Appeal No. 2003-2098 Page 18
Application No. 09/833,978
In the rejection of dependent claims 7 to 11 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (answer, p.
3), the examiner, in essence, concluded that it would have been further obvious at the
time the invention was made to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified
Freeman's rocker switch that allows a user to open or close an electrical circuit between
the male blade connectors and the female receptacle connectors (i.e., finger operable
member 41 together with toggle member 36) to operate as taught by Lockard's rocker
switch.
We find ourselves in basic agreement with the examiner that it would have been
further obvious to have modified Freeman's rocker switch as taught by Lockard's rocker
switch. The appellant's argument (brief, pp. 8-9) does not explain why it would not have
been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person of ordinary skill in the art
to have modified Freeman's rocker switch as taught by Lockard's rocker switch.
The limitations of claim 72 are clearly met by both Freeman's rocker switch and
Lockard's rocker switch and the appellant has not alleged otherwise.
2 Claim 7 reads as follows:
The electrical interrupt switch of Claim 2, wherein said switch means comprises a rocker
switch, and wherein said housing pivotally supports said rocker switch about a pivoting axle,
thereby providing said rocker switch with angular movement for opening or closing said electrical
circuit between conductive contacts.
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