Appeal 2006-3109
Application 10/743,936
providing deformable paint film stock, which is:
in a form of a discrete, substantially planar sheet,
made of a laminate material including a deformable base
having a paint film laminated thereon that provides a
painted surface finish, and
able to be itself formed into a part through vacuum or pressure
molding;
grasping the stock sheet on generally opposing sides by at least two
paint film stock grasping members; and
moving, while the stock is so grasped, the at least one of the at least
two paint film stock grasping members apart from the other so
as to draw or stretch the stock between the at least two paint
film stock grasping members in the plane of the sheet so as to
form a planarly drawn or stretched planar laminate paint film
sheet that retains a painted surface finish.
The Examiner relies upon the following references as evidence of
obviousness:
Peterson US 2,759,217 Aug. 21, 1956
Susa US 5,760,122 Jun. 2, 1998
Ghosh US 6,487,902 B1 Dec. 3, 2002
Appellants’ claimed invention is directed to a method for drawing or
stretching paint film stock by grasping members in order to make the film
stock wider. According to the present Specification, “[t]he widest width
known to be available approaches approximately sixty, for example, being
fifty-eight, inches” (Specification 1, penultimate paragraph). The
Specification explains that “[t]his limitation occurs for various reasons,
among which is the greater expense that would be entailed to make paint
film stock of widths greater than available since, among other things, the
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Last modified: November 3, 2007