Appeal No. 2001-1853
Application 09/198,217
indicated earlier in this opinion, Bullock himself clearly
alludes to if not strongly suggests that it was known in the art
to utilize electrodes on both sides of the piezoelectric bars 2
one of which comprises essentially the claimed electrode element
itself. The additional claimed conductive coating would comprise
in Bullock either the additional use of the conductive material
within the epoxy used to bond the bars 2 to the metal substrate
bar 3 as taught at column 2, lines 54-59 or the alternative use
of the wire screen mesh shown in Figure 4 which is in turn shown
in Figure 3 and discussed at the top of column 3 as the most
desirable approach to follow in constructing Bullock's device.
In the latter case, the epoxy itself need not be made conductive
since the effect of ensuring the conductivity between the
electrodes of the bars 2 has been assured by the use of the wire
screen 13. Figure 3 shows that the conductor 12 is in effect
connected to the edge of the wire mesh 13 also shown by its
numerical identifier 13 in Figure 4. Bullock's teaching of the
use of the wire mesh 13 in Figures 3 and 4 also meets the feature
of the mesh grid in dependent claim 7. Because the wire mesh 13
is shown to in part comprise a plurality of mutually parallel
strips, the feature recited in dependent claim 8 is also met by
Bullock.
7
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