I.
The patent under reexamination is US patent 4,625,491, issued on 2 December
1986 from application 06/817,893, filed 13 January 1986. Claims 1-13 are involved in
this appeal.2 These claims are directed to a floor panel for elevated floors as well as a
method of forming floor panels.
Claim 1 is illustrative and reads as follows:
A floor panel for elevated floors comprising a rectangular base
structure adapted to be supported at its corners and providing a load
surface operable to support loads thereon, a floor covering mounted on
said load surface providing a decorative exposed surface layer on the side
thereof opposite said load surface, said floor covering providing an inner
body portion having an appearance contrasting with the appearance of said
decorative surface layers, said floor covering providing a border along the
edges of said panels along which said decorative surface layer is removed
to expose said inner body portion and thereby provide an integral
contrasting border around said decorative surface layer.
The following rejections are at issue in this appeal:
(1) Claims 1-10, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 USC § 102(b) as being
anticipated by Spielman, Woodworking with Plastic Laminates: Instructor’s Guide,
(1979), pp. 1-4 and attached papers labeled WPL 1, 6, 8, 13, and 14. Our understanding
is that the attached papers are copies of transparencies that are part of the instructor’s
guide. (“Spielman”) (Answer at 4-6).
(2) Claims 1-8 and 13 are rejected under 35 USC § 102(b) as being
anticipated by Wagner, Modern Woodworking: Tools, Materials, and Procedures,
(1970), pp. 20-12 and 20-13. (Answer at 6-8).
(3) Claims 1, 2, 8 and 13 are rejected under 35 USC § 102(b) as being
anticipated by Morgan et al., US Patent 2,717,187 issued on 6 September 1955. (Answer
at 8).
2 Applicant submitted an amendment adding claims 14 and 15 (Amendment after final rejection
dated 7 September 2004) but the examiner has indicated that such amendment was not entered.
(Examiner’s Answer (“Answer”) at 2).
2
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