8. As illustrated in Figure 2, however, the components to be joined or
assembled are normally arranged such that the motion required farjoining or
assembly is perpendicular to the motion imparted by the conveyor belt. Thus,
Figures 3, 5, 6, and 8, each of which illustrates a joining or assembly
operation, necessarily show a second direction of motion in which objects
may be moved while in the reactive volume. In each of these figures, the
conveyor as well as the mechanism responsible for the joining or assembly
motion have been suppressed in order to focus attention on the sequence of
steps which enable sterile connection to occur. Nonetheless, the existence of
these motions, as well as mechanisms that create them, would be obvious to
one skilled in the art.
9. In addition to the two axes of motion (conveyance in and out of the
reactive field and joining/assembling along a perpendicular axis) that are
present in the systems illustrated in Figures 3, 5, 6 and 8, several other
examples of distinct axes of motion may also be recognized in the '964
application.
10. One such example is given onpage 8, lines 11-12 which describe "apair
of rotating tabs 72, 73 which help to maintain the alignment of ends 14 of
components 10, 12," and also in claim 46 which describes "a mechanism
which brings the opened ends into aligned contact with each other while in
the active sterile field." These two examples describe mechanisms or devices
for alignment. The Random House Dictionary defines "align" as "to arrange
in a straight line," or "to bring into a line." The point is that, whereas the
main joining or assembly motion may occur along a single line, it is
necessary to provide additional axes of motion so that the components may
be moved to that line. This concept is well-known to experts in robotics and
automated manufacturing. Williams, for instance, in his book "Manufacturing
Systems: an Introduction to the Technologies," discusses the problems of
jamming and wedging that may occur in parts mating due to angular and
off-axis misalignment. Williams goes on to describe a device, the remote
center compliance, often used in automated systems to bring objects into
correct aligriment. Of course, many other techniques are known in the art for
establishing proper alignment. Similar discussions can be found in the books
by Asfahl and Sandler referenced above. In conclusion, by describing
mechanisms capable of alignment, the '964 application inherently describes
mechanisms capable of moving objects along a plurality of axes.
11. Figures 5A and 5B illustrate another type of complex motion involving
a plurality of axes. In Figure 5A, tabs 72 and 73 are shown enclosing the
sterile ends ofthetwo components to bejoined. Thesetabs are "peeled" away
by means of the rotary motion shown with arrows C and D in both Figures
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