Appeal No. 1998-1052
Application No. 08/683,600
a reflector plate disposed intermediate the air
distribution manifold and the heat lamp assembly,
the reflector plate being intersected by multiple
air flow apertures disposed in air flow
communication with the discharge port means of the
air distribution manifold, and the air flow
apertures being oriented for directing jets of
pressurized air through the heat lamp assembly onto
the processed side of a substrate moving along the
travel path. [Emphasis added.]
With reference of Figure 6 of Anderson, it appears that
the examiner considers the portion of Anderson’s dryer between
fan 6 and the tops of reflectors 15’ as corresponding to the
air distribution manifold, the lamps 12’ as corresponding to
the radiant heat lamp assembly, and the holes 35’ in the
channel bottoms 33’, 34’ of the reflector plate 15’ as
corresponding to the air flow apertures of the reflector
plate. Our first difficulty with this reading of the claim
language on Anderson is that it requires the channel bottoms
33’, 34’ of Anderson’s reflector plate 15’ to be considered
part of the reflector plate. However, if this is so, then
Anderson’s reflector plate cannot be fairly regarded as being
intermediate the air distribution manifold and the heat lamp
assembly, as called for in claim 1, because a significant
portion of Anderson’s reflector plate would
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