Appeal No. 2001-1340
Application 08/944,885
Representative claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. An apparatus for detecting defects in composite structures,
comprising:
(a) a head for striking a suspect area on the composite
structure,
(b) an accelerometer sensor mounted inside the head for
detecting impact of the head against the composite structure
and producing an impact signal,
(c) a circuit connected to the sensor for converting the impact
signal into a representative alphanumeric readout value by
determining whether the impact was adequate to reliably
measure characteristics of the impact signal representing
the integrity of the composite, the circuit including a
threshold comparator to make such determination, and, if
the impact was adequate by rising above a predetermined
threshold value, measuring with a clock the length of time
that the impact was above the threshold value, the clock
producing the readout value in the form of the measured,
elapsed time or an equivalent value; and
(d) an alphanumeric readout for displaying the readout value.
The examiner relies on the following reference:
Hogan 5,490,411 Feb. 13, 1996
Claims 1 and 3-6 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being anticipated
by the disclosure of Hogan.
Rather than repeat the arguments of appellants or the examiner, we make
reference to the briefs and the answer for the respective details thereof.
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