Appeal No. 97-3071
Application 08/484,729
approximately 60" to 80" is preferred. [Lines 12-
24.]
The problem is, however, that the specification does not
provide any meaningful guidance in selecting parameters (e.g.,
what is the extent of an “extended” curvature, relative to
other curvatures such as a simply “rounding” of the corner of
the piston, and what radius of curvature, relative to the
other dimensions of the piston, is “sufficient”) which would
yield the claimed result. This problem is exemplified by the
fact that, according to the appellant, neither “rounding” the
corner of the piston (see specification, page 14, lines 7-9)
nor the arrangement of Fryklund (which appears to have an
extended curvature similar to that described in lines 10-17 of
the specification) will perform the function in question. It
thus appears that only very particular parameters will do.
However, no guidance has been provided for selecting these
particular parameters, and it does not appear from the record
that there
are any established criteria or techniques for making such a
selection that the artisan would be aware of. While page 13
of the specification does state that “a radius R in the range
5
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