Appeal No. 2004-1862
Application No. 09/784,041 Page 5
to add BCl in an amount within the claimed addition amounts to
the chafer rubber of Muraoka.
Moreover, it is our view that the examiner has reasonably
determined that it would have been prima facie obvious for one of
ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to employ
a carbon black possessing a nitrogen adsorption specific surface
area with the range claimed in the chafer rubber of Muraoka based
on the combined teachings of the applied references for reasons
as set forth in the final rejection and answer. As noted by the
examiner, Muraoka (column 4, lines 1 and 2) discloses the use of
N220 and N330 carbon blacks. Those carbon blacks reasonably
correspond to carbon blacks identified in Table 2 at page 7 of
appellant’s specification as having a nitrogen adsorption
specific surface within the claimed range.
Consequently, we agree with the examiner that the evidence
furnished is sufficient to establish the prima facie obviousness
of the here claimed subject matter.2
2 We note that appellant does not offer any specific and
persuasive arguments that refute the examiner’s obviousness
position concerning the carbon black limitation of claim 2 based
on the combined teachings of the applied references for the
reasons stated in the answer. Consequently, we do not further
address that limitation herein.
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