Appeal No. 2000-1971
Application No. 09/002,537
trailer hitch housing generally U-shaped in cross section and
having an edge flange (not separately numbered) about the open
bottom end of the housing. Accordingly, Winterhoff appears to
be an example of an “end-flange” braced trailer hitch housing.
Floe, applied by the examiner against the claims in
rejection (a), discloses an extruded metal trailer hitch
tongue 42 that includes, in the lower section thereof,
longitudinal ridges (not numbered). The ridges are located
along the sides of the tongue, intermediate the upper and
lower ends thereof. According to Floe, the longitudinal
ridges “are designed to provide strength” (column 5, lines 49-
50).
The examiner should collectively assess these teachings
to ascertain whether they, either by themselves or in
combination with other prior art of which the examiner may be
aware, would have been suggestive to one having ordinary skill
in the art of the subject matter of any of the claims on
appeal. Upon conclusion of said assessment, the examiner
should take whatever action is deemed appropriate. Such
appropriate action may include, for example, reopening
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