Appeal No. 98-0972
Application No. 08/609,550
The examiner finds in Haase all of the subject matter recited
in this claim except for the spreader bars being split into
upper and lower bar members, and being “curved horizontally
and longitudinally relative to said body supporting member.” 3
It is the examiner’s position, however, that it would have
been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to split each
of the spreader bars of Haase in view of the teaching of
Palmer, and to alter the curve of those bars to that required
by the claim, in view of the teaching of Lloyd.
Lloyd discloses a wire mesh hammock having a spreader bar
(9) that functions to “extend the hammock at each end” (page
2, line 29). Each is described as “a flexible spreader,
preferably a flat spring or steel strip,” which is “secured to
the edges of the hammock” by clips (page 2, line 28 et seq.).
As shown in Figure 1 of the Lloyd drawings, the spreader bar
is curved “horizontally and longitudinally,” as is required by
claim 1. However, the mere fact that the prior art structure
could be modified does not make such a modification obvious
3In light of the description of the spreader bars provided
in the specification, we interpret the language regarding
curvature to mean that the spreader bar is “flat” when viewed
from its ends, as shown in Figure 3, for example.
6
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Last modified: November 3, 2007