Appeal No. 2000-0887 Page 8
Application No. 08/848,238
Appellants do not argue the combinability of Shaheen and
Yamada, but assert (brief, page 7) that Shaheen does not
disclose optical fibers bent outside of the plane, and that
Yamada does not overcome this deficiency of Shaheen.
The examiner acknowledges (answer, page 8) that "Shaheen
does not show the Applicant's angled feature," but asserts
that Shaheen's teaching of having an optical cable in a curved
shape suggests a bend in a plane or a bend outside of a plane.
From our review of Shaheen and Yamada, we agree with
appellants that Shaheen and Yamada do not suggest optical
fibers bent outside the plane formed by grooves in the
fixture.
Shaheen discloses (col. 1, lines 7-10) that the principal
advantage of the invention is the flat configuration of the
fiber optic cable and its ability to make flat turns. An
object of Shaheen's invention (col. 1, lines 41-45) is to
provide a thin, flat, flexible, multifiliment, fiber optic
cable capable of being manufactured with curved as well as
straight and bifurcated segments. Shaheen further discloses
(col. 2, lines 64-66) that the fiber optic filaments have
exposed ends and are co-planar with the flat plane of the
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