Appeal No. 2004-1058
Application 09/584,053
being arranged as shown in Figures 1 through 4 “so that either
the comb or blade side of the device may be used for trimming the
hair or shaving, as may be desired” (page 1, column 2).
Anticipation is established only when a single prior art
reference discloses, expressly or under principles of inherency,
each and every element of a claimed invention. RCA Corp. v.
Applied Digital Data Sys., Inc., 730 F.2d 1440, 1444, 221 USPQ
385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1984).
As conceded by the examiner, “Deneen is silent as to whether
the device is used on an animal” (answer, page 6). Hence, Deneen
does not meet the various limitations in independent claims 12,
24 and 28 requiring the performance of the recited method steps
on a furry pet. Moreover, even if Deneen did teach the use of
the device on a furry pet, the examiner’s finding (see pages 4
and 5 in the second final rejection and page 6 in the answer)
that the blade edge of the device would “engage the loose hair of
the pet and pull it from the pet without cutting or pulling the
non-loose hair from the pet” when pulled along the handle axis as
recited in claims 12, 24 and 28 conflicts with Deneen’s
-8-
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