Appeal No. 2002-1645 Page 15
Application No. 09/281,553
shaped to permit at least partial wheelchair access into said interior space so
that a wheelchair can be at least partially introduced into said interior space
through said back opening to receive the patient to facilitate removal of the
patient from said interior space.
It is our view that it is shear speculation as to whether Engelhart's inverted U-
shaped cross bar 62 is capable of supporting the upper body of a patient. Accordingly,
the subject matter of claim 18 is not met by Engelhart.
For the reasons set forth above, the decision of the examiner to reject claim 18,
and claim 19 dependent thereon, under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being anticipated by
Engelhart is reversed.
The anticipation rejection based on Sorrell
We will not sustain the rejection of claims 12 to 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as
being anticipated by Sorrell.
Sorrell's invention relates to safety walkers for medical patients, such as those
with Parkinson's Disease, and in particular to walkers having resistance to backward
falls and injury avoidance in the event of a backward fall. Figure 1 is a perspective view
of walker 4 having a flexible mesh seat 5. The walker has tubular parallel side frames 8
and 9 of similar strength plastic or metal connected by screw or plastic bonding to an
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