Ex parte SCHUTZ - Page 4




          Appeal No. 97-4168                                                          
          Application 08/348,890                                                      


          Büdenbender ‘576 depict the types of caps that may be used with             
          the neck region/tube stub therein.  As can be seen in Figures 14-           
          20, the caps of Büdenbender ‘576 are made of metal and therefore            
          differ from appellant’s claimed subject matter which recites a              
          plastic sealing cap with a disk-shaped metal insert disposed                
          therein.  Hawkins discloses a closure (e.g., Figs. 7-9) designed            
          to provide a hermetic seal for food or medications containers.              
          The cap portion (56) of the closure is formed of plastic, while             
          an insert (54) therein is formed of metal.  In the examiner’s               
          opinion (answer, page 4), it would have been obvious to one of              
          ordinary skill in the art                                                   
               to modify the closure of Büdenbender in view of Hawkins                
               et al. to provide a metal insert in said cap to protect                
               the contents of the container and an annular projection                
               extending into the neck and an annular groove disposed                 
               between an outer edge of the insert and said annular                   
               projection with a resiliently deformable gasket in the                 
               annular groove to provide a leakproof seal for the                     
               container.                                                             

          Even if we assume that the combination as posited by the                    
          examiner is appropriate, a position strongly disputed by                    
          appellant, we note that the container resulting therefrom would             
          not be that which is set forth in appellant’s claim 7 on appeal.            




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