Ex parte JENKINS et al. - Page 8




                     Appeal No. 1997-0449                                                                                                                                              
                     Application 08/380,244                                                                                                                                            


                     teachings establish a prima facie case of obviousness of the                                                                                                      
                     claimed subject matter.                                                                                                                                           
                                Appellants devote a considerable portion of their                                                                                                      
                     argument in favor of patentability to the evidence of                                                                                                             
                     nonobviousness they have submitted.  This evidence consists of                                                                                                    
                     two declarations by co-inventor Robert L. Jenkins provided for                                                                                                    
                     the purpose of showing copying by others of the presently                                                                                                         
                     claimed invention.   It is well settled that a nexus must be2                                                                                                                          
                     established between the merits of the claimed invention and                                                                                                       
                     the evidence proffered to show nonobviousness if such evidence                                                                                                    
                     is to be accorded substantial weight in deciding the                                                                                                              
                     obviousness/nonobviousness issue.  See Simmons Fastener Corp.                                                                                                     
                     v. Illinois Tool Works, Inc., 739 F.2d 1573, 1575, 222 USPQ                                                                                                       
                     744, 746 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1065 (1985).                                                                                                    
                     Moreover, in any given case, evidence of nonobviousness may be                                                                                                    
                     entitled to more or less weight, depending upon its nature and                                                                                                    
                     its relationship with the merits of the invention.  Stratoflex                                                                                                    

                                2 The declarations in question were submitted by                                                                                                       
                     appellants on May 15, 1995 (Paper No. 29, executed by Jenkins                                                                                                     
                     on May 11, 1995, hereinafter “Jenkins I”) and July 31, 1995                                                                                                       
                     (Paper No. 32, executed by Jenkins on July 24, 1995,                                                                                                              
                     hereinafter “Jenkins II”).                                                                                                                                        
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