Appeal No. 2006-0954
Application No. 10/316,444
a bar clamp at one end of the housing configured for
fastening the housing to a bicycle handle bar, the bar clamp
receiving the handle bar along a clamp axis;
a piston train within the housing operatively associated
with a fluid cylinder for movement within the fluid cylinder from
a non-actuated position to a fully-actuated position by action of
a drive force on the piston train;
a handle pivotably connected to the housing about a pivot
axis in operative association with the piston train to impart the
drive force on the piston train, the handle having a select
length from the pivot axis to a distal end, the handle having a
finger receptacle configured to receive at least one finger of a
user defining an effective finger force point a first select
distance from the distal end of the handle for the at least one
finger received in the finger receptacle during master cylinder
acutuation;
a select ideal finger actuation path for a finger of a user
received in the finger receptacle, the select ideal finger
actuation path beginning at a start point at the effective finger
force point with the handle at an engagement point where the
handle begins to drive the piston train against operative fluid
resistance and extending along a line at a select angle relative
to the clump axis; and
a pivotable connection between the handle and the housing,
the pivotable connection being located on the housing relative to
the clamp axis so that with the handle actuated by a force
applied to the effective finger force point along the select
ideal finger actuation path a mechanical advantage to a user
resulting from the handle actuation does not diminish more than
3% as the handle is pivoted between the engagement point and a
fully actuation position.[ ]1
THE REFERENCES
1 The examiner and the appellant should address on the record whether the appellant,
in claims 1, 4-9 and 12-17, is claiming what the appellant regards as the invention in
accord with 35 U.S.C. § 112, second paragraph. The specification indicates that a
select angle of at least 90° is needed to obtain the recited actuation chord angle and
2
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Last modified: November 3, 2007