Appeal No. 98-1922 Page 6
Application No. 08/253,721
Maeda discloses a slider device. As shown in Figures 2-
3, the slider device 3 incudes a bottom-surface component 5
that is made of fluroresin, a top-surface component 4 that is
made of synthetic rubber, and a pull string 10 to slide the
device over a floor surface. The top-surface component 4 has
a raised rim 6, thereby forming a dish shape, and has many
projections 7 inside the sunken surface.
The appellants argue (brief, p. 6) that Maeda shows the
furniture (i.e., object 11 shown in Figure 5) having contact
on the inner surface of the surface member 4, not on the upper
most surface 6. The appellants state that
claim 16 requires that its uppermost surface be the
contact surface for the body being moved which is a
surface not shown or suggested by Maeda.
The examiner responded to this argument (answer, pp. 6-7)
by (1) pointing out the furniture itself is not part of the
claimed combination; (2) noting that in the appellants Figures
14 and 17 the furniture shown is not in contact with the
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