Selectively deployable tab indicators
AssigneeACCO Brands Corporation
InventorsMichael D. Rowe, Edward P. Busam, Kenneth P. Richied, Elizabeth M. Lacher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tab status indicator system including a generally planar body portion and a tab coupled to the body portion and protruding generally outwardly therefrom. The system further includes an indicator movable between a deployed position, in which the indicator generally overlaps with the tab in a direction generally perpendicular to a plane of the body portion, and a retracted position, in which the indicator does not overlap with the tab or overlaps with the tab less than when the indicator is in the deployed position.
Claims23
A tab status indicator system including:
- a generally planar body portion;
- a tab coupled to said body portion and protruding generally outwardly therefrom;
- and
- an indicator movable between a deployed position, in which the indicator generally overlaps with said tab in a direction generally perpendicular to a plane of said body portion, and a retracted position, in which the indicator does not overlap with said tab or overlaps with said tab less than when said indicator is in said deployed position.
A tab system including:
- a generally planar body portion;
- a tab coupled to said body portion and movable between a fully deployed position, in which the tab generally protrudes outwardly from said body portion, and a retracted position, in which the tab does not generally protrude outwardly from said body portion, and wherein said tab is positionable in an intermediate position between said fully deployed position and said retracted position, wherein said tab is stably positionable in said fully deployed position, said intermediate position, and said retracted position, which are discrete, spaced apart positions, and wherein said tab is more stably held in position when in one of said discrete, spaced apart positions than when not in one of said discrete, spaced apart positions.
An indicator device comprising:
- a generally planar body portion including at least two slits formed therein;
- and
- an indicator extending through both of said slits and slidably movable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position in which the indicator extends outward from the body portion further than when in the non-deployed position, wherein the indicator slides generally in the plane of the body portion, wherein said indicator includes a body and a pair of legs extending therefrom, each leg having at least one notch positioned thereon, each notch being configured to engage an end of one of said slits to retain said indicator in place.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.