Appeal No. 2001-2392 Page 9
Application No. 09/114,962
As shown in Figure 1, Breed discloses a sensor-initiator (10) which contains the
sensors in a housing (40) mounted in a cavity extending inside the inflator housing (12), as
is explained in column 2, line 26 et seq.. The inflator housing is, in turn, received in another
cavity in the air bag housing (16). Breeds therefore does not disclose or teach mounting
the sensor housing exterior of the inflation housing, as is required in claims 16 and 22.
Spies explains that an object of the invention is to keep separate those parts with
“critical fillings” to reduce chemical and electrical hazards and to allow separation to
facilitate recycling and disposal to protect the environment (column 1, line 66 et seq.). In
the embodiment shown in Figure 2, an integrated chip crash sensor (2) is located in a
housing (1) along with the explosive primer, with the sensor housing being exterior of the
inflator housing and communicating with it via a probe (18) extending through a cavity in
the inflator housing. This provides the separation between elements with critical fillings
that Spies desires, and allows them to be separated from one another for recycling or
disposal of their contents.
We agree with the examiner that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill
in the art to modify Breed by replacing the internally positioned sensor housing with an
externally positioned one, in view of the showing of Spies, suggestion being found in the
explicit teaching of Spies that providing separation would reduce hazards and facilitate
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