Appeal No. 1996-3152
Application No. 08/043,743
Hirano for a teaching of a shape memory alloy used to control
the shape of an optical fiber. Hirano discloses at page 6 and
in Fig. 2 an assembly structure for an optical conductor
including a shape memory alloy 3 surrounding an auxiliary
metal material 2 and an optical fiber 1. Hirano teaches that
the cable illustrated in Fig. 2 is made by fixing the cross-
sectional shape of the shape memory alloy as shown in Fig. 3A
(the memorized shape). The shape memory alloy is then
deformed or processed to the shape shown in Fig. 3C. The
optical fiber 1 and auxiliary metal 2 are next placed in the
shape memory alloy 3 (Fig. 3D) and fixed therein by heating
the alloy to the prescribed temperature such that the shape
memory alloy 3 returns to its memorized shape (Fig. 3E). In
addition, Hirano teaches (page 7) that the
assembled optical cable 10' can be processed to memorize a
desired shape, such as, the curved shape shown in Fig. 4 or 5.
Appellant argues (supplemental reply brief, page 2) that
the tubular member recited in claim 1 is heated only once to
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