Appeal No. 1997-1230
Application 08/274,807
hub with a twist-lock for securing the disk to the hub. The 4
examiner concedes that Sakaguchi does not disclose (1) that
the hub 40 is made of injection molded liquid crystal plastic
material, and (2) that the hub 40 is molded with molding
accuracies in the range of five to ten micrometers, as called
in for each of the independent claims on appeal. It is the
examiner’s foundation position however that these differences
would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Specifically, as to (1), the examiner considers (answer, page
6) that it would have been obvious to make the disk cartridge
hub of Sakaguchi of injection molded liquid crystal plastic
material in view of Suzuki in order to improve the compression
strength of the hub. Concerning (2), the examiner further
4Although not specifically disputed by appellants, it is
clear that the examiner’s findings are, at best,
misrepresentative of the teachings of Sakaguchi. In this
regard, when the cartridge D of Sakaguchi is received in the
drive unit, the disk D is clamped between the clamp unit 26 as
a whole and the table member 135, rather than between the
clamper 40 and the magnetic plate 41 of clamp unit, as implied
by the examiner. Accordingly, it is clear that in Sakaguchi
the twist-lock connection between the clamper 40 and the
magnetic plate 41 is not “for securing the magnetic disk to
the hub” as set forth in each of the independent claims on
appeal.
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