Ioannis BozikisDownload PDFPatent Trials and Appeals BoardAug 29, 201914029321 - (D) (P.T.A.B. Aug. 29, 2019) Copy Citation UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 14/029,321 09/17/2013 Ioannis Bozikis 657001-512342 8172 27148 7590 08/29/2019 POLSINELLI PC 900 WEST 48TH PLACE SUITE 900 KANSAS CITY, MO 64112-1895 EXAMINER PRONE, JASON D ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 3724 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 08/29/2019 ELECTRONIC Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the following e-mail address(es): patentdocketing@polsinelli.com rendsley@polsinelli.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE ____________________ BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD ____________________ Ex parte IOANNIS BOZIKIS1 ____________________ Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 Technology Center 3700 ____________________ Before CHARLES N. GREENHUT, MICHELLE R. OSINSKI, and JEREMY M. PLENZLER, Administrative Patent Judges. OSINSKI, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL STATEMENT OF THE CASE Appellant appeals under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Examiner’s decision rejecting claims 1–21. An oral hearing was held on August 8, 2019. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We AFFIRM-IN-PART. 1 Societe BIC (“Appellant”) is the Applicant as provided in 37 C.F.R. § 1.46. With respect to the real party in interest, Appellant indicates that “[t]his patent application is assigned to BIC-Violex SA.” Appeal Br. 3. Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 2 THE CLAIMED SUBJECT MATTER Claims 1, 14, 20, and 21 are independent. Claim 1 is reproduced below. 1. A shaving blade assembly comprising: a. a blade unit and a skin contact member, the blade unit comprising: i. a housing; ii. at least one shaving blade having a cutting edge; iii. a first part of the housing in front of the cutting edge; iv. a second part of the housing behind the cutting edge; and v. a shaving plane tangent to the first part and the second part, b. wherein the skin contact member comprises a leading skin contact part extending in front of the at least one shaving blade, a trailing skin contact part extending rearward of the at least one shaving blade, a leading longitudinal face, and a trailing longitudinal face, c. wherein the leading skin contact part comprises a leading planar surface and the trailing skin contact part comprises a trailing planar surface, the leading planar surface and the trailing planar surface defining a contact plane, d. wherein the contact plane and the shaving plane are parallel, e. wherein the contact plane is above the shaving plane, f. wherein the leading longitudinal face is substantially perpendicular to the leading planar surface approximately forming a right angle between the leading planar surface and the leading longitudinal face such that interaction between the leading, longitudinal face and a user’s skin is capable of spreading shaving aid on and stretching the user’s skin, and g. wherein the trailing longitudinal face is substantially perpendicular to the trailing planar surface Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 3 approximately forming a right angle between the leading planar surface and the leading longitudinal face such that interaction between the trailing longitudinal face of the blade assembly and a user’s skin is capable of spreading shaving aid on and stretching the user’s skin. EVIDENCE The Examiner relied on the following evidence in rejecting the claims on appeal: THE REJECTIONS I. Claims 1–13, 20, and 21 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) as being indefinite. Final Act. 2–3. II. Claims 1–4, 6–10, 16–19, and 21 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker and Brown. Id. at 4–7, 10, 12– 14. III. Claim 5 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Johnson. Id. at 7–8. IV. Claim 11 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Brandt. Id. at 8–9. V. Claims 12 and 13 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Prudden. Id. at 9–10. VI. Claims 14, 15, and 20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker. Id. at 10–12. Brandt Brown Tucker Prudden Johnson US 6,868,610 B2 US 6,889,438 B2 US 2008/0256803 A1 US 7,941,931 B2 US 8,033,023 B2 Mar. 22, 2005 May 10, 2005 Oct. 23, 2008 May 17, 2011 Oct. 11, 2011 Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 4 OPINION Rejection I Appellant does not present any substantive arguments contesting the Examiner’s rejection of claims 1–13, 20, and 21 under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) as being indefinite. See Appeal Br. 6 (Appellant “request[ing] that [the 112] rejections be held in abeyance until disposition of the claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 103 at which point, Appellant will amend the claims as interpreted and examined by the Examiner”). Because the Board does not hold rejections in abeyance, Appellant’s failure to provide substantive arguments against the § 112(b) results in a waiver of any argument of error, and we summarily sustain the rejection of claims 1–13, 20, and 21 under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph as being indefinite. See, e.g., In re Berger, 279 F.3d 975, 984–85 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (holding that the Board did not err in sustaining a rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph, when the applicant failed to contest the rejection on appeal); Hyatt v. Dudas, 551 F.3d 1307, 1314 (Fed. Cir. 2008) (explaining that summary affirmance without consideration of the substantive merits is appropriate where an appellant fails to contest a ground of rejection). Rejection II Claims 1–3 and 6–10 The Examiner finds, among other things, that Tucker teaches skin contacting member 40 having: a leading part in front of the blades (52) and a trailing part extending rearward of the blades (53), a leading face (curved portion in-between the reference line of 52 and the plane 94 in Figure 7), a trailing face (curved portion in-between the reference line of 53 and the plane 94 in Fig. 7), the leading part Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 5 has a leading planar surface (96) and the trailing part has a trailing planar surface (97). Final Act. 4. The Examiner acknowledges that Tucker: fail[s] to disclose [that] [i] the leading face is a longitudinal face that is substantially perpendicular to the leading planar surface approximately forming a right angle between the leading longitudinal face and the leading planar surface, [ii] the trailing face is a longitudinal face that is substantially perpendicular to the trailing planar surface approximately forming a right angle between the trailing longitudinal face and the trailing planar surface, [iii] the leading longitudinal face is connected to the leading planar surface via a leading curved face, [and] [iv] the trailing longitudinal face is connected to the trailing planar surface via a trailing curved face. Id. at 5. The Examiner finds that “Brown teaches it is old and well known for skin contact members to incorporate a longitudinal face substantially perpendicular to the planar surfaces and on a side of the curved surface opposite the planar surface to Tucker.” Id. at 6. The Examiner concludes that it would have been obvious: to have provided Tucker . . . with the longitudinal faces . . . as taught by Brown . . . because the substitution of one known element for another would have yielded predictable results and all claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective function and the combination would have yielded predictable results. Id. The Examiner further explains in the Answer that Brown “teaches an alternate shape where the curve[d] face extending from the horizontal part does not define the side face but dead ends into a vertical longitudinal face as claimed.” Ans. 15. According to the Examiner, “[m]odifying Tucker . . . as taught by Brown . . . results in the claimed three part shape.” Id. Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 6 We have considered Appellant’s argument that the Examiner is improperly relying on the uppermost portion of the blade housing in Brown as part of the leading and trailing parts when it is actually part of the shaving surface (Appeal Br. 7), such that Brown fails to teach three parts to the leading and trailing parts (Reply Br. 4). Although we agree with Appellant that Brown fails to teach three parts, instead only having leading and trailing edges with two parts—(1) a curved/inclined portion and (2) a longitudinal portion, we are not persuaded of error in the Examiner’s reasoning to modify Tucker so as to arrive at the claimed invention. That is, modifying the curved portion of Tucker so as to have both a curved portion and a longitudinal portion as taught by Brown would arrive at the claimed invention, and the Examiner has explained adequately that such a modification resulted from the predictable combination of known elements. See Final Act. 6. We have also considered Appellant’s arguments that Brown’s contacting surfaces are “labeled as inclined portions” and “the skin- contacting surfaces 3, 4 are illustrated as inclined in every Brown figure that illustrates such.” Appeal Br. 7 (citing Brown Figs. 13–17). We do not find these arguments persuasive of error in that the Examiner is not relying on Brown for the teaching of a planar surface portion of the leading and trailing edges, instead relying on Tucker already teaching such a feature. Consequently, Brown’s failure to teach such a feature does not explain why the Examiner erred in relying on Tucker for the teaching of a planar surface portion of the leading and trailing edges and/or modifying Tucker to include Brown’s longitudinal portions in its leading and trailing parts. Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 7 For the foregoing reasons, Appellant does not apprise us of error in the Examiner’s conclusion that the combination of Tucker and Brown renders obvious the subject matter of claim 1. We sustain the rejection of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker and Brown. Appellant relies on the same arguments and reasoning we found unpersuasive in connection with independent claim 1 as the basis for seeking the reversal of the rejection of claims 2–4 and 6–10. Appeal Br. 12–13. Accordingly, we also sustain the rejection of claims 2, 3, and 6–10 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker and Brown. Claims 4 and 16–19 Claim 4 recites that “a ratio between the shaving blade assembly skin contact surface area and the blade unit contact surface area is between approximately 2 and 3.1.” Appeal Br. Claims App’x 3. The Examiner determines that Tucker/Brown fails to disclose that the ratio is between approximately 2 and 3.1, but concludes that “[i]t would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have made . . . the ratio . . . as claimed, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component” and “[a] change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art.” Final Act. 6–7 (citing In re Rose, 220 F.2d 459 (CCPA 1955)). Appellant argues the Examiner improperly relied on design choice and failed to consider Appellant’s evidence in support of its argument that the ratio “advantageously provides a particular purpose and solves stated problems.” Appeal Br. 8.2 The Examiner responds that “[i]n the razor 2 Appellant’s arguments are in connection with claim 14, which includes similar features. Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 8 cartridge art, it is old and well known to experiment with all possible dimensions in the hunt for creating the most efficient shaving experience for the largest range of users.” Ans. 16. The Examiner further responds that “[t]he facial features of shavers are indefinite (meaning every user’s face is different) and it is old and well known in the art of shaving to experiment with dimensions of the shaving surfaces, that contact these indefinite facial features, to try and produce the most efficient shaving surface for the largest range of users.” Id. Appellant replies that the ratio “provide[s] specific results for shaving, such as cutting, softness, gliding.” Reply Br. 4 (citing Spec. ¶ 80). As to the Examiner’s first stated basis that making the ratio as claimed involves a mere change in size of a component as set forth in In re Rose (Final Act. 6–7), we find the Examiner’s reliance on In re Rose to be misplaced. In Rose, the appellant argued that the claimed “lumber package” was large and required a lift truck for handling, whereas the prior art packages (a package of relatively small pieces of lumber and a package of window screen frames) could be lifted by hand. Rose, 220 F.2d at 463. The court held that “this limitation [(i.e., size and weight of the package)] is [not] patentably significant since it at most relates to the size of the article under consideration which is not ordinarily a matter of invention.” Id. (citation omitted). The court in Rose did not address a modification in which the size of a particular component of the article is modified without a respective size change in the remaining components. The Examiner’s proposed modification in the present appeal is more than simply a change in size of the article under consideration (i.e., the shaving blade assembly). Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 9 As to the Examiner’s second stated basis that one of ordinary skill in the art would “experiment with all possible dimensions in the hunt for creating the most efficient shaving experience for the largest range of users” (Ans. 16), the Examiner appears to allege that each individual dimension is a result-effective variable that one of ordinary skill in the art would seek to optimize. The Examiner does not adequately explain, nor provide any evidence to support, that each and every individual dimension is a result- effective variable that one of ordinary skill in the art would seek to experiment with in order to achieve a desired shaving efficiency. In addition, the modification proposed by the Examiner to meet the claimed ratio would involve modification of one dimension relative to another dimension. Even assuming arguendo that one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to experiment with each and every individual dimension, the Examiner has not adequately explained why one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to simultaneously modify one dimension relative to another dimension so as to result in a ratio between the shaving blade assembly skin contact surface area and the blade unit skin contact surface area that is between approximately 2 and 3.1. Moreover, the Examiner does not allege, nor provide any evidence to support, that the ratio of shaving blade assembly skin contact surface area to blade unit skin contact surface area specifically is a result-effective variable that one of ordinary skill in the art would seek to experiment with in order to achieve a desired shaving efficiency. See In re Stepan Company, 868 F.3d 1342, 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (holding that the Office “must provide some rational underpinning explaining why a person of ordinary skill in the art would have arrived at the claimed invention through routine optimization”); In re Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 10 Antonie, 559 F.2d 618, 620 (CCPA 1977) (holding that an exception to the routine optimization rule is when “the parameter optimized was not recognized to be a result-effective variable”). Accordingly, the Examiner does not provide sufficient evidence or explanation to support the Examiner’s conclusion of obviousness with respect to the subject matter of dependent claim 4. We do not sustain the rejection of claim 4 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker and Brown. Claims 16–19 depend directly or indirectly from independent claim 14, which contains a recitation substantially similar to the limitation of dependent claim 4 discussed above. Appeal Br. Claims App’x. 4–5. For the reasons discussed above in connection with dependent claim 4 and discussed below in connection with independent claim 14 (Rejection VI), the Examiner does not provide sufficient evidence or explanation to support the Examiner’s conclusion of obviousness with respect to the subject matter of independent claim 14. Accordingly, we do not sustain the rejection of claims 16–19, which depend therefrom, under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker. Claim 21 Independent claim 21 recites a shaving blade assembly in which, in relevant part: the leading skin contact part comprises a leading curved face connecting the leading planar surface to the leading longitudinal face, the leading curved face having a radius of curvature between approximately 1 mm - 3 mm . . . and . . . the trailing skin contact part comprises a trailing curved face connecting the trailing planar surface to the trailing longitudinal face, the Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 11 trailing curved face having a radius of curvature between approximately 1 mm - 3 mm. Appeal Br. Claims App’x 7. The Examiner acknowledges that Tucker and Brown “fail to disclose the radius of curvature to the curved faces is 1 mm and 3 mm.” Final Act. 13. The Examiner concludes that it would have been obvious to “have made the radius of curvature as claimed, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.” Id. at 14 (citing In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454 (CCPA 1955)). The Examiner also determines that “[i]t would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have made the height as claimed, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component.” Id. (citing In re Rose, 220 F.2d 459 (CCPA 1955)). Appellant argues that the Examiner’s conclusion that it would have been obvious to have made the radius of curvature as claimed based on routine experimentation (Final Act. 13) fails to take into account that “the radius advantageously provide[s] a particular purpose and solves stated problems.” Appeal Br. 12. More particularly, Appellant argues that “Tucker is limited to a large radius to promote conformation to the user’s skin, which is not the same as the present inventive concept, which causes stretching of the skin” and “the large radius of Tucker includes an axis outside the boundaries of the shaver head, which is the not the same as the present inventive concept, which provides a central axis close to the shaving plane.” Id. (citing Tucker Fig. 7 and Spec. Fig. 5). The Examiner responds that “[t]he modification of dimensions is old and well known in any art engaging the face of a user” and “[a]ny set of Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 12 dimensions that may be great for one group or even a majority of users may not be great . . . for a sub-set of users and it would have been well within one’s technical skill to have conducted further experiments and made additional modifications based on user feedback.” Ans. 17–18. Appellant replies that “the claimed radius of curvature is a critical range that allows for stretching the user’s skin and spreading of shaving aid” and that “the claimed radius provides a specific result to stretch the user’s skin instead of conforming to the user’s skin.” Reply Br. 6. As to the Examiner’s first basis relating to routine optimization, the Examiner does not explain adequately how the prior art recognized the recited radius of curvature as a result-effective variable. That is, the Examiner bases the routine optimization rationale solely on Tucker’s disclosure of skin contacting member 40 having leading and trailing parts each with a curved face having a radius of curvature. Final Act. 12. This disclosure by itself does not provide a sufficient basis to explain why one having ordinary skill in the art would have been led to optimize the radius of curvature to fall within the claimed range. See Stepan, 868 F.3d at 1346; Antonie, 559 F.2d at 620. As to the Examiner’s second basis relating to a mere change in size as an obvious design choice, the Examiner does not explain adequately why the radius of curvature of the curved faces of the leading and trailing parts of the claimed skin contact member as compared to the different radius of curvature of the curved faces of the leading and trailing parts of the skin contact member of Tucker/Brown would perform the same. See In re Gal, 980 F.2d 717, 719 (Fed. Cir. 1992) (finding of obvious design choice precluded when the claimed structure and the function it performs are Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 13 different from the prior art). Here, Appellant has raised issues regarding whether a change in the radius of curvature would affect the function of the razor blade assembly (e.g., how it interacts with a user’s skin), and the Examiner has not adequately explained how a change in the radius of curvature would retain the same functionality. Accordingly, the Examiner does not provide sufficient evidence or explanation to support the Examiner’s conclusion of obviousness with respect to the subject matter of independent claim 21. Rejections III–V Appellant relies on the same arguments and reasoning we found unpersuasive in connection with independent claim 1 as the basis for seeking reversal of the rejections of claims 5 and 11–13. Appeal Br. 13. Accordingly, for the same reasons discussed above in connection with the rejection of claim 1, we also sustain the rejections, under 35 U.S.C. § 103, of: claim 5 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Johnson; claim 11 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Brandt; and claims 12 and 13 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Prudden. Rejection VI Claims 14 and 15 Independent claim 14 recites, in relevant part, “wherein a ratio between the shaving blade assembly skin contact surface area and the blade unit skin contact surface area is between approximately 2 and 3.1, the shaving blade assembly skin contact surface area being larger than the blade unit skin contact surface area according to the ratio for providing improved gliding and security to a user of the shaving blade assembly.” Appeal Br. Claims App’x 4. The Examiner relies on the same findings and conclusions Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 14 made in connection with dependent claim 4. Final Act. 6–7, 10 (citing In re Rose); Ans. 16. For the same reasons discussed above in connection with dependent claim 4 (Rejection I), the Examiner does not provide sufficient evidence or explanation to support the Examiner’s conclusion of obviousness with respect to the subject matter of independent claim 14. We do not sustain the rejection of independent claim 14, and claim 15 which depends therefrom, under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker. Claim 20 Independent claim 20 recites, in relevant part, that “the blade unit further compris[es] . . . a recess disposed on each lateral side edge of the blade unit” and “the skin contact member further compris[es] protrusions and a leg, the protrusions being disposed on side portions of the frame for engagement with the recesses on the lateral side edges of the blade unit.” Appeal Br. Claims App’x 5–6. The Examiner finds that Tucker teaches blade unit 22 having recesses 33 and skin contacting member 40 having protrusions 49 and leg 43. Final Act. 10–11. The Examiner acknowledges that Tucker “fail[s] to disclose [that] the recesses are on[] each lateral side and the protrusions are on side portions of the frame for engagement with the recesses.” Id. at 11. The Examiner concludes that it would have been obvious “to have located the recesses on any reasonable spot on the blade unit that interacts with a portion of the skin contact member and to have located the protrusions in the portion of the skin contact member that interacts with the spot on the blade unit including the lateral sides . . . since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.” Id. (citing In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019 (CCPA 1954). Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 15 Appellant argues that the claimed features “advantageously provide a particular purpose and solve[] stated problems” as explained in paragraph 65 of the Specification. Appeal Br. 9 (citing Spec. ¶ 65). Appellant takes the position that “the claimed features do not relate to a design that is merely a rearrangement of parts, but provides a critical arrangement to control the distance between the contact plane and the shaving plane.” Id. at 10. We do not find Appellant’s arguments persuasive. In Japikse, the court held that moving a starter switch to a location different from the prior art was an obvious variation because the overall operation of the device would not be modified by such a change. Japikse, 181 F.2d at 1023. Similarly, we see no evidence to support that the modifying the particular location of the recesses and protrusions would modify the overall operation of the shaving blade assembly. Contrary to Appellant’s argument, paragraph 65 of the Specification suggests only that the inclusion of recesses and protrusions accomplishes “an improvement of the mounting and maintaining of the frame 30 on the housing and thus leads to a better control of the distance D between the contact plane P1 and the shaving plane P2,” rather than that any particular location of the recesses and protrusions is required to accomplish such improvement. Spec. ¶ 65. In particular, the Specification suggests that “[t]he protrusions 32 can be located anywhere on the frame 30 such that they are in contact with housing 24.” Id. Thus, we agree with the Examiner that the location of the recesses and protrusions and leg is an obvious design choice within the skill of the art. See In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 533, 555 (CCPA 1975) (use of claimed feature solves no stated problem and presents no unexpected result and “would be an obvious matter of design choice within the skill of the art”) (citations omitted). Appeal 2017-008767 Application 14/029,321 16 For the foregoing reasons, we do not find that the Examiner erred in concluding that Tucker renders obvious the subject matter of independent claim 20. We sustain the rejection of claim 20 as unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Tucker. DECISION The Examiner’s decision to reject claims 1–13, 20, and 21 under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) as being indefinite is summarily affirmed. The Examiner’s decision to reject claims 1–3 and 6–10 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker and Brown is affirmed. The Examiner’s decision to reject claims 4, 16–19, and 21 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker and Brown is reversed. The Examiner’s decision to reject claim 5 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Johnson is affirmed. The Examiner’s decision to reject claim 11 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Brandt is affirmed. The Examiner’s decision to reject claims 12 and 13 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker, Brown, and Prudden is affirmed. The Examiner’s decision to reject claims 14 and 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker is reversed. The Examiner’s decision to reject claim 20 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Tucker is affirmed. No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a). See 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a)(1)(iv). AFFIRMED-IN-PART Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation