Appeal No. 2006-0468
Application 09/885,395
(answer, page 5),2 and as such, is recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art as a specific type
of heat activatable adhesive. See, e.g., In re Am. Acad. of Sci. Tech. Ctr., 367 F.3d 1359, 1364,
70 USPQ2d 1827, 1830 (Fed. Cir. 2004); In re Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 1054-55, 44 USPQ2d
1023, 1027 (Fed. Cir. 1997); In re Zletz, 893 F.2d 319, 321-22, 13 USPQ2d 1320, 1322 (Fed.
Cir. 1989).
The plain language of claim 26 includes the terms and phrases we consider above. This
claim additionally specifies “means for retroreflecting light.” The examiner and appellants do
not provide an interpretation for this language which specifies a function without defining
structure which satisfies that function and thus, the strictures of 35 U. S. C. § 112, sixth
paragraph, apply. See Texas Digital Systems, Inc. v. Telegenx, Inc., 308 F.3d 1193, 1208, 64
USPQ2d 1812, 1822-23 (Fed. Cir 2002), and cases cited therein. We find ample disclosure of
“corresponding structure” for such “means” in the written description in the specification, in fact
encompassing the retroreflecting structure in Bingham, and thus a determination of whether the
Bingham structure is a § 112, sixth paragraph, “equivalent” is not necessary to our decision. See
Texas Digital Systems, 308 F.3d at 1208, 64 USPQ2d at 1822-23; Kemco Sales, Inc. v. Control
Papers Co., 208 F.3d 1352, 1364, 54 USPQ2d 1308, 1315-16 (Fed. Cir. 2000); In re Donaldson
Co., 16 F.3d 1189, 1192-95, 29 USPQ2d 1845, 1848-50 (Fed. Cir. 1994) (en banc). Indeed,
appellants do not dispute the examiner’s application of Bingham on this basis.
Appellants submit that Stahl teaches a preference for the second adhesive layer
comprising a “heat sensitive adhesive” at col. 4, ll. 60-61, and col. 5, ll. 13-14, while Silver
discloses a “non-heat sensitive” elastomeric microsphere adhesive, and thus, argue that there is
no motivation to combine the references (brief, page 5; original emphasis deleted). Appellants
further submit that Stahl does not state whether pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 16 which coats
thermoplastic layer 14, is a hot melt adhesive, citing, e.g., col. 3, ll. 1-3, contending that the
examiner has not established that the adhesive layer 16 is not a hot melt adhesive, and pointing
to their previous argument that Stahl discloses a heat sensitive adhesive which “leads away from
the claimed invention” which requires that the second adhesive layer is other than a hot melt
adhesive layer (brief, pages 6-7). With respect to the second ground of rejection, appellants
2 See also “adhesive, hot-melt,” Hawley’s Condensed Chemical Dictionary 23 (13th ed.,
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