Ex parte NICKENS et al. - Page 5




         Appeal No. 1998-3402                                      Page 5          
         Application No. 08/190,929                                                


         metes and bounds of a claimed invention with a reasonable                 
         degree of precision and particularity.  See In re Venezia, 530            
         F.2d 956, 958, 189 USPQ 149, 151 (CCPA 1976).                             


              The examiner rejected claims 4 and 5 as being indefinite             
         since there was no structural difference between the two                  
         claims (answer, p. 4).  We do not agree for the following two             
         reasons.                                                                  


              First, we agree with the appellants' position set forth              
         in the brief (pp. 5-6) and the reply brief (p. 1) that claims             
         4 and 5 are structurally different.  In that regard, the                  
         "adapted to" language used in each of claims 4 and 5 is a                 
         structural limitation, not merely a description of how the                
         chamber is used.  See In re Venezia, 530 F.2d at 958-59, 189              
         USPQ at 151-52.                                                           


              Second, even if the examiner would have been correct that            
         claims 4 and 5 were redundant (i.e., no structural                        
         difference), we fail to find any basis for a rejection under              
         the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112 since each claim                  







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