Appeal No. 2006-2452
Application No. 09/797,872
Ishiwatari et al. JP 359172862 Sep. 29, 1984
(Ishiwatari)
Kawamura et al. EP 0 812 092 Oct. 12, 1997
(Kawamura)
Claims 1-9, all of the appealed claims, stand finally rejected under
35 U.S.C. § 103(a). As evidence of obviousness, the Examiner offers Kawamura
in view of Hoekstra and Kagawa with respect to claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8, and
adds Ishiwatari to the basic combination with respect to claims 3, 6, and 9.
Rather than reiterate the arguments of Appellants and the Examiner,
reference is made to the Briefs1 and Answer for the respective details.
OPINION
We have carefully considered the subject matter on appeal, the rejection
advanced by the Examiner and the evidence of obviousness relied upon by the
Examiner as support for the rejection. We have, likewise, reviewed and taken
into consideration, in reaching our decision, Appellants’ arguments set forth in
the Briefs along with the Examiner’s rationale in support of the rejection and
arguments in rebuttal set forth in the Examiner’s Answer.
It is our view, after consideration of the record before us, that the evidence
relied upon and the level of skill in the particular art would not have suggested to
1 The Appeal Brief was filed November 28, 2005. In response to the
Examiner’s Answer mailed January 18, 2006, a Reply Brief was filed March 20,
2006, which was acknowledged and entered by the Examiner as indicated in the
communication dated April 11, 2006.
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