Appeal No. 2001-1667
Application No. 09/117,280
preform and then drawing an optical fiber from the preform
between rollers such that a controllable and predictable spin is
imparted on the fiber. Specification, page 3, lines 23-32.
According to appellant, an important feature of the claimed
method is that "the pivoting rollers impart spin to the fiber
without displacing the fiber from a vertical path or displacing
the fiber along the rollers." Appeal Brief, page 2. In
particular, the method overcomes the undesirable affects of using
a single guide roller as taught by Hart wherein oscillation of
the fiber along the roller may subject the fiber to unwanted
abrasion and vibration which may affect non-contact measurements
of the fiber dimensions. See Appeal Brief, page 5, summary of
Hart.
Discussion
During patent examination, the examiner bears the initial
burden of presenting a prima facie case of unpatentability. In
re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 1445, 24 USPQ2d 1443, 1444 (Fed. Cir.
1992). To establish a prima facie case of obviousness, the
examiner must identify "some objective teaching in the prior art
or that knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in
the art would lead that individual to combine the relevant
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