Appeal No. 2000-1833
Application 09/002,650
one or more towels to be placed thereupon in the same
manner as the user would place one or more towels on
the bar of the conventional barred towel holder. Each
support portion is formed by a 90 degree bend of the
rod in a first plane, wherein a first section ends at a
first curve formed in the rod in a second plane
orthogonal to the first plane which bends toward the
bar portion preferably between 90 and 180 degrees, a
second curve formed in the rod which bends in the
second plane away from the rod portion preferably just
under about 90 degrees, a second section, and a third
curve formed in the rod which bends in the second plane
toward the bar portion preferably between 90 and 180
degrees. Each arm portion is connected with a
respective third curve, and terminates in an end
segment upturned in the second plane.
In operation, the auxiliary towel rack is placed
onto a bar of a conventional barred towel holder,
whereupon the inside radius of the first curve rests
upon the bar of the conventional barred towel holder
and the outside radius of the third curve abuts the
wall. In such position, the bar portion is located
spaced outwardly from and below the bar of the
conventional barred towel holder in an orientation
parallel thereto. Further, each of the arm portions
are oriented substantially perpendicular to the wall
[column 1, line 52, through column 2, line 13].
As implicitly conceded by the examiner (see page 4 in the
answer), the Adams auxiliary towel rack differs substantially
from the portable shelf set forth in independent claims 1, 7 and
13, failing as it does to respond to the various claim
limitations pertaining to the rods and brackets. The examiner’s
reliance on Whitehead to overcome these deficiencies is not well
founded.
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007