Appeal No. 1997-0380
Application No. 08/368,099
tapped bores [24] of studs [10]. The grommets [46]
surrounding the openings [44] are received in the recesses
[22] of the disc-shaped head portion [12].
As implicitly conceded by the examiner, Meyer does not
teach or suggest a generally cylindrical head with an enlarged
diameter relative to the shank portion and a frustoconical
opening being recessed within the nail head. However, the
examiner has concluded that
[i]t would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill
in the art at the time the invention was made to provide
the internally threaded bore of Meyer '297 with a
frustoconical opening, as taught by Farrington '983, in
order to receive a screw with a frustoconical head. The
frustoconical opening would allow the head to sit within
the opening to make the head of the screw as flush as
possible to the surface of the furniture. The upholstery
would be wedged between the frustoconical opening and the
frustoconical head of the screw. (Answer, page 4)
We will not support the examiner's position. Here again,
absent the appellant's own disclosure, we can think of no
reason why one of ordinary skill in this art would have been
motivated to combine the teachings of Meyer and Farrington in
the manner that the examiner has proposed. The examiner
apparently is proposing to extract from the teachings of
Farrington the feature
7
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007