Appeal No. 96-3092
Application 08/307,498
disclosed is sufficient to permit the claimed device to work
when using lower grade optical fibers such as plastic fibers.
Thus, we find that at least one working embodiment of the
invention has been properly disclosed. That is, the invention
as claimed reads on at least one embodiment of the invention
which is adequately disclosed. Such a disclosure is generally
all that is required to meet the requirements of 35 U.S.C. §
112.
If the examiner’s concern is that the claimed
invention is broader than the disclosed operative embodiments,
it should
be noted that this happens all the time. A single working
embodiment is generally sufficient in the electronic arts to
support broad generic claims. The general rule is that an
adequately disclosed invention may be claimed as broadly as
the prior art allows. In other words, an applicant is not
required to limit the claims to the disclosed embodiments
except to the extent necessary to overcome the applied prior
art. On the record before us, appellants are not required to
narrow the claims in order to achieve compliance with the
first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112. Therefore, we do not
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