Appeal No. 2000-0617
Application 08/706,025
The problem to be solved is to decrease the size of the
bearing arrangement for an electric motor. A consideration to
be taken when attempting to solve the problem would include
how the rotor operates in its environment. The bearing
assembly of the disclosed invention is for a rotor that
rotates at high speeds in successive 360 degree turns. One of
ordinary skill in the art would keep in mind that the bearing
assembly, reduced in size, would have to be able to rotate at
high speeds in successive 360 degree turns.
The examiner has failed to sufficiently demonstrate why
one of ordinary skill in the art would look to Moriwaki to
solve the problem faced by the inventor. Moriwaki’s bearing
assembly is for a device that pivots back and forth, but does
not rotate 360 degrees. Why then would one of ordinary skill
in the art expect the bearing device of Moriwaki to solve the
problems faced with reducing the size of a bearing assembly
for a disk drive apparatus?
Even if the examiner is correct that Moriwaki is
analogous art, we further find, based on the record before us,
that there would be no reasonable expectation of success, such
that one of ordinary skill would want to combine Inoue with
Moriwaki. It has long been settled that an invitation to
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