Appeal No. 2003-0295
Application 09/435,324
line 67 - col. 4, line 2; col. 5, lines 44-46). As shown in
Barthe’s figure 2, the top surface of the interelement filler is
not above a top surface of frontal matching layer 112, and the
examiner has not established that Barthe would have fairly
suggested, to one of ordinary skill in the art, eliminating
frontal matching layer 112 or extending the interelement filler
beyond frontal matching layer 112.
The examiner argues that “nothing in applicant[‘]s claims
excludes additional matching layers” (answer, page 4). That is
correct. However, if the transducer includes a matching layer as
its top surface, then the top wall of the acoustic insulator or
means for minimizing signal transmission must be above a top
surface of the matching layer. As discussed above, Barthe’s
interelement filler 124 does not meet this requirement.
The examiner argues that “nothing in Barthe indicates #112
and #114 are to be considered as the “transduction elements”
(answer, page 4). That is correct. Frontal matching layers 112
and 114 are not part of transduction elements 110. They are,
however, part of transducer 100 (figure 1). Thus, the examiner’s
argument that “including #112 and #114 as ‘the transducer’ is an
unduely [sic] restrictive view of Barthe which is not backed by
anything in the Barthe document” (answer, page 5) is incorrect.
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007