Appeal No. 1999-1687 Page 8
Application No. 08/152,102
have periodically thinned portions, particularly since such
thinned portions would have no apparent utility in Mizushima."
With regard to Havel, appellants assert, (supp. answer, page
7) that Havel "has nothing to teach or suggest relevant to
flexibility of substrates or periodic thinning of substrates."
We find that Scheib discloses (col. 2, lines 43-49) that
[t]he flexibility of tape 6 is improved by the removal
of triangular sections 22 at selected points along the
length of the tape as best shown in FIG. 1. The apexes
of the triangular sections are oriented toward the
centerline of the tape. Flexibility of the tape can be
varied by varying the spacing and sizes of the removed
triangular sections.
Scheib further discloses (id. at lines 53-55) that "[i]n
addition, shaping of the characters is enhanced since the
strip can be flexed in all three dimensions to provide any
shape desired." From these teachings of Scheib, we agree with
the examiner (answer, page 5) that the periodically thinned,
flexible substrate of Scheib can be rolled. However, in
Scheib (col. 2, line 13), LEDs form a lighting strip. The
display forms a design by shaping the flexible lighting strip
display into the desired shape. See e.g., Figure 3, where the
display is flexed into the number 815. This contrasts with
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