Ex Parte Shimizu et al - Page 9




          Appeal No. 2004-0777                                       Page 9           
          Application No. 09/731,726                                                  


          examples presented can be extrapolated therefrom so as to be                
          reasonably guaranteed as attainable through practicing the                  
          invention as broadly claimed.                                               
               Having reconsidered all of the evidence of record proffered            
          by the examiner and appellants, we have determined that the                 
          evidence of obviousness, on balance, outweighs the evidence of              
          nonobviousness.  Hence, we conclude that the claimed subject                
          matter as a whole would have been obvious to one of ordinary                
          skill in the art.  Accordingly, we affirm the examiner’s § 103(a)           
          rejection of claims 1-6.                                                    
               Concerning the examiner’s § 103(a) rejection of claims 15              
          and 16 further employing the teachings of Bult, we note that                
          appellants have specified that all of the appealed claims stand             
          or fall together and do not argue the additional features set               
          forth in dependent claims 15 or 16 as patentably distinguishing             
          over the applied references.  Consequently, we shall also affirm            
          the § 103(a) rejection of claims 15 and 16 on this record.                  
                                     CONCLUSION                                       
               The decision of the examiner to reject claims 1-6 under 35             
          U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Ogashiwa in view of              
          Akamatsu and to reject claims 15 and 16 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)            









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