Appeal No. 2005-0180 2
Application No. 09/928,070
stylus has a stem with a break-off region. On page 5 of the specification, appellant
refers to a known prior art coordinate-measuring machine (German Publication
DE 33 14 318) having a stylus with a predetermined break-off region obtained by
providing a noticeable reduction of the cross-section of the stylus stem. Such a break-
off region is intended to protect the sensitive mechanics or the measuring system
associated with the stylus in case of an uncontrolled collision of the stylus with the
specimen or object being measured. Appellant’s invention is said to represent an
improvement over the existing stylus break-off region of reduced cross-section. More
specifically, appellant provides a stylus with a break-off region (6) consisting of a
changed structure of the stem material, wherein the changing of the structure of the
stem material is effected by heating the respective stem region, e.g., with a laser beam,
without any substantial removal of material so that the diameter of the stem does not
change or would only change insignificantly. According to appellant, “[t]he finess [sic,
fineness] of the obtained structure and the fact that no or almost no material is removed
insure that the flexural characteristics of the stylus, and thereby, the measurement
characteristics remain unchanged or are changed only insignificantly” (specification,
pages 7-8).
Independent claims 1 and 13 are representative of the subject matter on appeal
and a copy of those claims may be found in Appendix A of appellant’s brief.
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