Appeal No. 2002-0963
Application No. 08/122,344
conventional filament winding, molding or shaping techniques.
See col. 8, lines 45-55; col. 9, lines 15-18.
The examiner recognizes that Boss does not mention a fiber
placement operation. See Answer, p. 35. Nevertheless, the
examiner argues (Answer, pp. 10-11):
[Boss] clearly describe[s] a process of partially
curing a resin impregnated tape or tow in a system for
forming a composite structural article for the
aerospace industry where the tow or tape is filament
wound (a form of "fiber placement"), molded, or
otherwise shaped subsequently to partial curing of the
tape or tow in the system. Because it would have been
viewed as a useful means for forming a resin
impregnated partially cured prepreg tape which was fed
directly into a fiber placement device (and noting that
whether one formed partially cured prepreg material or
supplied the prepreg from a roll stock of material was
within the purview of the ordinary artisan) where the
tape was formed into the prepreg by heating to advance
the cure of the same and then fed directly into a fiber
placement device (in a preheated state) wherein the
tape would have been applied in the usual fashion, it
would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the
art at the time the invention was made to utilize the
techniques of Boss when making a composite article
where a thermosetting resin impregnated fibrous
material was applied to a form and cured in situ during
lay down as suggested by Chitwood et al . . . .
Moreover, this panel in its prior decision stated (Paper
No. 25, p. 7):
Both Sherwood and Boss disclose that partially
cured resin impregnated fiber reinforced ribbons or
tapes are useful in a filament winding process.
Furthermore, both Sherwood and Boss recognize that
thermoset resins may be used to impregnate the
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