Appeal No. 98-1243
Application No. 08/679,939
operating mechanism through a plurality of interlocking dove-
tailed elements having one element located on the edge of the
door and the other on the operating mechanism. As shown in
Figure 4, the dove-tailed elements are oriented horizontally,
so that they can slidably disengage when subjected to forces
transverse to the door. However, to prevent this from
occurring until a predetermined force is applied, a shear pin
is installed perpendicularly to the orientation of the dove-
tailed elements, so that separation cannot occur until the
strength of the pin is exceeded and the pin shears. See
column 2, lines 27-52.
Of course, it is axiomatic that the test for obviousness
is what the combined teachings of the prior art would have
suggested to one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re
Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 425, 208 USPQ 871, 881 (CCPA 1981). In
the present case it is our view that, even assuming, arguendo,
that the requisite suggestion to combine the references is
present, the combined teachings of the references would not
result in the invention recited in claim 10. This is because
the claim requires that there be a rupturable mechanical
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