Appeal No. 96-1368
Application 08/080,891
polymer material can be in the form of a liquid crystal
monomer, as is necessary to satisfy claim 1.
Takayanagi discloses a process for producing from two or
more liquid crystal monomers a highly uniaxially oriented film
that is free from pinholes, strain or unevenness and is
excellent in optical transparency (Abstract). Among the uses
for these films are as phase contrast films or polarizing
films dyed with dichromatic dyes, and optical filters (col. 1,
lines 7-16). In the "Example" described at column 13, line 61
to column 14, line 19, a mixture of two liquid crystal
monomers identified as 5H and 6H (synthesized in the manner
described in col. 12, line 66 to col. 13, line 59) is
supported between two glass plates and exposed to heat and
light to cause it to polymerize, after which the glass plates
are removed to obtain a birefringent film. The examiner
contends it would have been obvious to employ such a film in
the device of Rogers for the benefit of the advantages of
being free from pinholes, strain or unevenness and excellence
in optical transparency. Assuming for the sake of argument
that it would have been obvious for these reasons to replace
the birefringent polymer material in Rogers's Figure 8 beam
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