Appeal No. 96-3833
Application 08/014,320
Appellant’s invention relates to a wiper blade assembly
having a wiper blade (20) heated by a heating element (70).
According to appealed claim 32, the heating element comprises a
material (75) disposed between a pair of elongated conductive
members (72, 74) and possessing a positive temperature
coefficient of resistance (PTC).2
A copy of the appealed claims, as these claims appear in the
appendix to the examiner’s answer, is appended to this decision.3
In rejecting the appealed claims, the examiner relies upon
the following references:
Kampe 4,334,148 Jun. 8, 1982
VanSickle 4,603,451 Aug. 5, 1986
Bronnvall 4,629,869 Dec. 16, 1986
The following references are applied by this Board in
support of new grounds of rejection set forth infra pursuant to
the provisions of 37 CFR § 1.196(b):
Waseleski, Jr. (Waseleski) 3,489,884 Dec. 28, 19664
2 As is well known in the prior art, the electrical resistance of a
PTC material increases to a high value upon heating the material to a critical
temperature, thereby correspondingly reducing the flow of electrical current
through the material to effectively turn off the heater. Heaters embodying
this type of material are typically referred to in the prior art as self-
regulating heaters because they eliminate the need for a thermostatic control.
3 As correctly pointed out by the examiner on page 3 of the answer,
the copy of claims 32, 35, and 39 appended to appellant’s brief is incorrect.
4 We have not attached a copy of this reference to this decision
because it was applied by the examiner in his examination of appellant’s
application and because it was cited by appellant in his specification.
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