Appeal No. 1997-4072
Application 08/226,010
The second difference is that claim 1 calls for "only
negligible diffusion of nickel into the matrix metal."
Fujikura discloses that the wire undergoes heat treatment
whereby "the Ni of the Ni layer diffuses into the copper
thereby forming a shielding layer 17 made of Cu-Ni alloy
with a cross-sectional network thicker than that of the Ni
plating layer 13" (translation, p. 3); thus, there is
significant diffusion of nickel in Fujikura. Kreilick
discloses a web of copper-nickel alloy. It is not clear
whether this web is formed from a nickel coating or some
other technique, but clearly there is significant diffusion
of nickel.
We do not find where the Examiner addresses this
difference. Possibly, the Examiner does not address this
limitation because the limitation has been rejected as
indefinite. Since we conclude, infra, that the "negligible"
limitation is not indefinite, the limitation must be
addressed. Neither Fujikura nor Kreilick disclose that
there is an intact layer of pure nickel between the wires as
indicated by the fact that both have a copper-nickel layer
of substantial thickness. The advantage of a nickel coating
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