Appeal 2006-2725
Application 09/982,406
1 The Appellants argue that Toshio’s top plate is not part of a socket but,
2 rather, is a separate piece (Reply Br. 4). The Appellant indicates that the socket’s
3 formed end can be a retaining ring (606) disposed in a sidewall of the socket
4 (Spec. 0047; fig. 6C). Hence, the broadest reasonable interpretation of “at least
5 one socket … having a … formed end” in claim 8, in view of the Appellants’
6 Specification, see In re Zletz, 893 F.2d 319, 321, 13 USPQ2d 1320, 1322 (Fed. Cir.
7 1989); In re Sneed, 710 F.2d 1544, 1548, 218 USPQ 385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1983),
8 encompasses a socket and its formed end that are separate, joined pieces.
9 Consequently, the Appellant’s claim term “formed end” encompasses Toshio’s top
10 plate.
11 The Appellants argue that Toshio does not disclose that the substrate support
12 is in a chamber body (Reply Br. 4). Toshio’s disclosures that the apparatus is for
13 aligning substrates used in making color filters for liquid crystal display elements
14 and that even dirt from scratches caused by sliding between a substrate and its
15 support is unacceptable (Toshio, ¶¶ 0001, 0004-0005) would have indicated to one
16 of ordinary skill in the art that the support member is in a chamber to provide the
17 required cleanliness.
18 The Appellant argues that the applied references do not disclose or suggest a
19 ball having a surface roughness of 4 microinches or less as required by the
20 Appellants’ claim 47 (Br. 10). Toshio’s disclosure that sliding between the
21 substrate and the ball can form scratches or dirt that cause poor product quality
22 (Toshio, ¶¶ 0004, 0005, 0017, 0018) would have led one of ordinary skill in the art
23 to make the surface of the ball as smooth as reasonably possible, such as 4
24 microinches or less surface roughness, to minimize scratches and dirt formation
25 due to sliding.
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Last modified: September 9, 2013