Appeal 2006-3219
Application 10/122,270
Claim 14 illustrates Appellant’s invention of an impact resistant
automotive part molded from a plurality of blanks, and is representative of
the claims on appeal:
14. An impact resistant automotive part molded from a plurality of
blanks including at least two layers, each of the layers having a woven mat
made of tows that contain fibers commingled with thermoplastic resin
material, and adapted to be attached to an automotive vehicle at a pair of
attachment locations spaced a predetermined distance apart, the part
comprising,
a central shock-absorbing portion;
a pair of attachment portions having fixation points or holes, and
connected to the central shock-absorbing portion and spaced the
predetermined distance apart; and
two thermoplastic reinforced fiber structures, each of the structures
being formed by a woven mat made of tows that contain woven fibers
wetted by the thermoplastic material, wherein each of the woven mats at
least partially forms the central shock-absorbing portion and the pair of
attachment portions and continuously extends between the attachment
portions to link the attachment portions to allow the part to withstand high
speed impact and wherein the points or holes are sufficiently located within
both of the woven mats so that the part meets high speed impact
requirements.
The Examiner relies on the evidence in these references:
Manning US 4,715,630 Dec. 29, 1987
Yamada US 4,749,613 Jun. 7, 1988
Uytterhaeghe US 5,927,778 Jul. 27, 1999
Appellant relies on the evidence in this reference (Br. 5 and Evidence
Appendix):
Drummond US 4,158,557 Jun. 19, 1979
Appellant requests review of the grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) (Br. 3): claims 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22 through 26, and 29 as
unpatentable over Yamada in view of Manning; and claims 18 and 23 as
2
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