Appeal No. 1998-3016
Application No. 08/568,344
member via a flange consisting of metal sheet coated with
rubber and forming a seal between the base and housing.
Turning first to Thurman, we observe that Thurman teaches
a member (14) sealingly connected to a housing (10) via a bent
sheet metal flange (17, 18), the flange being provided on both
sides with a rubber sealing gasket or packing (19), an annular
filter bag (16) being connected to the member (14) via the
flange. It is the examiner's position that the flange is
coated with rubber (the final rejection, Paper No. 10, page
7), whereas in this regard we are in agreement with the
appellants' position that Thurman's gasket (19) is a separate
member, not a coating.
As stated by appellants, the issue is "[w]hether a claim
limitation calling for a flange consisting of a metal sheet
coated with rubber is anticipated... by a flange assembled
with a separate rubber gasket" (brief, page 3). We note that
Thurman describes the flange as "provided on each side with a
gasket or packing (19) of some suitable material such as
rubber and which when in position lies between the top of the
casing (10) and the cover (14) and serves to form an air-tight
closure for the cover" (page 1, lines 97-102). In our opinion
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