Appeal No. 2001-0533
Application No. 09/322,043
apparent that the central body structure shown traversing the
diameter of the connector 10 in Figure 2 is a solid wall
structure across the entire cross-section of the connector
which separates the opposed cavities 30. Further, in
discussing the "central divider" limitation in claim 1,
appellants urge that "[i]t is therefore essential to the
invention that the coupler connects the necks of the
containers but isolates the interiors of the containers from
each other" (Paper No. 8, p. 3).
In light of the above, we interpret the phrase "divider
forming diametrically opposed cavities" as a thing that
divides, in the sense of separating or disuniting, the
cavities such that they are not joined to one another.3
Clearly, Smith does not provide any such structure and,
indeed, requires connection or communication between the two
threaded cavities for passage of contents through the adapter
closure from one bottle to the other.
3Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition (Simon &
Schuster, Inc. 1988) defines the verb "divide" as "to separate into parts;
split; sever," the verb "separate" as "to keep apart by being between; divide;
disunite" and the adjective "separate" as "set apart or divided from the rest
or others; not joined, united or connected; severed."
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