Appeal 2006-3057
Application 10/426,905
1 panel, which is folded or bent so that an inner panel portion and an outer
2 panel portion at least partially define a cavity therebetween. (id.).
3 Claim 1 is representative of the invention and reads as follows:
4 1. A vehicle door comprising:
5 a unitary, one-piece panel having an outer panel portion and an inner
6 panel portion; wherein the panel is sufficiently bent between the inner panel
7 portion and the outer panel portion such that the inner panel portion and the
8 outer portion at least partially define a cavity therebetween.
9 The Examiner rejected claims 1 to 16 and 31 under 35 U.S.C.
10 § 102(b) as being anticipated by Rashid, and rejected claim 17 under 35
11 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Rashid in view of Salmonowicz.
12 The prior art relied upon by the Examiner in rejecting the claims on
13 appeal is:
14 Rashid US 5,536,060 Jul. 16, 1996
15 Salmonowicz US 5,762,394 Jun. 9, 1998
16
17 Appellants contend (Br. 6 and 11) that Rashid does not disclose a
18 "unitary, one-piece panel" that is sufficiently bent between the inner panel
19 portion and the outer panel portion to at least partially define a cavity
20 therebetween, as recited in claims 1 and 8. Appellants contend (Br. 8) that
21 the door of Rashid is not "one-piece" and that this would be understood by
22 an artisan. Appellants additionally contend (Br. 8-9) that the Specification is
23 clear that "one-piece" does not encompass multiple pieces attached together.
24 With regard to claim 17, Appellants rely upon their arguments for
25 independent claims 1 and 8.
2
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