2266170 Ontario Inc.Download PDFPatent Trials and Appeals BoardApr 7, 202014098915 - (D) (P.T.A.B. Apr. 7, 2020) 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. 14/098,915 12/06/2013 Liberatore A. Trombetta 31-631 5607 20736 7590 04/07/2020 Manelli Selter PLLC 10560 Main Street Suite PH6 Fairfax, VA 22030 EXAMINER LACHICA, ERICSON M ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 1792 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 04/07/2020 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): stemberger@mdslaw.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE ____________ BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD ____________ Ex parte LIBERATORE A. TROMBETTA and YUCHENG FU Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 Technology Center 1700 ____________ Before ROMULO H. DELMENDO, KAREN M. HASTINGS, and JAMES C. HOUSEL, Administrative Patent Judges. DELMENDO, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL The Appellant1 appeals under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Primary Examiner’s final decision to reject claims 1–3, 5, 7–12, 15, 17–19, and 25– 44.2,3 We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We affirm. 1 We use the word “Appellant” to refer to “applicant” as defined in 37 C.F.R. § 1.42—namely, “2266170 Ontario Inc.” (Application Data Sheet filed December 6, 2013), which is also identified as the real party in interest (Appeal Brief filed October 9, 2018 (“Appeal Br.”) at 1). 2 See Appeal Br. 5–18; Reply Brief filed January 16, 2019 (“Reply Br.”) at 2–6; Final Office Action entered July 9, 2018 (“Final Act.”) at 2–39; Examiner’s Answer entered November 16, 2018 (“Ans.”) at 3–48. 3 We heard oral arguments from the Appellant’s representative on March 26, 2020. Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 2 I. BACKGROUND The subject matter on appeal relates to a container, such as a single- serve drip coffee capsule, having a portion that is removable from the remainder of the container to allow recycling (Specification filed December 6, 2013 (“Spec.”) ¶¶ 1–14). Figure 3 (annotated) is reproduced from the Drawings filed December 6, 2013, as follows: Figure 3 above illustrates an embodiment of the claimed subject matter, showing a container 10 in relation to a machine for dispensing product 36 (Spec. ¶ 18). The container 10 is shown to include, inter alia, a body 12 defining an interior space 24 having an opening 26, a filter 14 disposed in the interior space 24, ingredients such as coffee 16 disposed in an Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 3 ingredients chamber 46, and a cover 18, wherein the filter 14 is bonded to a location on the body 12 with a first (peelable) bond 64 (shown in Fig. 4) and the cover 18 is bonded to the filter 14 with a second bond 68 (shown in Fig. 4) that is different from the first bond 64—i.e., stronger—such that the cover 18 can be removed from the body 12 together with the filter 14 and ingredients chamber 46 containing ingredients 16 upon application of sufficient force by hand to the cover 18 (tab 30) following the container 10’s use (id. ¶¶ 37–58). Representative claim 1 is reproduced from the Claims Appendix to the Appeal Brief, as follows: 1. A container [10], for use in a machine [36] that injects fluid into containers for preparing consumable products, the container [10] comprising: a body [12] defining an interior space [24] having an opening [26]; a filter [14] disposed in said interior space [24] to define an ingredients chamber [46], said filter [14] being bonded to a location on said body [12] with a first bond [64], said first bond [64] being a peelable bond; ingredients [16] disposed in said ingredients chamber [46]; a cover [18] disposed over said opening [26] for covering said interior space [24], said cover [18] being bonded to said filter [14] with a second bond [68] that is different from the first bond [64]; wherein said first bond [64] and said second bond [68] are constructed and arranged so that said cover [18] can be removed from said body [12] together with said filter [14] and said ingredients chamber [46] containing said ingredients [16] upon the application of sufficient force by hand to said cover [18] following use of the container [10]. (Appeal Br. 19 (emphases and bracketed reference numerals added)). Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 4 II. REJECTIONS ON APPEAL The claims on appeal stand rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103(a), as follows: A. Claims 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, and 28–30 as unpatentable over Winkler et al.4 (“Winkler”) and Sylvan et al.5 (“Sylvan”); B. Claims 2 and 7 as unpatentable over Winkler, Sylvan, and Biesheuvel et al.6 (“Biesheuvel”); C. Claims 3 and 5 as unpatentable over Winkler, Sylvan, and Suzuki et al.7 (“Suzuki”); D. Claims 8, 9, 12, 18, 34–36, 43, and 44 as unpatentable over Winkler, Sylvan, and Fuller et al.8 (“Fuller”); E. Claims 15, 17, 19, 25–27, 40, and 41 as unpatentable over Winkler, Sylvan, Fuller, and Suzuki; F. Claims 31–33 as unpatentable over Winkler, Sylvan, and Peiffer et al.9 (“Peiffer”); G. Claims 37–39 as unpatentable over Winkler, Sylvan, Fuller, and Peiffer; and H. Claim 42 as unpatentable over Winkler, Sylvan, and Fu et al.10 (“Fu”). 4 US 2012/0058226 A1, published March 8, 2012. 5 US 5,840,189, issued November 24, 1998. 6 US 2011/0033580 A1, published February 10, 2011. 7 US 5,178,293, issued January 12, 1993. 8 US 6,516,949 B2, issued February 11, 2003. 9 US 2005/0118412 A1, published June 2, 2005. 10 US 2011/0073607 A1, published March 31, 2011. Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 5 (Ans. 3–48; Final Act. 2–39). III. DISCUSSION Rejection A (Claims 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, and 28–30). Unless separately argued within the meaning of 37 C.F.R. § 41.37(c)(1)(iv), the claims subject to Rejection A stand or fall with claim 1, which we select as representative pursuant to the rule. 1. The Examiner’s Position The Examiner finds that Winkler describes a container including most of the limitations recited in claim 1 but acknowledges that Winkler’s filter 30 is spaced inwardly from a cover (lid) 38—i.e., the filter is not bonded in a peelable fashion to a body of the container, as required by claim 1 (Ans. 4; Final Act. 2–3). The Examiner finds, however, that Winkler further teaches that “‘the filter 30 is sandwiched between the lid 38 and [a] rim 19’” (Ans. 4; Final Act. 3) (bolding added; internal citation omitted). Based on these findings, the Examiner concludes: It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art . . . to modify the sandwiching of the filter between the lid and rim such that there is a first bond between the filter and a flange of the body of the capsule and as well as a second bond between the cover and the filter so that the capsule can function as intended. Otherwise, a capsule not having a bonding material between the filter and the lid or the filter and the rim would be rendered inoperable, i.e. all of the different components of the capsule would fall apart before being placed into the beverage preparation machine. (Id.). Additionally, the Examiner finds that “Sylvan . . . teaches that it was well known in the capsule art to have a first bond between the filter (filter element 14) and a location on the capsule body (at lip 20 of base 12)” and Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 6 that, based on Sylvan’s Figure 5 embodiment (right hand side), “one of ordinary skill in the art can envisage the right hand portion embodiment of FIG. 5 extending all the way around the circumference of the capsule” (Ans. 4–5; Final Act. 3) (bolding added). The Examiner concludes: It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art . . . to specifically teach bonding of the filter to the capsule body with a first bond at the flange as taught by Sylvan . . . in order to allow the capsule to function as intended. Similarly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art . . . to bond the filter to the cover at the same time with a second bond so that the cover does not separate from the rest of the capsule before use. (Ans. 5; Final Act. 3–4). 2. The Appellant’s Contentions Relying on a Declaration of Dr. Loong-Tak Lim filed May 2, 2017 (“Lim Declaration” or “Lim Decl.”), the Appellant contends that Winkler does not disclose or suggest a peelable bond between the filter and the body, as required by claim 1 (Appeal Br. 6–8 (citing Lim Decl. ¶¶ 12–15)). According to the Appellant, “Winkler . . . discloses that the lid is bonded to the rim of the body and the filter is connected to the lid” and that “the filter may be sandwiched between the lid and the rim without any requirement to bond the filter to the rim” (Appeal Br. 8 (referring to Winkler ¶ 49 and Fig. 1)). The Appellant argues that “to provide a hermetic seal [in Winkler], [the] lid is bonded to [the] rim radially outwardly from where [the] filter is sandwiched between [the] lid and [the] rim” and that the Examiner’s finding to the contrary is unsupported conjecture (Appeal Br. 9). In the Appellant’s view, “the Examiner’s reasoning is faulty regarding that, if the filter is not bonded to the rim, the capsule would not operate and the different Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 7 components would fall apart before being placed in the beverage capsule machine” (id. at 10). Regarding Sylvan, the Appellant states that although Sylvan may disclose heat sealing a rim of the filter to a base’s lip, “there is no disclosure or suggestion in Winkler . . . or Sylvan . . . of a cover being bonded to said filter with a second bond that is different from said first bond” (id.). The Appellant argues that “[t]here is no disclosure or suggestion in Sylvan . . . of the cover 16 being bonded to the filter 14, with the filter being bonded to the body or flange as claimed” and “[s]ince the cover is sealed to the flange of the body in Sylvan . . . contrary to the Examiner’s contention, there is no chance that the cover will ‘separate from the rest of the capsule before use’” (id. at 10–11 (bolding added)). The Appellant also argues that “[c]ommercial success demonstrates nonobviousness of the independent claims since the product embodying the claimed invention is commercially successful, and there is a ‘nexus’ between the claimed, patentable features of the invention and the commercial success of the product” (id. at 16). According to the Appellant, a product identified as “EcoCup® format of its RealCup® capsules” introduced into the market in 2014 by Mother Parkers enjoyed such success and received industry awards (id. at 16–18). 3. Opinion The Appellant’s arguments fail to identify reversible error in the Examiner’s rejection. In re Jung, 637 F.3d 1356, 1365 (Fed. Cir. 2011). Like the Inventors, Winkler describes a single-serve beverage (e.g., coffee) cartridge that may be recycled and/or composted (Winkler ¶¶ 1–6). Specifically, Winkler discloses: Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 8 For example, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a cartridge including a container and a foil lid covering an opening of the container may have the filter joined to the lid so that removal of the lid from the container also removes the filter and spent coffee grounds or other beverage media together with the lid. Thus, after using the cartridge to form a beverage, a user may tear the lid from the container to remove not only the lid, but also the filter and coffee grounds. Since the coffee grounds may be contained in the filter, the grounds may be better contained, reducing any potential mess that may be made during the separation process. With the lid separated, the container may be recycled or composted, e.g., the container may be made of a recyclable and/or compostable polymer that must be separated from the foil lid and other components for proper recycling. Similarly, the separated coffee grounds or other beverage media may be composted or recycled in another way. (Id. ¶ 6 (emphasis added)). Specifically, Winkler’s Figure 1 (annotated) is reproduced, as follows: Winkler’s Figure 1 above depicts a cartridge 10 including, inter alia, a beverage medium 20 in a container 12 with a rim 19 and an interior space 14 having a first chamber 14a and a second chamber 14b, a filter 30 separating the two chambers, and a lid 38 (Winkler ¶¶ 34–40). Although Winkler Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 9 states that “the filter may be attached only to the lid” (id. ¶ 10), as shown in Figure 1 above, Winkler also teaches that “[i]n some embodiments, the portion of the filter attached to the lid 38 may extend radially outwardly from the periphery to, and over, the rim 19 such that part of the filter 30 is sandwiched between the lid 38 and the rim 19” (id. ¶ 41). As Winkler contemplates that “filter 30 may be removed from the rim 19 and the container 12 (e.g., by peeling)” (id. ¶ 49; see also id. ¶ 10 (“The lid may be peelably removable by hand from the rim, so that the filter and the beverage medium (if in the filter) are removable from the container together with the lid upon removal of the lid from the rim.”)), a person having ordinary skill in the art would have drawn a reasonable inference that filter 30 may be bonded to rim 19 in a peelable fashion when filter 30 is “sandwiched” between the lid 38 and the rim 19, while, at the same time, is bonded securely (i.e., with a stronger bond) to the lid 38 such that the lid 38 and the filter 30 with coffee grounds may be removed by peeling to facilitate recycling and/or composting, as disclosed in Winkler (id. ¶ 6). In re Preda, 401 F.2d 825, 826 (CCPA 1968) (“[I]n considering the disclosure of a reference, it is proper to take into account not only specific teachings of the reference but also the inferences which one skilled in the art would reasonably be expected to draw therefrom.”). Declarant Dr. Lim, some of whose “works related to coffee science and technology have been funded by Mother Parker’s Tea & Coffee, Inc., an affiliate of the assignee for the present application” (Lim Decl. ¶ 4), opines: I interpret the word “sandwiched” in [Winkler’s] paragraph [0041] to simply mean that a portion of the filter is located between the lid and the rim. This interpretation is consistent with the definition at dictionary.com where the verb “sandwich” is defined as: “to insert between two other things”. The Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 10 definition refers only to a relative location of things, there is no requirement for bonding any of these things together. There is nothing in paragraph [0041] to suggest to me that there is a physical bond with a bonding material between the filter and the rim. In fact, there is no reference in paragraph [0041] to any bonding structure, such as a sealing layer or a separate bonding material, for forming a physical bond between the filter and the rim. Furthermore, a filter with “fluted or pleated sidewalls” as described in paragraph [0041] would be unlikely to form a desired hermetic seal with the rim. Thus, it would be necessary to seal the lid directly to the rim at a location radially outwardly from the filter in order to achieve the desired hermetic seal to preserve the freshness of the beverage medium, such as coffee grounds. (Lim Decl. ¶ 12 (emphases added)). Thus, Dr. Lim’s testimony appears to be based on the notions that (i) Winkler does not explicitly mention any adhesive bonding between the filter 30 and the rim 19, (ii) Winkler contemplates only a fluted or pleated filter when filter 30 is “sandwiched” between the lid 38 and the rim 19, and (iii) when a fluted or pleated filter is used, any seal must be provided directly between the lid 38 and the rim 19 around the periphery of the filter 30. As we discussed above, however, a prior art’s disclosure is not limited to explicit teachings—it also includes reasonable inferences that may be drawn by a person having ordinary skill in the art and creativity. KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 418 (2007) (“[An obviousness] analysis need not seek out precise teachings directed to the specific subject matter of the challenged claim, for a court can take account of the inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary skill in the art would employ.”). Neither the Appellant nor Dr. Lim directs us to any disclosure in Winkler that would have limited a person having ordinary skill in the art to use only a fluted or pleated filter when a “sandwiched” configuration is Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 11 implemented (Winkler Fig. 5 (showing a non-pleated filter); ¶ 41). Indeed, Winkler teaches that “the filter 30 may have a substantially frustoconical shape with fluted or pleated sidewalls and a generally flat bottom 31” but stops short of saying that a fluted or pleated filter is required (id. ¶ 41) (emphasis added). Even if a fluted or pleated filter would be required, Dr. Lim does not persuasively explain why it is believed that a fluted or pleated filter would be “unlikely” to form a desired hermetic seal with the rim (Lim Decl. ¶ 12). For example, Dr. Lim fails to explain persuasively why Winkler’s fluted or pleated filter 30 could not have an end cap with a lip (defining its opening) that is rigid, which would reasonably be expected to facilitate a bond with the rim 19 in a peelable fashion. Moreover, Sylvan, which states that the rim of a filter element may be heated to a lip of a base, directly refutes Dr. Lim’s conclusory statement (Sylvan col. 3, ll. 29–35; Fig. 5).11 This teaching refutes the Appellant’s position (Appeal Br. 9), based on its expert testimony, that the person having ordinary skill in the art would have been led only to a configuration in which Winkler’s filter element is not bonded to the rim. Velander v. Garner, 348 F.3d 1359, 1371 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (“In giving more weight to prior publications than to subsequent conclusory statements by experts, the Board acted well within [its] discretion.”); Yorkey v. Diab, 601 F.3d 1279, 1284 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (The Board has discretion to give more weight to one item of evidence over another “unless no reasonable trier of fact could have done so”); In re Am. 11 The Appellant’s piecemeal attack of Sylvan as lacking certain features already disclosed or suggested in Winkler (Appeal Br. 10–11) is ineffective. In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 426 (CCPA 1981) (“[O]ne cannot show non- obviousness by attacking references individually where, as here, the rejections are based on combinations of references.”). Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 12 Acad. of Sci. Tech Ctr., 367 F.3d 1359, 1368 (Fed. Cir. 2004) (“[T]he Board is entitled to weigh the declarations and conclude that the lack of factual corroboration warrants discounting the opinions expressed in the declarations.”). Regarding the Appellant’s allegation of nonobviousness based on commercial success and industry praise, we are in complete agreement with the Examiner’s assessment, which we adopt as our own (Ans. 47–48). “‘For objective evidence of secondary considerations to be accorded substantial weight, its proponent must establish a nexus between the evidence and the merits of the claimed invention.’” In re Kao, 639 F.3d 1057, 1068 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (internal citation omitted). See also id. (“Where the offered secondary consideration actually results from something other than what is both claimed and novel in the claim, there is no nexus to the merits of the claimed invention.”). For these reasons and those well-stated by the Examiner, we uphold Rejection A. Rejections B (Claims 2 and 7) and C (Claims 3 and 5). For the claims subject to Rejections B and C, the Appellant relies on the arguments offered for claim 1 (Appeal Br. 12). Therefore, we uphold Rejections B and C for the same reasons given for Rejection A. Rejection D (Claims 8, 9, 12, 18, 34–36, 43, and 44). For claims 8, 9, and 43, the Appellant relies on the arguments offered for claim 1 (Appeal Br. 13). Therefore, we uphold the rejection as to claims 8, 9, and 43 for the reasons given for claim 1 above. Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 13 For claim 12 (and claims dependent thereon), the Appellant argues that Winkler, Sylvan, and Fuller “do not disclose [a] peelable bond between the filter and the flange, as discussed above and as supported by the Declaration of Dr. Lim with regard to Winkler” and that “claim 12 has the same feature of ‘said cover being bonded to said filter with a second bond that is different from said first bond’ as claim 1” (id.). Our reasoning as discussed above for Rejection A applies equally to claim 12. Therefore, we uphold the rejection of claim 12 and claims dependent thereon on that basis. Rejection E (Claims 15, 17, 19, 25–27, 40, and 41). For claims 15 and 17, the Appellant relies on the patentability of claim 12 (Appeal Br. 13). Therefore, the reasons discussed for Rejection A applies equally for claims 15 and 17. Claim 19 recites: 19. A container comprising: a body defining an interior space having an opening, said body having a flange surrounding said opening, wherein said body is formed of a multilayered material that includes a barrier layer and a sealing layer, said sealing layer facing said interior space; a separation point defined in said flange, said separation point defining a tab that is constructed and arranged to be separated from a remainder of said flange upon the application of sufficient force by hand; a cover disposed over said opening for sealing said interior space, said cover being bonded to said flange with a peelable bond; a notch defined in said sealing layer of said body within said interior space, said notch providing a predicted point of weakness in said sealing layer for separation of said tab and said cover from said remainder of said flange; wherein said peelable bond is constructed and arranged so that said tab and said cover can be removed simultaneously Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 14 from said body by the application of sufficient force by hand to separate said tab and peel said cover from the remainder of said flange following use of the container. (Appeal Br. 22 (emphases added)). The Appellant argues: Fuller et al. merely discloses a score line 14 that once broken enables the tab 20 of the blister pack cover to be pulled to open the cover. There is no disclosure or suggestion in either Winkler et al. or Fuller et al. of a bond that enables the tab of a flange to be removed simultaneously with a cover as claimed. Winkler et al. does not disclose a tab. Neither Fuller et al., nor Suzuki et al. discloses a tab of the flange that can be removed simultaneously with the cover. It is noted that claim 19 requires that the notch is defined in the sealing layer of the body “within the interior space”. In Suzuki et al., the notch in a sealing layer adjacent to the interior space is not a notch defined in the sealing layer of the body within the interior space as claimed. (id. at 13 (bolding added)). According to the Appellant, “[t]here is no notch in the sealing portion 6 of Suzuki et al. that is within the interior space as claimed” (id. at 14). We find no persuasive merit in the Appellant’s arguments. As the Examiner finds (Ans. 25), Winkler’s Figure 8 shows a tab that may be used to peel the lid 38 and the filter 30 from the rim 19 (Winkler ¶ 52). As for the notch, the Appellant’s argument that Suzuki does not teach a notch defined in the sealing layer of the body within the interior space is not persuasive because the Examiner is relying on modifying Winkler in view of Suzuki’s Figures 14–16 for the concept of using a notch to permit easier peeling (Ans. 46 (citing Suzuki col. 3, ll. 5–14; col. 11, ll. 42–49; col. 15, ll. 2–5)). Regarding claim 26, which recites “a separation point defined in said body around its circumference at a desired location for separating one portion of said body from a remainder of said body” (Appeal Br. 23), the Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 15 Appellant argues that the Examiner fails to account for this limitation (id. at 14). That is incorrect. The Examiner provides findings and analysis that addresses claim 26 (Ans. 28–29). The Appellant does not identify what reversible error was made in the rejection. Jung, 637 F.3d at 1365–66. Regarding claim 40, the Appellant argues that “the Examiner’s broadest reasonable interpretation of claim 40 cannot include the flange being part of the sidewall” (Appeal Br. 15). But the Examiner’s claim construction does not rely exclusively on such an interpretation (Ans. 32– 33). Moreover, the concept of using a notch to provide a weakened point can be applied to any location. For these reasons, we uphold Rejection E. Rejection F (Claims 31–33). The Appellant relies on the same argument offered against the rejection of claim 1, adding only that “one of ordinary skill in the art would not look to Peiffer et al. to modify a bond that does not exist” (Appeal Br. 16). As discussed above, we do not find any of the arguments in support of claim 1 persuasive. Therefore, we also uphold Rejection F. Rejection G (Claims 37–39). The Appellant relies on the same argument offered against the rejection of claim 12 (Appeal Br. 16). As discussed above, we do not find any of the arguments in support of claim 12 persuasive. Therefore, we also uphold Rejection G. Rejection H (Claim 42). The Appellant does not contest this rejection (Appeal Br. 16). Therefore, we summarily sustain this rejection. Hyatt v. Dudas, 551 F.3d 1307, 1314 (Fed. Cir. 2008) (“In the event of . . . a Appeal 2019-002096 Application 14/098,915 16 waiver, the [Board] may affirm the rejection of the group of claims that the examiner rejected on that ground without considering the merits.”). IV. CONCLUSION In summary: Claims Rejected 35 U.S.C. § Reference(s)/Basis Affirmed Reversed 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, 28–30 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, 28–30 2, 7 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan, Biesheuvel 2, 7 3, 5 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan, Suzuki 3, 5 8, 9, 12, 18, 34–36, 43, 44 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan, Fuller 8, 9, 12, 18, 34–36, 43, 44 15, 17, 19, 25–27, 40, 41 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan, Fuller, Suzuki 15, 17, 19, 25–27, 40, 41 31–33 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan, Peiffer 31–33 37–39 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan, Fuller, Peiffer 37–39 42 103(a) Winkler, Sylvan, Fu 42 Overall Outcome 1–3, 5, 7– 12, 15, 17– 19, and 25– 44 No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a). AFFIRMED Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation