Appeal No. 96-1963
Application 08/094,296
focusing the laser is described thus (page 11, lines 11 to 17):
The laser energy is delivered by the optical fiber
cable 22 to a fiber ferrule or coupler 66 from which
the incoming beam projects and is focused by a lens 68.
Lens 68 nominally collimates the beam. A focus
mechanism 69, which may be either manual or electro-
mechanical, sets the depth below the surface that the
laser light is focused. The focus mechanism 69 moves
lens 68 in the z direction relative to ferrule 66.
The examiner does not identify any structure in the primary
reference (Buys) which would be the equivalent of the movable-
lens focusing mechanism described by appellants, nor do we find
any such structure therein. In fact, as appellants assert in the
paragraph bridging pages 7 and 8 of their brief, the Buys
apparatus is fixed focus; as Buys states in column 12, lines 3 to
8, the two-lens doublet 12, 13 which constitutes the imaging lens
system 10 is “axially immobilized and integral with frame 3 via
mounting 14". Thus, Buys does not disclose a means for focusing
as recited in claim 1.
Part [v] of claim 1 recites a “means in said housing for
deflecting said beam to locate each of said spots . . . .” In
appellants’ device, the structure which performs this function is
the two-mirror deflection system (specification, pages 10 to 11),
together with the shutter 72, which has a position so that the
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007