Appeal 2006-3299
Application 10/346,878
from the hole punches to the edge of the sheet material were known by
persons of ordinary skill in the art. Specifically the Specification states:
[S]heet protectors having straight slits that extend from hole
punches to the edge of the sheet material have been developed.
The slits facilitate the insertion and removal of the sheet
material without necessitating the opening and closing of the
binder rings. The positioning of the slits is important as they
must be properly oriented and positioned. Otherwise, the sheet
protector may not be securely retained in the binder.
Furthermore, the portion of the sheet protector having the slits
and hole punches must have sufficient rigidity to allow the
sheet protector to be affixed to the binder rings. That is, the
edge of the sheet protector must be sufficiently reinforced to
allow the sheet protector to be “snapped” into the binder
without opening the binder rings. (Specification [0005])
Schwartz describes sheet protectors comprising mountings with
special holes that are in releasable engagement with the rings of a loose-leaf
ring binder (Col. 3, ll.55-68). Schwartz describes curved slits each having a
hooking area and which join the holes to the edge of the sheet protector,
wherein the curved slits are tapered, with a wider portion at the edge of the
sheet tapering down to a narrow neck portion at an edge of the hole. (See
Figure 5; Figure 11, element 51). The slit arrangement facilitates the
insertion and removal of the sheet material without necessitating the opening
and closing of the binder rings.
Hansen describes sheet protectors comprising mountings with special
holes that are in releasable engagement with the rings of a loose-leaf ring
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Last modified: September 9, 2013