Appeal 2006-2990
Application 11/005,250
12, 17,1 18, and 20. Claims 3-6 and 10 stand allowed and claims 13-16 and
19, the only other pending claims, stand objected to as depending from a
rejected claim. We have jurisdiction over this appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 6
(2002).
Appellants’ Specification describes a side-flexing conveyor chain
module that distributes tension across the width of the belt module
(Specification [0006]). Claim 1 is illustrative of the claimed invention and
reads as follows:
1. A side-flexing conveyor chain module
comprising:
a first module member having first link ends
extending in a direction of conveyor travel and
first fingers extending in a direction substantially
opposite to the direction of conveyor travel, said
first fingers having first cam surfaces; and
a second module member pivotally coupled
to said first module member about a module
vertical axis, said second module member having
second link ends extending in a direction
substantially opposite to the direction of conveyor
travel and second fingers extending substantially in
the direction of conveyor travel and interdigitating
with said first fingers, said second fingers having
second cam surfaces engaging said first cam
surfaces to transfer forces between said first and
second module members
1 Though not included in the Examiner’s statement of the rejection, claim 17
stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b), as evidenced by the Examiner’s
explanation of the rejection (Final Rejection 2; Answer 3).
2
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