Appeal No. 97-2116
Application 07/789,802
the sleeve into contact with the container “to tack the sleeve
against the container mid-body portion during continuing
rotation of container and sleeve” (column 5, lines 53-55).
Such tacking “effect[s] heat-shrinkage of the extensive
central region” (column 5, lines 57-58). Then, as shown in
Figure 9, heat is applied to the upper and lower extremities
of the sleeve to cause the sleeve to contract around the heel
and frusto-conical neck regions of the container to achieve
the final product. Heckman states that “[t]he sleeve 20a when
heat shrunk in this manner is wrinkle-free and smoothly
adhered to the container surface therebeneath is [sic, in]
snug conforming relation as shown in Fig. 10” (column 5, line
66 through column 6, line 2; emphasis added).
We agree with the examiner that Heckman’s disclosure that
the sleeve is heat shrunk to the container over substantially
the full extent of the container so as to be in snug
conforming relation with the container surface provides a
reasonable basis for concluding that Heckman’s sleeve will
inherently function, at least to some degree, to squeeze the
container to increase its axial strength. See In re
-22-
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Last modified: November 3, 2007