Appeal No. 1997-2878
Application No. 08/287,505
connecting said socket to said second set of terminals” and
“electrical components” including various terminals and
electrical contacts “electrically and mechanically engaged and
disengaged with each other.”
Because the design patent covers and shows merely the
design of a protector housing for telecommunication equipment,
there are no actual electrical connections shown. Therefore,
the design patent does not show a “first means for
electrically connecting said plug means to said first set of
terminals and second means for electrically connecting said
socket to said second set of terminals” or “electrical
components” including various terminals and electrical
contacts “electrically and mechanically engaged and disengaged
with each other.” Accordingly, appellant has not shown to our
satisfaction that the subject matter of instant claims 3
through 5 and 7 through 28 was disclosed in the earlier design
patent. Therefore, appellant may not be accorded the priority
date of July 5, 1984 for the subject matter of these claims
and Hampton is a viable reference as to such subject matter.
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