Appeal No. 96-0770
Application No. 08/193,982
each of the firing tips comprises at least three edges and at
least three corners which form a convex polygon.
Claim 1 is the only independent claim on appeal, and it
reads as follows:
1. A spark plug for igniting a fuel mixture within a
combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the spark
plug comprising:
a pair of electrodes which define a spark gap across which
an electric spark is generated for igniting said fuel mixture;
and
a pair of firing tips affixed to said pair of electrodes
such that said firing tips are coaxially aligned, said pair of
firing tips being formed from a noble metal alloy, each of said
pair of firing tips having a firing surface with a shape
comprising at least three edges and at least three corners which
form a convex polygon and serve as potential arc initiation sites
for said electric spark across said spark gap;
whereby said at least three edges and said at least three
corners of said pair of firing tips serve to minimize the
sparking voltage for the spark plug.
The reference relied on by the examiner is:
Yamaguchi et al. (Yamaguchi) 4,700,103 Oct. 13, 1987
Claims 1 through 6 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
being unpatentable over Yamaguchi and common knowledge in the
art.
Reference is made to the briefs and the answer for the
respective positions of the appellants and the examiner.
OPINION
2
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