Appeal No. 95-0543
Application 08/008,734
ordinary interpretation, it is clear that Potter fully meets the
literal recitations of claim 3.
There is no question that the components of Potter are
bonded to each other by way of a chromium-gold(silver)-
gold(silver)-chromium bond as discussed above. Potter describes
a process of applying pressure and heat to effect a thermal
compression bond. More specifically, Potter discloses that
“thermal compression bonding is taken to mean a process for
fabricating a robust permanent bond between two metal surfaces,
simultaneously using heat and pressure without melting either
metal surface” [column 3, lines 35-39, emphasis added]. The
application of pressure and heat to bond two metal surfaces
together without melting either metal surface as described by
Potter would appear to be the very definition of a “pressure
sintered connection.” Therefore, in our view, Potter clearly
discloses such a connection.
With respect to appellants’ argument that their pressure
sintered connection is different from Potter’s connection, we
agree with the examiner that there is no evidence in support of
this contention. We note that claim 3 recites no ranges of
pressure or temperature by which any unusual properties can be
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