Appeal No. 2001-0700
Application 09/154,938
contiguous piece of machined material such as lightweight
aluminum, or molded material such as plastic” (column 3, lines
46 through 48). The funnel 100 consists of an upper conical
part 120, 130, and a lower cylindrical part 140 for engaging
the mouth of a jar. Of the lower cylindrical part, Smith
teaches that
an engaging member such as threads [160] is provided
on the funnel so that the funnel can be firmly
affixed to the mouth of jars. In a preferred
embodiment, threads are provided on the inside of a
lower, cylindrical part [140] of the funnel for jars
with threads on the outside of the mouth. . . .
In addition to the threads, the lower
cylindrical part of the funnel has a rim [150],
above the threads. The rim covers the rim of the
jar mouth and thereby facilitates a tight, stable
coupling between the funnel and the jar and a tight
seal between the funnel and the jar. The rim also
prevents leakage of the contents of the funnel
between the funnel threads and jar threads during
pouring [column 1, lines 21 through 38].
In rejecting the appealed claims under § 103(a), the
examiner finds that the Swedish reference responds to all of
the limitations therein except for those in independent claims
1 and 6 calling for the body of the claimed funnel to be
“plastic,” and concludes that it would have been obvious to
6
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