Appeal No. 1998-1133
Application 08/382,296
below what the appellants consider to be the temperature
required for ignition (answer, page 8).
The appellants’ specification does not specifically
define “ignition”. According to the appellants’
specification, 700EK is the temperature at which an ordinary
catalytic converter will rapidly ignite at its leading edge
(page 2, lines 22-24). The specification indicates that poor
light off behavior can be obtained at 600EK (327EC) (page 1,
lines 26-28). When we give the term “ignition” its broadest
reasonable interpretation in view of the specification, see In
re Zletz, 893 F.2d 319, 321, 13 USPQ2d 1320, 1322 (Fed. Cir.
1989); In re Sneed, 710 F.2d 1544, 1548, 218 USPQ 385, 388
(Fed. Cir. 1983), we find that it refers to the temperature at
which the leading edge of a catalytic converter lights off. 2
As discussed above, contrary to the requirement of the
appellants’ claim 21, both Dunne and Säufferer disclose
systems which require this temperature before the above-
discussed bypass condition is reached.
2 The appellants’ argument is consistent with this
interpretation (reply brief, pages 2-3).
7
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