Appeal No. 97-1092
Application 08/412,491
chamber 19, wall 26 being with an opening 27 of a
diameter approximately equal to that of the passage
20 connecting the chambers 19 and 21.
An obturation member, here a flap 28, is
pivotally mounted in the body 15 by means of a shaft
29 . . . . Each of the faces of the flap 28 bears
a gasket 31, 32. In a first position of the flap
shown in FIG. 2, the gasket 32 surrounds the opening
27 and effects a tight closure between the first
chamber 19 and the outlet aperture 25. In this
first position of the flap 28 the passage 20 is free
and water flows from the first chamber 19 into the
second chamber through the passage 20 to come out
through the aperture 24.
In a second position of the flap 28, the gasket
31 surrounds the upstream end of the passage 20 and
obturates it in a tight manner so that the water
flows out of the first chamber 19 through the outlet
aperture 25 directly. . . .
The head comprises further an actuating member
35 presenting the shape of a stirrup the arms of
which are fast with . . . the shaft 29 of the flap
for its actuation [column 3, line 42 through column
4, line 24].
As acknowledged by the examiner (see page 5 in the main
answer), the Magnenat faucet does not meet the limitation in
independent claim 1 requiring “means for blocking flow of said
liquid through one of and both of said second and third
passageways.” In this regard, Magnenat’s flow blocking means
(flap 28) is adapted to block the flow of liquid through one
or the other of the passageways leading to the outlets, but
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Last modified: November 3, 2007