Appeal No. 2001-0305 Page 2
Application No. 09/077,356
BACKGROUND
The appellant's invention relates to a valve needle for
an injection valve (specification, p. 1). Claim 9 is
illustrative of the invention and reads as follows.
9. A valve needle for use in an electromagnetically
operable injection valve of a fuel injection system
in an internal combustion engine, comprising:
an armature;
a metal valve closing element; and
a plastic connecting part having a first end
coupled to the armature and a second end coupled to
the metal valve closing element, wherein the plastic
connecting part includes an orifice that has a
bottom and runs in a direction of the armature from
a lower end face located at the second end of the
plastic connecting part, wherein the orifice has at
least two successive areas of different diameters,
and wherein a section of the metal valve closing
element engages the orifice of the plastic
connecting part in a form-fitting manner.
The examiner relied upon the following prior art
references of record in rejecting the appealed claims:
Ament 4,497,298 Feb. 5,
1985
Soviet Patent No. 596,746 (the Soviet patent) Feb. 16, 19781
Our understanding of this reference is derived from the translation1
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