Appeal 2007-1670
Application 10/102,565
11. Once the member (46) has been inserted, the opening (50) is shaped, by
virtue of the fingers (58), to prevent the member (46) from passing back
through the opening (50) (Dobson, Fig. 5).
12. As such, Dobson discloses an opening shaped to receive the cable drum
housing when the cable drum housing is in a first position and shaped to
prevent the cable drum housing from passing through the opening when the
cable drum housing is in a second position.
PRINCIPLES OF LAW
“A claim is anticipated only if each and every element as set forth in the
claim is found, either expressly or inherently described, in a single prior art
reference.” Verdegaal Bros. v. Union Oil Co. of California, 814 F.2d 628, 631, 2
USPQ2d 1051, 1053 (Fed. Cir. 1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 827 (1987).
We determine the scope of the claims in patent applications not solely on the
basis of the claim language, but upon giving claims “their broadest reasonable
interpretation consistent with the specification” and “in light of the specification as
it would be interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art.” In re Am. Acad. of Sci.
Tech. Ctr., 367 F.3d 1359, 1364, 70 USPQ2d 1827, 1830 (Fed. Cir. 2004). We
must be careful not to read a particular embodiment appearing in the written
description into the claim if the claim language is broader than the embodiment.
See Superguide Corp. v. DirecTV Enterprises, Inc., 358 F.3d 870, 875, 69
USPQ2d 1865, 1868 (Fed. Cir. 2004) (“Though understanding the claim language
may be aided by the explanations contained in the written description, it is
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