Appeal No. 1998-1537
Application No. 08/134,916
The Kyokai reference discloses a bicycle frame in which
the lugs (called "legs") are made of carbon fiber-reinforced
plastic. Kyokai focuses on construction of the "back claw"
(i.e., rear dropout) (j), in which, as discussed on pages 7 to
9, prepregs (4a), (4b) are positioned in upper and lower dies
(1), (2), with metal cores (3a), (3b) between them (Fig. 1).
After the dies are closed and heat is applied to harden the
resin, the back claw molding is taken out from between the
dies, the metal cores are removed, and notch (j ) is machined.
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This results in a carbon fiber-reinforced back claw as shown
in Fig. 4, having a flat body with two protruding tubular or
cylindrical portions, where the metal cores were located, for
connection to back fork (e) and chain stay (f). Kyokai
further discloses that (page 10, lines 6 to 9):
Moreover, the invented method for manufacturing
joints is not restricted to the manufacture of back claw,
but are [sic: is] also suitable in the manufacture of head
leg [(g)], hanger leg [(h)], seat leg [(i)], etc.
In view of Kyokai's teaching of lugs made of carbon fiber-
resin composite material, Tseng and Kyokai, as combined by the
examiner, supra, would appear to establish a prima facie case
of obviousness. However, appellants contend that Kyokai does
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