Ex parte GUERET - Page 6




          Appeal No. 1998-1939                                                        
          Application No. 08/403,288                                                  


               Gueret ‘011 discloses a brush having radially-extending                
          bristles 2 for applying "a make-up product having a liquid to               
          pasty consistency, especially mascara" (col. 2, lines 67 and                
          68).  The patent teaches that in order to deposit a sufficient              
          quantity of make-up while still being soft to avoid irritating              
          contact with the eye (col. 1, lines 14 to 19 and 44 to 47;                  
          col. 4, lines 12 to 14), the bristles should be made of                     
          elastomeric or thermoplastic material, i.e. (col. 2, lines 32               
          to 37):                                                                     
                    The material is preferably selected from the                      
                    following group of materials: silicone,                           
                    EVA=ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyether                   
                    amide block copolymer, polyester elastomer,                       
                    EPDM=ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber,                     
                    polyurethane, SBS=styrene butadiene styrene,                      
                    latex and nitrile butadiene rubber.                               

               In view of this disclosure of Gueret ‘011, we consider                 
          that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in                 
          the art to make the axially-extending bristles of the brushes               
          of Cole out of one of the materials disclosed by Gueret ‘011,               
          supra, including a thermoplastic elastomer such as EPDM                     
          rubber, polyester elastomer, or SBS.  Such a modification of                
          the brushes of Cole, which, as discussed above, are disclosed               

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