Appeal No. 2006-2169 Page 8
Application No. 09/899,919
two limbs pierce the insulating sheath of the fiber-optic cable, we agree with the
examiner's finding that the reference teaches using blade parts to remove a portion of
the sheath of a fiber optical cord.
2. Blade Edge
The examiner makes the following assertions.
[I]t would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the
time the invention was made for the blade portions to be formed by a side
edge of the positioning slit joined at a right angle to a distal end edge of
the plate-like portion since it would have been an obvious matter of design
choice to implement such a modification, since applicant has not disclosed
that having the side edge of the positioning slit joined at a right angle to a
distal end edge of the plate-like portion solves any states problem or is
used for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would
perform equally well with the chaffered edge disclosed in Herrmann and
van Woesik.
(Examiner's Answer at 4-5.) The appellant "responds by referring to the advantages
explained in pages 15-16 of Appellant's specification." (App. Br. at 13.) In particular,
they offer the following explanation.
Appellant's disclosure provides for each blade portion (43) cutting the
covering portion (92) while forcing the cut portion away in its inserting
direction. Consequently, removing the excess covering portion, instead of
merely pushing it away, reduces axial compressive force being applied
against the covering portion. Similarly, this removal of the excess
covering portion avoids radial compressive force from being applied
against the optical fiber (91). This advantage is achieved by a right-angle
edge profile, as claimed. See page 16, lines 2-22 of the specification.
(Id.)
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