Appeal No. 1996-3350
Application 08/187,114
Nelson is directed to the same field of endeavor as
Clabburn, namely elastomeric pre-stretched tubular members for
the splicing and termination of high voltage power cables
(column 1, lines 6-10). Nelson teaches that the pre-stretched
tube (PST) technique is a simple one step operation using an
easily removable core and is an improvement over the use of
heat shrinkable material such as the preferred embodiment of
Clabburn (see Nelson, column 2, lines 36-65). Accordingly,
Nelson would have suggested to one of ordinary skill in the
art to use the easily removable core or tubular support as the
hold-out member to achieve the “held-out” or stretched state
of the elastomeric sleeve of Clabburn.
Appellants argue that there is no suggestion in the
references themselves that they should be combined (Brief,
pages 6-10). This argument is not persuasive since, as
discussed above, Clabburn is silent as to the specific hold-
out member to support the sleeve in a “held-out” or stretched
state while Nelson suggests the ease of stretching the
elastomeric sleeve with an easily removable core or tubular
support. Accordingly, the use of a core or tubular support in
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