Ex Parte No Data - Page 26

                Appeal 2007-0694                                                                              
                Reexamination Control 90/006,433                                                              
                Patent 5,428,933                                                                              
                projections and recesses are not substantially the same dimensions.  (Appeal                  
                Br. at 26-28, Reply Br. at 4-5).  The Examiner states that Guarriello’s                       
                projections (270, 272) and recesses (274, 276) are substantially the same                     
                dimension.  The Examiner basis this conclusion on Webster’s definition of                     
                the term substantially as “being largely but not wholly that which is                         
                specified.”  (Answer, p. 10).                                                                 
                      We have credited Mr. Philippe’s testimony that one of ordinary skill                    
                in the art would understand that the terminology substantially the same                       
                dimensions refers to variations on the order of those implicit in the                         
                manufacturing process.  Mr. Philippe has testified that for blocks formed                     
                with foamed material the size variation ranges from about 1 to 2%.                            
                (Philippe Dec., ¶ 4).                                                                         
                      Guarriello’s foamed blocks contain projections and recesses that                        
                apparently vary by significantly more than 2%.  Guarriello does state that,                   
                for Figures 8 and 9, each of its channel and rib components will generally                    
                have a dimension corresponding to about a third of the maximum width of                       
                the upper and lower face.  (Guarriello, col. 5, ll. 59-61).  Yet, Guarriello                  
                teaches that at least one transverse slot 286 is defined in its second rib                    
                component 272, the transverse slot being a recess.  (Id. at col. 5, ll. 45-48).               
                Further, Guarriello states that it is desirable that second rib 272 will have a               
                length of L + 2W where L is the length of rib component 270 and W is the                      
                maximum width of first rib component.  (Guarriello, col. 5, ll. 21-25).                       
                Indeed, as depicted in Guarriello Figure 8, projection 270 is approximately                   
                20% larger than projection 272.  (See Guarriello Figures 8 and 9 and Appeal                   
                Br. Figure 5 reproduced above).  Similarly, Guarriello’s recesses 274 and                     
                276 of Figures 8 and 9 are also significantly larger than projections 270 and                 

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