Appeal No. 97-1449
Application 08/395,214
gripper or chuck assembly wherein such assembly includes a
housing (24) having an open end and defining a passageway in
communication with the open end; a hollow elastic boot or gripper
portion (30) defining an entry hole at the top end thereof, and
an inner surface, wherein the boot material is elastic, wherein
the boot when stretched decreases in cross-sectional dimension,
and wherein the boot engages the housing, whereby the hollow
portion of the boot is in communication with the passageway; and
a movable, boot stretching member (20, 22) disposed in the
passageway and adapted to engage the inner surface of the boot,
wherein movement of the stretching member in a direction to
stretch the boot decreases the cross-section dimension of the
boot, thereby permitting insertion of the boot into the
substrate/work piece (13), and wherein movement of the member in
the opposite direction increases the cross-sectional dimension of
the boot, thereby permitting engagement of the boot against the
inner surface of the substrate/work piece (13). See
particularly, Figures 2 and 3 of Phillips, column 2, lines 22-28,
and claims 1, 2 and 4 thereof.
As for claims 7, 9 and 14, it is apparent from Figures 2 and
3 of Phillips that 1) the boot is of uniform thickness throughout
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Last modified: November 3, 2007