Appeal No. 1996-3121
Application No. 08/115,783
the claimed invention without undue experimentation when using
metallic substrates having thermal conductivities at least as
high as copper-tungsten alloy. Compare the specification at
page 6, lines 10-17. Moreover, the mere possibility that a
claim covers an inoperable species does not render it unduly
broad. In re Kamal, 398 F.2d 867, 872, 158 USPQ 320, 324
(CCPA 1968). The examiner’s rejection of claims 14 and 15 is
reversed.
THE REJECTIONS FOR OBVIOUSNESS
As evidence of obviousness of the claimed invention, the
examiner principally relies upon Yamazaki. In a similar
manner as described by appellants, Yamazaki discloses that
diamond coatings may be formed on substrates by a microwave
enhanced CVD process in which a carbon compound containing
reactant gas including, inter alia, methanol diluted with 4
hydrogen gas is decomposed in a reaction chamber to produce a
diamond film on an underlying substrate such as the “super
hard metal”, tungsten carbide . In addition to the carbon5
4See column 3, lines 40-43.
5See column 2, lines 1 and 2 of Yamazaki.
6
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007