Appeal No. 2000-0951 Page 6
Application No. 08/640,160
Figures 4 and 5, the suction cups are mounted on threaded
posts 32 which penetrate transversely the ends of the case and
are of sufficient length to span the distance between the
front and back faces of the case. Nuts 34 releasably secure
the suction cups to the assembly. Romaine teaches that the
posts 32 serve the dual functions of mounting the suction cups
and also of providing stops which limit the reciprocating
motion of slide 16 between the two positions in which the
device spells out its respective messages.
In our view, while the combined teachings of Griggs and
Romaine would have made it obvious at the time the invention
was made to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have
replaced Griggs' magnets with suction cups, such a
modification of Griggs does not arrive at the claimed
invention. In that regard, such a modification of Griggs does
arrive at either (1) "mounting means for detachably mounting
the panels on a supporting structure, said mounting means
including a pair of suction cup holders having rear ends and
passing through and connecting side edge portions of said
panels to hold the side portions of the front and rear panels
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