Appeal No. 96-3293
Application No. 08/261,645
supported anywhere within the teachings of Blette. The forces
referred to by Blette such as capillary attraction, surface
energy phenomena, physical attraction or chemical attraction
do not suggest the presence of gravitational forces as argued
by the examiner. In fact, Blette makes it relatively clear
that gravity plays no significant role in depositing the
solder onto the workpiece. The solder must be brought into
physical contact with the workpiece to effect the transfer.
Blette can hold the drop of solder vertically above the
workpiece and gravity will not cause the drop of solder to
fall on the workpiece as Blette specifically discloses.
Since Blette can only deposit a single drop of solder
with each movement of pin 22, there is no continuous flow of
molten material to the apex of the tool. Molten material must
be forced into passageway 16 with each cycle of the pin 22.
Therefore, Blette does not form a pattern with a continuous
flow of molten material because only one dot of solder is
available as part of a single continuous flow. Thus, Blette
works completely differently from the claimed invention and
does not suggest the elements of the tip means as recited in
independent claim 1. Krug is cited only for the
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