Appeal No. 1999-0529 Application 08/588,800 the application [answer, page 6]. We agree with the examiner’s finding that Martin anticipates the invention of claim 24. We note that claim 24 is drawn to the structure of a channel plate. Appellants’ argument appears to be directed more to the manner in which appellants create spacer members within the dielectric sheet rather than to the claimed resulting structure. As the examiner points out, the dielectric sheet of appellants’ disclosed invention is completely missing between the spacer members [note Figure 3]. Thus, the dielectric sheet of the claimed invention consists of only a series of separated spacer members after the through holes have been formed. There is no “sheet” remaining after the through holes have been formed. We interpret the examiner’s position to be that the structure resulting from Martin’s added spacer members 110c in Figure 4B is the same as the structure resulting from appellants’ dielectric sheet after the through holes have been formed. We agree with the examiner that the structure of claim 24 is the same as -6-Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007