Appeal No. 96-3854
Application No. 08/027,872
sheet of plural coupons separable by tear lines or score
lines" (answer, page 4).
First, contrary to what is implied by the examiner, we do
not believe appellants’ use of the word "coupon" in the phrase
"reverse osmosis membrane coupon" appearing in the claims
requires a membrane sheet of plural "coupons" separable by
tear lines or score lines. Webster’s dictionary defines6
"coupon" as --3: a test sample, and this is the use of the
word intended here, in our view. Accordingly, and in contrast
to what the examiner believes, we believe it is of no moment
that Madden’s filter membrane sheet lacks tear lines or score
lines. Second, since appellants’ specification teaches that
the membrane which is supported parallel to the direction of
fluid flow through the interior compartment is made of the
same material as the membrane used in the reverse osmosis
system (page 10), and since appellants’ specification also
teaches that reverse osmosis is
6Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language,
Unabridged, G. & C. Merriam Co., Springfield, MA, 1971.
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