Appeal No. 1999-0503
Application 08/744,207
examiner explains why it would have been obvious to the
artisan to combine these features from Hanson and Deki with
the storage library of Baxter [id., pages 5-6].
Appellants argue that the elements 46 and 47 of
Baxter, which the examiner identified as the media storage
element adapter, are merely the top and bottom walls of a data
cell and, therefore, form part of the data cell. Appellants
further argue that elements 46 and 47 do not meet the
conventional definition of adapter [brief, pages 4-5]. The
examiner responds that the word “adapter” is very broad, and
when the word is given its broadest reasonable interpretation,
elements 46 and 47 of Baxter function as a media storage
element adapter [answer, pages 7-10]. Appellants reiterate
their position that elements 46 and 47 are not adapters as
claimed, and appellants further argue that elements 46 and 47
do not “engage” storage cells 27 and 28 within the ordinary
meaning of that term [reply brief].
As noted, this particular argument of appellants
hinges on whether elements 46 and 47 of Baxter form a media
storage element adapter and whether these elements engage the
store guide slot and the media storage element as recited in
-8-
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