Appeal No. 2004-1912
Application No. 09/808,584
OPINION
In an effort to streamline our analysis herein, we focus on
the crux of appellants’ claimed subject matter, as made evident
by the arguments presented by appellants in the brief and reply
brief. That is, we focus on whether the applied references
anticipate the claimed limitation “a metering bar positioned
against” the applicator “to meter a predetermined amount of
coating composition to said applicator for transfer to an
article transported to the said applicator.”
I. Claim Interpretation
We note that it is well settled that application claims, in
proceedings before the USPTO, are to be given their broadest
reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification. In
re Sneed, 710 F.2d 1544, 1548, 218 USPQ 385, 388 (Fed. Cir.
1983).
There are several locations throughout the specification in
connection with the aforementioned claimed subject matter. On
page 1, beginning at line 28, the specification indicates that
the invention features an apparatus for coating an article, the
apparatus comprising, inter alia, a metering bar positioned
against the applicator, to meter a predetermined amount of
coating composition to the applicator for transfer to an article
transported to the applicator by the conveyor. On page 2 of the
specification, beginning at line 4, the specification indicates
that the end of the metering bar positioned against the roller,
has a radius of at least about 2.5 mm. On page 6 of appellants’
specification, beginning at line 29, the specification indicates
that the metering bar 22 is positioned such that an edge 33 of
the metering bar 26 bears on the surface of the applicator
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