spine  54 . 
   However, a portion or all of any of a wide variety of binders, portfolios, notebooks, folders and the like may also be used as part or all of any of the support panels  14 ,  20 ,  22 . The binder  50  may include a binding mechanism, such as a three-ring binding mechanism, located on an inner surface of the binder  50 , such as the inner surface  58  of the spine  54 . In this embodiment, the binding wrapper  10 ′ may include or be part of a binder  50  that can be used in conjunction with the loose materials stored by the binding wrapper. For example, the loose materials may also be able to be stored inside the binder  50 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , loose material or a plurality of loose materials  40  (such as, in the illustrated embodiment, various books and notebooks) may be able to be gripped by the binding wrapper  10 . In order to grip the loose materials  40 , the materials  40  may be located on the backing component  14  when the binding wrapper  10  is in its open position and laid on its outer surface. The end components  20 ,  22  may be tightly folded to their closed position around the loose materials  40 . The end components  20 ,  22  may then be attached together by the attachment mechanism  24 ,  26  such that the loose materials  40  are tightly gripped in the binding wrapper  10 . The elastic components  16 ,  18  of the binding wrapper  10  enable the binding wrapper  10  to expand to accommodate various sizes and/or volumes of loose materials. Furthermore, because the patches of hook and loop fastening material  24 ,  26  extend along substantially the entire length of the end components  20 ,  22 , the end components  20 ,  22  can be coupled together in a wide variety of overlapping conditions (i.e., fully or partially overlapping) to allow the binding wrapper  10  to adapt and grip loose materials of various sizes. 
   The gripping surfaces located on the inner surfaces of the end  20 ,  22  and backing  14  components may frictionally grip the loose materials to help increase the frictional forces and aid the binding wrapper  10  in gripping the loose materials. Furthermore, besides allowing the binding wrapper  10  to expand to accommodate differently-sized loose components, the elastic components  16 ,  18  may be stretched or placed in tension when the binding wrapper  10  is moved to its closed position to grip loose materials. The stretching of the elastic materials  16 ,  18  causes the binding mechanism  10  to exert a force pressing the loose materials in compression between the end components  20 ,  22  and the backing component  14  to ensure that the loose components are tightly gripped inside the binding wrapper  10 . 
   As noted earlier, the binding wrapper  10  may have a relatively significant width A to ensure that standard-sized school products, such as notebooks, binders and the like can be gripped and held in place by the binding wrapper  10 . By providing an increased width A to the binding wrapper  10 , the binding wrapper  10  has increased surface area and areas of contact with the materials to be gripped. Thus, an increased width A of the binding wrapper  10  helps to ensure secure gripping of the loose materials  40 , and in particular may aid in preventing loose materials from sliding out from the open ends of the binding wrapper  10  when the binding wrapper  10  is in its closed position. 
   In this manner, the binding wrapper  10  of the present invention may be used to store a variety of loose materials. For example, in school usage, a single binding wrapper may be used for storing a plurality of materials (i.e., textbook, notebook, and folder) for a single subject (i.e., English, math, history, etc.). A label corresponding to that subject may then be inserted into the label pocket  30  to identify the subject of materials stored by the binding wrapper. The student may use a plurality of binding wrappers, with each binding wrapper binding together or gripping a plurality of materials for a single subject. In other words, each binding wrapper may be dedicated to a single subject. Thus, a student can simply grab the appropriate binding wrapper for the subject of interest, and thereby obtain all of the relevant materials for a subject in a single motion. Of course, a single wrapping binder may also be used to store or bind a plurality of materials for varying subjects. 
   Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.
A binding wrapper including a first generally stiff end component, a second generally stiff end component spaced apart from the first end component, and a connecting component extending between the first and second end components. The connecting component includes at least a portion of elastic material, and the first and second end components are releasably attachable together such that the wrapper is formable into a closed loop.