Appeal No. 2001-1888
Application No. 08/741,449
BACKGROUND
The invention relates to method and apparatus for providing electrical connection
in a fixture for testing printed circuit boards. Claim 13 is reproduced below.
13. A spring probe receptacle contact structure, comprising:
a spring probe receptacle adapted to receive a spring probe within an
internal cavity through an opening at one end and having a compliant pin fitted
within and protruding from an opening in at [sic] an opposite end.
The examiner relies on the following reference:
Welsh et al. (Welsh) 5,411,418 May 2, 1995
Claims 1-20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as being anticipated by
Welsh.
We refer to the Final Rejection (Paper No. 13) and the Examiner’s Answer
(Paper No. 22) for a statement of the examiner’s position and to the Brief (Paper No.
21) for appellants’ position with respect to the claims which stand rejected.
OPINION
At the outset, we note that the Final Rejection sets forth four different grounds of
rejection against the claims. Of those rejections, claims 1-12 and 17 were rejected
under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as being anticipated by Welsh, and claims 13-16 and 18-20
were rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over the same reference. Although the Answer
contends that the Brief’s “statement of the issues” that lists the four grounds of rejection
is correct, the Answer does not repeat the rejections not relying on Welsh, and asserts
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