Ex parte ONO - Page 3




          Appeal No. 95-2783                                         Page 3           
          Application 08/026,504                                                      
                              1.2 fw < f1 < 2.4 fw               ... (1)              
                              [0.4 fw < f3/f2 < 0.8 fw           ... (2)]             
               and the ratio of f3 to f2 is between 0.4 and 0.8 times                 
               fw, . . .                                                              
          (Unnumbered paper (Subst. Amdt. After Final) at 1-2, filed 22               
          Sep. 1994.)                                                                 
          B.   The rejection                                                          
               4.   There is no reference-based rejection before us.                  
          Instead, the examiner has rejected the claims under section 112.            
          Specifically, the examiner finally rejected claim 1 as vague and            
          indefinite because                                                          
               the equation -- 0.4 fw < f3/f2 < 0.8 fw -- does not                    
               make sense because [if] fw, f2, [and] f3 are in                        
               millimeters then the first and the third expression[s]                 
               are in millimeters; meanwhile, the second expression                   
               (f3/f2) is dimensionless since (millimeters/milli-                     
               meters) is dimensionless.  Therefore, they are of                      
               incomparable units.                                                    
          (Paper 7 at 2.)  On appeal, the examiner has also rejected                  
          claim 1 for lack of an enabling disclosure for the same reason              
          that the examiner considers it indefinite.  (Paper 14 at 4.)                
               5.   Claims 2-5 depend from, and thus share the defect and             
          the rejection of, claim 1.                                                  
               6.   The Appellant argues (Paper 15 (Reply) at 2), and we              
          agree, that the basis for the new ground of rejection is                    
          essentially the same as the basis for the indefiniteness                    
          rejection.                                                                  
               7.   We find that the examiner is technically correct that             
          formula (2) as written and claimed does not make sense.  The                





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