Appeal No. 95-1401
Application 07/885,364
"stationary annular member having a guide groove formed thereon"
in claim 12. The drive means 7 in Ohnuki, "which corresponds to
a cam cylinder or an operating ring" (col. 2, lines 54-55),
corresponds to the "annular cam member" in claim 12. The drive
means 7 in Ohnuki has a cam groove (col. 2, lines 54-62) which
corresponds to the "first cam groove" in claim 12. The moving
frame 3 in Ohnuki corresponds to the "movable annular member" in
claim 12 and is "attached to said annular cam member" through the
sliding member 4 and driven pin 6 in figures 1-3 or through the
sliding pin 5 in figures 4-6. In figures 4-6 of Ohnuki, the
axial pin 5a corresponds to the "first cam pin" in claim 12 and
the collar 5a of resin material in Ohnuki corresponds to the
"guide piece" unified with the first cam pin in claim 12.
Claim 12 does not recite that the guide piece is elongated in the
direction of the guide groove, nor does it recite that the guide
piece functions to prevent skewing. Since claim 16 recites that
guide piece is formed in a non-circular shape, claim 12 permits
the guide piece to be in a circular shape like collar 5a.
Alternatively, in the embodiment of figures 1-3 of Ohnuki, it
would have been obvious to extend the driven pin 6 through the
sliding member 4 to attach to the moving frame 3 in view of the
showing of pin 5 in figure 4 extending through the guide groove
and the cam groove at the same time. Under this alternative
- 11 -
Page: Previous 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007