Appeal No. 2003-1176
Application No. 09/074,288
the glass fibres 24 onto lamina 12, the material of lamina 12
cannot penetrate openings in the sheet of glass 24, since a
thermoset material cannot flow.” (Appeal brief, page 7.) We
note, however, that the lamina 12 does not have to be fully
thermoset as the reference teaches that it is “at least
partially set.” But more importantly, Rohrlach teaches that the
rigid foam polyurethane penetrates or embodies the substrate 11.
(Column 1, lines 46-49; column 2, lines 46-48; column 3, lines
10-16.)
For these reasons, we uphold the examiner’s rejection on
this ground.
Takeuchi
Takeuchi describes a vehicle door trim A comprising, inter
alia, a mat-shaped glass fiber reinforcing material 1 within a
foam base material 3 that is molded integrally on the back side
of a facing material 5. (Column 3, lines 23-31; Figures 1-3.)
Takeuchi, therefore, describes every limitation of the invention
recited in appealed claims 1 and 2.
The appellants argue that “neither the fiber-reinforcing
material nor the porous sheet material 9 are [sic, is] held to a
backside of the trim member.” (Appeal brief, pages 9-10.) This
argument fails, because Takeuchi’s mat-shaped fiber reinforcing
8
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