Appeal 2007-2452
Application 10/421,761
1 any slight non-concentricity between the bearing and a shaft (144) that extends
2 through the armature and the bearings (Modien, col. 6, ll. 15-19; fig. 1). The
3 portion of the wall of each through hole (146c, 148c) toward the armature has a
4 circular cylindrical shape, and beyond that portion the wall (at 146f, 148f) has a
5 frustoconical shape that provides clearance to the shaft (Modien, col. 6, ll. 20-25;
6 figs. 2, 3). Frustoconical portions 146f and 148f extend for approximately one-half
7 the length of the through hole and compensate for any slight non-concentricity of
8 the bearings to the shaft’s centerline (Modien, col. 6, ll. 28-32). The edges at each
9 end of the bearings are chamfered to provide leads at the through hole entrances
10 (Modien, col. 6, ll. 25-28).
11 The Appellants argue that Ichiryu’s core is the plunger itself (Br. 10). The
12 Appellants, however, do not explain how Ichiryu’s plunger functions as a core.
13 Ichiryu, the Appellants argue, already has a yoke (inner yoke 10), and does
14 not disclose that the plunger guide functions as a yoke (Br. 10-11). The Examiner
15 has provided a plausible explanation (Ans. 5-6) as to how Ichiryu’s plunger guide
16 (11) functions as a core which, the Appellants argue, is “a mass of (usually) iron
17 serving to concentrate and intensify the magnetic field resulting from a current in a
18 surrounding coil” (Br. 10). That is, the plunger guide is surrounded by an outer
19 yoke (19) such that the plunger guide serves as an outer yoke extension to provide
20 a magnetic force that attracts the plunger to the left in Ichiryu’s figure 1. See id.
21 As pointed out by the Examiner (Ans. 5), the opposite end of the plunger is
22 surrounded by an inner yoke (10) that is integral with the outer yoke (Ichiryu, col.
23 5, ll. 1-5) and appears to attract the plunger to the right in Ichiryu’s figure 1. The
24 Appellants argue that Ichiryu does not disclose that the inner yoke attracts the
25 plunger (Reply Br. 5), but the Appellants provide no explanation to the contrary.
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Last modified: September 9, 2013