Appeal No. 2006-2169 Page 17
Application No. 09/899,919
Here, the preposition "to" is "used as a function word to indicate movement or an
action or condition suggestive of movement toward a place, person, or thing reached. .
. ." Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary 1238 (1990) (copy attached). Giving the
claim the broadest, reasonable construction, the limitations require that the distal end of
the aforementioned legs slants from a first face toward a second face.
2. Obviousness Determination
"As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 [of van Woesik], the fibre fixing clip 12 . . .
comprises a flat base 62 from opposite edges of which depend respective fibre retention
plates 64, each of which comprises a pair of legs 66 each having a tapered free end
portion 68. . . ." (Col. 4, ll. 63-68.) More specifically, we find that Figure 12 of the
primary reference shows that each of the tapered free end portion 68 slants from one
face of its leg 64 toward the other face of its leg. Although each slant meets an
opposing slant to form the aforementioned taper, the claim does not preclude such a
meeting. Therefore, we affirm the rejection of claim 4.
III. CONCLUSION
For the aforementioned reasons, the rejection of claims 1-4 under § 103(a) is
affirmed.
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