Appeal No. 1998-1157
Application 08/278,782
Claims 1-17 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
unpatentable over Drehman.
Appellants have grouped the appealed claims as follows:
(1) claims 1-3, 5-7, 9, 13, 15-17, 21, (2) claims 4, 8, 10,
12, 14 and (3) claims 18-20 (as noted above, claims 18-20
have been indicated as allowable).
With respect to claim 21, as indicated, supra, the
rejection of claim 21 has been withdrawn, and therefore is
not part of group (1). Hence, group (1) includes claims 1-
3, 5-7, 9, 13, and 15-17. With respect to group (3),
because these claims have been indicated as allowable, we
need not consider this grouping.
Hence, with respect to groups (1) and (2), we select
the broadest claim from each of these groups for
consideration on appeal, as follows:
(1) claim 1
(2) claim 8
See 37 CFR § 1.192(c)(7)(1997).
We refer to the brief and reply brief, and to the
answer and supplemental answer, for a complete exposition of
the opposing viewpoints expressed by appellants and by the
examiner concerning the above-noted rejection.
OPINION
For the reasons expressed by the examiner and the
reasons set forth below, we will sustain the rejection of
claims 1-17 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over
Drehman.
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