Appeal No. 2003-1499
Application No. 09/531,872
(Answer, page 5), “unitary” means “whole” or “based on or
characterized by unity.” Appellants define their invention as an
integrated suspension for a hard disk drive which is formed “as a
single-piece flat design,” eliminating the need for mechanical
reinforcement such as flange forming with no additional weld
processing required. Specification, page 4, ll. 1-8. Appellants
further teach that conventional disk drive suspensions are made of
two pieces, or if made as a single assembly the suspensions require
flanges for mechanical reinforcement (specification, page 2, ll.
25-34). Accordingly, we determine that the claim language, when
read in light of the specification as understood by one of ordinary
skill in the suspension art, requires a “unitary” or one-piece
integrated suspension body with no welds or structural
reinforcement.
The examiner has failed to present any convincing evidence or
technical reasoning supporting the claim construction that
“assembly welds” are a “method limitation” which has no effect on
the completed structure (Answer, page 5).1 It is clear that
assembly welds would have an effect on the completed structure, as
1The examiner has not addressed the corresponding claim
language “free of ... structural forming.” See the Answer in its
entirety.
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