Appeal No. 1997-0252
Application 08/200,820
by the examiner. These amendments resulted in an indication of the allowability of claims
16-21 and 23. Accordingly, this appeal is directed to the rejection of claims 7-15, 22 and
24-28.
The disclosed invention pertains to a magnetic force sensor for detecting
magnetization on a surface. More particularly, the tip portion of a probe is coated with a
hard-magnetic material which maintains the magnetization direction of the probe constant
and parallel to the magnetization on the surface. The probe scans the surface and is
deflected as a function of the direction of the magnetization on the surface.
Representative claim 7 is reproduced as follows:
7. A magnetic force sensor for detecting a magnetic force of a magnetic sample
having a given magnetization direction, the magnetic force sensor comprising: a magnetic
probe having a tip portion, the tip portion being coated with a film of hard-magnetic
material effective to maintain the magnetization direction of the probe constant and parallel
to the given magnetization direction of the sample.
The examiner relies on the following reference:
Clabes et al. (Clabes) 5,171,992 Dec. 15, 1992
Claims 7-15, 22 and 24-28 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103. As evidence of
obviousness the examiner offers Clabes taken alone.
Rather than repeat the arguments of appellants or the examiner, we make reference
to the briefs and the answer for the respective details thereof.
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