Appeal No. 2000-1732
Application No. 08/972,852
35 U.S.C. § 102(b). At this point, we note that it is well4
settled that an anticipation cannot be predicated on an
ambiguous reference. See In re Turlay, 304 F.2d 893, 899, 134
USPQ 355, 360 (CCPA 1962). With the above in mind, we
recognize that the Simon patent includes conflicting
statements, i.e., column 1, lines 64, 65 set forth that
vertical portions of the ladder cord ride in slat notches
while column 3, lines 39 through 41 recite that the notches
engage vertical lift cords. Nevertheless, it does appear to
us, considering the document as a whole (in particular, the
recitations in column 1, lines 65 through 67, column 3, lines
13 through 21, column 3, lines 44 through 46, and Figs. 1
through 4) that those versed in this art would fairly
understand that the vertical ladder cords 15, 21 reside in the
4Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) is established
only when a single prior art reference discloses, either
expressly or under principles of inherency, each and every
element of a claimed invention. See In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d
1473, 1477,
44 USPQ2d 1429, 1431 (Fed. Cir. 1997); In re Paulsen, 30 F.3d
1475, 1478-79, 31 USPQ2d 1671, 1673 (Fed. Cir. 1994); In re
Spada, 911 F.2d 705, 708, 15 USPQ2d 1655, 1657 (Fed. Cir.
1990); and RCA Corp. v. Applied Digital Data Sys., Inc., 730
F.2d 1440, 1444, 221 USPQ 385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1984).
7
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