Appeal No. 1998-2009
Application No. 08/508,250
lens as claimed and alleged by the Examiner. Appellants
contend that lens 3 is a coupling lens (so designated at
column 1, line 45) and state:
[T]he coupling lens of the Kobayashi et al. patent
is not the same as the collimating lens used in the
present invention . . . [brief-page 6].
The Examiner responds by highlighting an apparent
contradiction or confusion in Kobayashi, thus blurring any
distinction between a collimating lens and a coupling lens.
The Examiner notes first, that lens 6 of Figure 2(a) is called
a collimating lens at column 1, lines 28-31, and a coupling
lens at column 6, lines 23-26. Second, the Examiner notes
that Figure 3 (Figure 2(c) is meant), element 3 of Kobayashi
is depicted as a collimator, but at column 1, lines 45-46, it
is referred to as a coupling lens. (Answer-pages 5 and 6.)
The only contradiction or confusion we find, is that of
the Examiner’s reading of Kobayashi. As to the Examiner’s
first contention, lens 6 of Figure 2(a) is a collimating lens
as recited at column 1, lines 28-31. This is not contradicted
at column 6, lines 23-26, because, when read in the context of
the previous paragraph, the optical system of Figure 2(a) is
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