Appeal No. 96-3293
Application No. 08/261,645
flow of molten material to the tip means for depositing
patterns on a substrate.
Although the examiner is correct to note that many of
these arguments are either incorrect or not commensurate in
scope with the claimed invention, we will limit our
consideration to the arguments which address the recitation in
claim 1 that a pattern is written and that “molten material
wets an outside surface of said tip means and nucleates,
thereby providing a continuous flow of said molten material to
said apex, said material being deposited on said substrate by
gravity.” Since we agree with appellants that the collective
teachings of Blette and Krug do not suggest these features of
independent claim 1, we need not consider the other arguments
of appellants and the examiner.
Blette discloses that it was known in the art to dip a
pin into molten solder and remove the pin so that a drop of
solder remains on the end of the pin. This drop is then
brought into contact with a workpiece which causes part of the
drop to adhere to the workpiece while a portion of the drop
remains on the end of the pin [column 1, lines 44-60]. Blette
admits that he does not know precisely how this transfer of
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