Appeal No. 96-2520
Application 07/891,852
Appellant has not defined "integral" in the specification or
in the file history differently from the term's ordinary
meaning. The dictionary meaning of integral is "made up of
parts forming a whole."6
Upon a review of Sotome '124, we find that Sotome
'124 teaches in column 2, lines 16-33, that Figure 4
illustrates a diaphragm 11. In the same column, lines 33-36,
Sotome '124 teaches the diaphragm 11 is integrally formed.
Finally, Sotome
'124 teaches that the diaphragm may be made of metal film such
as aluminum (column 2, lines 57-59). We note that Figure 4
shows that the diaphragm is made up of parts forming a whole
and thereby integrally formed. Therefore, we find that Sotome
teaches a diaphragm being formed in a single integral piece as
recited in Appellant's claim 4.
We have considered Appellant's argument that it
would be difficult, if not impossible, to make the diaphragm
6Webster's New World Dictionary, Second College Edition,
1972, page 732 (copy enclosed).
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