Appeal No. 1997-3636
Application No. 08/584,642
Moreover, Takagi discloses that the chromium is jetted
from the crucible 23 as "a vapor of metallic chromium" (col.
4,
line 50). Such a vapor does not constitute "a fluidic stream
of said molten first component," as called for by claim 1,
since, as argued by appellant, supra, molten material is
material in a liquid phase, not in a vapor phase. Any doubt
as to whether this claim limitation calls for the first
component to be molten when in the stream is removed when the
claim language is read in light
of the disclosure, in which the fluidic stream 7 of the4
melted first component from crucible 3 is described as being
"liquid" (p. 10, penultimate line), in a "molten state" (p.
12, line 6), and "molten" (p. 12, last line; p. 13, line 7).
As stated in In re Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 1054, 444
USPQ2d 1023, 1027 (Fed. Cir. 1997):
the PTO applies to the verbiage of the proposed
claims the broadest reasonable meaning of the words
in their ordinary usage as they would be understood
by one of ordinary skill in the art, taking into
account whatever enlightenment by way of definitions
or otherwise that may be afforded by the written
description contained in the applicant's
specification.
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007