Appeal No. 1997-0758
Application No. 08/140,658
Representative independent claim 19 is reproduced as
follows:
19. A method of controlling droplet ejection from an
electrorheological fluid comprising the steps of:
radiating acoustic energy through the
electrorheological fluid such that droplets of said
electrorheological fluid are ejected when a lower electric
field is applied through the fluid; and
selectively applying a higher electric field to
the electrorheological fluid so that the viscosity of the
electrorheological fluid increases sufficiently to inhibit
ejection.
The Examiner relies on the following references:
Clark 4,014,693 Mar. 29, 1977
Elrod et al. (Elrod) 4,751,530 Jun. 14, 1988
Claims 1 through 19 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103 as being unpatentable over Clark in view of Elrod . 2
2 This is a new ground of rejection presented in the
Examiner’s Answer, paper no. 10. This rejection uses the same
references as the final rejection, paper no. 4, but reverses
the order (from Elrod in view of Clark to Clark in view of
Elrod) and the reasoning.
3
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