Appeal No. 1998-2975
Application No. 08/790,250
reinforcing layer embedded in the voltage variable material,
Collins meets the claim limitation. We disagree.
Collins' variable voltage material clearly is not
embedded with a reinforcing layer, according to the normal
usage of the word embedded. Further, in normal usage, the
word "impregnate" means to saturate or permeate throughout.
On page 8, line 16-page 9, line 9, appellants disclose that
the reinforcing layer can be a porous polymer material,
fibrous pieces of insulating material forming a mat, or
particulate pieces of insulating material pressed or bonded
together to form a sheet, which are all materials or
structures that could be impregnated with a voltage variable
material according to its normally accepted definition. On
page 9, lines 10-22, appellants describe the material shown in
Figures 1 and 2 as a variable voltage material impregnating
such a reinforcing layer. The voltage variable material
clearly permeates through or saturates the reinforcing layer,
as opposed to Collins which merely fills mechanically or
chemically formed voids. Thus, even interpreting "embedded
in" as meaning "being impregnated with," as the examiner has
done, we find that Collins fails to meet the claim limitation.
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