Appeal No. 98-0985 Page 11
Application No. 08/271,022
In that regard, Airy teaches (column 11, lines 17-20) that
various types of resistance units may be employed in
conjunction with his invention to resist flexure or extension
of the body joint or both flexure and extension as desired.
Figures 6, 8, 9 and 11 of Airy set forth examples of suitable
resistance units, including ones that utilize the shear
resistance of a viscous fluid. Dalebout teaches a striding
exerciser to which various resistance mechanisms may be
adapted to offer resistance to the striding-type motion
(abstract, lines 12-14, and column 8, lines 53-54).
Specifically, Dalebout discloses both a resistance means
(Figure 8) utilizing friction members 160, 162 and a
resistance means (Figure 9) utilizing a hydraulic unit 190.
Thus, Airy specifically suggests employing various types of
resistance units as desired. Accordingly, we conclude that it
would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at
the time the invention was made to modify Airy's resistance
units to be frictional resistance units as suggested by
Dalebout's Figure 8 especially in view of the prior art
teachings that frictional resistance means and fluid
resistance means are art-recognized alternatives.
Page: Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007