Appeal 2006-2465
Application 10/266,052
claims on appeal and reevaluating the Examiner’s § 102 and § 103 rejections
based on the properly interpreted claims.
The subject matter on appeal relates to an apparatus for coating a
workpiece. Further details of the appealed subject matter are provided in
independent claims 1 and 23 which are reproduced below, as presented in
the Brief:
1. An apparatus for coating a workpiece having a first airfoil portion
with a leading edge and a trailing edge comprising a device for
simultaneously manipulating said workpiece about multiple axes while
holding a center of workpiece at a fixed horizontal and vertical location with
respect to a source of coating material and said device including means for
rotating said leading edge of said airfoil portion over said trailing edge of
said airfoil portion about said center during a coating operation.
23. An apparatus for coating at least one engine component having a
center and an airfoil portion with a leading edge, a trailing edge and a
longitudinal axis, said apparatus comprising:
a modular fixture having a first end plate and a stub shaft attached to a
first surface of said first end plate;
said modular fixture being rotated about a first axis defined by said
stub shaft;
means for supporting said at least one engine component at an angle
with respect to said first axis, said supporting means being non-movably
attached to a second surface of said end plate;
said supporting means including means for allowing said engine
component to rotate about said longitudinal axis so that said leading edge
rotates about said trailing edge while said center of said at least one engine
component is maintained at a fixed horizontal and vertical location with
respect to a source of coating material.
Any initial inquiry into the propriety of the Examiner’s prior art
rejection requires the determination the precise scope of the claimed subject
matter. In re Paulsen, 30 F.3d 1475, 1479, 31 USPQ2d 1671, 1674 (Fed.
Cir. 1994). Generally, we give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the
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