Appeal No. 2003-0539
Application No. 09/188,702
in the art, taking into account whatever enlightenment by way of
definitions or otherwise that may be afforded by the written
description contained in the applicant’s specification. In re
Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 1054, 44 USPQ2d 1023, 1027 (Fed. Cir. 1997).
In the present case, appellants have chosen to describe the
shape of the holes using the term “triangularly,” a word with a
relatively fixed and definite meaning,” in combination with the
term “substantially,” a modifier that broadens the meaning of the
term being modified. In considering the extent to which the term
“substantially” broadens the term “triangularly” in appellants’
claims en route to determining the broadest reasonable meaning of
the terminology “substantially triangularly shaped,” we note that
the holes 24a, 24b forming the so-called “type 3 connector” 23 in
appellants’ Figure 2 are bounded by first and second straight line
segments and a third curved line segment, with the line segments
being connected together by short arcuate line segments. The holes
26 forming the so-called “type 2 connector” 22 are similar, except
that they are interconnected by a narrow passage. While these
holes somewhat resemble triangles in the sense that they have three
predominant sides, they are not, in the geometric sense of the
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