Appeal No. 2000-0496
Serial No. 08/795,626
ruggedness (figure 1(a)). The appellants’ specification
discloses exemplary filters (page 4, lines 6-26), but does not
define “filtration”. Hence, we give this term its ordinary
meaning,5 which is “[a] process of separating particulate matter
from a fluid, such as air or a liquid, by passing the fluid
carrier through a medium that will not pass the particulates.”6
In the JP ‘212 welding fume passage having toothed ruggedness the
relatively heavy welding fumes collide with the toothed
ruggedness and, consequently, accumulate by adhesion in the
recessed parts of the toothed ruggedness (page 6). Thus,
relatively heavy welding fumes which had passed the prior art
spatter trap and been captured on the prior art filter are
captured in the welding fume passage having toothed ruggedness.
See id. Hence, in the JP ‘212 apparatus, filtration is initiated
in the welding fume passage having toothed ruggedness.
The JP ‘212 housing is shown as having wheels (figure 1(a)),
and in operation the suction nozzle is placed in the vicinity of
the place of welding (page 6). Hence, it reasonably appears that
the housing is hand movable while in operation within a space to
5 See Allen Engineering Corp. v. Bartell Industries Inc.,
299 F.3d 1336, 1344, 63 USPQ2d 1769, 1772 (Fed. Cir. 2002).
6 McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
755 (Sybil P. Parker ed., McGraw-Hill 5th ed. 1994).
5
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