Appeal No. 95-2958
Application 08/108,570
5 hours.
The examiner argues that appellants’ claims merely
require that the hydrogen fluoride, but not the 1,1,2,3,4,4-
hexachloro-1,3-butadiene, is in the gas phase (answer, page
4). The portion of the above excerpt which states: “to work
in closed vessels under the particular autogenous pressure
and/or to prevent the evaporation of hydrogen fluoride”
appears to indicate that at least some hydrogen fluoride can
be in the gas phase.
Appellants argue that “gas phase” in their independent
claims applies to both the hydrogen fluoride and 1,1,2,3,4,4-
hexachloro-1,3-butadiene reactants (reply brief, pages 2-3).
We give appellants’ claims their broadest reasonable
interpretation in view of appellants’ specification, see In re
Zletz, 893 F.2d 319, 321, 13 USPQ2d 1320, 1322 (Fed. Cir.
1989); In re Sneed, 710 F.2d 1544, 1548, 218 USPQ 385, 388
(Fed. Cir. 1983); In re Okuzawa, 537 F.2d 545, 548, 190 USPQ
464, 466 (CCPA 1976).
Appellants’ specification refers to the reaction as a
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