Appeal No. 2004-1009
Application No. 09/785,382 Page 6
facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art seeking to
provide brushes having desirable characteristics for brushing and
styling hair. See In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 276, 205 USPQ 215,
219 (CCPA 1980); In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233,
235 (CCPA 1955).
Given the above and for reasons set forth in the answer, we
cannot agree with appellants’ generalized contention that an
inappropriate standard of obviousness has been applied by the
examiner. Consequently, on this record, we will sustain the
examiner’s § 103(a) rejection of claims 8-10 and 12-14.
Claim 2
Dependent claim 2 additionally requires that the blow dryer
of claim 1 include a power cord and hook grasping means. While
Vallis does not explicitly describe how the dryer blower and
electric heating means thereof are powered, we agree with the
examiner that one of ordinary skill in the art would have readily
envisioned that the dryer handle would include a power cord
extending therefrom as expressly taught by Weiss (element 33,
figure 2) for use in powering a hair dryer. As for the claimed
“hook grasping means,” we agree with the examiner that Weiss
(column 5, lines 30-32) evidences that the provision of such a
grasping means for the blow dryer of Vallis would have readily
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