Appeal No. 2001-0737 Page 8
Application No. 08/766,212
invention with a reasonable degree of precision and particularity.
The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition,
(1982) defines the suffix "-like" as meaning "resembling or
characteristic of." Thus, for example, the term "groove-like" means
resembling a groove. The examiner has not explained why the metes
and bounds thereof would not be understood with a reasonable degree
of precision and particularity.
The fifth reason is that the terms "about," "generally,"
"approximately," and "substantially" were indefinite. We agree with
the appellant (brief, pp. 16-23) that the above-noted terms as used
in the claims under appeal are definite as required by the second
paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112.
The last reason is that it was unclear what structure performed
the function of the "means for imparting elastic stretchability to
said clamping band means" recited in claim 80. The appellant on page
23 of the brief noted the structure that performed the above-noted
function recited in claim 80 thus complying with the requirement that
a claim "particularly point out and distinctly claim" the invention.
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