Appeal No. 2006-1105
Application No. 10/643,626
claims are pending in this application. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §
134.
According to appellant, the invention is directed to a paint roller grid 1 sized for
mounting in a container 14 to aid in dispersing paint more evenly over a paint roller
cover 34 sized to be immersed in a supply of paint in the container and then rolled along
a wiping surface 2 of the grid (Brief, pages 2-3). Surrounding the wiping surface 2 is a
frame 4 having upper and lower ends 5,6 and opposite sides 7,8 with rearwardly
protruding laterally spaced hooks from opposite side edges 9,10 for hooking over the
upper rim 13 of the container 14, while laterally spaced feet 25,26 are rigidly affixed to
the bottom edge of the grid frame 4 to prevent the grid from moving within the container
14 (Brief, page 3). Illustrative independent claim 12 is reproduced below:
12. A paint roller grid comprising a wiping surface for wiping a roller cover
against the wiping surface, a frame extending completely around the wiping
surface, at least one hook extending rearwardly from the frame for hooking over
an upper rim of a cylindrical container when the grid is inserted into a top opening
of the container, and a pair of laterally spaced feet extending rearwardly from a
bottom edge of the frame for engagement with an inner cylindrical surface of the
container to prevent the grid from moving within the container during rolling of a
roller cover on the wiping surface.
The examiner has relied on the following references as evidence of obviousness:
Welt 3,394,425 July 30, 1968
Passafiume 6,119,303 Sep. 19, 2000
The claims on appeal stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable
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