Appeal 2007-2618
Application 10/713,178
assembly of Onodera, and around the nozzle of Messer Griesheim’s laser.
Answer 3-4. With respect to the second ground of rejection, the Examiner
determines that it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary
skill in this art in view of the combined teachings of Onodera, Ungar, and
Messer Griesheim, to use replaceable laser reflection shields on Onodera’s
hand-held laser assembly since replaceable shields are well known and
economical. Id. 4. With respect to the third ground of rejection, the
Examiner determines that it would have been prima facie obvious to one of
ordinary skill in this art in view of the combined teachings of Onodera,
Ungar, and Messer Griesheim to use sensors in the laser reflection shield of
a hand-held laser assembly since Onodera discloses sensors in laser
reflection shield that provide feedback. Id. 4-5 and 6.
We determine the combined teachings of Onodera, Ungar, and Messer
Griesheim, the scope of which we determined above, provide convincing
evidence supporting the Examiner’s case that the claimed invention
encompassed by claims 1, 12, 15, 24, and 26, as we interpreted these claims
above, would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the
laser welding arts familiar with laser reflection shields for protection from
reflected laser light as well as the application thereof to hand-held laser
welding assemblies. The difference between hand-held laser welding
assemblies with a coupled laser reflection shield encompassed by claim 1
and Onodera is that the laser reflection shield surrounding the body or
nozzle area of Onodera extends beyond the nozzle. We determine that one
of ordinary skill in this art armed with the knowledge that laser reflection
shields coupled to the body or the nozzle of a laser, which can be used for
welding, can be circular, mounted to the body or nozzle and adjusted in
7
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