Appeal 2007-1060
Application 10/822,549
parallel side walls extending upwardly from and cooperating with said
base to define an open-ended receiving channel having an entry end and an
exit end;
first slots extending transversally across said base, said buckle being
attached to said strap by weaving said strap into and out of said channel
through said first slots;
flanges spaced vertically from said base and extending inwardly in
cantilever fashion from said side walls to define an open-ended second slot
communicating with and extending along the length of said receiving
channel, said second slot being configured and dimensioned to
accommodate longitudinal pinching and lateral insertion of said strap into
said receiving channel, said flanges having undersides configured to
accommodate receipt of said end tab in said receiving channel via said entry
end, and to releasably wedge said end tab in and prevent withdrawal of said
end tab from said receiving channel via said exit end.
10. The buckle of claims 1 or 9 wherein said flanges have converging
sections leading from a maximum width of said slot at the entry end of said
receiving channel to a reduced width of said slot at an intermediate location
along the length of said channel.
The Examiner relies upon the following reference in the rejection of
the appealed claims:
Dillin US 541,729 June 15, 1895
Appellant's claimed invention is directed to a buckle for capturing and
releasably retaining an end tab of a strap.
Appealed claims 1 and 8-15 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)
as being anticipated by Dillin.
We have thoroughly reviewed the respective decisions advanced by
the Appellant and the Examiner. As a result, we will sustain the Examiner's
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013