Appeal No. 1999-2677
Application 08/878,769
(Japanese Patent Document)
THE REJECTION
Claims 3, 22, 23 and 30 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as being unpatentable over the Japanese reference in
view of the British reference.
Attention is directed to the appellants’ main and reply
briefs (Paper Nos. 31 and 34) and to the examiner’s final
rejection and answer (Paper Nos. 28 and 33) for the respective
positions of the appellants and the examiner with regard to
the merits of this rejection.
DISCUSSION
The Japanese reference discloses an air bag apparatus
(see Figure 1) comprising an air bag cover 1, a retainer 4, an
inflator 6 and an air bag 8. The retainer constitutes a base
plate and includes an upstanding side wall 5 which interlocks
with folded portions 3 on tongue pieces 2 depending from the
cover (see Figure 2) to keep the cover from separating from
the retainer upon inflation of the air bag. As conceded by
the examiner (see page 2 in the final rejection), the
3
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