Appeal No. 1996-4067
Application No. 08/227,686
fluorine- or fluoride-containing gas atmosphere under heating
to form a fluoride layer on the surface of the journal
portion. Thereafter, the journal portion with the fluoride
layer is held in a nitride atmosphere under heating to form a
hard nitride layer on the surface of the journal portion of
the rotary shaft. At this point, the final assembly steps are
undertaken to provide the apparatus with an armature, an
armature coil, and a commutator.
In his supplemental answer entered July 7, 1999, the
examiner contends that the Japanese abstract “shows that the
claimed motor structure and components are known in the art”
although the examiner acknowledges that this “reference does
not disclose that the journal portion of the shaft has a hard
nitride layer formed on a surface.” See the supplemental
answer at pages 4 and 5 (emphasis added). We point out, as
emphasized above, that the appealed claims are directed to a
of method of manufacturing a motor rotary apparatus involving
clearly defined manipulative steps of “masking”, “holding”,
“further holding”, and “assembling.” Thus, the stated
rejection does not directly address the claimed subject
matter.
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