Appeal No. 2002-0500 Page 14
Application No. 09/258,320
from the specification." In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 1184, 26 USPQ2d 1057,
1059 (Fed. Cir. 1993) (citing In re Zletz, 893 F.2d 319, 321, 13 USPQ2d 1320, 1322
(Fed. Cir. 1989)).
Here, claim 5 specifies in pertinent part the following limitations: "a rib formed
around said mounting section of said shaft on said rotor." The claim does not require
that the rib block oil splashed from between a shaft and a sleeve. Giving the
representative claim its broadest, reasonable construction, the limitations merely
require a support formed around a mounting section of a shaft.
Turning to the prior art, Takahashi discloses that "[t]he base portion of the
rotating shaft 56 is supported by the boss 58 of the rotor frame 52." Col. 5, ll. 16-17.
Because the boss supports the rotating shaft, we find it to be a rib. Figure 1 of the
reference, moreover, shows that the boss 58 of the rotor frame 52 is formed around a
mounting section of the rotating shaft 56.
Assuming arguendo that claim 5 did require that the rib block oil splashed from
between a shaft and a sleeve, we find that Takahashi's boss 58 would block any oil
splashed from between the reference's rotating shaft and its "oil-impregnated sleeve
bearing (radial bearing) 34. . . ." Col. 3, ll. 41-42. For its part, the oil-impregnated
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