Appeal No. 96-3174
Application 07/970,608
clamp-up” volume (column 13, lines 62-68; column 27, lines 7-
53; Figures 5 and 6). In the second alternative mode, a mold
plate (e.g., element 74) “floats” relative to its platen such
that, after the “soft” clamp-up condition is achieved,
injected mold resin enters the mold cavity and melt pressure
drives the floating mold plate backwards to enlarge the mold
cavity against a minimal deflection force required to displace
the floating mold plate (column 14, lines 1-7; column 29,
lines 3-23).
At the outset, it is readily apparent that the second
“floating” alternative mode does not anticipate claim 1. This
is so because any minimal compression force that might be
applied to the resin by the floating plate during injection in
the “floating” alternative mode occurs as the mold cavity
increases in volume from the initial “soft-close” volume. In
contrast, step (c) of claim 1 calls for applying force to the
mold members to reduce a volume of the mold cavity and
compress the resin simultaneously with injection.
As to Maus’ first alternative mode, the reference
discusses several schemes for coordinating the injection and
13
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