Appeal No. 95-0638
Application 08/011,094
metal support has a copper layer with a thickness of 1.5 mm, and
the composite metal plate has a copper layer of 0.2 mm [column 4,
lines 22 and 44]. Freedman discloses a thermoelectric module
which has a metallized ceramic 18 covered on both sides by a
brazed sheet of copper [column 2, lines 53-63]. Freedman offers
no indication of the dimensions of the various layers used in his
device.
Each of the examiner’s rejections basically uses the same
rationale for obviousness. Specifically, the examiner relies on
any one of the secondary references to teach the placement of
copper layers on both sides of a ceramic substrate. The examiner
asserts that the claimed recitation of the copper layers having a
thickness between 0.5 and 7 mils would have been an obvious
design variation to the artisan.
Appellants present similar arguments in response to each
of the rejections made by the examiner. Specifically, appellants
argue that none of the applied references teaches each copper
layer of the device having a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 7
mils. Appellants argue that this particular range of thicknesses
is critical to the invention and gives the invention its superior
properties. It is noted that the thickness in Kurihara ’733
translates to 3,937 mils, while the thickness in Kurihara ’899
7
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007