Appeal No. 1997-4013 Page 11
Application No. 08/145,867
suggested modifying the plates of Bruder absent the use of
hindsight knowledge derived from the appellant's own
disclosure. The use of such hindsight knowledge to support an
obviousness rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103 is, of course,
impermissible. See, for example, W. L. Gore and Associates,
Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 1553, 220 USPQ 303, 312-
13 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984).
For the reasons set forth above, the decision of the
examiner to reject claims 26 to 33 and 40 under 35 U.S.C. §
103 is reversed.
CONCLUSION
To summarize, the decision of the examiner to reject
claims 38 and 39 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) is reversed and the
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