Appeal 2006-3201
Application 10/689,951
The appellants argue that Sillat’s manometer 12 is not an
active component because it is simply a vessel filled with a
gas such as neon that condenses when surrounded by cryogenic
liquid (brief, pages 7-9). The appellants’ specification does
not define the term “active”. The common meanings of “active”
include “productive of action or movement”2. The condensation
produced in manometer 12 is an action or movement. Hence, we
are not convinced by the appellants’ argument that “active
component” in claim 1 excludes Sillat’s manometer 12.
The appellants argue that Sillat’s manometer 12 is not
pneumatically connected to controller K (brief, page 8). We do
not find in the appellants’ claim 1 any limitation that
requires Sillat’s manometer 12 to be pneumatically connected to
that controller.
The appellants argue that Sillat’s only potentially active
component used in connection with the bypass line is
manometer P3 which is not in bypass line 10 (brief, page 8).
The appellants’ claim 1 does not require Sillat’s sensor to be
in line 10. The claim merely requires that the sensor is
2
2 Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary 12 (G. & C. Merriam 1973).
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013