Appeal No. 97-3669
Application 08/391,745
having a high vapour pressure, fast emission of hot
combustion gases, rapid thermal expansion of product
gases produced in a chemical or physical reaction,
etc., all of which result in the release of relatively
large amounts of energy over a short timescale, and all
of which can be induced by sudden thermal excitation
(laser beam).
Specification at 3, lines 6-12 (emphasis added). Everything
following the phrase “for example” constitutes just that, i.e.
examples. The examples exemplify, but do not circumscribe the
meaning of “decompose.” Any other result improperly reads
limitations from the specification into the claims in violation
of Etter.
Moreover, even if Appellants intended to limit the claims to
an “explosion” or “forceful ejection” (which they apparently do
not), they could have done so explicitly, Specification at 8,
lines 28-31, or by using a step-plus-function claim, 35 U.S.C.
§ 112, sixth paragraph.
When properly interpreted under Etter, Appellants’ claims
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