Appeal 2007-1902
Application 09/398,006
cord belt 7-2 extends to the outermost groove edge of the outermost
circumferential groove in the widthwise direction of the tread portion, both
circumferential cord belts narrower than slant cord belt 6 which is the
innermost belt.
With respect to the evidence in Specification Table 2 relied on by
Appellants, we find Appellants stated on the record only that the tires
exemplified in Examples 17 and 18 “considerably improve the cut resistance
of the belt 34 at the bottom of the circumferential groove 40 as compared
with the conventional tire [of the Conventional Example] having the belt of
four-layer structure” (Specification 59).
We determine the combined teachings of Farnsworth, Gaudin, and
Kohno, the scope of which we determined above, provide convincing
evidence supporting the Examiner’s case that the claimed invention
encompassed by claims 1, 5, and 24, as we interpreted these claims above,
would have been prima facie obviousness to one of ordinary skill in the tire
building arts familiar with the requirements for cord layer belt assemblies for
heavy duty vehicle tires.
We determine that one of ordinary skill in this art would have found
in Farnsworth the teaching that a heavy duty pneumatic tire can have a
triangulated belt assembly consisting of three cord layers in which the
outermost cord layer preferably has a high inclination cord angle with
respect to the equatorial plane of the tire and the innermost cord layer and
the middle cord layer, forming a cross cord layer, have low inclination cord
angles of opposite cord direction relative to the equatorial plane. Indeed,
Farnsworth makes clear the high inclination angle outermost cord layer
protects the lower inclination angle middle and innermost cord layers from
19
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