Appeal No. 98-1261
Application 08/435,869
which one of ordinary skill in
the art would reasonably have been expected to draw therefrom (see In re Boe, 355 F.2d 961, 965,
148 USPQ 507, 510 (CCPA 1966) and In re Preda, 401 F.2d 825, 826, 159 USPQ 342, 344
(CCPA 1968)).
Claim 17 is directed to a vehicle electrical communication system that is installed in a steering
wheel and includes electrical components mounted to rotate with the steering wheel. The system
comprises a first plate that rotates with the wheel and a second plate that is fixed with regard to the
wheel, with electrical communication extending from the electrical components in the wheel to the first
plate. The appellants do not contest the examiner’s finding that French ‘421 teaches this system, in the
broad sense (Brief, page 5). Claim 17 further requires that one of the plates be provided with a
plurality of contact rings extending circumferentially around the axis of the wheel and that the other plate
be provided with sets of electrical contact members having a single tab contacted to each such set. It is
the examiner’s view, with which we agree, that this structure is shown by French ‘008. The applicants
do not contest this conclusion (Brief, page 5).
The final requirement of claim 17 is that each of the sets includes a plurality of electrical contact
members with at least one set being in contact with each of the contact rings. While French ‘008
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007