Appeal No. 2000-0574
Application No. 08/876,321
members 40, 42, 44, 46, as illustrated in Figure 1. It is
clear from Figure 1 that each of the side panels 24, 26 has
the same length as the top panel 20 and the bottom panel 22.
The frame members are screwed to the respective panels and are
thus removable therefrom for allowing complete disassembly of
the collapsible container so that all of the sides as well as
the top and bottom may be flat structures which may be stacked
together to thereby afford compact shipping of the collapsed
containers when they are not carrying cargo. See column 6,
lines 39-68. It is our understanding that the examiner
considers the top panel 20 with the frame members 32, 34, 36,
38 mounted thereto to be the lid or assembly defining an
interior recess or internal chamber as recited in each of the
independent claims.
Turning first to rejection (2), the anticipation
rejection, we note that independent claim 1 requires that the
planar side walls have "a length substantially equal to the
length of said lid and a length greater than said rectangular
planar base member." As noted above, the side panels 24, 26
of Porch have lengths which are equal to, not greater than,
the length of the bottom (base) panel 22. Accordingly, we
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