Re: "If someone is infringing on the 148, it will be clear as day. If they are not, that too will be clear as day. Same for the 336. IMHO, there isn't any gray area with respect to infringement on these."
Optymystic,
I'm not doubting you, but what exactly is the basis for your "clear as day" conclusion above?
From my experience, very often there are some differences between the patent claims and the accused infringing designs. Such differences may be incorporated into a design after knowledge of a patent in an effort to avoid infringement. These differences often require further study to determine if or if not the design infringes.