Appeal No. 2006-0455 Page 2 Application No. 10/217,378 (specification, page 1). Claim 1 is representative of the invention, and is reproduced as follows: 1. An optical drive comprising: means for reading an optical disc; and means for receiving an optical disc to be transported to said means for reading an optical disc, wherein said means for receiving is oriented off-axis at an angle › that is an acute angle from a vertical axis to maintain said optical disc within said means for receiving and wherein said means for reading is oriented off said vertical axis at said angle › during operation thereof. The prior art references of record relied upon by the examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are: Mitsui et al 5,930,218 Jul. 27, 1999 Iwata JP63271754 Nov. 9, 1988 Claims 1-20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Mitsui in view of Iwata. Claims 1-20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Mitsui. Rather than reiterate the conflicting viewpoints advanced by the examiner and the appellant regarding the above-noted rejections, we make reference to the answer (mailed July 27, 2005) for the examiner's complete reasoning in support of the rejections, and to the brief (filed June 2, 2005) and reply briefPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007