Appeal No. 1997-4444
Application 08/427,884
Appellant argues that Uchiumi does not disclose a
solenoid with an inner plunger positioned between a pair of
couplers and that it would have been unobvious to locate the
solenoid between the couplers in Yamakawa because there is no
space.
The Examiner finds that Uchiumi discloses a solenoid-
actuated coupler with the solenoid located outside the
couplers and concludes that it would have been obvious to
substitute it for the gear driven couplers in Yamakawa.
We agree that it would have been obvious to substitute
other known types of coupler drive mechanisms, such as the
solenoid-actuated coupler in Uchiumi, for the coupler drive in
Yamakawa.
The Examiner further concludes that "[i]t would have been
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the
invention was made, to position the solenoid between the
couplers instead that [sic] on a side as disclosed by Uchiumi
by routine structure optimization" (EA9).
Uchiumi does not disclose the claimed arrangement of a
solenoid positioned between the couplers. It appears that the
only suggestion for locating the solenoid as claimed is found
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