Appeal No. 1998-0996
Application No. 08/498,385
like claim 1, recite that at least one of the body and the cover
filter specific wavelengths while allowing visible light to pass
through, but claim 15 specifies that the wavelengths are in the
ultraviolet range.
The examiner argues (Answer, page 7) that Mori discloses "an
optical filter assembly which reflects and absorbs an ultraviolet
and/or infrared light while transmitting a visible light due to
the ultraviolet light and infrared light being undesirable
wavelengths." The examiner concludes that it would have been
obvious to modify Inaba's cover or body to include an optical
filter which reflects and absorbs ultraviolet and/or infrared
light while transmitting visible light "to have avoided any
damage to the material on the other side of the light path."
We agree with the examiner that Mori discloses an optical
filter which reflects ultraviolet and/or infrared rays. However,
Mori teaches (column 1, lines 34-40, and column 3, lines 1-10)
that the filter is used because ultraviolet and infrared rays are
harmful for photosynthetic reactions. As the content of Inaba's
disc case is not involved in photosynthetic reactions, we find it
difficult to understand how the skilled artisan would obtain from
Mori's disclosure motivation to use an ultraviolet and/or
infrared filter to protect Inaba's disc. Thus, Mori fails to
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