Appeal No. 95-4871
Application No. 08/172,666
bonding wire leads to electrodes of a ceramic
actuator/sensor; and
encapsulating the ceramic actuator/sensor in a non-
conductive fiber composite material having a coefficient of
thermal expansion (CTE) between the CTE of the ceramic
material and the CTE of a selected graphite-epoxy laminate
structure;
whereby the encapsulating material provides good
mechanical coupling, reduces thermally induced stresses,
electrically insulates the actuator sensor, and protects it
from mechanical damage.
The references relied on by the examiner are:
Wingrove 3,594,514 July 20,
1971
Evans 3,711,617 Jan. 16,
1973
Whatmore et al. (Whatmore) 4,876,776 Oct. 31,
1989
Claims 8, 12, 13 and 23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. §
103 as being unpatentable over Whatmore in view of Wingrove.
Claims 8 through 11 and 23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103 as being unpatentable over Evans in view of Wingrove.
Reference is made to the brief and the answer for the
respective positions of the appellants and the examiner.
OPINION
We have carefully considered the entire record before us,
and we will reverse the obviousness rejections.
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