Appeal No. 1996-3152
Application No. 08/043,743
return the tubular member to the memorized bent shape and to
reduce the cross-sectional area of the reception space whereas
the shape memory alloy 3 in Hirano is subjected to a first
memorization treatment to obtain the cross-sectional shape
shown in Fig. 3E and then a second memorization treatment to
obtain the bent shape shown in Fig. 4.
The examiner’s response (second supplemental answer, page
2) is that claim 1 is so broad as to read on the double-
heating process disclosed by Hirano. We disagree. Step (b)
of claim 1 calls for:
processing the tubular member in such a manner that the
cross-sectional area of said reception space is larger
than the cross-sectional area in the memorized shape of
said tubular member and that said axis of the tubular
member contains a gentler bend compared with the bend of
the bent axis in the memorized shape;
Step (c) calls for applying an adhesive to portions of a
number of optical fibers. Steps (d) and (e) call for
inserting
8
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007