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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> Kevin Hickey (Patent) [2012] UKIntelP o23112 (7 June 2012) URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2012/o23112.html Cite as: [2012] UKIntelP o23112 |
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Summary
The invention concerned a device for showing correct ladder angle, comprising a weighted indicator connected via a hoop to a semi-circular rail, positioned near the top of a symbol ‘A’. The indicator moved along the rail as the ladder incline changed. Correct ladder angle was shown by alignment with a marking within a limb of the ‘A’, and the width of the limbs of the ‘A’ indicated the limits of acceptable ladder angle.
The Hearing Officer considered that the skilled person would have an engineering background and his common general knowledge would include knowledge of a variety of fixed and moveable couplings. The Hearing Officer then considered the prior art ladder inclination indicators, which showed weighted indicators freely mounted on a pivot, interacting with symbols or scales of some sort to indicate either the correct or a range of acceptable ladder angles. He found that the skilled person would not be exercising any inventive ingenuity in replacing the pivot mechanism with a hoop or rail for allowing the weighted indicator freely to indicate angle. Nor would that person be exercising any inventiveness in noting the teaching of the prior art and using some form of symbol to mark the position of the weighted indicator when at the optimum angle and at the limits of acceptable or safe angles. The application was refused.