Appeal No. 96-3038
Application No. 08/372,069
1. An arc tube comprising: a light transmissive body
containing an arc generating and sustaining medium; a press
seal formed at one end of said body, said press seal
comprising a planar portion separating opposed edges; a first
foil sealed in said planar portion; a lead-in conductor
attached to said foil and extending outside of said body and
an electrode attached to said foil and extending inside said
body; a first cavity formed on a first of said edges and a
second cavity formed on a second of said edges; a fill in each
of said cavities for supporting emission of ultra-violet
radiation; and a second foil sealed in said planar portion and
being attached to said first foil, said second foil having a
first end terminating in said first cavity and a second end
terminating in said second cavity.
The reference relied on by the examiner is:
Morris 5,323,091 June 21,
1994
Claims 1 through 5 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as being unpatentable over Morris.
Reference is made to the briefs and the answer for the
respective positions of the appellants and the examiner.
OPINION
Morris discloses a single cavity 62 (Figure 4), and one
end of the second foil 60 terminates in this cavity.
According to the examiner (Answer, page 4), the claimed
“second cavity” is a “mere duplication of parts for a multiple
effect,” and “is not patentably distinct where the operation
of the device would not thereby be modified (see St. Regis
3
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