Appeal No. 1998-2566
Application 08/685,420
flexure provides flexibility for the slider as the slider
rides on the cushion of air between the air bearing surface
and the rotating disk” [column 1, lines 43-48]. From these
“definitions” it would appear that elements 24, 34 and 54
provide the function of the load beam while the area above
slot 47 provides the function of the flexure. The flexure
must occur right at the slider and cannot be located a
substantial distance away on a rigid member. Erpelding
describes elements 24, 34 and 54 as link portions.
Appellants’ specification makes several references to the fact
that the link portion of the assembly is the same as the load
beam [pages 12 and 16, for example]. We find it inconsistent
to read the flexure of the claimed invention on what is
clearly the load beam of the reference.
The second unreasonable interpretation made by the
examiner is the finding that the slider support member of
Erpelding is a conventional adhesive in which the slider is
mechanically attached [answer, page 9]. There is no
discussion of this conventional adhesive in Erpelding or
exactly where it would be located if it is present in
Erpelding. Thus, it is impossible to make a determination
8
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