Appeal No. 97-4253 Page 6
Application No. 08/385,981
the art at the time of the invention as a
suitable insulative “plug” or lining
material, and one of ordinary skill in the
art would have obviously considered any
readily available foam materials to meet
the criteria of Fragale’s
assembly.[examiner’s answer at page 5].
The appellants argue that neither Fragale nor O’Hanlon
suggest using a compressible and resilient one-piece foam
insert for the corner piece of synthetic siding for a building
but rather use rigid foam that is adhered to sheet aluminum
utilized for structural support. In addition, appellants
argue that both Fragale and O’Hanlon employ a single length of
foam that extends
along the entire length of the associated trim piece or
aluminum skin.
The examiner argues that since the claims are directed to
a foam insert only, any arguments concerning the strength
provided to the corner members of either Fragale or O’Hanlon,
as well as the claimed lengths of these inserts with respect
to associated corner members are moot.
While the examiner is correct that the claims are
directed to an insert only and not a combination of an insert
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007