Appeal No. 96-3418 Application No. 08/317,135 adds filters to the coupler and the nipple. The filters can be in both the coupler and the nipple, the coupler only or the nipple only. The appellant’s invention is further described as including “a coupler 15 and a nipple 66,” which are referred to in the specification as “coupler halfs” (specification, page 3). As a result of our review of the Wilcox patent, and the appellant’s drawings and the accompanying explanation in the specification, it is clear to us that the “coupling” that is the subject of the appellant’s invention comprises two components, a “coupler” and a “nipple,” which are removably attachable together. This conforms to the common definition of the term “coupling,” which is “a device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent parts or objects.” 2 In view of the above, the term “coupling” in the appellant’s claims should be interpreted as meaning a two- component structure comprising a releasably attachable coupler and nipple. This being the case, the claims do not read on the Neracher device, for several reasons. First, inventor Neracher has called his device a “filter,” not a coupling. 2See, for example, Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 1997, page 266. 4Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007