Appeal 2006-1941
Application 09/877,835
60, the outer cover being harder than the inner cover (col. 3, lines 30-
49). Yamagishi’s golf ball has an inner sphere (12) with a Shore D
hardness 20-55 and a surrounding layer 13 (surrounding the inner sphere)
with a Shore D hardness ≥ 45, the surrounding layer preferably being harder
than the inner sphere and the inner cover (col. 4, lines 20-31).
The appellant argues that Melvin’s center core can be either softer or
harder than the outer core, as long as the specific gravity of the center core
differs from that of the outer core by at least 0.1 (brief, page 9).2 Melvin’s
golf ball can have an inner cover Shore D hardness 65 or greater and an
outer cover layer Shore D hardness 65 or less, the inner cover being harder
than the outer cover, as required by each of the appellant’s independent
claims (1, 14 and 20). Also, the center component of Melvin’s multilayer
core can be softer relative to the core layer (appellant’s claims 1 and 14), and
the core layer can have a Shore D hardness ≥ 60 (appellant’s claim 20).
2 Melvin actually requires a specific gravity difference of more than 0.1
(abstract; col. 9, lines 5-6).
4
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Last modified: September 9, 2013