Appeal No. 1998-2102
Application 08/826,039
driven in a stable state.” We find that the aim of Ohnishi’s
invention is to adjust the longitudinal and the torsional
frequencies to match each other to achieve a stable state, see
col. 2, lines 5 to 10. Contrary to the Examiner’s assertions,
there is no disclosure in Ohnishi that would suggest, let
alone anticipate, a situation where one of the longitudinal
and the torsional frequencies is higher than the other in a
stable operation of the vibration actuator. Therefore, we do
not sustain the anticipation rejection of claim 16 over
Ohnishi.
However, as to claim 17, we reach an opposite result.
Contrasted with claim 16, claim 17 recites that “ a resonance
frequency of ... [the] longitudinal vibration ...[be] made
equal to or greater than ... a resonance frequency of ...
[the] bending vibration ....” We find, as above regarding
claim 16, that Ohnishi does show that Ohnishi manipulates the
frequency adjusting means, for example, element 35 in figure
5, so that the longitudinal frequency matches with the
torsional frequency in order to achieve a stable operation of
the vibration actuator. Therefore, we sustain the
anticipation rejection of claim 17 over Ohnishi.
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