Appeal No. 1999-0932
Application No. 08/723,889
passages between the sliding surfaces, are defined in the junction between the cooling fins (ribs
6a) and extend axially of the hat.6
Claims 9 and 17 read on the disclosure of Suzuki in substantially the same manner as
claim 1 discussed supra. The portion of Suzuki's rotor labeled A and highlighted in yellow
responds to the "raised central portion" recited in claim 9. Claim 9 further requires that each
communication passage have "portions which extend radially and axially of said disk element."
Each of the communication passages (defined by slots 10 and holes 8, 11) of Suzuki comprises
portions which extend radially (hole 8) and axially (slot 10 and hole 11). Further, as noted
above, all of the slots 10 and holes 8, 11 are defined in the junction portion of the rotor.
With regard to claim 14, the appellants argue that Suzuki's hub and plates can never be
considered as having a junction formed by base portions of cooling fins integrally joined to the
raised central portion with the communication passages defined between adjacent ones of the
base portions (brief, page 7; reply brief, page 3). We do not agree. From our perspective, the
base portions of the fins (ribs 6a) which are highlighted in alternating green and orange in the
attached Figures 1 and 2 are integrally joined to the raised central portion (A, highlighted in
yellow) and can be considered to form part of the junction joining adjacent edges E1 and E2.
Further, we consider the slots 10 and holes 8, 11 to be defined between adjacent ones of the fin
base portions.
6Suzuki's disclosure in column 3, lines 6-16, and in Figures 1 and 2 belies the appellants' argument on page
7 of the brief that the slots 10 and holes 11 are not defined between the fins (ribs 6a).
6
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