Appeal 2006-2553
Application 10/685,587
1. A sparkling laminate film comprised of a substrate, a metal vapor
deposited layer formed on a front surface of said substrate, a transparent
resin surface layer formed on the front surface of said metal vapor deposited
layer, and a backing material integrally bonded to a back surface of said
substrate through an adhesive layer.
The Examiner has found that Parker teaches a decorative metalized
laminate that comprises a substrate, a transparent resin surface layer,
adhesive layers, and metal vapor deposition layers (Answer 3). The
Examiner relies on the Vander Velden reference for teaching that it was
conventional to use an adhesive layer to attach a backing to a substrate
(Answer 4).
The decorative laminate of Parker comprises two metal layers
surrounding the base layer substrate (See Figure 1). Parker states "[t]he
provision of metal coatings 14 and 16 on both broad surfaces of the base
layer 12, forms a sandwiching relationship therewith that obscures visual
distortion that frequently results when base 12 is subjected to subsequent
deformation by thermo forming techniques" (Col. 5, ll. 18-22). This
disclosure suggests that the two metal layers are essential to the invention of
Parker. Thus, it is the Examiner's position that the use of an adhesive layer
to attach the backing layer 22 to the metal coating 16 attached to the
substrate 12 of Parker would meet the limitations of claim 1. We agree.
Appellant argues that Parker does not disclose “a backing material
integrally bonded to a back surface of said substrate through an adhesive
layer” (Br. 5). Appellant argues that the claim language "a backing material
3
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Last modified: November 3, 2007