Appeal No. 2000-1938
Application 08/940,467
specific discussion of these three components in the
specification is to explain that they are part of control circuit
2 in Figure 3 (col. 4, 11. 27-29) and that "[t]he resistor R11
and the capacitor C6 are parallel-connected and connected to the
terminals of the diode Z2" (col. 4, 11. 39-41). Furthermore, the
discussion of the operation of control circuit 2 (col. 2, 1. 44
to col. 3, 1. 4; col. 4, 11. 44-60) does not suggest that
capacitor C6 and/or resistor R11 function to control the
discharge rate of the zener diode. Nor does Lebbolo appear to
attribute such a function to capacitor C1, which is connected in
parallel with zener diode Z1.
As a result, the rejection of claims 2 and 4 is also
reversed to the extent is it based on Lebbolo.
F. The rejection of claim 3
Yasuda's Figure 6, on which the examiner relies, shows a
circuit for energizing a fluorescent lamp FL. This circuit
includes a series RC circuit (resistor 68 and capacitor 70) in
parallel with back-to-back zener diodes 72 and 74. The
examiner's characterization of Yasuda as teaching the use of a
series RC circuit in parallel with a zener diode "for controlling
the discharge rate of the high voltage side of the zener" (Answer
at 5) is unsupported by Yasuda's specification, which has only
the following to say about the zener diodes: "A pair of inversely
connected zener diodes 52 [sic, 72], 74 is connected between the
source and gate of the [FET] Q2" (col. 4, ll. 9-11). The
rejection of claim 3 is therefore reversed.
REVERSED
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