Appeal 2007-1593
Application 10/462,972
Alden discloses a mailer comprising a container 11 with a cover 12
connected to the container by a hinge 13. The container 11 and cover 12 are
provided with latching parts consisting of two recesses 15 on the container
and cooperating detents 16 on the cover. (Alden, col. 2, ll. 52-63.) Alden’s
cover 12 comprises a large sidewall3 21 including a central depressed
rectangular panel 22 discontinued at extreme corners of the rectangle along
diagonal lines 23. The sidewall 21 also includes vertically displaced, thin
flat retaining flanges 24 substantially coextensive with the discontinued
portions of the rectangle of panel 22. An address card 20 is inserted into the
spacing between the depressed sidewall 21 and retaining flanges 24. A
raised rim 25 provides a rectangular border around sidewall 21 inside which
the address card 20 is typically safe from snagging. (Alden, col. 3, ll. 6-31.)
The retaining flanges permit the address card to be non-adhesively and thus
removably secured to the cover so that the mailer can be used in hundreds or
more mail shipments without the problem of adhesive address labels
building up and eventually requiring removal (Alden, col. 1, ll. 14-15 and
35-55). Alden teaches a flexible plastic, such as isotactic polypropylene
(Alden, col. 3, ll. 37-40), as the material for the mailer. Alden is silent as to
transparency or opacity of the mailer.
Perrin and Hobbs evidence that it was well known at the time of
Appellant’s invention to make containers transparent to permit the contents
thereof to be seen without opening the container (Perrin, col. 4, ll. 16-19 and
Hobbs, col. 2, ll. 10-15). Neither Perrin nor Hobbs is specifically directed to
a mailer, much less a mailer for magnetic tapes.
3 As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, Alden’s “sidewall 21” in fact appears to be
what would conventionally be considered the top surface of the cover.
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Last modified: September 9, 2013