Appeal No. 2005-0322
Application No. 10/431,268
High pressure fluid pumped into the chambers deforms the securing
elements into frictional engagement with the tie bars. The
surfaces of the securing elements facing the interiors of the
chambers bear threads which engage complementary threads on
opposing interior surfaces of the chambers. These mating threads
effectively embody axially spaced apart projections and recesses
in form-fitting connection which are pressed together when
exposed to a tensile stress and interlock at an axial clearance
which increases along the engagement zone in axial direction
corresponding to the tensile stress of the tie bar (see Holbrook
at column 6, lines 32 through 68, and column 10, line 52, through
column 11, line 37; and Ing at column 7, line 62, through column
8, line 22).
In proposing to combine the foregoing references to reject
claim 1, the examiner submits that it would have been obvious
to modify any one of Mailliet et al., Choi, Arend and
Hammon by providing the cooperating projections and
recesses with an axial clearance which increases along
the engagement zone in an axial direction corresponding
to the tensile stress of the tie bar, as disclosed in
either Holbrook or Ing et al., in order to avoid
localized stresses in the projections/recesses and to
transmit the tensile forces over all of the
interengaged projections/recesses [answer, page 4].
5
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007