Appeal No. 1996-3947 Page 4
Application No. 08/151,741
addition, claims 12 and 13 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103
as unpatentable over Corsi in view of Whitney and Pollak, in
view of Mayer.
Reference is made to the brief and answer for the
respective positions of appellants and the examiner.
OPINION
We reverse.
Focussing our attention on the independent claims, claims 2
and 14, there is no question that Corsi discloses the claimed
first elongated base, first cover and first coupling means, along
with a first pivot joint and a first latch. The cover 12 in Corsi
is equivalent to the claimed first cover. However, as recognized
by the examiner, Corsi does not disclose the second elongated
cover and second coupling means and it does not disclose the
second pivot joint or the second latch.
Pollak discloses two covers for covering different channels
but, clearly, one cover is not located within the other cover.
The instant independent claims do not explicitly call for
“inner” and “outer” covers but, from the language of the claims
themselves, it is clear that the second cover is inside the first
cover. That is the only way that the first cover can be “covering
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