Appeal No. 1998-0402
Application No. 08/490,046
appellants’ invention overcomes this deficiency by locating
the indicating stem in a recess that has stepped sides which
are engaged by the stem as it is forced outwardly so that the
stem seals the top of the recess and prevents material from
escaping therefrom.
Sturm, which was applied by the examiner as the primary
reference, is an example of the prior art system over which
the appellants believe their invention to be an improvement.
Sturm discloses a thermoplastic sleeve (1) having a wire
winding
(3) that can be energized to heat the surrounding sleeve
material. A radially oriented indicator stem (20) is
integrally formed in the sleeve, positioned in a recess (21).
Upon the application of heat, the free end of the stem is
pushed outwardly to the position designated as 20'. What
Sturm fails to disclose or teach is, in the language of claim
1, that the stem is
located within a stepped recess, said stepped recess
prevents molten thermoplastic material which comes
under increased pressure during welding from flowing
to a peripheral surface on the sleeve body due to
the stem coming to rest against a corresponding
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