Appeal No. 2001-2441
Application No. 09/067,923
Tokunaga’s ferric oxide and chromic oxide ferromagnetic powders,
which are present in an amount of 30-97 wt%, are conventional
pigments.1
The disclosed ranges of Tokunaga’s fat, oil and dispersant
include zero. Hence, these components need not be used.
The appellants’ disclosed thermal transfer material, when
present as a coating in solution/dispersion/emulsion form having
a solids content of typically 25-60 wt%, preferably 25-45 wt%,
preferably has a thickness of 0.0005 to 0.002 inches (12.7-
50.8:) (specification, page 8, lines 7-12). Hence, the
thickness range of the appellants’ dried thermal transfer
material reasonably appears to overlap the 2-25: thickness range
and, therefore, the coating weight, of Tokunaga’s thermal
transfer material.
Tokunaga, therefore, discloses a thermal transfer ribbon
which can have each element in the appellants’ claim 12 within a
range overlapping the appellants’ corresponding range. Hence,
the appellants’ claimed thermal transfer ribbon would have been
prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art over
1 See Hackh’s Chemical Dictionary 156, 263 (Julius Grant ed.,
McGraw-Hill 1969).
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