Appeal No. 2002-1911 Page 8
Application No. 09/598,087
Claim 1 is readable on Verma as follows: A system for measuring a weight on a
vehicle seat comprising (Verma discloses apparatus for determining the seated weight
of a seat occupant using strain gauges on the seat structure): a seat element mounted
to a vehicle structure (Verma's support feet 28 are connected to the four corners of the
tracks 26 and are bolted to the vehicle floor); a seat support member for supporting a
seat bottom (Verma's support 14 at the bottom of seat cushion 12); and a plurality of
weight sensor assemblies mounted between said seat element and said seat support
member (Verma's brackets 16 are mounted between support feet 28 and support 14),
each of said weight sensor assemblies having a bottom surface and a top surface
(Verma's brackets 16 have a bottom surface and a top surface) with a full bridge strain
gage mounted on one of said top or bottom surfaces (Verma's full bridge strain gages
30 are mounted to the top surface of brackets 16 as shown in Figure 4).
The appellants argue (brief, p. 6) that claim 1 is not anticipated by Verma since
Verma does not disclose a plurality of weight sensor assemblies mounted between a
seat element and a seat support member since Verma discloses separate brackets to
which the sensor assemblies are mounted. We do not agree. Verma's full bridge
strain gages 30 are mounted to the top surface of brackets 16 much like the appellant's
full bridge strain gages 50 are mounted to the top surface of sensor assemblies 36 as
shown in Figure 4. Accordingly, it is our determination that the claimed plurality of
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007