Appeal No. 1997-3026 Page 5
Application No. 08/344,053
with respect to each other, there is no teaching that they are
connected in the manner set forth in independent claims 1, 6
and 9.
The only connection between the two flex circuits in
Gorton appears to be via printed circuit board 884 in Gorton’s
Figure 87. The examiner does not deny that this is the only
connection taught by Gorton. At page 2 of the answer, the
examiner states, “[t]he examiner concedes that Gorton uses a
small printed circuit board 884 ‘having various components’
thereon to bridge the terminals on the flex circuit 824 and
825.” However, it is the examiner’s position that it would
have been obvious to remove the printed circuit board and
connect the flex circuits together, directly, without the
printed circuit board.
To appellants’ argument [with which we agree] that removal
of the printed circuit board would destroy the function of
Gorton’s system since the necessary circuitry on the printed
circuit board would be gone, the examiner indicates that the
necessary circuitry would be provided at a remote location. We
find this reasoning of the examiner to be faulty since we find
no suggestion anywhere in Gorton that would have led the
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