Appeal No. 2000-1952
Application No. 09/006,920
BACKGROUND
Appellants’ invention relates to a motor shaft having integral heat pipe. An
understanding of the invention can be derived from a reading of exemplary claim 1,
which is reproduced below.
1. A spindle motor assembly for use in a magnetic storage system,
comprising:
a bearing assembly having an inner peripheral surface;
a stationary shaft having a central axis and an outer peripheral surface attached
to said inner peripheral surface of said bearing assembly, said stationary shaft capable
of operating as a heat pipe which incorporates evaporation and condensation;
a hub positioned external to said bearing assembly; and
a motor positioned between said hub and said stationary shaft, said motor
operable to rotate said hub with respect to said central axis of said stationary shaft.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the examiner in rejecting the
appealed claims are:
Heintz 2,330,121 Sep. 21, 1943
Turner 2,743,384 Apr. 24, 1956
Lloyd et al. (Lloyd) 3,914,630 Oct. 21, 1975
Gururangan 5,160,865 Nov. 03, 1992
Cox et al. (Cox) 5,705,868 Jan. 06, 1998
Claims 1-23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112 as being indefinite for failing
to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which appellants regard
as the invention. The examiner indicated that appellants’ response overcame the
rejection. (See answer at page 4.)
2
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