Appeal No. 2006-0772
Application No. 09/731,945
of principal brief, last paragraph). While appellants submit
that their "invention is a method that uses such bags to produce
aerospace composites" (id.), the claims on appeal define vacuum-
assisted resin transfer molding processes, in general, and
appellants have not explained why the use of such known films
would have been unobvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
The examiner also notes that the process of Johnson does not
utilize the claimed open weave flow control media between the
inner bag and the debulked preform to control the flow front of
the resin infusion. However, we find no error in the examiner's
reliance on McClure for establishing the obviousness of using
such a flow control media in a vacuum resin infusion process of
the type disclosed by Johnson. We are not persuaded by
appellants' argument that it is illogical to use McClure's flow
control medium in the process of Johnson because Johnson creates
resin distribution channels in the bagging material, and it would
be unnecessary to provide "two elements to perform the same
function when either one would do fine along [sic, alone]"
(page 10 of principal brief, second paragraph). We find nothing
unobvious or illogical in employing such a flow control medium in
the Johnson process in order to ensure the uniform distribution
of the resin. Certainly, it would have been obvious for one of
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