Appeal No. 1998-2484 Page 10
Application No. 08/212,819
(translation, page 7) there are single or double ring-shaped
grooves. From these teachings of JP’313, that the o-ring area
is used to prevent permeation of rainwater from the area from
the bolts, we see no reason why one of ordinary skill in the
art would have been motivated to have removed one of the o-
ring areas and repositioned it in an area outward of the
flange-fastening-means as advanced by the examiner, as such
modification would have provided less protection against
advancing rainwater. We do find, however, that Sweeny
suggests (Figure 1; col. 1, line 43, and col. 2, lines 32-34)
providing the outwardly extending flanges 3 of hollow metal
frame 2 with sealing means 22, 23 on both the inside and
outside of the bolts 21. It is not altogether clear in Sweeny
as to whether the inner edges of each flange is
circumferentially grooved or beveled. Assuming arguendo that
the inside edge of each flange is beveled, forming a
circumferential v-shaped notch between the flanges 3, in our
view, a skilled artisan would have been motivated to have
formed the area that receives the brazen seal as a grooved
rather than beveled area. The rationale behind the
modification is that a annular grooved recess between the
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