Ex parte METZLER et al. - Page 7




            Appeal No. 1999-2313                                                      
            Application No. 08/396,288                                                

            make the factual determinations set forth in Graham v.                    
            John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 17, 148 USPQ 459, 467 (1966),                 
            and to provide a reason why one having ordinary skill in                  
            the pertinent art would have been led to modify the prior                 
            art or to combine prior art references to arrive at the                   
            claimed invention.  Such reason must stem from some                       
            teaching, suggestion or implication in the prior art as a                 
            whole or knowledge generally available to one having                      
            ordinary skill in the art.  Uniroyal, Inc. v. Rudkin-                     
            Wiley Corp., 837 F.2d 1044, 1051, 5 USPQ2d 1434, 1438                     
            (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 825 (1988); Ashland                   
            Oil, Inc. v. Delta Resins & Refractories, Inc., 776 F.2d                  
            281, 293, 227 USPQ 657, 664 (Fed. Cir. 1985), cert.                       
            denied, 475 U.S. 1017 (1986); ACS Hosp. Sys., Inc. v.                     
            Montefiore Hosp., 732 F.2d 1572, 1577, 221 USPQ 929, 933                  
            (Fed. Cir. 1984).  These showings by the examiner are an                  
            essential part of complying with the burden of presenting                 
            a prima facie case of obviousness.  Note In re Oetiker,                   
            977 F.2d 1443, 1445, 24 USPQ2d 1443, 1444 (Fed. Cir.                      
            1992).  If that burden is met, the burden then shifts to                  
            the applicants to overcome the prima facie case with                      

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