Appeal No. 2002-0572 Page 6
Application No. 09/302,584
which is offset relative to the center of the card, and the inferences3 one of ordinary skill
in the art would have reasonably drawn from the disclosure of Andrews that this offset
arrangement ensures that the card can only be connected to a mating connector in one
orientation.
As so modified in view of Andrews, the Goshorn printed circuit card accounts for
all of the limitations of claim 11. In this regard, we observe that claim 11 is directed to a
printed circuit card per se and not the combination of a printed circuit card and a family
of connectors. As we see it, the offset notch E4 of the modified Goshorn card would
correspond to the claimed polarized keyway and the additional notch E5 would
correspond to the claimed non-polarized keyway because these notches would be fully
capable of functioning in the manner called for in the claim for the polarized and non-
polarized keyways4 when the modified Goshorn card is mated with appropriately
configured first and second connectors.
Appellants’ arguments have been considered but are not persuasive that the
examiner erred in rejecting claim 11 as being unpatentable over Goshorn in view of
Andrews. It is acknowledged that Andrews does not teach a relationship between a
3In considering the disclosure of a reference, it is proper to take into account not only specific
teachings of the reference but also the inferences which one skilled in the art would reasonably be
expected to draw therefrom. In re Preda, 401 F.2d 825, 826, 159 USPQ 342, 344 (CCPA 1968).
4Claim 11 states that the polarized keyway is “arranged to align the first and second pluralities of
conductive pads with contacts in a first connector” and that the non-polarized keyway is “arranged to align
the first and second pluralities of conductive pads with contacts in a second connector.”
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