Appeal No. 2004-1142
Application No. 09/892,001
a paint roller is formed with an annular applicator with a single
annular core attached to a paint roller handle, with the
applicator having a central valley forming two spaced apart first
and second applicator heads, each head capable of accessing a
roller paint pan provided with a central divider wall so that
different paints can be simultaneously applied to a surface
(Answer, pages 3-4). The examiner recognizes that Wakat fails to
specifically teach the height of the pan divider wall (Answer,
page 5). However, the examiner finds that Wakat teaches that the
pan is to be designed dependent on the design of the roller
apparatus so that the rollers are capable of dipping into the
paint reservoir simultaneously (id.). Therefore, based on these
findings, the examiner concludes that it would have been obvious
to one of ordinary skill in this art to have provided pan
measurements such that each roller head could be dipped into the
paint reservoir simultaneously as required by Wakat (id.). We
agree.
Appellant’s principle argument is that Wakat does not teach
a single core, but rather two separate cores upon which roller
covers are mounted, in order that “each roller rolls separately
from an adjacent roller.” Brief, page 11. Appellant submits
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