Appeal No. 1999-1835
Application No. 08/654,976
present specification (e.g., page 7, line 24 to page 8, line
20), which does not limit the ordinary meaning of the term
"area" in any way.
We next turn to the teachings of Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi
describes a studless pneumatic tire comprising: (i) a tread
portion (3) composed of at least two rubber layers having
different hardnesses, wherein the two layers are designated as a
"radially outward arranged outer rubber layer (3A)" and a
"radially inward arranged inner rubber layer (3B)"; (ii) a
plurality of lateral grooves (10) on the tread (3); (iii)
circumferential grooves (11A) and (11B) forming block-shaped
land portions (12); and (iv) sipes (15) arranged in a lateral
direction on the land portions (12). (Abstract; column 1, lines
23-27, 52-68; column 3, lines 50-65; column 6, line 29 to column
7, line 3; Figures 1 and 2.) As correctly pointed out by the
examiner (examiner's answer, page 4), Yamaguchi's Figure 2
clearly shows that the inner rubber layer (3B) protrudes or
"invades" into the outer rubber layer (3A) of the tread.
Further, the examiner correctly found (id. at page 5) that in
the "second and fourth block rows [columns] (the intermediate
block rows [columns])," the sipes are provided in an overlapping
arrangement. (Figure 1.)
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