Appeal No. 96-2276
Application 08/128,622
mask from deforming as a result of uneven heating of the
shadow mask itself. We interpret the functional language of
preventing deformations of the shadow mask to mean those
deformations caused by interaction with the support frame, not
including the inherent deformations of the shadow mask due to
uneven heating. The latter is described, on page 1 of the
specification. Temperature increases at the edge of the
shadow mask are smaller than at the center of the mask, which
results in bulging of the mask. (Spec., pg. 1, lines 17-19).
The examiner rejected claim 13 as being anticipated by
Ragland. The examiner suggests that the term “preventing” may
be broadly interpreted to mean “impeding” or “reducing” and
therefore concludes that Ragland’s frame functions to “impede”
or “reduce” deformations of the shadow mask. (Answer, pgs.
10-12). The examiner further reasons that the functional
limitation of preventing deformations of the shadow mask may
be broadly interpreted to mean that any corrective distortion
of the shadow mask would meet the means for preventing
deformations of the shadow mask. (Answer, pg. 12). We
disagree with the examiner.
Ragland discloses embodiments for correcting doming
problems which result from uneven thermal heating of a shadow
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