Appeal No. 1996-1300
Application No. 08/076,722
which moves to and from locking and unlocking positions, but
there is no disclosure that the elements "hold" the locking
lever so that external force does not move the locking lever
from the locked position. On the contrary, the locking lever
30 is shown in figure 1 in the locked position, then rotated
to the unlocked position in figure 2. When in the idle
position the locking lever 30 is free to assume the locked
position shown in figure 3, or the unlocked position shown in
figure 4. Fukumoto simply does not disclose a device "wherein
in at least one of the operating positions, the combination of
the link, slot, extending pin, worm gear and worm hold the
manual locking lever in the locked position so that external
force on the manual locking lever does not move the manual
locking lever from the locked position" (emphasis added).
Accordingly, the decision of the examiner to reject claim
7 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) is reversed. It follows that the
examiner's other rejection of claims 8-12 under 35 U.S.C.
' 102(e) is also reversed.
CONCLUSION
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