PATENT CLAIMS AS PRIOR ART– No Broadening Beyond Specification Disclosure

Examiners often use U.S. patents in making rejections, and they sometimes cite to the patent's claims as evidence. In  Ex parte Argembeaux the PTAB made it clear that claim scope, in and of itself, could not be used to broaden the overall teachings of a reference.

The claims in Argembeaux were directed to a skin cleansing preparation comprising less than 5% water. The Examiner cited only claim 13 of Franklin, a US patent, as the basis of the rejection – as both anticipating the pending claims and rendering them obvious. Because claim 13 of Franklin did not recite water (but listed all other components of Applicant's claims) the Examiner found the listed components in Franklin's claim to be anticipatory, and perhaps hedging his anticipation bet, also rejected the claims as obvious.