Appeal No. 2000-2008
Application No. 09/227,903
formed from a sheet from which the side flaps 14 and 16 are
made and adhered to the panel 12" (col. 1, lines 58 to 60).
Such a sheet constitutes a "plate" as broadly recited, there
being no requirement in the claim that the "plate" be of any
particular stiffness. Bonfigli also meets claims 8 and 9,
since flaps 14, 16, which contain holes 34, are made from the
sheet ("plate"), according to the above-quoted disclosure.
Claims 10 and 11 each recite a hold-down (claim 10) or
tab (claim 11) which is spaced from the holes in flaps 14 and
16. Claims 10 and 11 further require that the hold-down is
"for holding down an end portion of said shoelace that
projects from said holes" (claim 10) or "to hold down a second
location which lies along one of said shoelace ends that
projects from one of said holes" (claim 11). The tab 46 of
Bonfigli meets these limitations because it would be capable
of holding down a location on one of the shoelaces that
project from holes 34. For example, considering Fig. 8 of
Bonfigli, the end of the shoelace projecting from the hole in
tab 14b could be brought over and placed under the tab 46.
While the Bonfigli device is not described as being intended
to be used in this manner, the disclosed structure meets
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