Appeal No. 2004-0622 Page 6
Application No. 09/875,602
or “the length of such a line.”1 Appellants’ reference to an “edge radius” would thus
lead one of ordinary skill in the art to conclude that the doctor blade of appellants’
invention has a curved edge, with “edge radius” referring to the radius of curvature of
such curved edge. That the doctor blade has a curved edge appears to be confirmed
on page 7 of appellants’ specification, which refers to “an approximately circularly
arcuate doctor blade edge 22 placed against the surface 6 of the ink applicator roller
2.”2 Appellants’ specification, however, defines “edge radius” on page 4 as “the cross
sectional width of the edge surface which [is] placed against the surface of the printing
roller.” We recognize that an applicant can be his own lexicographer provided the
applicant's definition, to the extent it differs from the conventional definition, is clearly
set forth in the specification. Beachcombers Int’l, Inc. v. WildeWood Creative Prods.,
Inc., 31 F.3d 1154, 1158, 31 USPQ2d 1653, 1656 (Fed. Cir. 1994). In this instance,
however, appellants’ definition, even viewed in light of the remainder of the specification
and drawing, fails to paint a clear picture of what an “edge radius” is or how it is to be
measured. For example, a doctor blade may have an arcuate blade edge, only a
portion of which contacts the surface of the roller when the blade is pressed against the
roller. It is thus not clear whether the “edge radius” is the width of the entire arcuate
edge or only that portion of the edge which contacts or is “placed against” the surface of
1 Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition (Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1988).
2 It is worthy of note, however, that appellants’ drawing figure does not clearly illustrate an arcuate
blade edge, inasmuch as the details of edge 22 pressed against the surface 6 of the ink applicator roller
cannot be deciphered from the drawing.
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