Appeal 2007-1902
Application 09/398,006
in the art would consider Farnsworth’s illustrated tire to conventionally
contain tread grooves, and “would have expected the outer [cord layer] to
extend outward of the outermost tread grooves . . . [which] are positioned
axially inward of the axial outermost end of the tread” (id. 5).
The Examiner contends while Farnsworth does not expressly require
the outermost cord layer to have an intermediate width with respect to the
innermost cord layer and middle cord layer of the belt, the reference would
have suggested to one of ordinary skill in the art a wide range of belt
assemblies having varying belt cord layer widths, placing no criticality on
the relative widths of the different cord layers as illustrated in Farnsworth
Figs. 1-3c (Answer 5). Thus, the Examiner concludes this person “would
have found it obvious to form the outer [cord layer] narrower than the
innermost [cord layer] and wider than the middle” cord layer (id.).
In this respect, the Examiner further contends Gaudin acknowledges it
was known in the art “to stagger the ends of belt [cord layers] in order to
avoid” stress buildup and discloses that “a wide number of belt arrangements
having varying [cord layer] axial widths provide a suitable belt
construction,” pointing out the belt construction illustrated in Gaudin Figs.
6-11 is “similar to that of Farnsworth in that three steel [cord layers] are
included” (id. 5-6, emphasis omitted, citing Gaudin col. 1, ll. 34-45, col. 2,
ll. 24-32, and Figs. 6-11). The Examiner contends Farnsworth Figs.
1 and 3b-c illustrate belt embodiments in which the outermost cord layer is
the “high angle” cord layer, and that while no illustrative belt embodiment
has “the high angled [cord] layer as being both narrower than the innermost
[cord] layer and wider than the middle [cord] layer,” Farnsworth places no
criticality on the axial relationship between the cord layers in the belt (id.
5
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