Abstract:
The present invention will revolutionize the way consumers look at staples, literally. The clear transparent plastic staple, also referred to as the Invisible Staple, staple and staple strip, is made of a clear plastic material therefore admits light without appreciable diffusion or distortion so that objects and colors beyond or directly under the staple are visible.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/965,663, filed Aug. 21, 2007 as priority. 
         [0000]    Disclosure Document No. 593914, filed Jan. 30, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to the staple and staple strip and more particularly, to plastic staples and plastic staple strips. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Others have invented wire staples and staple strips to be driven into material to be stapled and/or to hold material to a work area but as these staples are metal and appears silver/gray in color, when bound to papers and the like or pressed onto bulletin boards to hold papers and the like the wire staple holds its color and can distracts from the materials bound and be esthetically displeasing. 
         [0006]    As these staples are made of metal, when discarded incorrectly and left on the ground it can be hazardous if stepped on or ingested by a child, adult or animal. 
         [0007]    As these staples are metal, when attached to documents being shredded the metal staple may damage the shredder machine blades. 
         [0008]    As these staples are metal, they weigh more then my plastic made staple and therefore cost more to ship. 
         [0009]    As these staples are metal, they may cost more in raw materials to manufacture, making the present invention more cost-effective. 
         [0010]    In view of the above points as well as any other advantages a skilled eye in the art would recognize my inventions is unique, superior and novel. The transparent plastic material used has similar strength and durability as said wire staple. 
         [0011]    Prior art has barbs on the legs of the staple to fasten and hold material such as cellular or foam plastic, corrugated cardboard, and if used on, would damage bulletin boards and the like when removing the barbed staple legs. And unlike prior art, the present invention does not rely on an elastic memory plastic to hold material in place. 
         [0012]    The present invention, the clear plastic staple, is also unique and novel because the transparent plastic staple and staple strip are made to fit and operate in a standard stapler such as but not limited to office staplers, hand-held stapler, and desktop stapler, staple guns, as well as any future inventions claiming to be a stapler or the like, that are made to specifications required by the staple and stapler manufacturers. The said plastic staple and staple strip may or may not be manufactured in the same or in a similar way as the wire staple using the same or a similar process of making its ware by machinery. 
         [0013]    The present invention, unlike prior art, is unique and novel because it is made of a clear plastic material that hold its preformed original shape  FIG. 1  and may or may not be cold-bent to securely hold the bent position  FIG. 5(   a ) and  FIG. 6 . My invention is made of a clear plastic material therefore admits light without appreciable diffusion or distortion so that objects and colors beyond or directly under the said plastic staple are visible making my invention unique. 
         [0014]    The present invention, the clear plastic staple, is novel because it will revolutionize the way consumers look at staples, literally. 
         [0015]    My invention holds three standardized positions  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 5(   a ) and  FIG. 6  and is made of a different material and each position holds unique attributes therefore  FIG. 1  should be viewed as individual and separate claims from  FIG. 5(   a ) and  FIG. 6 . 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Accordingly, it is the principle objective of the present invention to provide a novel clear plastic staple. The said clear plastic material used has similar strength and durability as related prior art but is unique and novel in that it is made of said clear plastic material and appears virtually see-through, taking on whatever color and/or pattern it holds to. The present invention is suitable to fit and work in standard staplers, but not limited to such devices. The said staple has two parallel legs and a crown integrally joining the said legs. The free portions of the said legs have pointed tips to assist penetration when the said staple is driven through the said stapler. When the said stapler is used in the open position, not using the anvil, the said staple holds said material and the like to a predetermined work area. After engagement the said staple holds its preformed original shape. For the purpose of binding said materials and the like the said staple is forced out of the said stapler by way of hand force or automatic electric power force and the like, encountering the said stapler&#39;s anvil at which point the said legs are cold-bent to hold the bent position based on the direction of the said stapler&#39;s anvil. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is an enlarged side view, respectively, of one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged fragmentary view of a strip of plastic staples made up of a predetermined number of the plastic staple of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3(   a ) is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the completed installation of the plastic staple of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3(   b ) is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional top view after installation of the plastic staple of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an existing stapler in the open position, and position achieves  FIG. 3(   a )- FIG. 3(   b ) after installation of the plastic staple  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5(   a ) is an enlarged side view, respectively, of one embodiment of a plastic staple; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5(   b ) is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional top view showing the completed instillation of the plastic staple of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5(   c ) is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional bottom view showing the completed instillation of the plastic staple of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged side view, respectively, of one embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a plastic staple well suited for maintaining or fastening a piece of paper or the like to a bulletin board or the like in accordance with the teaching of the present invention; having a pair of legs  32  and a crown  30  joining the legs at their upper ends in a parallel position. The free ends of the legs  32  show the pointed tips  36 , or the like, for penetrating material to the work area during the driving of the staple. 
         [0027]    The strip of staples shown in  FIG. 2  is made up of a predetermined number of the plastic staple in  FIG. 1  held together with an adhesive  34  or the like or manufactured by injection molding or the like. The legs  32  and the crown  30  are attached to another staple creating the strip. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3(   a ) illustrates the completed installation of the plastic staple of  FIG. 1  using the staplers open place setting seen in  FIG. 4 . After the free portion of the legs  32  with the pointed tips  36  have penetrated and fastened material, in this case a sheet of paper  20  to the work area, in this case a bulletin board  22 . Engagement has occurred after pressure has been applied to the stapler&#39;s head  FIGS. 4 ,  44 . After the legs  32  have been driven into the work area  22  only the crown  30  remains visible. 
         [0029]      FIG. 3(   b ) shows the exposed staple crown  30  and the transparent quality  40  of the present invention after instillation is completed, in this case exposing a sheet of paper  20  or the like directly under the plastic staple  FIG. 1  that is holding to the work area, in this case a bulletin board  22  or the like. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  illustrates an existing stapler with which staples of the present invention may be used, it being understood that other models, or future models, of stapling tools may also be used. The stapler demonstrates the open place setting needed to complete installation of the plastic staple in  FIG. 1  to achieve  FIG. 3(   a ) and  FIG. 3(   b ) showing the exposed staple crown  30  and the unique transparent quality  40  of the present invention, in this case the piece of paper  20  or the like under the plastic staple crown  30  that is holding to the working area, in this case a bulletin board  22  or the like. The existing stapler exposes one of a pair of legs  32  attached to a crown  30  in strip form seen in  FIG. 2  through a an oval shaped hole  52 . The staple strip seen in  FIG. 2  fits and is housed in the chamber  46  of a stapler before it is driven through. On the base  48  of the stapler is the staple anvil  50  which determines the direction that the pair of staple legs  32  will be cold-bent to hold the position seen in  FIG. 5(   a ) and  FIG. 6 . This occurs when the stapler is in its ordinary position (not seen in figures) and force is applied by way of hand or automatic electric power force or the like to the head  44  of the stapler. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5(   a ) another embodiment of the present invention illustrating the present invention after the pair of legs  32  have been pressed through the opening  54  of the existing stapler and have penetrated the material being stapled, in this case a sheet of paper  20 . During the stapling process the legs  32  engage the stapler&#39;s anvil  50  and are cold-bent  38  to hold the position predetermined by the anvil  50 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 5(   b ) and  FIG. 5(   c ) illustrate the unique transparent quality  40  of the present invention.  FIG. 5(   b ) shows the top view of the exposed staple crown  30 , demonstrating how the material, in this case a sheet of paper  20 , directly under the crown  30  is visible after the staple in  FIG. 1  has been through the stapling process, completing installation.  FIG. 5(   c ) shows the bottom view of the material, in this case a sheet of paper  20 , after it has been through the stapling process at which time the free legs  32  with the pointed tips  36  of the staple  FIG. 1  have been cold-bent  38  to hold their position predetermined by the stapler&#39;s anvil  50 . The exposed free legs  32  demonstrate the transparent quality  40  of the present invention exposing the material, in this case a sheet of paper  20  or the like under the free legs  32 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 6  another embodiment of the present invention illustrating the plastic staple  FIG. 1  after it has been through the stapling process and the legs  32  are cold-bent  38  to hold their position predetermined by the stapler&#39;s anvil  50 . 
         [0034]    The present invention holds three standardized positions  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 5(   a ) and  FIG. 6  and is made out of a different material and each position holds unique attributes therefore  FIG. 1  should be viewed as individual and separate claims from  FIG. 5(   a ) and  FIG. 6 . 
         [0035]    An embodiment of the present invention is explained based on the description of drawings with particular references to specific embodiments, but the present invention&#39;s scope and attributes are not limited to the embodiment. Thereof it should be understood that other modifications, future plastics, future materials, future staplers, future staple sizes, other non-mentioned work areas and other advantages a skilled eye in the art would recognize fall under the scope of the present invention as defined in the appending claims.