Appeal No. 1998-2610 Page 8 Application No. 08/451,950 embodiment of the earphone "comprises a cylindrical or rod- shaped earplug 4 that can be inserted into the external auditory meatus 2 of an ear 1, and a cylindrical exciter 5 (elastic vibration generator) coupled to an outer end of the earplug 4 for generating and applying an elastic wave VE directly to the earplug 4. Col. 4, l. 66 - col. 5, l. 3. "The earplug 4 ... is made of a sound insulating material such as an elastic foamed polymer, e.g., urethane foam ...." Id. at ll. 4-8. "The exciter 5 is in the form of a vibrator for generating elastic vibration on a vibratory surface 8. The exciter 5 may comprise a dynamic exciter 5 as shown in FIG. 4 or a magnetic exciter 5 as shown in FIG. 5." Id. at ll. 27- 30. Although the dynamic exciter has "a circular vibratory plate 8 of metal or magnetic material such as iron mounted on the open axial end," id. at ll. 33-35, the plate is not very small vis-à-vis the earplug. To the contrary, both of the figures cited by the examiner, (Examiner's Answer at 4), showPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007