Appeal No. 97-0754 Page 5
Application No. 08/408,478
Laboratories Corp., 859 F.2d 878, 882, 8 USPQ2d 1468, 1472 (Fed.
Cir. 1988). Accordingly, we will initially direct our attention
to independent claim 1 to derive an understanding of the scope
and content thereof.
Claim 1 is directed to a golf club shaft comprising, inter
alia, (1) a plurality of separate shaft sections presenting shaft
section ends having an inner surface and an outer surface wherein
the adjoining shaft section ends comprise a smaller end and a
larger end for overlapping the smaller end; (2) means for
connecting the adjoining ends of the shaft sections; and
(3) means for engaging the overlapping inner surface of the
larger end with the overlapped outer surface of the smaller end.
Claim 1 recites two elements in means-plus-function format.
As explained in In re Donaldson, 16 F.3d 1189, 1193, 29 USPQ2d
1845, 1848-49 (Fed. Cir. 1994), the PTO is not exempt from
following the statutory mandate of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6,
which reads:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as
a means or step for performing a specified function without
the recital of structure, material, or acts in support
thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the
corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the
specification and equivalents thereof.
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