Appeal No. 1999-2708 Page 5
Application No. 08/896,533
clearance between” shutters and an insertion opening, the
skirt being “exclusive to the hinged shutter side,”
(Examiner’s Answer at 4, 6), the examiner asserts, “Iizuka (US
4,607,301) teaches a shutter mechanism comprising a shutter
leaf (D1) swingably mounted in an opening. At least one
resilient skirt (5) is provided along the remaining sides of
the shutter (D1) opposite to a hinged side.” (Id.) He
further asserts, “[i]t would have been obvious to one of
ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made
to provide the resilient skirt hinged shutter, as taught by
Iizuka,” (id.), to the shutter leaves of Harlan and Aoki. The
appellants argue, "any teaching of IIZUKA that is imported
into and combined with AOKI would not result in a combination
of features rendering the invention . . . unpatentable."
(Appeal Br. at 12.)
In deciding obviousness, “[a]nalysis begins with a key
legal question -- what is the invention claimed?” Panduit
Corp. v. Dennison Mfg. Co., 810 F.2d 1561, 1567, 1 USPQ2d
1593, 1597 (Fed. Cir. 1987)(emphasis in original). “Claim
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