Appeal No. 1999-1748
Application 08/846,285
At this time, it is well worthy of noting appellants’ belief
as to the phenomena taking place in practicing the present
invention (specification, page 10; the precise mechanics
acknowledged by appellants as not being known) wherein,
responsive to electrical energy discharge from a capacitor,
molten copper at the edge of a conical hole “vaporizes” (page 10)
producing a resultant “shock wave” (page 11) of spark plasma.
Akin to appellants’ ignitor configuration and belief as above,
the patentee Dahn explicitly teaches a thin film device employed
as a fuse (fuze) wherein, responsive to an electrical signal,
bridging elements in a pin hole “vaporize” (column 2, lines 65,
66) and produce a “shock wave” (column 2, line 66). While
appellants use the terminology “spark plasma” and Dahn does not,
it nevertheless appears to us that the vapor shock wave of Dahn
would be readily appreciated by those having ordinary skill in
the art as corresponding to appellants’ shock wave of spark
plasma (appellants’ specification, page 11). The Lee patent
indicates that an ignition coil 30, or conventional igniter
systems (column 4, lines 48 through 59), can be utilized.
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