Appeal No. 1998-0649 Page 6
Application No. 08/309,323
includes electrical equipment. The claims do not preclude the
chamber from including other elements in addition to the
electrical equipment contained therein. Moreover, while
appellant argues that the structural components depicted by
Ruchser, i.e., pistons 76, 78 and sliding member 80, clearly
divide the structure shown into three separate chambers and,
therefore, the middle, unlabeled chamber, the one holding the
electrical equipment, is not connected to the pressure relief
device, we disagree with this assessment.
While Figures 1 and 2 of Ruchser show the safety valve
assembly in an inoperative state and an operative state,
respectively, wherein pistons 76 and 78 and sliding member 80
appear to be fixed, centrally located within a cavity and it
would appear that the solid structure of the sliding member 80
divides this cavity into three separate and independent
chambers, an analysis of Figure 3 indicates that this is not
the case.
Ruchser’s Figure 3 depicts the situation wherein there is
a malfunction and valve seat 44 is closed while valve seat 45
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