Appeal No. 2000-0499
Application 08/716,431
Coleman does not disclose a container comprising a pressure
release valve. However, the pressure release valve limitation
in claim 6 as it appears in the appendix to the brief is
erroneous. Actual claim 6 on appeal does not contain such a
limitation. Next, appellant argues that Coleman does not
disclose a container designed to "release the cover from the
rim of the container at a predetermined level of
superatmospheric pressure in the container, opening the entire
top of the container for pressure relief." Initially, we must
point out that the clamp of Coleman clearly releases the cover
from sealing engagement with the bulk material container to
allow for the pressure therein. In this respect, we agree
with the examiner that in this manner Coleman can be said to
release the cover from the container.
Appellant's argument with respect to opening the entire
top of the container for pressure relief is an argument
predicated on impermissibly importing limitations from the
specification into a claim where they do not appear. "[T]he
general principle is that limitations from the specification
are not to be read into the claims. We see nothing which
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