Appeal No. 2005-0247 Page 7
Application No. 10/171,657
end portions 32, "but will not have reached sufficient size to fill-in the open[ing 30]. . . ."
(Id.) We further agree with him that "[a]t this time, the claimed virtual chamber would
exist." (Id.) More specifically, the opening in the middle of the growing bubbles would
constitute a "virtual chamber" as claimed. At oral hearing, moreover, the appellants’
attorney conceded the brief existence of such a chamber during growth of the bubbles
in Campbell. Moon, at 9. Because the heater element 12 is located in the ink-filled print
cavity 21, Fig. 1, we find that the virtual chamber will contain ink.
Later during growth, the bubbles will "coalesce or stick together . . . at the center
during bubble growth. The bubbles 26a, 26b grow into a single pillow-shaped bubble 22
(see FIG. 2) so that the momentum is directed toward the nozzle 19. . . . " Col. 3, ll. 55-
59. Bounded by the surface 11 of the substrate 10 on the bottom, and the pressure
from ink in the ink flow channel 20 on the sides, that momentum will force the ink
present in the virtual chamber toward the nozzle so that it is "ejected in an energy-
efficient manner," id. at l. 60, therefrom.
The appellants argue, "A review of Campbell finds no discussion of 'pressure
from ink flowing into the print cavity 21 via the ink flow channel 20 on the sides'." (Req.
Reh'g at 9.) "'Every patent application and reference relies to some extent upon
knowledge of persons skilled in the art to complement that [which is] disclosed. . . .'"
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