Appeal No. 1997-0842
Application No. 08/305,588
11. In a superconducting composite comprising a
graphitic, pitch-based carbon fiber having a tensile strength
greater than about 350 kpsi tensile strength and a thermal
conductivity of at least 900 watts/m/<C, said fiber disposed
within a sleeve layer of superconducting mixed oxide having a
superconducting transition temperature above 77<K., said mixed
oxide of formula A B Cu O wherein A is one or more elements’
1 2 3 7-x
selected from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum and
the lanthanides, B is one or more Group IIA elements, and x is
a number between 0 and 1, the improvement wherein said sleeve
layer of superconducting mixed oxide is a non-adherent sleeve
surrounding said fiber.
According to pages 6 and 7 of the specification and Figures 1
and 2 of the application, the term “non-adherent” as used in
claim 11 is used to define a sleeve layer of superconducting
mixed oxide, which is not in contact with the claimed carbon
fiber or any intermediate layer, including a compressible
layer, which the sleeve layer surrounds, at the non-operating
temperature of the claimed superconducting composite. See
also Brief, pages 4 and 5. By providing the claimed
superconducting sleeve layer spaced apart from the claimed
carbon fiber or any intermediate layer therebetween, such as a
compressible layer, to accommodate the shrinkage of the
claimed superconducting sleeve layer at the operating
temperature of the claimed superconducting composite,
2
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