Appeal No. 1999-1045
Application No. 08/651,759
specification (page 31), read in light of the Figure 35 showing,
further reveal the disclosed invention,
The forward head 469 can cooperate with, and
be stabilized by, a desk or other
conventional work surface. More
specifically, each forward head 470 is meant
to contact a bottom surface 476 of the desk
and be wedged behind, for example, a desk
drawer 478 or a slide-out keyboard tray such
as is known in the art. In this way, the
platform K provides an additional work
surface that is rigidly positioned in
relation to a large work surface.
At this point, we note that an insert 70 (Fig. 2A) of a suitable
thermoplastic material provides “friction properties” so as to
retard a sliding movement of the base on the thigh of a user. In
the embodiment depicted in Figure 36, one or more knobs 508
provide a means for “frictionally” retarding longitudinal
movement of a base 498 on a user’s thigh.4
Independent claim 1 is drawn to a platform for a hand-
controllable data input device used with a microprocessor and an
4 The specification does not expressly address frictional
properties or characteristics with respect to the mushroom-shaped
forward head 468, with or without an optional rubber cap thereon.
This matter is raised in a “REMAND TO THE EXAMINER” below,
relative to the claimed contact surface material being “selected
to promote friction”.
5
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