Appeal No. 96-1668
Application 08/231,258
appears no need to optimize or change the length at all. The
assembled unit 8 comprising the elements of Figures 6 and 8 as
explained earlier indicates that the two halves of the
analogous erasure preventing device 8 in Sony would have to
mate somewhere in the midpoint along the shaft because of the
mating action of the engaging step units 10 and 17 in these
figures. Figure 4 of Sony appears to show its substantially
full length. As such, there was a great need in Sony for the
shaft to have been as long as possible to support the upper
portion 13 in Figure 6 on and as mated to the lower portion 16
of element 8 as shown in Figure 7. The artisan would have
well appreciated that the length of the shaft would have been
that long to support the top 13 and bottom 16 mated halves of
rotational body 8 for stable rotation.
Additionally, as pointed out by appellants, Sony does not
have top and bottom bosses in the top and bottom covers to aid
in the support of the rotatability of the analogous erasure
preventing mechanism 8 in Sony. Thus, even if we were to
agree with the examiner that it would have been obvious to
have added a post such as post or axle 26 from Sony into the
admitted prior art cover boss 70 in specification prior art
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Last modified: November 3, 2007