Appeal No. 96-0776
Application 07/953,539
which microwave energy also is passed, and which has flange
joints which must be sealed against fluid loss (or entry). The
construction of the Bellis seal assembly bears a striking
resemblance to that of the appellant's invention, and we see no
reason why it is not capable of being used in a waveguide joint.
Although Bellis registers no explicit concern for providing a
continuous electrical path across the joint, inner part 11 is
described as being made of metal (page 2, line 15), and therefore
the Bellis seal assembly is capable of performing this function
and inherently would do so.
Bellis clearly discloses the O-ring required in claim 2, and
the groove added by claim 3. The reference also conforms to the
requirement in claim 5, in that inner part 11 is smaller than
outer part 13 and, in our view, the inner part constitutes a
"relatively small portion of the seal assembly" to the same
extent as the appellant's inner part. The comments made above
with regard to claim 1 apply also to the rejection of independent
claim 10.
It therefore is our opinion that all of the structural
limitations recited in claims 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 read on the seal
assembly disclosed by Bellis, and that the Bellis seal assembly
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