Appeal No. 2006-0679 Page 4
Application No. 09/997,934
features in the teachings of Willems of providing a base plate (frame 40) with raised
protecting parts (projecting parts 127, 128) for use with a latching element having a
handle 66.
Willems discloses a latch for holding a pair of case parts together, the latch
including a frame 40 having a dish 42 for mounting in a hole in one of the two case parts
and a hasp 20 adapted for engaging a strike 16 mounted on the other case part. The
hasp 20 has a first end mounted on one end of a slide 70 slidingly mounted on the
bracket 50 fixed to the dish 42 and has a second end provided with a catch 26 for
engaging the strike 16. A bolt 30 is mounted on the slide to move up and down with the
slide, can turn about a bolt axis 64 and has a handle 66 pivotally mounted thereto that
enables turning of the bolt to move the hasp 20 until the catch 26 presses firmly down
against the strike 16. The bolt 30 is moved in the opposite direction to raise the hasp 20
so that the hasp can pivot out of line with the strike 16. As disclosed in column 3, lines
17-28 of Willems,
[t]he dish perimeter 46 includes primarily the flat flange 48
especially at the middle top 122 and middle bottom 124,
where the hasp lies in its use and and [sic] stowed positions.
The perimeter also has six projecting parts 130 that help
strengthen the dish perimeter and that also provide rounded
bumps that keep objects away from the dish so they are less
likely to engage other parts of the latch that could harm a
person or another package. The projecting parts include
four parts 127 at the four corners of the rectangular flange,
and two vertically elongated projecting parts 128 at the
laterally opposite sides of the flange. The projecting parts
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Last modified: November 3, 2007