Appeal No. 2002-1192
Application 09/256,383
In rejecting claims 17 and 18 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as
being anticipated by Lalvani, the examiner directs us to Figure 2
of the applied patent urging that Figure 2 shows an internal
truss braced frame with a plurality of aligned vertical truss
structures positioned transversely and longitudinally spaced. In
addition, the examiner points to the Abstract of the Lalvani
patent noting that it states that the truss frame can be combined
with membrane systems and used in environmental structures. The
examiner further urges that “[t]he intended use for retaining
liquid does not further limit the claims over the structure of
Lalvani” and that “[i]t is inherent that the membrane is secured
to the outer frame” (answer, page 3). Concerning claim 18, the
examiner again directs us to Figure 2 of Lalvani and urges that
it shows at least one vertical truss structure positioned
longitudinally within the internal truss frame and secured
between two adjacent longitudinally spaced vertical trusses.
The patent to Lalvani discloses a building system comprising
a family of space frames (e.g., Fig. 2) based on classes of non-
regular polyhedral nodes connected by appropriate struts (13 of
Fig. 2), wherein the space frames can be converted into panel or
plate systems, nodeless space frames, membrane and shell systems,
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