Appeal No. 2006-0500
Application No. 10/094,709
this field” (brief, page 9). Contrary to the appellants’
implication, Nakasone is not limited to a rod-like product in the
form of an optical fiber. Rather, Nakasone discloses that rod-
like products of the type with which he is concerned are
extensively used in a variety of contexts including as structural
material (e.g., see lines 7-15 in column 1). The appellants’
field of endeavor also relates to products used in a variety of
contexts (e.g., as a tube or a pipe for carrying liquids; see
lines 2-8 on specification page 1) including as structural
material (e.g., see lines 10-12 on specification page 3). Viewed
from this perspective, the Nakasone patent is analogous prior art
because it is from the appellants’ field of endeavor.
Regardless, a comparison of the appellants’ specification
disclosure (e.g., see the last paragraph on specification page 5)
with the disclosure of Nakasone (e.g., see the abstract and lines
33-50 in column 4) reveals that the reference is reasonably
pertinent to the particular problem (i.e., dimensionally unstable
polymer at elevated temperatures) with which the appellants were
involved. For this additional reason, it is proper to consider
Nakasone as analogous prior art.
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