Appeal No. 98-1457 Page 10
Application No. 08/530,006
ordinary skill in the art modifying the elongated member of
Crandell's suspension link (i.e., the rigid member 11,
preferably made of steel and having a cross-sectional
configuration as shown in Figures 1 and 3) to be both formed of
a thermoplastic material and provided with an intermediate
section having an I-shaped cross-sectional configuration. In
our opinion, while the applied prior art may have been
suggestive of modifying the elongated member of Crandell's
suspension link to be either (1) formed of a thermoplastic
material, or (2) provided with an intermediate section having
an I-shaped cross-sectional configuration, the combined
teachings of the applied prior art would not have been
suggestive of modifying Crandell to contain both of these
features without the use of hindsight knowledge derived from
the appellants' own disclosure.
In regard to the "well-known engineering knowledge" cited
by the examiner on page 3 of the supplemental answer and our
colleague in his dissenting opinion, we note that this "well-
known engineering knowledge" was not applied by the examiner in
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