Appeal No. 97-2722 Page 11
Application No. 08/329,840
includes a hollow housing 18, a clamp bar 24, a supporting rod
structure 43-45, and struts 27. The hollow housing 18 has a
rear end portion covered by a door 19 hinged to the housing 18
by pins 20. Shockley teaches at column 2, lines 1-5, that the
hollow housing is provided to store articles.
After the scope and content of the prior art are
determined, the differences between the prior art and the
claims at issue are to be ascertained. Graham v. John Deere
Co., 383 U.S. 1, 17-18, 148 USPQ 459, 467 (1966).
Based on our analysis and review of Laiti and claim 1, it
is our opinion that the only difference is the limitation that
a closure means is provided at the rear open end of the hollow
body for forming a closed but accessible storage compartment.
With regard to this difference, we have determined that
it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art
at the time of the appellant's invention to have provided
Laiti's tubular supporting arm with a door thereon as
suggested and taught by Shockley whereby the tubular
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