Business card displaying letter opener device

• US 5,819,419 A
• Filed: 01/25/1996
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacific Handy Cutter Incorporated (PHC Sharp Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pacific Handy Cutter Incorporated (PHC Sharp Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmidt, G. Gerry
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYER, HWEI SIU CHOU
• Application Number:
  US08/590,014
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 30/289, 30/294, 30/DIG. 3, 30/280, 40/649, 40/653, 40/642, 40/661, D 8/102
• US Class Current: 30/294
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 7/002 Hand tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 30/03 Envelope openers

Abstract

A letter opening device, having a letter opening blade for opening envelopes which is molded partially within a plastics molded body suitable for being hand held and for cutting open envelopes is provided with a generally rectangular recess in the body of a size to receive a business card, or the like, therein for display laterally for the body. Card retaining tabs are molded integrally of the body to retain the business card within the recess and a transparent flexible window member is provided for overlying the card in the recess. End tabs are formed integrally of the window member which cooperate with slots formed in the body to maintain the window member in assembled relation to the letter opener device in overlying relation to the business card being displayed by the letter opener device.

Claims

1. A card receiving and removeably mounting letter opener device for opening envelopes and displaying a selectable, replaceable card, said device comprising:

a letter opening blade for cutting envelopes;

a plastics molded body suitable for being hand held and mounting said blade adjacent an envelope flap insertion point provided on said body whereby the point and blade can be manually inserted beneath an envelope flap and used to cut an envelope edge where the flap joins a side wall of an envelope;

a generally rectangular recess of a size to receive a card therein provided in said body and having a rear wall formed by a web of said body and extending between surrounding side walls of the body, said recess presenting a generally rectangular opening facing laterally outwardly of said body;

a transparent flexible window member sized for mounting in said recess overlying the card residing in said recess;

card retaining tabs molded integrally of said body side walls adjacent said recess and projecting in spaced relationship over first peripheral portions of said rear wall whereby said card may be inserted beneath and removeably held in said recess by said retaining tabs; and

a plurality of window member retaining slots formed in said body side walls adjacent second peripheral portions of said recess web normal to said first peripheral positions, said window member having a plurality of end tabs formed integrally thereof for being inserted into aligned ones of said retaining slots to thereby retain said window member to said body over said card which is visually perceivably through said transparent window member.

2. The card receiving and removably mounting letter opener device of claim 1 wherein:

said card retaining tabs include a first pair of retaining tabs spaced apart along an upper margin of said recess and a second pair of retaining tabs spaced apart along a lower margin of said recess, each of said first pair of retaining tabs being in aligned and opposing relation to an opposite one of said second pair of retaining tabs.

3. The card receiving and removably mounting letter opener device of claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of retaining slots include a first pair of spaced slots provided in said body adjacent a right hand peripheral portion of said recess and a second pair of spaced slots provided in said body adjacent a left hand peripheral portion of said recess, each of said first pair of slots being in aligned and opposing relation to an opposite one of said second pair of slots.

4. A card mounting and displaying envelope opening device for opening envelopes and displaying a selectable replaceable indicia bearing card, said device comprising:

a body molded of a one piece plastics material mounting an envelope cutting blade;

card receiving means on said body for removeably mounting and displaying said card thereon, said card receiving means comprising a recess in said body and two pairs of spaced opposing card retaining tabs molded integrally of said body on opposing sides of said recess;

envelope opening means on said body including said blade whereby a card, can be displayed on said body while said blade is used for opening envelopes; and

a transparent window member and window member mounting means are provided for mounting said window member to said body over a card received in said recess and

said window member mounting means include a pair of end tabs at opposite ends of said window member and molded integrally thereof

wherein said window member mounting means further include two pairs of spaced tab receiving slots formed integrally of said body and located therein so as to receive said end tabs and thereby retain said window member to said body.