Appeal No. 96-1301
Application 08/175,078
through, regardless of whether the polarities of the magnet
pieces on the opposite faces are co-directional.
We agree with the appellants that Hawsey’s central member
of the rotor prevents magnetic flux lines from passing through
(see Hawsey abstract, lines 8-12, and column 3, lines 2-6).
We further understand that the central member of the
appellants’ disclosed invention enables magnetic flux (see
Fig. 3a and page 9, lines 2-8) to flow therethrough. However,
the appellants’ argument is not commensurate in scope with the
breadth of appellants’ claim 1. To rebut the anticipation
rejection, what the appellants must demonstrate is that in
Hawsey the polarities of the magnet pieces on the opposite
faces of the central member are not co-directionally oriented,
not that in Hawsey the magnetic flux lines do not pass through
the central member.
Claim 1 of the Hawsey patent recites a rotor comprising:
1) a first layer of material joined to a first surface of a
central layer; 2) a second layer of material joined to a
second surface of the central layer; 3) a first set of magnets
positioned within said first layer of material; and 4) a
second set of magnets positioned within said second layer of
material (see claim 1, subsections a-e).
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