Appeal No. 96-0770
Application No. 08/193,982
The examiner is of the opinion (Answer, page 3) that “[i]n
figures 20b, 20e, and 20g, the firing tip has a firing surface
which has specifically four edges and four corners (if figures
20b, 20e, and 20g were shown in the top cross-sectional views,
the firing tip shown in these figures would show a firing surface
of the firing tip which has four edges and four corners).”
Appellants argue (Brief, page 4) that “[t]he spark plug defined
by claim 1 . . . differs from the prior art in that the claims
require the firing surface of each firing tip to have a shape
comprising at least three edges and at least three corners which
form a convex polygon.” We agree with the examiner that the
various firing tips 10 on the ground electrode 8 in Figures 20b,
20e and 20g have “at least three edges and at least three
corners” which may “serve as potential arc initiation sites”
(claim 1). On the other hand, we agree with appellants that
Yamaguchi lacks such a specific shape for “each of said pair of
firing tips” (claim 1). Yamaguchi clearly indicates that the
firing tip on the center electrode is always cylindrical in shape
(column 7, lines 32 through 35, and claim 6). Thus, “each” of
the pair of firing tips in Yamaguchi does not comprise “at least
three edges and at least three corners” (claim 1).
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