Appeal No. 2006-0132
Application No. 09/946,627
expectation of successfully distributing optimum force across the
entire outer surfaces of the pre-form, thus obtaining improved
curing and bonding.
The appellants appear to argue that none of the applied
prior art references teaches the generally triangular shape over-
press recited in claim 28. See the Brief, page 20. We do not
agree. As pointed out by the examiner (the Answer, page 21)),
Sloman illustrates a generally triangular shape pressure
intensifier (over-press). See Sloman, Figure 2 in conjunction
with Sloman, page 6.
In any event, the appellants ignore the fact that the shapes
of over-presses are known to be a function of the shapes of the
pre-forms since the whole purpose of using the over-presses is to
apply pressure or force against the surface of a given structure.
Thus, it is our judgment that the determination of an appropriate
shape of an over-press for a given structure is well within the
ambit of one of ordinary skill in the art since it is a known
result effective variable for distributing optimum force for
given structures during curing and bonding. In re Boesch, 617
F.2d 272, 276, 205 USPQ 215, 219 (CCPA 1980).
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