Appeal No. 1999-2747
Application 08/757,979
established using hindsight or in view of the teachings or
suggestions of the inventor." Para-Ordnance Mfg., Inc. v. SGS
Importers Int’l, Inc., 73 F.3d 1085, 1087, 37 USPQ2d 1237,
1239 (Fed. Cir. 1995), citing W. L. Gore & Assocs., 721 F.2d
1551, 1553, 220 USPQ 311, 312-13. In addition, our reviewing
court requires the Patent and Trademark Office to make
specific findings on a suggestion to combine prior art
references. In re Dembiczak, 175 F.3d 994, 1000-01, 50 USPQ2d
1614, 1617-19 (Fed. Cir. 1999).
Therefore, mere economical benefit in a competitive
industry is inadequate to support the rejection of claims 2,
3, 11 and 12 under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
Accordingly, the decision of the Examiner rejecting
claims 1, 4, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 20-21 under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as being unpatentable over Lefsky when taken with McClure and
Handy is
affirmed, and the decision of the Examiner rejecting claims 2,
3, 11 and 12 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over
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