Appeal No. 2002-2254 Page 10
Application No. 09/456,046
permanently fastened around a perimeter of the base mat to form a grease
accumulation area in a center of the apparatus
For the reasons set forth above, the decision of the examiner to reject claim 6
under 35 U.S.C. § 103 is reversed.
The obviousness rejection of claims 5 and 7
We will not sustain the rejection of claims 5 and 7 under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
As to claim 7, we have reviewed the reference to Clark additionally applied in the
rejection of claim 7 (dependent on claim 6) but find nothing therein which makes up for
the deficiency of Sandaj discussed above regarding claim 6. Accordingly, the decision
of the examiner to reject claim 7 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 is reversed.
As to claim 5, the appellant argues (brief, p. 6) that the claimed aperture formed
in a recess formed in the center of the left grease barrier to allow the apparatus to be
hung from a nail or hook on a wall is not suggested from the teachings of Sandaj and
Clark. We agree. In that regard, while Clark teaches a portable shower and bath mat
having a large hole 14 enabling the mat to be hung from a standard shower head for
storage, we fail to find therein any motivation or suggestion to have provided the mat of
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