Ex parte CHOI et al. - Page 3




          Appeal No. 2000-1632                                                        
          Application No. 09/055,308                                                  


          carbon” is unascertainable.  Appellants respond that the term               
          “diamond-like carbon” is an art-recognized term, whose meaning              
          would be readily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the            
          art.  In the reply brief, entered and considered by the                     
          examiner, appellants attach a copy of US Patent 5,482,602,                  
          issued prior to appellants’ filing date, in support of this                 
          position.                                                                   
               The background section of the ‘602 patent does indeed have             
          an extensive explanation of what constitutes a “diamond-like                
          carbon” substance.  In light of this evidence, appellants’                  
          position that “diamond-like carbon” is a term of art, whose                 
          meaning would be readily understood by an ordinarily skilled                
          artisan, is well taken.  The standing § 112, second paragraph,              
          rejection will therefore not be sustained.                                  
          Rejection (2).                                                              
               Independent claim 1 reads as follows (emphasis added):                 
               1.   An apparatus for balancing a rotating member,                     
          comprising:                                                                 
               a groove having a predetermined depth and width and formed             
          in the thickness along a circumference of a turntable having a              
          center equal to a rotational center of said rotating member; and            
               a plurality of balls disposed in said groove, wherein said             
          plurality of balls includes first balls formed of a first                   
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