Appeal No. 2006-0651
Application 10/050,061
Gran discloses a vibration isolation device for reducing
vibrational disturbances of precision equipment mounted on a
payload platform which is subject to vibrations transmitted from
a base platform. Three pairs of semi-active isolators 14 support
the payload platform 10 on the base platform 12. Each isolator
14, which is pivotally connected at spherical ends to the payload
and base platforms (see Figures 2 and 6), comprises a passive
spring, preferably a slotted cylinder 22, and an active damping
component, preferably a voice coil actuator 24, mounted parallel
to the passive spring. A control system 58 for actuating the
voice coil actuators in response to sensed vibrations includes
six damping and isolation control loops 62 corresponding to the
six isolators.
The appellant does not dispute that it would have been
obvious to utilize Gran’s isolators to implement Griffin’s
broadly disclosed hexapod suspension, or that such semi-active
isolators are “configured to be tuned” as broadly recited in
parent claims 5 and 10. The appellant does submit, however, that
the rejection of claims 9 and 14 is untenable because the
combined teachings of Griffin and Gran would not have suggested a
system meeting the limitations in parent claims 1 and 5
pertaining to the coupling of each isolator second end to the
11
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