Appeal No. 1997-1335
Application No. 08/201,023
equivalent to nozzle holes. Fujimura indicates that the
uncoated area “can be easily set to form any desired meniscus”
(column 4, lines 65-68). (Answer-pages 2 and 3.) Thus, the
Examiner states:
It would have been obvious to one of
ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
was made to make the nozzle plate of Miura, et al.
with the amount of uncoated area of Fujimura, et al.
because the amount of uncoated area of Fujimura, et
al. can be optimized to produce any desire[sic
desired] meniscus as desired by Miura, et al. in the
art. (Answer-page 3.)
Appellants do not dispute the use of a water-
repellent coating with an uncoated area surrounding nozzle
holes. Appellants argue that the references do not disclose
or suggest the relative size of the uncoated area to the
nozzle hole size being the claimed 140%. Appellants calculate
the relative size of Miura’s Figure 11B embodiment based upon
Miura’s Figure 10 embodiment (brief-page 6). We find these
calculations to be unconvincing since they amount to mere
conjecture, without any evidence to indicate a size
relationship between these figures.
Appellants acknowledge Fujimura teaches a
predetermined distance (area) from the edge of a nozzle hole
4
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