Appeal No. 2003-0867 Page 12
Application No. 09/688,104
even though it may be in a different field of endeavor, it logically would have
commended itself to an inventor's attention in considering his problem because of the
matter with which it deals. In re Clay, 966 F.2d 656, 659, 23 USPQ2d 1058, 1061 (Fed.
Cir. 1992). In the present instance, we are informed by the appellants' originally filed
specification that the invention is particularly directed to reducing vehicle weight while
improving vehicle durability. Junginger teaches that replacing stamped steel with cast
magnesium reduces vehicle weight while improving vehicle durability and thus falls at
least into the latter category of the Wood test, and logically would have commended
itself to an artisan's attention in considering the appellants' problem. Thus, we
conclude that Junginger is analogous art.
Second, the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to one
of ordinary skill in the art the subject matter of claims 1 and 14 as set forth above.
Accordingly, it is our opinion that there is suggestion and motivation in the teachings of
Kanemitsu and Junginger for one skilled in the art to have modified Kanemitsu to arrive
at the claimed invention.
Lastly, the appellants have argued deficiencies of each reference on an
individual basis, however, it is well settled that nonobviousness cannot be established
by attacking the references individually when the rejection is predicated upon a
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